Disappearing Lap-Felled Seams

[Jim Cissell]

Does It bother anyone else that the inseam on the current 501s has evolved back to a single-line of stiching, rather than the substantial lap-felled of the last generation?

I realize the stand-by classic, 1947 model was a single-line, but once the felled seam was later introduced, I rather liked its look and conveyed durability. In fact, jeans seem to 'need' that type of seam to carry on the look of total rugged construction.

Just wondering if anyone else misses that particular detail?

Jim

Jim Cissell

[snugglepony]

jim -

is a "lap-felled seam" the same as a flat-felled seam?

[Serge d Nimes]

It is more expensive to make jeans with a flat felled seam, so that might have been miotivation. Also, most premium jeans like Diesel and Seven don't use felled seams, so maybe Levi's thought that the surged stitch looks more "in fashion."

Carpe Denim! (not the jean brand silly!)

[snugglepony]

nuts to overlocking.

that's probably my favorite part about my imperials, next to the fit... everything felled or turned in - zero serging.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i second that sentiment. i am beginning to value hand-felled seams over selvage, even. it is exciting to turn your jeans inside out and see no frayed edges or tons of thread everywhere-------just clean lines.

Using chain stitch, your train of jeans is fading wind.

[cheapmuthafukr]

ddml... how does the look of the hand felled seams on your canes look compared to a normal machine done felled seam on, say, a pair of wranglers or levis?

pics?

If you've lost your faith in superfuture, Oh the end won't be long

Because if it's gone for you then I too may lose it, And that would be wrong

I've tried so hard to keep myself from falling

Back into my bad old ways

And it chars my heart to always hear you calling

Calling for the good old days

Because there were no good old days

These are the good old days

[mizanation]

in paul t's denim book, he mentions that they took out the felled seams from one of the wrangler's because cowboys were getting chafed while riding horses. i wonder what the wear patterns looks like on horse-ridden pants?

http://mizanation.blogspot.com

[denimdestroyedmylife]

oh, you got it finally, huh?

CMF posted a pair of cowboy LEVIs from an eBay auction not too long ago. with match-strike wear and all. they were nicey nice. I'd do a search, but i wouldn't want to deprive you of the pleasure.

Using chain stitch, your train of jeans is fading wind.

[sneakeraddict]

can someone tell me the title of paul t's denim book?

[Sauce]

on tight jeans, i think felled seams makes a huge differnce cuz it doesn't rub up against you.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

DENIM: from Cowboys to Catwalks

Using chain stitch, your train of jeans is fading wind.

[cheapmuthafukr]

http://superfuture.com/city/supertalk/index.cfm?page=topic&topicID=9679

here ya go ddml.... i found the search button!!!!!

If you've lost your faith in superfuture, Oh the end won't be long

Because if it's gone for you then I too may lose it, And that would be wrong

I've tried so hard to keep myself from falling

Back into my bad old ways

And it chars my heart to always hear you calling

Calling for the good old days

Because there were no good old days

These are the good old days

[walletboy]

The stfs I just bought are felled, not serged, inseam. However, a "worn and reissued" model I bought recently is serge. Frankly, it makes no difference that I can tell and looks almost the same from the outside.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

sc40400n inseam, as promised

Using chain stitch, your train of jeans is fading wind.

[cheapmuthafukr]

yeah... that is nice... very clean

If you've lost your faith in superfuture, Oh the end won't be long

Because if it's gone for you then I too may lose it, And that would be wrong

I've tried so hard to keep myself from falling

Back into my bad old ways

And it chars my heart to always hear you calling

Calling for the good old days

Because there were no good old days

These are the good old days

[snugglepony]

ddml:

from the picture, it looks like a standard machine-felled seam, but minus the chainstitch. some comments in other threads alluded to the 'canes felling being kinda wobbly and irregular because it was all hand sewn - do yours look like that up close?

