Jeans of the Old West: A History

[rnrswitch]

No problem. Glad i could contribute to someone else's broke-ness. Hah.

On those duck pants. A little detail I hadn't noticed until looking at the pics is the little triangle yoke-ish stitching at the top rear, just beneath the suspender buttons. I wonder what purpose that serves. Mike, you have any clue? Or maybe Mike Hodis might have an idea. Maybe in trying to reconstruct these jeans, some of there utilitarian qualities may have been exposed.

[airfrogusmc]

Thanks entertainment, looks great! The leather washers are a nice touch. The jacket looks to be a lot more wearable than the duck jumper (though PaulT makes it look good).

I just ordered that too, thanks for the link Rivethead. Can't wait to see it.

Just got my copy today. Looks like Mike did a great job on the book.

[rnrswitch]

I guess I will continue to converse with myself.

Here are some more of the duck pants alongside the originals.

Here is the patch. Correct me if I am wrong Mike, but I don't believe mike has found the original patch for these. So this is what Rising Sun put together. I like the look of it.

Full frontal. Sorry about the size, but these need to be large.

Left front pocket.

Rear pocket alongside the same model, but made in denim.

[pacioli]

On those duck pants. A little detail I hadn't noticed until looking at the pics is the little triangle yoke-ish stitching at the top rear, just beneath the suspender buttons.

It is the yoke. Gives the back better fit and shape. It is especially necessary on stiff fabric that without yoke or darts would look unflattering but more importantly feel uncomfortable and awkward on a moving body.

[Sansome1877]

No yolk on that last picture, that shows the 1876 Neustadter back pocket piece, compared with the Rising Sun reproduction. We pieced back together the pant that I'm talking about, it's on page 73. What do you think about reproducing all 4 designs of the Neustadter standard pant? On a side note, we tried to devope the standard pant button on page 79. We could only have it made, if we ordered 15,000 of them. Look for that button to be on our repros in the future.

[Sansome1877]

I am determined to find that patch, second on that list is to find the first Levi patch.

[aho]

Look for that button to be on our repros in the future.

Just to clarify, you'll be working with Rising Sun for these upcoming projects? Intriguing...

[Sansome1877]

We are not signed with any one yet, not sure who we are going with next. I'm looking forward to developing period correct fabric for a cheque jacket we have, in addition to reproducing pants from the other denim pieces in my collection. I think its awesome to wear designs that guys in the mines and mills wore during their short lives of hard labor in the west. These waist overalls designs were only made during a short 17 year period, which makes them rare as heck.........

[aho]

^All I can say is you're living my dream....keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next, book wise and with your reproductions as well! Let me know if you ever need someone to join you on your travels or to crawl into an abandoned mine that you might dare not traverse....

[Sansome1877]

I think I'm going to be selling copies of the book at the next Rose Bowl. I'll be at Brit Eatons booth(Indiana Jeans).

[fardin]

the idea of reproducing the jacket is great. i think i have seen in on your blog a year or so ago. looks like a great piece.

[mtchfrnk]

Full frontal. Sorry about the size, but these need to be large.

So the fly button buttons inward? I don't think I've ever seen that before! I guess this would prevent it from catching on the bucket full of ore that you are carrying to the surface...very cool.

[Sansome1877]

So the fly button buttons inward? I don't think I've ever seen that before! I guess this would prevent it from catching on the bucket full of ore that you are carrying to the surface...very cool.

I've only seen the reverse button on this type of pant. I will try and track down some old photos. I have a lot of photos that never made it into the book( to thrashed) this thread could be the perfect place for those.

[dr.house]

Amazon told me that my issue will be send between the end of august/ beginning of september. Can't wait!

[roy6]

These are all pictures taken by Sansome1877 at the Rising Sun party for the Jeans of the old West & Deadgrass collection release. Direct all rep his way.

[roy6]

Continued from above:

[almostnice]

Continued from above:

thats rnrswitch,right?

