Jeans of the Old West: A History

[entertainment!]

Mike's office:

edit: Photos withdrawn at Mike's request.

[aho]

wow....thats a whole lot of history in one spot!

[entertainment!]

More photos from Sansome1877. Here are Mike's comments:

"These pants are dry rotted to hell, I found these a wile back near a world war one shack. I will hold back on some details just in case we decide to remake them in the future. The buttons on the pant say W.N Moore D.G. Co S.F Cal, we looked this company up and found that it started in 1917. It looks like they are sort of copying Levi, they have a arcuate stitch on the back pockets but no belt loops. We found a scrap of news print in the pocket that talked about a baseball game that took place in 1922. My thoughts are, these probably date before 1921 because they have no belt loops and of coarse they can not date before 1917. They also have early chain stitching."

[fardin]

i just love this thread. thanks everyone for the contribution, and specially mike, great !!!

[Sansome1877]

i know this is off the subject, but thought i would add it anyways..... 1868 Cartan McCarthy Whiskey post

A group of us used meet way out in the middle of now where.....and we used to gather to chat once a year in the middle of winter over good home cooked bbq food and drink. Most of the guys were loggers from the western sierra's, they were a great group, lots of stories to be told. The 2 room shack we used to all meet in dated back to the 1870's and had been abandoned for years, everybody usually pitched in and fixed the roof and the decaying adobe/wood walls and windows, even with the help it was drafty as hell and had a cool little pack rat that would come out at night and steal all our candles.

one year Terry (3rd from the right) showed up with some rare old whiskey, that he had put into his 1800's whiskey bottles for us to drink. We all gathered round and swigged the fire water, it was smooth at first but went down like fire. It had to be at least 160 proof.......he told of the origins, he had heard of a garage sale with some old bottles and found a large crate in the back corner of the garage.....it was marked Cartan McCarthy and held a 5 gal glass demijohn. Cartan Mccarthy was a noted San Fran. whiskey dealer in the 1860's, the demijohn was full. This stuff came from one of the best distilleries in Kentucky, was loaded on a clipper ship on the east coast and sailed around the horn of south america on a voyage to San Francisco in oak barrels. by the time it arrived in San Fran., it was arguably the best Kentucky bourbon whiskey the world had seen at the time. Sitting in the back of that garage over a hundred years later it was even better still.

Terry, we learned arrived with the last of the 5 gallons, having drunk the first 4 all by himself. Terry was killed within a year of the gathering in a tragic logging accident.

[rnrswitch]

Looks like a hell of a time. Did Terry pay big $$$ for the whiskey or was he able to get it for relatively cheap? Do these dudes also hunt down old denim? I think sometimes the impression is that blue collar dudes don't give a shit about vintage denim and whatnot.

On another note. Mike sent me some other photos of some pieces that didn't make it in the book.

Check out the hand sewn buttonholes on this baby.

I believe Warehouse made a shirt very similar to this one.

[rnrswitch]

Here are some fit pics of the duck Rising Sun Repros on Mike's father in law.

[Sansome1877]

I think Terry paid something like $50.00 for the Whiskey?. Maybe the Whiskey aficionados on this thread, could weight in on how much this 1868 fire water was worth? None of these loggers knew any thing about denim.

[Sansome1877]

I sold this striped shirt to the warehouse rep.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Ah now i know why Warehouse put those leather patches over the rivets on the DuckDigger Northern Cal.

Also vintage inspired.

This thread gives so much!

[SLAB]

Love the 'walpaper' in your house Mike!

Anyone know how's the sizing of the duck pants? Might just cave in and buy me a pair...

[rnrswitch]

Love the 'walpaper' in your house Mike!

Anyone know how's the sizing of the duck pants? Might just cave in and buy me a pair...

Don't know about sizing for those, but the denim jeans I bought are a size 29 and I usually go for a 30 or 31. I haven't measured the jeans yet. I was fortunate enough to be able to try them on before buying them.

[rnrswitch]

I sold this striped shirt to the warehouse rep.

Do you have any idea how many garments were made by warehouse from pieces of fabric you sold them?

[Sansome1877]

Do you have any idea how many garments were made by warehouse from pieces of fabric you sold them?

I have no idea,never got the numbers.

[Sansome1877]

Love the 'walpaper' in your house Mike!

Anyone know how's the sizing of the duck pants? Might just cave in and buy me a pair...

I was told that the duck pants would shrink over an inch after a cold washing. I don't know if that information will help you? I can supply you with some original 1870's and 80's duck fabric, just incase you need to patch them in the future.

[Maynard Friedman]

My copy of Mike's book came in the post today. Had a quick flick through and I can't wait to get stuck in properly!

[el duderino]

Warehouse mentioned the book on their blog, and from google translate seems they give a shout to Mike for finding the jeans they based their Duck Digger pairs from

http://ameblo.jp/forgetmyself/

[crownzip]

Mike, Looks like your father-in-law is sporting a pair of original Police suspenders. If so, very cool!

[Paul T]

Warehouse mentioned the book on their blog, and from google translate seems they give a shout to Mike for finding the jeans they based their Duck Digger pairs from

http://ameblo.jp/forgetmyself/

Haha, many times in the past I've praised Warehouse in particular for resuscitating some intriguing, quirky designs from the past. Turns out I should have been praising Mike!

[Sansome1877]

Mike, Looks like your father-in-law is sporting a pair of original Police suspenders. If so, very cool!

They say police, they were on a pair of military pants that I bought a few months ago.

[crownzip]

I've always admired the work shirt and Police suspenders in this 40's photograph.

[Sansome1877]

Yea that looks like the suspenders I have, cool photo thanks for posting it!!

[riff]

Very nice photo crownzip! And Mike... soooo goood!

[Sansome1877]

Nice picture riff, looks like your enjoying the book.

[Sansome1877]

Nice picture riff, looks like your enjoying the book.

[Mr Black]

Just ordered the book. VERY much looking forward to receiving it.

[Mr Black]

Just ordered the book. VERY much looking forward to receiving it.

[almostnice]

you will not regret it,got my copy today.could only flick through it-what an impressive,well researched book.thanks for this,Michael.

[almostnice]

you will not regret it,got my copy today.could only flick through it-what an impressive,well researched book.thanks for this,Michael.

[Sansome1877]

1870's vest - a recent find.......