The Flat Head

[youngofthesoonest]

Yeah it’s the same denim. I think it’ll look really nice in jacket form. The denim ages on the faster side with good contrast. I washed my jeans a lot and it still shows a lot of contrast. 

[.API.]

On 10/29/2024 at 2:42 PM, Cold Summer said:

I really regret popularizing the terminology of calling it the "Pioneer" denim way back when. Before <10 years ago everyone called it "3XXX", which I found to be an eyesore and disliked (Plus, how do you even say that? "three ex-ex-ex"?) Long ago on TFH's site (and other retailer sites in Japan), the 3000-series jeans were called the "Pioneer" series, to differentiate from the "Frontier" series consisting of the F310, F380, and a couple more obscure models like the F370 and F350. But it's not even a good descriptor since both the "Pioneer" and "Frontier" lines actually used the same denim, and TFH stopped using Pioneer/Frontier terminology a long time ago, AND many TFH jeans that didn't even start with the "3" used that denim, too. Nowadays, I just call the 14.5 oz their usual/signature denim, for whatever that's worth.

Kind of an off-topic rant, but something that's been on my mind lately.

speaking of old Fxxx and pioneer v. frontier... from the dark ages and at one point having a pair of both F380 and F350 (which were still the best patterned pair i've worn). was doing a little closet cleaning and found this pair in an old bin... wish i would have had some foresight about 17 years ago and bought about 4 more pairs of these...

dig that pocket shape

[Cold Summer]

Beautiful jeans @.API., love it! I always really liked the offset pocket shape, too. The F350 should be the same cut as the 3005. I don't see many F350s show up on Japanese secondhand sites like Yahoo Auctions Japan, Mercari, etc. but unworn 3005s in common waist sizes often come up for sale pretty cheap. And various retailers outside Japan like Franklin And Poe stock the current production 3005.

I like my 3005s a lot but my 3003xx is my favorite, I think it's the best-fitting pair of jeans I've ever worn.

[itsbenhere]

Couple month old pics of my '14 D105's that I've been wearing for the last 6ish years.... pathetic progress I know but still in love with this denim! Just snagged a size up in some natural indigo 3005s that'll probably be next but can't see stopping these anytime soon. Still need to get around to the right length though...

 

 

[Cold Summer]

Lovely fades Ben, I’ve found that my best fades come over a long stretch of time. 

Speaking of which… I’ll take more pics soon, but here’s a peek at my Flat Head 7002W shirt, ten years after I bought it. 
 

Edited February 24 by Cold Summer

[Cold Summer]

My 6002W jacket at something like 4-6 months of wear. The other day I washed it for the first time since I started wearing it. 

[givemefive]

I couldn't ever fit into their previous patterns, but wow the FN-3004 in New Pioneer is the wildest denim I've seen as far as fading speed goes. Every time you wash your hands the sink flashes blue.

[itsbenhere]

Man thtas one of the most insanely faded shirts ive ever seen... props

 

here's my new 3005-AI's in a 34, size up from my D105s in a 33. Probably the loosest jeans I've ever had in the legs which means they're super comfy. Also peep the new (to me) belt with silver buckle and 18K F...

 

Edited March 31 by itsbenhere

[1fookntitefd]

Anyone have measurements of a 3005 in size 36?

[Cold Summer]

Great fit on those Ben, I've always been curious to see how that AI denim fades. I had a pair of 3005-AI but I ended up selling them before I even washed as I prefer a bit longer rise on my jeans nowadays.

[Signet]

what are 3005 ai's? japan only model?

 

id o have a 36 measured up after a soak

[dennnnnnnnn]

3009, wasn’t too keen on these but the measurements fit the bill. Having a dozen of so pairs that I retire after a couple years, I told myself I’ll machine wash these often and wear them until they’re beyond repair.

 

Didn’t care for the vertical fading at first but that has seemed to vanish. Extremely fast fading, these aren’t even at 2 years yet. Darned the crotch professionally and doing self repairs now. By far the best fitting slim straight pairs I’ve owned. 
 

also I wanted to add, I believe washing maching significantly increases fabric wear. The first photo was right before a wash, then the last 2 photos show fraying in several spots including the knees, right after a gentle cycle no spin

Edited April 15 by dennnnnnnnn

[youngofthesoonest]

Flat Head FN-D111 after a few more months of wear and few washes. 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

It's kinda crazy how much TFH fell out of favour in most Western forum. Anybody here still wearing their 14.5oz Pioneer denim?

[1fookntitefd]

I want a pair of flathead. The problem is that I think the only retailers that have reliable measurements on their website is Self Edge and Rivet and Hide but the only model they carry is the 3004 which isn’t the fit I’m aiming for. Would be nice to see how the 3005 and 3009 measure in my size…

[yung_flynn]

11 minutes ago, 1fookntitefd said:

I want a pair of flathead. The problem is that I think the only retailers that have reliable measurements on their website is Self Edge and Rivet and Hide but the only model they carry is the 3004 which isn’t the fit I’m aiming for. Would be nice to see how the 3005 and 3009 measure in my size…

I noticed that Earthmarket carries a few Flat Head pairs. I linked the 3009 pair below, but I'm not sure if your size is in stock. You should be able to find some on Rakuten if you search through FromJapan or some other proxy. Earthmarket also seem to carry the 3002 and 8004 models.