[ringring]

If you take a look at the inside of regular pair of jeans you'll see all the fell seams are double stitched - with chainstitching machines. This is a a machine which turns the fabric over and double stitches the fell all in one process.

If you look at those 'Canes - you will see only one stitch on the underside of the felled denim. This indicates that the fell seams have been single stitched then folded together by hand and then edged stitched. A much, much longer process.

On the yoke and crotch, you'll still see a double row of stitching on the outside - and another giveaway is that the stitches on the double row don't run identically parallel stitch for stitch.

It's a detail that you won't find even in the most expensive jeans. It's a 'homemade' way of doing fell seams, that's totally not viable for large production. It's amazing that Sugarcane went to the trouble.

[snugglepony]

Quote:

If you take a look at the inside of regular pair of jeans you'll see all the fell seams are double stitched - with chainstitching machines. This is a a machine which turns the fabric over and double stitches the fell all in one process.

If you look at those 'Canes - you will see only one stitch on the underside of the felled denim. This indicates that the fell seams have been single stitched then folded together by hand and then edged stitched. A much, much longer process.

On the yoke and crotch, you'll still see a double row of stitching on the outside - and another giveaway is that the stitches on the double row don't run identically parallel stitch for stitch.

It's a detail that you won't find even in the most expensive jeans. It's a 'homemade' way of doing fell seams, that's totally not viable for large production. It's amazing that Sugarcane went to the trouble.

--- Original message by ringring on May 14, 2006 11:47 PM

thanks r^2!

always great to learn something new...

[jane doe]

Quote:

nuts to overlocking.

that's probably my favorite part about my imperials, next to the fit... everything felled or turned in - zero serging.

--- Original message by snugglepony on May 10, 2006 01:06 PM

ive seen a pair but never thought to look inside.

what exactly is different between imperial and other brands like diesel, true religion etc.

i mean with the sewing

[6MT]

Quote:

Does It bother anyone else that the inseam on the current 501s has evolved back to a single-line of stiching, rather than the substantial lap-felled of the last generation?

I realize the stand-by classic, 1947 model was a single-line, but once the felled seam was later introduced, I rather liked its look and conveyed durability. In fact, jeans seem to 'need' that type of seam to carry on the look of total rugged construction.

Just wondering if anyone else misses that particular detail?

Jim

--- Original message by Jim Cissell on May 10, 2006 09:49 AM

NO, NEVER

[snugglepony]

Quote:

Quote:

nuts to overlocking.

that's probably my favorite part about my imperials, next to the fit... everything felled or turned in - zero serging.

--- Original message by snugglepony on May 10, 2006 01:06 PM

ive seen a pair but never thought to look inside.

what exactly is different between imperial and other brands like diesel, true religion etc.

i mean with the sewing

--- Original message by jane doe on May 15, 2006 12:16 AM

hi jane,

well, you know what overlock stitching is, right? (if not, just look at serge's signature photo - the outseam on the right is half-selvage, half-overlocked)

non-selvage jeans will obviously have overlocking on the outseam, but a lot of companies also use overlocking to finish the fabric edges on the inseam, fly, and sometimes even the yoke. it's easier and cheaper to sew the seam and then overlock it than it is to "fell" all the seams. felling basically involves folding the fabric edges over on themselves and then sewing the seam, providing the nice clean look visible in denimdestroyedmylife's picture above. felling also adds strength.

a lot of the brands people on this board really appreciate put more effort into the quality of materials and construction than they do into the extreme finishes &c. of diesel and/or true religion. details like felled seams, hidden rivets, bartacking, sewing the selvage outseam all the way up to the waistband (a la imperial), chainstitching throughout -- they're indicative of a real committment to quality construction, and a lot of sfers appreciate that.

next time you're at a shop that sells imperials or the sugarcane hawaii's, take a look at the inside finishing and compare it to the diesels or pd&c or sevens on the next rack and you'll see the difference.