The Flat Head

[Cold Summer]

 

2 minutes ago, Cold Summer said:

Flat Head chambray, Hollows belt, Buzz Rickson Original Spec chinos, Wesco Mister Lou. 

Cross-post from WAYWT. Picked up this this great Flat head chambray shirt off eBay, I'd been looking for a red TFH chambray forever and this one is it. I've had the blue version for a few years now. One of my favorite fitting style shirts, and of course, I always love those cream hexagon buttons.

[.API.]

1 hour ago, Cold Summer said:

 

Cross-post from WAYWT. Picked up this this great Flat head chambray shirt off eBay, I'd been looking for a red TFH chambray forever and this one is it. I've had the blue version for a few years now. One of my favorite fitting style shirts, and of course, I always love those cream hexagon buttons.

The old TFH chambray fabric used to be the nicest on the market. I have one of each color from about 2006 and while to small these days I can’t seem to part with them.. they used to use 5-6 colors of yarn and it had such a unique variegated structure to the fabric. I’ll try to find them and snap a few pictures

[Cold Summer]

I've noticed that TFH used various different chambray fabrics over the years. I think the one you're describing is the first iteration, which has a lot of variation and texture to it:

My red and blue chambrays are, I think, the second version, which is a more toned-down and conventional type of chambray. And the third version is more of a salt and pepper kind of fabric - I have a black western diamond snap shirt which is of this type. It's probably my favorite of their chambray fabrics, but I prefer the longer (tuckable) length and smaller/better-fitting neck of my red and blue ones.

[itsbenhere]

On 8/19/2025 at 2:45 PM, Muck Dynasty said:

What was the final shrinkage and stretching of this denim? I think I saw it shrinks less?

Sorry I didn't see this, unfortunately I didn't take any measurements but I can't recall if this denim acts differently than the normal 14.5 oz. I think you'd be the same size in either one though. 

[.API.]

On 9/29/2025 at 10:30 PM, Cold Summer said:

I've noticed that TFH used various different chambray fabrics over the years. I think the one you're describing is the first iteration, which has a lot of variation and texture to it:

My red and blue chambrays are, I think, the second version, which is a more toned-down and conventional type of chambray. And the third version is more of a salt and pepper kind of fabric - I have a black western diamond snap shirt which is of this type. It's probably my favorite of their chambray fabrics, but I prefer the longer (tuckable) length and smaller/better-fitting neck of my red and blue ones.

It was v1 I was thinking of. Have a red, blue and tan each has somewhere around 4-6 different colored threads making the overall color. Was a truly beautiful fabric. Wonder if they could be convinced to recreate from the archives…

I also miss the RJB sub line. They did some truly wild fabrics never to be seen again

[Cold Summer]

I've wondered that as well. TFH makes some "legacy" fabrics like the herringbone buffalo check winter flannel that they've been making since forever pretty much unchanged aside from colors, but some (like my HNW-61W flannels in green and orange) never showed up again and I have no idea if TFH has the means to reproduce them. Back when I was there it was standard practice to design a ton of new shirting fabrics from scratch every year, but I don't think TFH does this anymore. They still produce fine clothes, of course, but probably don't have the same resources to make stuff like they did in their mid-2000s-mid-2010s heyday; it was probably very cost inefficient and contributed to their financial struggles. Fortunately, there's plenty of awesome old TFH shirts on the secondhand market, for reasonable prices.

[1fookntitefd]

Copped a new pair of 3005s for black Friday. Great pair of jeans but noticed a few differences from my 3002 that I originally bought circa 2016:

1. the patch is now cowhide(?) instead of goat leather(?)

2. The old patch says “we are particular about our clothes “ the new patch says “we are fanatical about creating one and only japan crafted experiences”

3. The old pair has double stitching along the handpockets whereas the new pair does not.

4. The selvedge line is slightly bigger on my old pair compared to the new pair

I don’t know if its me but the new denim feels a little different too even though it’s supposed to be pioneer denim. Don’t know if that’s in my head though since it’s been some time since I’ve handled a new pair…

[Cold Summer]

Flat Head has always alternated between cowhide and goatskin patches, the export models of 3000-series jeans have typically had the goatskin version with the flying wheel, like on your 3002s, while the Japanese market ones used cowhide but they may now be using cowhide for all of them. They stopped doing the double stitched front pocket openings/rear pocket edges a few years ago, which is a bit of a bummer since it really does make those typical points of wear on 100% cotton stitched denim way stronger, and it was a distinctive feature unique to Flat Head. Most likely, it was too expensive to keep doing it this way.