[roy6]

thats rnrswitch,right?

Nah. There were actually tons of pictures of him in Mike's photos, but rnr pmed me and asked me to leave those ones out. I think he's feeling self-conscious about his weight. Must be why he "forgot" his camera and hasn't put up any fit pics of his new Deadgrass jeans.

[almostnice]

and i thought he regretted wearing that funky beanie afterwards.

[rnrswitch]

thats rnrswitch,right?

Nope. For some reason that camera never found me. I think I am right outside of that picture.

I think the folks in that picture are brit eaton (left with the duck vest) and Julian (center with the blue duck vest -- Julians boots).

[rnrswitch]

Nah. There were actually tons of pictures of him in Mike's photos, but rnr pmed me and asked me to leave those ones out. I think he's feeling self-conscious about his weight. Must be why he "forgot" his camera and hasn't put up any fit pics of his new Deadgrass jeans.

Haha. Were there really pics of me? i would have thought you would love to use the new phrase "Miner trad" that you coined to describe my outfit.

[ThisSunday]

I have to get this book asap. Thanks for the pics Mike, roy6 & rnr

[Sansome1877]

My ten year old daughter took the photos, she should have taken a shot of Chris, who I thought had one of the coolest pair of pants on, at the party.

[airfrogusmc]

Mine came yesterday and I've already finished reading most of it. Its a great book

[roy6]

Haha. Were there really pics of me? i would have thought you would love to use the new phrase "Miner trad" that you coined to describe my outfit.

Jeez- and I graciously offered not to tell anyone about that. Since you bring it up, though, I probably would have gone with "Best Boot Boy" over "Rad Miner Trad". They were both coined by Free & Easy, by the way. Can't take credit, except in their application to you.

Mike- tell us what and who we're looking at in the other photos, plz.

[rnrswitch]

Here are some pics of some cans that Mike has dug up as well. He believes these to be from the 1880s.

This is a peach can.

Here is a pic of an old style Maple Syrup can.

A little more detail.

The colors are so rich on these things. Why was shit so much cooler back then?

[Sansome1877]

Im making a list of the folks in the photos. Mike Hodis is going to ask lightning magazine to send some party pictures to him( I would bet that lightning took some pictures of rnrswitch)

[rnrswitch]

Some more detailed pics of the cotton duck pants. These show the pocket construction up against the original. Pretty interesting the lengths that jeans manufacturers went to just to compete with the rivet that Levis had come out with.

The picture below shows a little triangle piece of fabric that, I believe was used as a strength member.

Originals

This is the Rising Sun reproduction. Same strength member.

Also, if you look at the picture of the original and look at the waistband just to the left of the ripped off suspender button there is what looks like a vertical line in the denim. This is an inconsistency in the denim, an error. This is known somewhat as loomchatter. This kind of denim is very sought after for denim collectors. From what I gather you can't just make those inconsistencies occur, they just have to happen. At the party, I believe all of the vintage pieces on display had these "errors."

[rnrswitch]

Im making a list of the folks in the photos. Mike Hodis is going to ask lightning magazine to send some party picture to him( I would bet that lightning took some pictures of rnrswitch)

Yep, they snapped me. I am wondering which goofy face I gave them. Is it the "Hurry up and take the pic and I can't hold this smile much longer" face or the "I am too cool for school to look at the camera so I will gaze off" face.

[glimmertwins]

Yep, they snapped me. I am wondering which goofy face I gave them. Is it the "Hurry up and take the pic and I can't hold this smile much longer" face or the "I am too cool for school to look at the camera so I will gaze off" face.

I saw a Jeff Tweedy solo show years ago and he started the show off by making a goofy face for all the photographers at the concert to "get it over with" since the only photos he ever saw of himself in the press from live shows were the really goofy unflattering ones. I would say for most of us, Jeff is not alone in that struggle to not look like an idiot in photos.