Jeans of the Old West: A History

[ringring]

Another ringing endorsement here. It's an outstanding book Mike. Anyone interested in jeans should have a copy.

Many thanks for the education.

[Maynard Friedman]

Another ringing endorsement here. It's an outstanding book Mike. Anyone interested in jeans should have a copy.

Many thanks for the education.

Or should that be another ringring endorsement?!

[ringring]

Or should that be another ringring endorsement?!

Yes. Absolutely.

[crownzip]

Mike,

That's very cool if you do decide to produce a book about Welsh miners. My great great grandfather was a Welsh miner who came to the US to work the lead mines of western Wisconsin in the late 1800's. What kind of workwear they do you suppose they'd of used that far north?

.

Thanks a lot for the kind words Paul, we were thinking about another book in the coming years (the clothing of Welsh tin miners) Out in the west, it's my belief that the Welsh miners did most of the excellent dry masonry work . I'll take some pictures of this fine rock work, next time I'm out in the field. Thanks again Paul and I'm looking forward to reading your Bowie book, congratulations on getting past the libel lawyers (sounds like a drag)

[Sansome1877]

Ring, Maynard Thanks for the endorsement!! Crown, Julian from Julian boots pitched this idea to me at the Rose bowl. Julian has relatives that live near the old tin mines, sounds like he wanted to go search the mines, over in his home land. Julian told me, that there is well documented photos of the welsh miners, and from what I could gather he said the miners wore something like duck clothing? Seems like a interesting subject, do you know any thing about your relatives history? Paul T could know something about this subject?

[mtchfrnk]

If you end up going to the upper midwest, swing by Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Welsh miners are cool and everything but give me a good Cornwall boy any day. The pasties are nice, too.

I had always assumed that fabric wouldn't survive the humid climate up there too well. Mines in the great lakes basin flooded regularly. However I can vouch that there are still dry goods stores up there with very very old stock.

In my experience, up there's a weird mix of cowboys and Carhartt country, so I would expect blanket lined duck and Wranglers.

[Ness]

Thanks Mike...I have got my copy. What a book...!

[Sansome1877]

If you end up going to the upper midwest, swing by Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Welsh miners are cool and everything but give me a good Cornwall boy any day. The pasties are nice, too.

I had always assumed that fabric wouldn't survive the humid climate up there too well. Mines in the great lakes basin flooded regularly. However I can vouch that there are still dry goods stores up there with very very old stock.

In my experience, up there's a weird mix of cowboys and Carhartt country, so I would expect blanket lined duck and Wranglers.

I would like to get up that way some time, I have 14 first cousins, that I never met before, that live in Michigan. Do you really think these dry goods store's haven't been picked before? Mines have to be dry and cut into good solid rock, there is a good reason why most mines are posted(stay out stay alive) I really don't want to encourage anyone to get into my ridiculous hobby. Thanks for the compliment ness.

[crownzip]

Mike,

He came over from Wales along with Cornish miners to work the mines around Dodgeville, WI. Someone in the family must have taught my Grandmother how to cook Cornish dishes as I grew up eating pastie. Mmmm pastie.

[Sansome1877]

Mike,

He came over from Wales along with Cornish miners to work the mines around Dodgeville, WI. Someone in the family must have taught my Grandmother how to cook Cornish dishes as I grew up eating pastie. Mmmm pastie.

There was a pastie shop that opened near me about 8 years ago, they were pretty darn good. I guess it wasn't very popular and the pastie shop took a digger a year later. It would be cool if you could get some pictures of your relatives?

[Sansome1877]

Found this about a year ago, can was nowhere to be found.

[crownzip]

Yeah, in this age of low carb, low fat eating I guess pastie would be a tough sell.

Spoke to my mom yesterday about pastie. She remembers her grandmother telling her they used to bake them for the miners lunch pails. She said they were easy to pack and could be eaten in the mines as a quick lunch. Kinda like our version of fast food.

Next time I'm back home I'll try and dig up a photo of my great great grandfather. As a kid I remember seeing a cool old tintype photo of him standing outside a mine. A real bad ass looking dude from what I recall.

[crownzip]

Incredible how the colors haven't faded. Looks like it was printed last week.

Found this about a year ago, can was nowhere to be found.

[Sansome1877]

Yeah, in this age of low carb, low fat eating I guess pastie would be a tough sell.

Spoke to my mom yesterday about pastie. She remembers her grandmother telling her they used to bake them for the miners lunch pails. She said they were easy to pack and could be eaten in the mines as a quick lunch. Kinda like our version of fast food.

Next time I'm back home I'll try and dig up a photo of my great great grandfather. As a kid I remember seeing a cool old tintype photo of him standing outside a mine. A real bad ass looking dude from what I recall.

