Jeans of the Old West: A History

[silencejoe]

interesting pants from LVC 2011 S/S.. also mentioned in your book : )

http://www.kingmagazine.se/Manniskorna/denimdyrkaren/LVC-SS11--MADE-IN-USA--Pantaloons/

[Sansome1877]

interesting pants from LVC 2011 S/S.. also mentioned in your book : )

http://www.kingmagazine.se/Manniskor...A--Pantaloons/

Are you talking about 201's mentioned in the book Joe?

[silencejoe]

Are you talking about 201's mentioned in the book Joe?

I'm talking about this one from 1878..(i guess ) : )

http://www.kingmagazine.se/Manniskorna/denimdyrkaren/LVC-SS11--MADE-IN-USA--Pantaloons/

[Sansome1877]

Ah I always wanted to find this patent in a pair of Levi's(never found anything using this patent) I wish the vintage community was more open about this stuff? If this 1878 patent was used, I sure would like to see it. Thanks Joe

[Joseph Hill]

I was hoping the local Kinokuniya was going to get this book in eventually (I like to buy local when I can), but it looks like I'm going to have to order it in. Wish I could make it to Frisco for the signing.

[roy6]

I am pretty sure it was this Saturday night Roy, I don't think Union Made closes, open 24 hours?

Oops, yes, Saturday the 6th. Fixed the original post, and look forward to seeing you (and your jeans) this weekend in person.

[Sansome1877]

I was hoping the local Kinokuniya was going to get this book in eventually (I like to buy local when I can), but it looks like I'm going to have to order it in. Wish I could make it to Frisco for the signing.

Joseph your in luck, World Photo Press( Mono Work Wear) is going to translate Jeans of the old west. The Japanese version will probably be in Kinokuniya in six months. Do you think six months is enough time for you to learn how to read Japanese? PM me if you want me to get an english version of the book. Roy I will see you in San Francisco in a few days.

[Sansome1877]

I picked up this magazine while I was in Japan, it was printed in 1998. I found this cool pair of original patched Levi's, I think a lot of the damage seen on this pant is due to pack rats, I have seen a lot of chewed denim lined pack rat nests, in mines. I think a reason for most cuff damage is due to the pants being to long, It seems the back of the cuffs are walked on, over rocks.

[Joseph Hill]

Joseph your in luck, World Photo Press( Mono Work Wear) is going to translate Jeans of the old west. The Japanese version will probably be in Kinokuniya in six months. Do you think six months is enough time for you to learn how to read Japanese? PM me if you want me to get an english version of the book. Roy I will see you in San Francisco in a few days.

Oh, the English version would be fine. I only referenced Kinokuniya because even though Seattle has some fine bookstores, this is the one that seems to carry this sort of thing. It's the only place I've found the My Freedamn! and Hellers' Cafe King of Vintage. (just down the hill from the actual Hellers' Cafe)

[Dr_Heech]

Used to have that book. Nice pics of some 201's in there IIRC. My book fell apart in about three weeks. Great photos mind.

Great find Mike, hope yours lasts longer than mine.

[Sansome1877]

Joseph I will pm you about the book, Heech I think my copy is 12 years old, I don't think it will last to long, I'll have to keep it even if it comes apart. Tiger see you in San Francisco, it looks like we will be at Union made between 1:00 and 4:00 this Saturday.

[rnrswitch]

Wish I could make it up. I am sure y'all can have fun without me.

[roy6]

^ We'll try. Maybe I'll make an rnr mask to wear for a photo.

[rnrswitch]

I was just looking at the AB Elfelts' selvage line and noticed something pretty cool. For me, when jeans are new it is hard to tell if the weft is bleached or not. Usually the wrong side of the denim will have kind of a dirty look to it. These definitely have that but another tell-tale sign is the white selvage warp yarns. They are a much brighter white than the yellowish/natural colored weft yarns.

Here is the same pic but enlarged to hopefully show it better.

You can see that the white vertical yarns are much more brighter than the yellowish horizontal weft yarns.

[roy6]

Sansome1877 had his signing at Unionmade in SF today- I took a bunch of photos which I'll post in several batches. First some shots of the shop and the crowd:

[roy6]

Sansome brought along a pair of his Deadgrass A. B. Elfelt jeans, manufactured for him by Rising Sun:

This was the first time I'd seen them in the flesh. The details were fantastic. Sansome was telling me how Mike Hodis at Rising Sun heat treated the suspender and fly buttons to give them a blue cast. I took a pair outside into the sun and looked at buttons in better light. Really nice dark blue with bits of cobalt and purple coming through:

[roy6]

Sansome also brought along some finds from his explorations- denim pieces, a few other items of apparel, and some packaging:

A recycled denim candle-holder.

Some rare brass rivets.

[roy6]

. . .

[Paul T]

Lovely pics. Thanks guys. Congrats on the signing Mike, I hope you sold a stash.