As Kiya and some others have said, the 14.5 oz denim has changed somewhat; it still seems to be dyed the same deep shade, and based on faded examples I've seen I can't tell much of a difference from the "old" version, but the texture seems to be a little different. I tried on a couple pairs at Guilty Party a while back, but didn't examine the denim too closely. I'm still wearing Flat Head denim all the time, of course, but all of my stuff is from before the bankruptcy/reorganization.

I started wearing a NOS pair of 3003W that I got off Mercari about a year ago. Compared to my 3003xx in the same size, this is a slightly slimmer, more flattering straight fit akin to my Warehouse 800xx, especially in the top block. I'd estimate they're from 2013-2015, as they're the final version with the aforementioned double stitching at the pockets. It's interesting to have both the first and last versions of the 3003, as various aspects are different: the rivets, buttons, pocket fabric, back pocket shape, painted arcs, coin pocket, and patch. The 3003xx are coming along nicely at about 6.5 months of wear but need some stitching repairs. Pics of both pairs coming soon.

If I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, I would have gotten a pair (or few) of 3003s right from the start of my raw denim adventure. TFH marketed these as a "wide straight" fit but really they're an almost-regular rise, slightly slim straight cut that I think would work for a lot of people.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2025 by Cold Summer

[1fookntitefd]

One thing I forgot to mention is that the front pockets are still as small and difficult to access as with the old pair so maybe not having the double stitching won’t be that no of a deal since the pockets aren’t that useable anyways!

[Cold Summer]

I've never understood the tiny front pockets (not just on TFH, but various Japanese jeans I've owned.) Something I like about my two TCB pairs are the big front pockets and wide openings I can actually stuff my hands into!

I checked out the "popular days" mentioned on the right sidebar of this thread. Sometimes I roll my eyes at stuff I wrote eons ago:

On 6/2/2016 at 7:33 AM, Cold Summer said:

I used to wear almost nothing but FH but I've sold almost all of it off. I'll never get rid of my denim shirt, green flannel, or card case, but most of their line just doesn't fit well on someone with my proportions.

Ahh yes, this was when I was in my "if the shoulder seam hangs slightly off the edge of my shoulder, the shirt does not fit me!" stage, which overlapped with an ill-advised interest in streetwear in the mid 2010s. Now I have a whole closet full of Flat Head gear, nearly all of it bought secondhand, and quite happy with the fit, as I've found Flat Head shirts and tops fit me better and more reliably than any other Japanese brand. Turns out that sizing up for your sleeves to actually be long enough is not the end of the world.

Edited December 5, 2025 by Cold Summer

[Cold Summer]

Here’s the 3003W. The top block fits really good and is a nice contrast to the more vintage/anti-fit look of the other pairs I’ve been wearing. These would be a good candidate for old-school SuFu fades. 
 

[1fookntitefd]

So I went in the flathead website and it looks like they only have the 3005. 3004, d109-111….no more 30001, 3002, or 3009 anymore. Does get mean those models are now discontinued?

[Cold Summer]

Pretty sure they still make the 3009 and 3002 as US retailers like Franklin And Poe, Guilty Party, and Snake Oil Provisions (to name a couple off the top of my head) stock one or both of those. But I don't think the 3001 has been produced since before the bankruptcy/reorganization. You could probably find new old stock or barely-worn examples for sale on eBay, Buyee/Yahoo Auctions/Mercari, though. 2ND also has stock of older models like those.

[Cold Summer]

3003xx, about 6.5 months of wear. They look a little short here after a wash, after I took these pics I stretched out the inseam about an inch and they’re back to their usual look. 
 

Amazing pair of jeans, one of the best I've worn. I love the fit, denim, basically everything about these. There's still some paint on the back pockets, but it's hard to see unless you get up close. I first washed these around five months of wear and they've had a couple washes since then. These will probably be my main pair of jeans through winter.

