The Flat Head

[mikkadehachikai]

Unfortunately, you do not follow the company thoroughly.  This is for the store in Hamamatsu, which if you had visited, you would know how small and insignificantly small is.  They held similar events held in all of their shops for their new collection/project whatever you prefer to call it. They started doing this type of roadshows with their FW 18/19 collection and the only difference between the above announcement and announcement for previous season is that there are no pictures of new products in the new announcements. I was responding to a Kiya's post claiming that he is the only one outside the FH company enlightened to the new project/collection. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by mikkadehachikai

[Cold Summer]

Unfortunately you don't know what the hell you're talking about. They've been doing traveling collection expos to every single company store since I worked for Flat Head in 2013, and presumably before then. Maybe they stopped at some point and later resumed it but I'm pretty sure I remember correctly since I packed up huge plastic crates filled with their expo items and sent them out to their company stores, one after the next. Instead of looking at some grainy flyer I went on Kobayashi's Facebook page and actually looked at the pictures from the events to confirm that these were basically events for special ordering some items, indigo-dyeing blank tees/shirts/etc, and definitely nothing like the seasonal collection expos they used to do, where the whole store was filled with racks of sample items, pretty much the same as what they brought to their retail partner-facing expos.

I see no actual evidence of what would traditionally be considered a FW2019 collection. It's possible that Flat Head is making some standard items like jeans and maybe long-running flannel/T-shirt designs in addition to taking orders for Stockburg leather goods, but that's it. Bottom line is, I'm going to trust that Kiya knows what he's talking about rather than taking the word of some random smartass on SuFu.

[kiya]

4 hours ago, mikkadehachikai said:

Unfortunately, you do not follow the company thoroughly.  This is for the store in Hamamatsu, which if you had visited, you would know how small and insignificantly small is.  They held similar events held in all of their shops for their new collection/project whatever you prefer to call it. They started doing this type of roadshows with their FW 18/19 collection and the only difference between the above announcement and announcement for previous season is that there are no pictures of new products in the new announcements. I was responding to a Kiya's post claiming that he is the only one outside the FH company enlightened to the new project/collection. 

All they were showing at those events was jewelry, some leather items (wallets and bags), and a presentation on indigo dying techniques on t-shirts and sweaters.  As @Cold Summer said above, it wasn't a fall/winter collection and the flyer is misleading.  

Also, I believe I was the only person outside of FH to see samples of a new line they've been working on. They specifically stated when I met them in May that no another retailer inside or outside of Japan have seen the samples of the unbranded new line.   There were no jeans in the new line, it was only shirts and good selection of jackets.  They have not taken orders or shown these items anywhere as they're waiting for the bankruptcy proceedings to finish.  I actually got to help them with the presentation they're doing in court in a few weeks, trying to put together a case for them to restructure and continue as Flat Head, we'll see how that works out in the end..

Edited August 30, 2019 by kiya

[Broark]

Let's hope it's not the end for The Flat Head. I need more of their tees, I think the 44 would fit me well these days as my two 46s are way too long for my preference.
Snapped a couple pictures of my indigo linen shirt, been wearing it a ton this summer and it's aging pretty quickly.

[itsbenhere]

Actually, when I was in Japan and saw Kobayashi I think I may have stumbled into one of those events. There were some samples of leather goods there that were dyed with indigo (natural?) and Kobayashi was speaking to some customers about something (in Japanese...). It felt like an intimate event where you could learn more about the manufacturing process and then make a custom order.

[Cold Summer]

Very interesting Kiya, I hope the proceedings go well and the company can restructure in a manner that will let them keep doing what they do best, going forward.

[Bobbo]

Fingers crossed, hit me like a brickwall when the news came. 

They make so much good stuff. At least I picked up 3005XX and the wabash shirt some years ago. Really don't want to feel stressed about buying stuff in the last minute...

[mlwdp]

Donna1992 often runs sales on TFH.  It’s mostly old stock and random.

[SmokeStackLightning]

1 hour ago, mlwdp said:

Donna1992 often runs sales on TFH.  It’s mostly old stock and random.

Where can this be located?

I want another flannel or two.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

A shop on Rakuten. But they seem to have not much stock 

[Smallrod]

X post from the DWC thread...

I spent a few days last week helping family and friends on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas with the aftermath of hurricane Dorian.  It was a depressing and rewarding experience.  Wore my FH1001 every day and definitely needs to be washed.

[Geeman]

Best JP shop to order THC ts from? 2nd via rakuten are making it very difficult!