Very wise doing a book signing in a specialist shop. I did one for Iggy and got asked twice wher the crime section was. (I make a very helpful shop assistant). However, a popular author once told me if you do a signing in a conventional shop, sign every copy there is - that way they don't go back as Sale or Return, so they count as sales.

Mike, IIRC the early suspender buttons are very thin. Correct?

[ringring]

Great photos.

Interesting construction on the boot. Did the boots originally have a tongue attached to the throat of the vamp? And was the hole on the side for a rivet?

It's fascinating to see that they hobnailed the arch of the sole as well. Those nails must have caused a fair few rips in waist overalls.

[Sansome1877]

Lovely pics. Thanks guys. Congrats on the signing Mike, I hope you sold a stash.

Very wise doing a book signing in a specialist shop. I did one for Iggy and got asked twice wher the crime section was. (I make a very helpful shop assistant). However, a popular author once told me if you do a signing in a conventional shop, sign every copy there is - that way they don't go back as Sale or Return, so they count as sales.

Mike, IIRC the early suspender buttons are very thin. Correct?

Yea I think that's good advice about the small shops, Union Made was gracious enough to have me and it worked out perfect.............the clothes they had there were great, lots to look at. that 's funny about the assist. bit, you probably have a broad knowledge of books........

About the early suspender buttons, the brass suspender button Roy6

took pictures of, I wouldn't consider thin......thinner then the pound, thicker than our quarter.

the thinner sus. buttons on levi's came in at about 1892 on the 201's only (not the 501's) in fact they seem pretty damn flimsy.....

[Sansome1877]

Great photos.

Interesting construction on the boot. Did the boots originally have a tongue attached to the throat of the vamp? And was the hole on the side for a rivet?

It's fascinating to see that they hobnailed the arch of the sole as well. Those nails must have caused a fair few rips in waist overalls.

I think your correct, it probably had a tongue, we are thinking most of the damage to the pants might have been caused by the hobnailed boots they used to wear, I don't think everyone used to 'cuff' the pants the way we do now......

I don't think they had rivets on them........they were is horrible condition when they were found, I revived them with Mr. Freedom boot oil, it did wonders.

[Joseph Hill]

Great stuff. I hope you sold out -1. Are the blue buttons something they would have done back then, or was it just used now because it was an interesting effect?

[Sansome1877]

Great stuff. I hope you sold out -1. Are the blue buttons something they would have done back then, or was it just used now because it was an interesting effect?

Interesting effect sounds about right. I will be the first one to report on it, if I ever find blue buttons.

[Sansome1877]

I had a good time hanging out with Roy and want to thank him for setting up the book signing. I met a lot of good people and had some interesting conversation, so here I am taking a picture of Roy taking a picture of me.

BTW found out that the Bancroft library has 6 million photos! Can't wait to get up to the great city of San Francisco.

[Sansome1877]

Something of interest, We have confirmed that W.& I. Steinhart was using A.D Pena's Patent. The Steinhart chapter is on page 110.

[SLAB]

Something of interest, We have confirmed that W.& I. Steinhart was using A.D Pena's Patent. The Steinhart chapter is on page 110.

ah, was just going through that chapter again yesterday; thanks for the update!

Roy6, nice pictures; unionmade looks like a great store

[roy6]

I had a good time hanging out with Roy and want to thank him for setting up the book signing. I met a lot of good people and had some interesting conversation, so here I am taking a picture of Roy taking a picture of me.

BTW found out that the Bancroft library has 6 million photos! Can't wait to get up to the great city of San Francisco.

Ah, it was a real pleasure. You guys are welcome back here anytime.

[Sansome1877]

Great photos.

Interesting construction on the boot. Did the boots originally have a tongue attached to the throat of the vamp? And was the hole on the side for a rivet?

It's fascinating to see that they hobnailed the arch of the sole as well. Those nails must have caused a fair few rips in waist overalls.

You were correct, I looked on the other side of the boot and the rivet is intact. The hole in the side of the boot had a rivet at one time. I will take a picture of the remaining rivet, on the other side of the boot.

[Paul T]

Mike, a couple weeks ago we were were talking about the old ticking you'd found, and I mentioned that modern ticking is essentially identical.

I happened to walk by the shop that has narrow loom ticking which I suspect is French; I love this fabric, especially with those muted colours. Nearly all tickings seem to have this almost herringbone twill pattern; as I mentioned, they tended to be heavy fabrics, with a tight weave, designed to stop feathers poking through for their main usage, as mattress or pillow covers. THese are on sale at a (good but pricey) shop called The Cloth House, on London's Berwick Street. Although it doesn't look it, the edge selvage is closed on these - there are cheaper, open selvage versions on sale, too.

I was hoping to find some hickory stripe, to patch a pair of 1880s repros, but no luck.