Edited December 9, 2025 by Cold Summer

[dennnnnnnnn]

On 12/9/2025 at 1:26 PM, Cold Summer said:

3003xx, about 6.5 months of wear. They look a little short here after a wash, after I took these pics I stretched out the inseam about an inch and they’re back to their usual look. 
 

Amazing pair of jeans, one of the best I've worn. I love the fit, denim, basically everything about these. There's still some paint on the back pockets, but it's hard to see unless you get up close. I first washed these around five months of wear and they've had a couple washes since then. These will probably be my main pair of jeans through winter.

how do you go about washing your jeans? i noticed a lot of your pairs turn out bright blue.

[julian-wolf]

^ I can’t speak for @Cold Summer, but my experience with The Flat Head has been that their denim shows really strong electric blues no matter how you treat it

[Cold Summer]

On 12/27/2025 at 12:35 PM, dennnnnnnnn said:

how do you go about washing your jeans? i noticed a lot of your pairs turn out bright blue.

Like @julian-wolf mentioned, Flat Head denim does generally exhibit a bright, bold shade of blue when it's washed. Back in the day you'd see pairs on here that only got washed once every 6-12 months and those would usually have a flatter, grayer appearance (albeit with pronounced contrast.) My preferred strategy is to hold off on the first wash for 4-6 months or so, and then wash frequently (maybe once a month, or more often if needed) after that. That first stretch lays down some nice contrast, and after that, the frequent washes bring out the strong vertical fading characteristics and depth of color.

Because of how deep it's dyed, Flat Head's denim takes much longer than most other types of denim to present its optimal hue. With other denim such as Warehouse's Banner denim, I felt that I'd "maxed out" the color with less than a year of wear; in other words, I didn't think they color was going to get better after that point, just more washed out. However, with Flat Head denim I've worn for 1.5-2 years of actual wear, I still didn't feel that the color and texture had hit its peak yet compared to faded samples I've seen and handled.

This is one of the things which I think makes it really special, and it's a bit unfortunate more enthusiasts don't seem to have gotten to experience this, since a lot of people I've seen wear TFH denim put about a year into it for some Sick Contrast Fadez and then put them on the shelf when the crotch or stitching needs repairs, which is a shame - I feel like their denim really rewards long-term wear.

Edited December 29, 2025 by Cold Summer

[Cold Summer]

1 minute ago, Cold Summer said:

Flat Head SRJ-01 single rider's jacket, Freenote flannel, Hollows belt, Flat Head long wallet, Flat Head 3003xx, Wesco 7500.

 

Cross post from WAYWT. Picked up this old school Flat Head leather jacket off eBay recently. I've been on the lookout for a light brown leather jacket for a while and was thrilled to find one of these, especially since it was for a very reasonable price. Beautiful natural (or only very lightly pigmented) Shinki veg tan horsehide. Size 42, and fits right on point.

It's interesting how different this jacket is in comparison to my black TFH jacket. The latter is made in their in-house Stockburg workshop with a more modern, trim fit, whereas these SRJ jackets were contracted to (if I remember right) a well-regarded small workshop that makes leather jackets. The fit on this jacket is a bit more relaxed and classically-proportioned. The sewing and overall quality on both jackets are extremely high, it's hard to say if one is better than the other. This jacket does, to me, really look and feel so much like a real vintage jacket from the 30s or 40s, but I admit I have less experience in this department than other folks. This one is bound to get lots of wear.

I also picked up a used long wallet and rope which you can peek in the last shot, I'll post more details on that later.

 

[julian-wolf]

Very cool find; TFH leather jackets have always had a really singular appeal, to me

[CSL]

Yup. It's killer!

[Muck Dynasty]

On 10/25/2025 at 9:20 AM, itsbenhere said:

Sorry I didn't see this, unfortunately I didn't take any measurements but I can't recall if this denim acts differently than the normal 14.5 oz. I think you'd be the same size in either one though. 

Yeah, this isn’t helpful lol. I’ve got a deadstock pair I want to get hemmed before shrinking. That said, I have pairs of 3005 in 34 and 36 of the 3000 series denim that I wear lol.

If you’ve washed a few times and have not hemmed yet, that measurement would be helpful. 
 