Makes sense about those pasties and the miners( I sure did like them) That would be kick ass if you got ahold of those photos of your grandfather (sounds like he might have been a tough guy?) Did you ever see the photo on the Antique road show, of John Hardin the gun fighter? You could tell that he was a cold blooded MO FO. The colors are pretty crazy on that goose berry label.

[Sansome1877]

[/img][/img]

Only one problem with this machine, this guy has belt loops on his pants. 1975 vintage

[Sansome1877]

[pacioli]

Any idea how the warp and weft yarns differ from denim to duck, beside the twill versus plain weave? Sometimes it seams like duck is a bit more brittle/fragile.

The yarns used is more a matter of choice but due to comfort you normally would not make clothing with heavy canvas. It does not drape as well as twill weaves and from experience the many warp/weft crossings are not conducive to comfort against the skin. That is why most plain weave fabrics for clothing tend to be more fine (finer yarns).

Canvas also tends to crease more easily than twills. Plain weave is the least wrinkle-resistant of all weaves (your whiskers and honeycombs would be gorgeous on indigo canvas). With workwear that is not washed often one would imagine that over time the fabric would experience yarn breakage more often than the more drapey twill. But don't be mistaken. Given the same yarns of same quality cotton, pound for pound, canvas generally stronger than 3x1 twill.

[Sansome1877]

I will send you pictures of that 1860's duck pant Pacioli in a few days. Light weight, crude duck pant. Thanks for the information!!!

[Maynard Friedman]

Yeah, in this age of low carb, low fat eating I guess pastie would be a tough sell.

Spoke to my mom yesterday about pastie. She remembers her grandmother telling her they used to bake them for the miners lunch pails. She said they were easy to pack and could be eaten in the mines as a quick lunch. Kinda like our version of fast food.

Next time I'm back home I'll try and dig up a photo of my great great grandfather. As a kid I remember seeing a cool old tintype photo of him standing outside a mine. A real bad ass looking dude from what I recall.

Still plenty of pasty shops to be found in London, mainly in the concourses of mainline rail stations. They've experienced something of a Renaissance over the last 5-10 years

[Sansome1877]

Still plenty of pasty shops to be found in London, mainly in the concourses of mainline rail stations. They've experienced something of a Renaissance over the last 5-10 years

Nice!! I have a feeling that I'm going your way next year. I ate a pasty with A-1 sauce. What kind of sauce would you put on those? (Nothing?) The last time I was in England I saw Michael Schumacher fly off the track(1999)I would really like to get back to England.

[airfrogusmc]

Yeah, in this age of low carb, low fat eating I guess pastie would be a tough sell.

Spoke to my mom yesterday about pastie. She remembers her grandmother telling her they used to bake them for the miners lunch pails. She said they were easy to pack and could be eaten in the mines as a quick lunch. Kinda like our version of fast food.

Next time I'm back home I'll try and dig up a photo of my great great grandfather. As a kid I remember seeing a cool old tintype photo of him standing outside a mine. A real bad ass looking dude from what I recall.

Grant, there are some places in the UP in copper country that still serve them.

The old copper smelter in Ripley in the UP.

[Sansome1877]

I know it says keep out? Looks like there could be some cool stuff inside the building? I love old industrial things, Nice photo, thanks for posting it!!

[airfrogusmc]

I know it says keep out? Looks like there could be some cool stuff inside the building? I love old industrial things, Nice photo, thanks for posting it!!

I think they've cleaned it up and turned it into a historic landmark and a state park? Anyone from up there know?

[Sansome1877]

Probably cleaned up all the old clothing and threw it away?

[Sansome1877]

[/img]

My father in law is working on two stories that Im going to post, one is about how he and two of his friends mined for silver back in 1978(my father in law is a geologist) They found a 10 ton pocket, of high grade silver oar that the miners in the 1870's had overlooked. The second story takes you back to his college days when he took a class on explosives. His teacher took the class out to a farm to blow some tree stumps out of the ground, what happened next had the entire class running for their lives. I could tell these stories my self since I've heard them over and over again for the last 24 years, but I will have him tell the stories in his own words. My father in law is about to retire and we are looking to lease a silver claim (we want to go looking for silver) Im going to post some denim next, to balance out all of these desert scenes and pinball machines.

[Sansome1877]

I sure wish they could reproduce errors like this, in denim today.

[Sansome1877]

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[Sansome1877]

[/img]

[glimmertwins]

Wow! You find all this stuff just hopping between desolate mines in the dessert? Do you ever come home empty handed? It seems like your pulling crazy stuff out every week although maybe these are photos from a lifetime's worth of collecting. Great stuff nonetheless. This is one of the few truly substantive threads on sufu.

[glimmertwins]

Wow! You find all this stuff just hopping between desolate mines in the dessert? Do you ever come home empty handed? It seems like your pulling crazy stuff out every week although maybe these are photos from a lifetime's worth of collecting. Great stuff nonetheless. This is one of the few truly substantive threads on sufu.