THE FLAT HEAD FN-3009 14.5oz Tapered Straight Jeans [Fall/Winter 2024-25 New] – EARTHMARKET

[tooth]

Might be worth checking out Franklin & Poe (https://franklinandpoe.com)

[kiya]

45 minutes ago, 1fookntitefd said:

I want a pair of flathead. The problem is that I think the only retailers that have reliable measurements on their website is Self Edge and Rivet and Hide but the only model they carry is the 3004 which isn’t the fit I’m aiming for. Would be nice to see how the 3005 and 3009 measure in my size…

We have four different models in stock actually: https://www.selfedge.com/the-flat-head?category_id=59&sort=p.date_added&order=DESC&limit=60

They're available at all our stores if you want to try them on..  We also have the FN-3005 model hitting all stores in two weeks.

Edited July 9 by kiya

[1fookntitefd]

4 hours ago, tooth said:

Might be worth checking out Franklin & Poe (https://franklinandpoe.com)

I don’t think the measurements that F&P post on their website are reliable…

[KarlHavoc]

On 7/8/2025 at 2:44 AM, beautiful_FrEaK said:

It's kinda crazy how much TFH fell out of favour in most Western forum. Anybody here still wearing their 14.5oz Pioneer denim?

Why do you think that is? Others stepped up their game?

[julian-wolf]

There seems to have been a big drop in interest a couple years ago when it seemed like they were closing up shop / when they cut back their catalog to focus more on the basics

…but I’d go a step farther & suggest that the ultrasuede was the real beginning of the end

[Broark]

For me personally some of it has to do with their arc design, I used to like more unique offerings like theirs (or IH, Strike Gold, etc.) but these days I’d rather have plain pockets or traditional Levi’s arcs.
I did try on the new wide cut and it was very nice, but in reality I’ve got way too many jeans in my collection already so I talked myself out of them.
I also feel like the rockabilly look isn’t quite as popular these days in Japan as it used to be. Although some of that has been toned down in recent years too.
The ultra suede arcs were awful…

[Cold Summer]

A big part of why TFH was so popular ~15 years ago is that back then, there was a lot less variety on the specialty denim market. TFH's denim was closely associated with dramatic fading, and pretty unique in how dark it was - Eternal was the only brand with a similar vibe. That was before the rise of retailers like Okayama Denim or Denimio that catered to the tastes of the Reddit/Instagram crowd and subsequent rise in over-engineered denim with highly exaggerated texture and color, and before the creation of most southeast Asian brands catering to a similar very heavy and abrasive sort of fabric. TFH had a reputation for being the denim that led to the Sickest Fades.

Flat Head's denim has never stopped being great, but over time it came to occupy a sort of middle space in between the traditional/heritage style denim represented by Warehouse, Full Count, Denime, TCB, (most) Sugar Cane, etc. and heavily engineered denim of PBJ, Samurai, Oni, Iron Heart, and so on. The people wanting extreme fades gravitated toward more extreme denim, and those seeking more traditional jeans were less interested in brands like TFH as well. Finally, changing tastes in the community in terms of styling meant that TFH's arcuates/branding/etc. that had once looked cool to the streetwear crowd, were again either too much for traditionalists, or not enough for extreme fans.

I think TFH could have stayed popular if they had followed the lead of other third and fourth-wave Japanese brands in catering to the more extreme tastes of international fans, but I have a pretty low opinion of 29 oz hyper-slub rainbow weft denim so I don't think this would have been worth it. I admire TFH for sticking to their guns and taking a generally more reserved approach to their fabric development than most brands. And in my opinion, the mid-late 2000s fabrics represented the height of pushing the boundaries of selvedge denim - I don't think modern gimmicky fabrics have surpassed TFH's 14.5 oz, Samurai's 15 oz Otokogi or 17 oz denim, PBJ's XX-011 or XX-005 denim, and so on.

Along the way they made some missteps like with the ultrasuede stuff, but I think the impact of this on their popularity was inconsequential; this hardly made it outside of Japan, Pronto is the only retailer I can recall which carried jeans featuring those arcs, and the flashier back pocket designs generally played better in the Thai market back then anyway. I do think that dialing back the rockabilly look and going for a broader vintage basics aesthetic the last few years has worked well for them. Fits are also worth mentioning, TFH had trouble keeping on top of the whims of the international denim community. They had a relaxed tapered fit, the 3012, all the way back in 2013 but the timing was off; it was a few years too early, and seemed to flop. It had already been canceled by the time these fits were all the rage in the latter end of the 2010s. This has largely been resolved though and they have a pretty good lineup of fits at this point.

I'm daily driving my 3003xx jeans and 6002W denim jacket, both old stock I got off Japanese auction sites. The 3003xx has to be my favorite fit I've ever worn, the leg is about the same as my 3005s but these jeans have a noticeably longer rise which leads to a more comfortable, better looking pair. And of course the painted arcs and red tab are very cool and quite rare at this point. I'll probably share some updates on those around the end of summer.

Edited July 10 by Cold Summer

[AnOldFolkSong]

[givemefive]

my FN-3004 from sept 2024 have now fallen apart enough they need serious stitching repairs  

 

I know the 100% cotton thread stuff is "repro" but I really wish they would not use it.

Back to stevenson until I figure out how I am going to repair these. 

Edited Tuesday at 11:39 PM by givemefive

[Cold Summer]

For me, the fragility of cotton stitching is worth the tradeoff of how it looks/fades and especially feels with age. Cotton stitching breaks in and softens in a way that other types don't, which especially makes a difference at areas like the chainstitched waistband. That being said, I don't mind repairing high-stress areas, like the hem, pocket edges, and rear center seam (which are always the areas on my jeans where the stitching tends to break) with more durable poly or poly/cotton thread.

[mousemouse]

How are TFH chinos? I am looking at the FN PA C007 to have pants in olive and the cut seems like it would work for me.