FeloniousMonk

It's been a long while. Could someone please check in if they have the jeans?

13 hours ago, Smallrod said:

what is available in Japan, it is very difficult to get accurate measurements for the different models. 

Yep, that's exactly what prevent me from getting a pair until this fit showed up at Self Edge. I'd tried looking into the other models on RJB's website, but could never figure out which fits might actually work from the (scant) provided measurements.

Wish I could take you up on the 33s, but I'm a 31 in the RJB 109 fit (which is TTS for me). Definitely hope someone else on the forums can take those off your hands though, it would be a great pair.

3 hours ago, Smallrod said:

Looking good. What model are they?

They're the D109FXR model that Self Edge carries. I'd actually have slightly preferred it if I could find a fully kitted-out pair of RJBs in this fit with the black deerskin patch, diamond arcs, and all, but RJB just doesn't seem to get carried in most American stores. The details on this collaboration pair still feel really nice though, and the arcs and thread colors are appropriately flashy for the denim.

Since finishing up the Ooe contest, I've been trying to keep focused on just one or two pairs of jeans at a time to get more pairs to that heavily-worn state. And the pair that I've found myself wearing the most has been the Flat Head X RJB collaboration with the new RJB left-hand denim. Really lovely stuff - the pretty dense weave is warm enough for the fall and winter here in NYC, but I'm hoping they'll be worn in enough by spring to stay comfortable in warmer weather. The fabric also had a surprisingly rough exterior handfeel early on, though it's getting a bit smoother after a few months of wear and a couple washes. The interior felt quite smooth from the beginning, so it was never a comfort issue.

The fabric actually strikes me as almost being a souped-up version of the #17 denim used in the Ooe contest, though that may just be my own focus on them both being left-hand twill. They both had similar "crispy" feel in the first month or two, and very noticeable, streaky vertical falling characterizes the early fading of both fabrics. The RJB denim does fade a bit faster though. Even after just 2-3 months of wear, it's already turning a brighter blue around the knees and wallet area. Also looks like I'm getting some early combs setting in, which would be super nice.

Couple photos of the current progress in our super-low-angle afternoon light:

Thanks again, @mandel9000! You always put the effort in on the photo sets, and it's well appreciated. Looking forward to another trip through the Nordics, my partner and I have been hoping to get out there for a hiking holiday some summer.

Sorry about being away for a bit, shirking my duties! Any of @guthriegking, @andrewrose, or @MasonAlexander want to take the next leg?

If no one else calls dibs, I'm happy to have them sent this way and will put some wear in over the winter. Even have a big trip coming up for the holidays, so it could be fun to have them along for it.

Oslo's looking good, @mandel9000. The whiskers look like they're coming in nicely as well!

Not too late, @MasonAlexander. Want me to add you to the tour list for when they come back to the States?

Holy shit! Thanks everyone, and especially all the fellow contestants! It's been a hell of an 18 months, with a few moves, a job change, etc., and it's nice to have an amazing pair of jeans that remind me of it all. Glad we all got to enjoy the last of this special denim put together by my favorite jean makers in the world.

Photos will definitely get posted once the prize arrives, and I suspect the amount of wear left in these jeans will lead to a long life for the contest thread as we all periodically check in with the continued progress.

High praise from you two! Agreed that the #17 denim is something special. Would love to know if it's still in production, or was deadstock used for the contest. If there's enough for another run, it would be a surefire hit. It keeps a lot of visual interest after repeated washings, never really fading to that very even blue you get on some denims (including the OAXX fabric to some extent). Super comfortable after a brief break-in, too.

Quick question on voting etiquette here for participants: I take it the right move is to vote for the pair we like most that is not our own?

Since we're not supposed to comment in the other thread, I just wanted to say damn to @corporalclegg, that pair came out beautifully! The whiskering is particularly lovely.

@mandel9000, go for it!

I think I will have to take on the next leg of the Roys world tour, so I'll pass on this for the immediate moment if that's ok.

@andrewrose @guthriegking @mandel9000... Any of you want to take the jeans next?

Otherwise, with the Ooe contest over, I'd be happy to take them for a month!

On 9/23/2017 at 6:56 PM, Hendsch said:

current status of my wattle 129s. These things sure can take a beating! 

Dang, those are getting lovely. So is the brown overdye pretty much completely gone at this point? How much washing did that take?

Just in time, too. Found a tear at the edge of my existing repairs this morning, so it looks like my pair is pretty much done until I can send them off for more darning.

Just checking in again - we had unorthodox join the US side.

So, @andrewrose, @guthriegking, or @unorthodox: Any of you up for the next leg?

You might get a little stretch out of the rise, but I think that fit will always be a compromise. Wearing a tight belt early on does seem to get a little more stretch in the rise and top block rather than just stretching out the waist. Hope you enjoy them overall, they're great jeans!

Beautiful round on the tour! Thanks again, wolfofthesea!

As for next up, I think that would be either @guthriegking or @andrewrose. Either of you gents up for the next slot?

I think within a week, they had stretched a bit to feel more comfortable. Well within a month of wear, they got a softer feel, but I think they also had a couple machine washes in that month which definitely speeds denim through the crispy/crunchy phase.

Hope you like them! They're a great pair of jeans, looking forward to wearing them more this fall/winter after the Ooe contest wraps up.

I'm pretty sure I still have the original hems, and they are pretty much dead-on 33" inseam now. The Self Edge site says the raw inseam should be 35", so it does seem like they ended up with almost exactly 2" total shrink.

The denim is still pretty hairy, but the fibers are very fine and short so they don't really come across in photos. I would say they were pretty standard on that front for a loosely-woven denim, and just not abnormally hairy after the soak.

As for the bit of wear, you can see a bit of lighter blue on the inseam where I'm getting some lightening. There's also bits of lighter blue where the whiskering will eventually come through. But the denim does stay dark for longer than I think you would expect with the crazy texture. One of the guys who works at the Self Edge here has been wearing a pair regularly since the winter, and I remember being surprised at how dark they still looked after 2-3 months of wear.

Top thigh measurement, across from the crotch seam is almost dead on 12.25" for both pairs of jeans. The SEXSG24 may be up to 1/8" narrower. Around mid-thigh (7" down the inseam), the measurement for both pairs was 9.5".

Here's a photo of the SEXSG24 laid over the Ande Whalls, with a zoom in on the inseam. As you can see, the Ande Whalls have roughly a 1.5" higher rise, but are almost identical cuts through the thighs and the legs continue to line up pretty much perfectly to the bottom hem.