[Thanks_M8]

The 3009 would be considered the most traditional straight cut from the flat head, am i right? Been thinking about a pair nowadays.

[Broark]

That would be the 3005, 3009 is a little more tapered by comparison. 

[Cold Summer]

Yeah, the 3005 is a 50's style straight cut, though it's mid rise, unlike the 501s of that era.

3009 has about an inch of taper at the hem compared to the 3005 in the same size. I feel like the 3009's rise is not quite as long as the 3005, but it's not a huge difference.

[SmokeStackLightning]

On 9/18/2019 at 12:32 AM, Geeman said:

Best JP shop to order THC ts from? 2nd via rakuten are making it very difficult!

They have always been easy for me, what happened?

[owlofminerva]

This isn't meant to contradict Broark or Cold Summer, but I think it's worth pointing out that for people accustomed to modern, ultra-tapered fits, the 3009 will look pretty darned straight.  I teach at a high school and my students have teased me for wearing "boot cut" (!) jeans when I break out my 3009s.

[Thanks_M8]

Alright thanks guys! I'm used to wider cuts, so I might look at the 3005 as well. What's the consensus on sizing? One up from the usual?

[SmokeStackLightning]

@Thanks_M8 if you were looking at the 3001 or 3009 I would suggest thinking about sizing up. The top block on the 3001 and 3009 fits feels more restrictive than the 3005 in the same size for me. Also, the 3009 actually measured under tag size for me when raw vs the 3005 which measured at 34 or so before a wash.

On my 3005 I wear my normal size of 34. The waist will stretch back to raw, but can take a little while to do so. All personal preference really. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by SmokeStackLightning

[Geeman]

2 hours ago, SmokeStackLightning said:

They have always been easy for me, what happened?

I think because the email address I used to contact for order isn't the same email as my paypal....

Any other stores with a good THC selection? 

[Cold Summer]

Yep, the 3009 is a much more gradual taper compared to "modern" tapered fits that have a 6.5" hem or whatever.

[SmokeStackLightning]

@Geeman you can try DC4 Berlin. Or Corlection. 

But my email for PayPal is different than my email for Rakuten, interesting. 

[Geeman]

Im just stocking up before (in case) they can't be found anymore so looking for JP prices...!

If I wanted one to wear immediately I'd use R&H

[SmokeStackLightning]

Is anyone here familiar with how the natural indigo blend denim shrinks?

I wanted to hem my 3005-AI before their first soak/wash, but wasn't sure if I should expect typical 3 inch inseam loss, or less than the Pioneer denim. I am assuming less than the standard denim but don't really know. 

[cjfergs]

9 hours ago, SmokeStackLightning said:

Is anyone here familiar with how the natural indigo blend denim shrinks?

I wanted to hem my 3005-AI before their first soak/wash, but wasn't sure if I should expect typical 3 inch inseam loss, or less than the Pioneer denim. I am assuming less than the standard denim but don't really know. 

I have a pair of BSP-AI from SE, and they shrank 1.6“ in waist and an inch in length after a warm soak, and 2.1“ in waist and 1.8“ in length and 1/4“ in thigh from original raw measurement) after warm wash/line dry.  Waist has stretched back to original size after a month, and contemplating putting them in the dryer (the blasphemy!) to get any last shrink out.

Love these jeans and the denim fades fast to a beautiful blue.  Have a raw pair of the 3005 AI that I‘ve stashed and raw it looked to be pretty much the same denim.  

That said, the two jeans had very different actual measurements though tagged the same, and rises were different, so maybe not apples to apples.

[SmokeStackLightning]

Thanks @cjfergs. Only worried about the inseam as I have room everywhere else.

Was your original inseam 37.5 then?

[Radiohead89]

F310 7.5 months 5 wash

[Radiohead89]

Sunlight pics

[Cold Summer]

Those are looking good!

Taking pictures in the shade outside in the morning is the best way to capture the colors of faded jeans, for non-professionals

[cjfergs]

On 9/23/2019 at 3:47 AM, SmokeStackLightning said:

Thanks @cjfergs. Only worried about the inseam as I have room everywhere else.

Was your original inseam 37.5 then?

No, they were tagged 38x36, inseam measured 37, shrank to 35 1/8 after a warm wash and have stayed there through two more washes.  The thing is, I have two more pairs of raw FH stashed, all diff styles, all tagged 38x36, and all have diff inseams; range is from 37 to 39.  Part of that is different rises, but most is just pair to pair variance