Duke Mantee

3 hours ago, StuartM said:

I watched in awe at the level of game-management/timewasting on display. Credit to the England team, I've never seen better. Deliberately dribbling a second ball onto the pitch to prevent the goalie from taking a kick near the end was the finest piece of shithousery I've seen on a football pitch in my 46 years. 

Doesn’t even get close to the shithousery of tournament rigging that occurred the last time that country managed a WC final

9 hours ago, ColonelAngus said:

How can I tell if my MiUSA wedge sole moc toe boots have a good year welt? My understanding is that with a good year welt you’d see the stitching on the sole of the shoe/boot. But what about wedge soles? 

If it’s a Goodyear welt then the upper is lasted between the welt and the insole so you don’t see stitching on the sole. The stitching you do see on the sole is the sole stitch. No idea what your boots are or what the sole is but I’d guess this wedge is glued on.

… and a couple of denim jackets (SIZE 40) in barely worn condition - I’ve got plenty (not my pics but I’ll sort that) - both from 2013 is memory serves

£220 each

Here’s a batch of FW size 40 (except the British Columbia which is a 42) up for grabs. DM me for more info or pics if necessary 

Signalman #1521030 - £150

Greaseball 1521029 - £150

S-8 Aviator 1921006 - £250

British Colombia 1031006 - £350

Utility Jacket 1421013 - £220

5 hours ago, smoothsailor said:

Amazing Duke, your work is def NOT a hobby shed tinkerer.

Oh it really is hobby shed mate - I hope to make belts as good as you make bikes

Wickett & Craig bridle in dark brown with cobra overlays, vintage glass jewels, brass hardware and antique Japanese coin

On 4/24/2023 at 6:42 AM, Double 0 Soul said:

It was actually Junky where I first spotted them.. on the shop page, the images weren’t great so instead of checking the blog I opened a new tab and searched, I’m getting rusty y’know.

Id really like a pair.. I’m all about super voluminous pants cut short or with a rolled cuff atm..

Dont check the fit pics on ARKnets tho.. it looks like they’ve sized up typically but unnecessarily, wearing them unhemmed/uncuffed like a pair of Droors, which was no bad thing.. in 1994 

 

Must’ve just glanced past this but a lot of Korean brands have been pioneering the volume fit for a few years - basically been part of the influence to some Japanese brands and a lot of other ‘streetwear’

Most likely that’s been developed from all that old baggies stuff from the 80s

Anyway the Duchess has got a sweat from FrizmWORKS and for the money - faultless. Super heavyweight and really well constructed. Their website is https://en.frizm.co.kr but the stuff is available from the likes of The Hip Store, End and stores with that customer base.

I’ve often thought to try out something like that but I have trapped myself into the corner of my own collection so I’d just be wasting money

Good fit on your purchase but you’ll need to go on my diet if you want to get the full ‘Tony look’

On 7/30/2023 at 6:08 PM, MJF9 said:

Spotted this... sale secured with help from @Denimseeker here... 480,000 HKD (= $61,584 = £47,899)!!

That’s my old FW jacket! Dunno why he’s sold for less than he bought it from me 

A variation of my own belt for @dirkdongler7 on IG

Wickett & Craig bridle, solid brass hardware with turquoise and jasper gemstones, vintage cowboy spots and Japanese coin 

Not possible to make this again as my supply of cowboy spots is now exhausted 

I really don’t care how quickly or how slow denim fades - too many factors involved to really make sense of it anyway ( @chicote touches on this) 

As with a lot of this stuff, there’s a certain po-faced approach to the scientific appraisal of train tracks, roping, whiskers and whatnot that makes for good forum debate, but I wonder if it kills the joy of wearing nice clothes just for the fun of, well … erm, wearing nice clothes? 

I posted a pair of FW jeans a few months back that were very heavily faded, in certain areas, within a few weeks - they were used for work, they got dirty and sweaty and one knee (the one I knelt one while working) is almost worn through. Not the ‘classic’ fades (there is no such thing anyway) and I still wear them with as little thought as any other pair of jeans … and I think that’s my point - I wear what I want on any given day and I’m not bothered about investing too much thought into that process.

On 8/3/2023 at 3:54 PM, Maynard Friedman said:

Frank Wright loafers were the big thing back in those days I recall.

Patrick Cox

13 minutes ago, Ciabatta said:

I wanted some JM Weston looking loafers at not JM Weston loafers prices but I should listen to my age old saying: “Buy nice or buy twice.”

What’s your budget?

There’s Cheaney at around £400, Trickers have a sale on some styles down to £325, or what’s wrong with GH Bass - cheaper and (I think better) than those Horatio shoes? 

2 hours ago, Dr_Heech said:

Overseeding it 

 

Did you use that Spectracide ‘One Shot’ first?

2 hours ago, Double 0 Soul said:

Quite.. Doc_H was wearing them the day JFK was shot

Some say the grassy knoll was Doc’s first job

Strange how your mind and memories work.

Having a look at the Horatio shoes website and being already bored shitless by the most obvious new trend in the rugged world - loafers (loafers in themselves are great btw) - I remember buying a pair of GH Bass ‘Weejuns’ from a shop in Glasgow’s Princes Square about 35 years ago. I still have and wear my Church’s loafers I bought, I dunno, a decade ago maybe.

Anyways, I mentioned this to the duchess and she said ‘don’t you remember (penny) loafers were a big thing in the 90s - there was a band we saw who wore loafers and jeans rolled up above the ankle?’

It was this crew who don’t use the video to champion them   so you’ll either have to be old enough or just take my word 

It’s all part of the cycles of fashion - I remember weejuns being popular with the 2 Tone movement, mods and punks … and I’m sure @Dr_Heech will remember the original Ivy League thing too

15 hours ago, Ciabatta said:

Anybody have experience with Horatio footwear out of London? I’m curious about the sizing since they don’t offer half sizes.  

I don’t, but they don’t look particularly good looking at their website and media info - what drives your interest?

@Geeman Goatskin is such an underrated leather in these parts - and the range of temper, grain and colour is fantastic … this red is really nice and it was actually part of the skin I bought to make some overlays for a belt

44 minutes ago, chicote said:

No kidding mike, really excellent craftsmanship there!

Thank you mate

1 hour ago, Dr_Heech said:

Only the best for the Duchess eh Mike?

 

Couldn’t risk anything less

1 hour ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

Your work is really incredible  

Thank you so much

The duchess wanted a new purse and she liked the long wallet style pattern I’d made … kinda. So a few changes, a wrist strap and chain added, she now has a purse/clutch that fits most iPhone models too

Badalassi Carlo ‘Pueblo’ in prugna cowhide shell, with Alran SAS ‘Sully’ goatskin in red, and 24k gold plate stainless steel hardware

A 4th belt to @coastal_file on IG

J&FJ Baker oak stained oak bark tanned bridle leather with nickel plated steel hardware, white howlite and leopardskin jasper gemstones, and a sterling antique Japanese coin