SUPERDENIM ENCYCLOPEDIA (Read me before posting a new thread)

[Tekrah70]

Here's a link to a list of various Denim Brands - may prove useful?

Feel free to delete if you feel not appropriate.

[Farris]

I think we should have a FAQ about coated denim; maintainence, wear, construction, and brands

[Sho]

fyi,

the link to the andy whall grifter photos goes right back to the encyclopedia link.

[JorickDD]

There must definitely be a thread about soaking in this encyclopedia

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i don't know why you insist that SOAKING isn't covered because it certainly is spelled out in the SAMURAI method thread that is linked on the first page of the Encyclopedia:

Soaking:

The guy demonstrating (they call him "Master") prefers a 42 degrees C or cooler, luke warm water with a small tablespoon of salt. Some people prefer adding vinegar but most people don’t put anything in it. People believe salt will help get rid of the "glue" (I wonder if they mean starch and stuff) and extra indigo. At the same time, salt will help the main indigo to stay on the material better. So it says. And some people soak at body temperature.

I’ve read in other places you’re supposed to soak after you turn the jeans inside-out, but Master is doing it normal, outside-out. Make sure to take all the air bubbles out and let it soak for about 1-2 hours. Anything longer than that could be annoying to the rest of your household, but also unnecessary.

and a second thread about the best way to shrink jeans

tweeds, do you want to include THIS THREAD about soaking, just for completists?

[Ro.main]

All links are missing now! :/

[tweeds]

Encyclopaedia update and superdenim cleanup forthcoming, along with general v.4 madness

[super_kill]

none of the links on the first page work

[Guest akatsuki]

Is there a set of pictures showing actual comparisons and fits of different Levis from the relevant eras? Like how does a 47 differ from a 50s era one? Since a lot of the makers benchmark different era jeans, it would be helpful to have some sort of reference.

[Paul T]

Is there a set of pictures showing actual comparisons and fits of different Levis from the relevant eras? Like how does a 47 differ from a 50s era one? Since a lot of the makers benchmark different era jeans, it would be helpful to have some sort of reference.

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=34010

[RRLselvageDenim]

Denim Facts

Denim is a very personal fabric. Your jeans invariably become your favourite garment in your wardrobe, personalised by the very lifestyle you lead, unique to you through natural fade and wear.

The number of brands producing jeans is overwhelming to say the least. There is however a minority who passionately produce the finest jeans with the greatest quality cloth and detail. The denim selected by many of these brands comes from cotton mills of Okayama, Japan, who have maintained the tradition of producing denim on shuttle looms. These looms weave the fabric with one continuous thread, a time-consuming process, but one that produces a selvage denim of tighter weave and a fabric of heavier weight that lasts.

The design process is driven by attention to detail, from the leather patch to the smallest rivet. Many of the models featured on superdenim use vintage models as their inspiration for style and fit.

sizing / shrinkage

Before the denim is woven in the mill, the threads are treated with wax/resin so that the threads are stiff and strong – this helps with the weaving process. It produces a fabric which is very stiff, making the cutting and sewing of the denim easier. The final denim jeans are stiff like cardboard. Originally all jeans were sold like this.

When the raw jeans are wet for the first time the fibres will tighten, making the jeans shrink in size. The amount of shrinkage depends on the fabric and can vary. Some fabrics are pre-treated (sanforised) to reduce the amount of shrinkage you will get. We try our best to simplify this guessing game by giving you the suggested shrinkage for each model, based on a cool wash.

the fade

In general, during the first washes the denim fibres constrict and expand. The colour will become darker as the dark blue warp threads loose their sheen as the sizing is removed and they expand to hide the white weft threads. The fabric will also lose its stiffness and the creases will become less defined. The indigo used by our brands is the finest available. Japanese brands invariably use pot-harvested indigo, where the tips are picked, crushed and stored in pots, which are then buried in the indigo fields for around 25 years. The result, a beautiful concentrated indigo that will brighten with wear.

The secret to a good fade is to wear the jeans a lot and to wash them very little. Daily wear and tear will cause the indigo to rub off the high abrasion areas of the denim – so the crests and ridges become whiter. The jeans will be personal to you, and the envy of all around you.

washing

Use as little soap as possible and try to use vegetable soaps. Most commercial clothing detergents contain chemicals for brightening and softening your clothes, so you should not use them. Wash your jeans on a cool wash, no higher than 40 degrees. Wash them inside out. Avoid the tumble dryer.

Your jeans are a garment designed for wear. Wash them when dirty, wear them when clean.

[chantheman]

some history and how to care for denim

[Paul T]

I've added a Denim Glossary to my website.Please check it out and let me know what you think.

[Domo-Bum]

what is the least damaging way to your jeans of getting rid of tooth paste stains.

Its only been 2 months and i JUST FINISHED soaking so another soak or wash would be retarded.

What do you recommend or just deal with it?

[chrono_01]

[Comment re-posted in correct thread. Thanks to beautiful_FrEaK for calling me on it. ]

[beautiful_FrEaK]

and *baaam*, posted in the wrong thread

[chrono_01]

Yeah, I had two threads bookmarked and it seems I posted in the wrong one. I guess this is why you must not post things in a rush. ~_~

I have since corrected my mistake so all is well...ish.

[jimjam]

Good thread I shall read this later.

[Jordan4690]

why do none of the links in the op work? Says domain cannot be found

[beautiful_FrEaK]

because of the change from Sufu 4.0 to Sufu 5.0

[Somar]

This thread rocks!

[wornoutlondon]

Hey guys,

 

The link to London denim shops does not seem to work? Other links work fine for me, it's just that one I would love to read.

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin

[Somar]

Link doesn't work.... ?

[Sigur Rós]

Quite interesting. Short clip about Levi's denim lab and the process involved in pre-distressing jeans.

Sufu viewer warning: contains images of jeans being artificially aged.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Sigur Rós

[shishy]

Anyone know if there's a way to recover the links? They all 404 but not sure if it's a simple URL change or if they're gone forever