The color is so nice on this AI denim! I look forward to see how yours look after some wear. 

Edited March 18 by Muck Dynasty

[Cold Summer]

8 minutes ago, Cold Summer said:

Update on my 3003xx in the Evolution Of Jeans thread.

[Cold Summer]

It's been way too long since we've had a post here. How about some shirts?

Here are my Native Check shirts - I bought the red western in Japan in fall 2011, and I used to have the same shirt in blue. I just found a blue work shirt version on Yahoo Auctions, and actually think I prefer this color in the work version rather than the western - it's also about an inch longer, so it'll tuck more easily, and wider in the body with no taper, in contrast to the slim fitting western pattern. The blue buttons also fantastic, one of the best I've seen.

The shirts are sewn entirely with cotton thread and narrow double-needle chainstitching and felled seams inside, and single-needle stitched for everything else, particularly the yoke and pockets. The high SPI, fabric alignment, and attention to detail is really impressive, reflective of TFH's Gunma sewing contractor Nakajima Housei at their peak. The shirts have a handmade vibe evocative of pre-mass production manufacturing.

The fabric is a lightweight weave made with a 19th-century wooden dobby loom, the grayish vertical threads having a three-dimensional, raised feel. The detail in the fabric is really exceptional, and the weight is just right for year-round wear. My red shirt is still going strong nearly fifteen years after I first bought it, with no signs of wear or damage aside from being really soft and comfy. The blue shirt's fabric is a little crunchier since it's almost new in comparison.

Flat Head's shirting fabric game was pretty much unmatched from the mid 2000s to mid 2010s, and these Native Check shirts are one of the best examples of that. I've also got a short sleeve work shirt version of this fabric in gray, and a blue western of the earlier iteration. I'd love to get my hands on the green work shirt version, but alas, I have yet to find one in size 42.

Edited May 15 by Cold Summer

[dennnnnnnnn]

3005 bath pre wash followed by machine wash followed by bath rinse. Amazing how much a wash can brighten them.  These are 7 months old.

Edited July 3 by dennnnnnnnn

[Cold Summer]

Love it! I did some denim laundry yesterday, here’s a pic of my 3003xx and 3005. Both around nine months of wear, though the 3003xx has more washes and a stronger fade overall. 
 

You can't really see it in this pic but the 3003xx has a much bolder texture that really jumps out in faded areas, while the 3005 has a flatter, more subdued tone that reminds me of other TFH pairs I wore in the past and rarely washed like the SE05BSP and 3009. It's some interesting variation considering that it's supposed to be the same fabric on all of these. My theory is that when TFH denim doesn't get washed much it has a more uniform appearance, and more frequent washing actually brings out more contrast in areas like the thighs. In other words, once you get some nice whiskers and honeycombs going, just wash those jeans frequently! You'll be pleasantly surprised by how much the color pops out all over.

Edited July 3 by Cold Summer

[dennnnnnnnn]

52 minutes ago, Cold Summer said:

Love it! I did some denim laundry yesterday, here’s a pic of my 3003xx and 3005. Both around nine months of wear, though the 3003xx has more washes and a stronger fade overall. 
 

You can't really see it in this pic but the 3003xx has a much bolder texture that really jumps out in faded areas, while the 3005 has a flatter, more subdued tone that reminds me of other TFH pairs I wore in the past and rarely washed like the SE05BSP and 3009. It's some interesting variation considering that it's supposed to be the same fabric on all of these. My theory is that when TFH denim doesn't get washed much it has a more uniform appearance, and more frequent washing actually brings out more contrast in areas like the thighs. In other words, once you get some nice whiskers and honeycombs going, just wash those jeans frequently! You'll be pleasantly surprised by how much the color pops out all over.

Those looks great, I just realized I had 3005 and not 1105, mixing up numbers with full count. As your previous post from December, these really are electric blue. How does the back side look? I didn’t get much in terms of honey combs. I did get a lot of seat fading from bicycle commuting, also random back thigh fade only on one side. 

[Cold Summer]

I’m quite happy with the combs on both pairs. Again, they’re noticeably stronger on the 3003xx. I think I gave both pairs their first wash at about 5 months of wear.