Holy Grails: Personal Collection

[aho]

Safe to say we've all amassed large collections in this denim obsession we all share. Out of all of these items, what are your top three "Grails" and why?

 

For me:

 

1) Late 50's Levi's: It took me almost a decade into this personal denim obsession of mine to finally get a vintage pair. Up til then I didn't try, thinking that most pairs sold north of $1000+, more than I was willing to part with especially when I could be buying mint repro's to break in myself. This year a rare chance came up on the bay and I found these beauties for a "Buy It Now" price of $300. Needless to say I jumped on them, and once in my hand I suddenly understood the greatness and glory of an original 501. Nothing quite like the original...

 

2) Warehouse 15th Anniversary 1001XX: I've owned a few pairs of these in various sizes (including a 15th 1001ZXX) and can say they are my favorite repro pair. It's not that they're historically accurate, or that the denim is period correct (1000XX or even the new "banner denim" come closer in graininess) but these jeans are a perfect cut, perfect weight, and perfect feel for me. The thin contrast stitching, return of the Ox head patch, arcs, and overall construction cap this off as a personal favorite of mine. I even have a spare pair buried away for safe keeping...

 

3) White's Boots: Out of my Alden's, Red Wing's, Chippewa's, Danner's, and Wesco's, my White's are clear and away my favorite (Wesco comes close; can't afford Viberg's, Lofgren's etc.), heck, probably my favorite thing I own (Until my Black Bounty Hunters come in). There's a soul and a quality to them that you don't get from Red Wing's and compared to higher price point boots, you still get handmade quality, custom options, and a custom fit (Arch Ease might not be for everyone due to the adjustment; mine were perfect from the get go). They fit like a glove and I can never seem to take them off!

 

 

What I still want:

-Deadstock 40's Levi's

 

 

 

[hollowsleather]

I wholeheartedly support this thread.

 

Here's mine...

 

]

 

 

MF 7161MD.  This is the only pair of jeans that I've loved enough to buy a backup pair to stash away.  Not for everyone, but definitely for me.

 

 

White's BH in Natural Chromexcel.  Favorite leather, super comfy, good for walking.  I love my Lofgrens too, but an engineer can't compete when it comes to walking.

 

 

Himel Canuck in seal brown Shinki horsehide.  Just getting started on this, but it's the best jacket in the world as far as I'm concerned.

 

Here's hoping this thread thrives!

Edited February 5, 2014 by hollowsleather

[coleslawyum]

GREAT idea for a thread.

 

1. Denime 557 Jacket

XX Denim, my favorite jacket, worn every Spring / Fall for the past 6 years.

 

 

 

2. 1960's Chippewa Engineer Boots

Classic shape, classic buckles, the modern engineer boot

 

 

 

3. Warehouse 660

My favorite repro fit and denim. Rusting rivets, stained buttons, all happening naturally, so beautiful

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fre-co]

Good idea for a thread. I agree on the eh 15th 1001xx. I will expands post later....

 

Edit...

1. Denim:

My two favorite jeans of all time are my Samurai 0500xx and warehouse 1001xx 15th anniversary. I'd pick the warehouse overall and will get mine out again in the spring even though they are pretty trashed.

 

2. Boots:

The ones I wear most are my Russell Moccasins. Immensely comfortable all day long.

 

3. Going to have to go with a Post O'alls chambray engineers shirt. I wear it far too much year after year.

Edited January 24, 2014 by fre-co

[tigerpac]

Alden Plain Toe Boot, #8 shell.  Stunning...

 

[cheapmuthafukr]

Evisu no1... It doesn't get much better. There is a reason that evisu gained the rep it did in the late 90s, and these are it. This pair was actually give to me by evisu for being part if the dd+1 project, which makes it even more special to me.

Wanted to add this... Its maybe 6 or 7 different types of denim from jeans I've collected and worn into the ground or just didn't work, and the bottom is a cinch wool flannel that my wife found 6 yards of... It's not so much a grail as something that I'll never get rid of.... It would be impossible to find another one like it.

And lastly, my USN flight jacket. Bought at a thrift store for $50, it's been my go to jacket for many years. The wool cuffs are shredded... There is a hole on the shoulder... And it's molded to my body. It's perfect.

Edited January 25, 2014 by cheapmuthafukr

[Al6ert]

(1) Ande Whall 2009 Unsanforized Cone Denim, Cougars

The gateway of my interest with denim and sufu are embodied in this pair. After admiring good fits and well faded pairs of jeans from sufu members cheap(^) and poly alike, I was determined to commit to wearing this pair of Ande Whall's in 2009.

At that time I had yet to fully appreciate the ridiculous amount of details that these possessed, yet they became my standard for future garment purchases. Notice the selvedge fly and belt loops, felled seams in the construction of the seat and rise, single needle stitching, and hidden rivets. I now know that this standard is only ever (similarly) achieved when artisans are passionate about crafting fabrics, hardware, and the garments themselves.

Although this pair never developed the high contrast fades that (at that time) I was hoping for, I've grown to appreciate the vintage vibe of the Cone denim. Coupled with the modern slight taper of the Cougar cut, these Ande's are a perennial favorite of mine.








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(2) Iron Heart 17 oz. Overdyed Denim Shirt/Jacket - IHD-01od

I'd be remiss if I didn't put IH overdyed denim on here. It is buttery soft out of the box and dynamic in tone and hue, which makes it terribly difficult to photograph. This shirt/jacket is probably the single thing I'd grab if my apartment were going up in flames.




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(3) Strike Gold Hooded Sweats + Stevenson Overall Co. Hilts Chinos

Shit, how does anyone go about buying three of any one thing?

Regarding the Strike Gold hooded sweatshirt: I tried on the black sweat (pictured below) at SESF never intending to buy such a simple basic item as a blank hooded sweatshirt. At the time I thought to myself, "this is Self Edge and, of course, what I'm going here for is supposed to be unique and won't be sold again." I was thumbing my way through the shirts and stopped at the Strike Gold stuff; pleasantly surprised at how substantial their jersey fabric was. I tried on the hoodie and remarked at how I've never put on a sweatshirt that didn't make me look sloppy and fashionably lazy. I believe that this is due to (1) the lack of side seams in the body, (2) the tubular arms which are tangentially sewn into the body, and (3) how the hood forms a shroud around the neck. I bought the black one then and wore it everyday for the next two months. A year later, the arms are faded from repeated creasing and it is slightly washed out from being bleached by the sun (no washes yet). I expect to take this sweat to the grave! I purchased the navy blue one month after I bought the black and could not help myself after seeing the indigo one in person a few weeks ago. I plan to wash the indigo one regularly and see how (or if) they evolve differently.





Kenny Fabrikant once told me that shorts are best made from an old pair of pants. I acquired the blue SoC hilts first. The fit was spot on. With a comfortable rise and a modern slim silhouette through the leg, I could wear them anywhere from formal events to the pub. The weave of the hilts is extremely tight which makes them more stout than most chino fabric that I've handled, yet they are pliable and a good weight to wear all year round. I've mostly worn and washed the khaki ones (below) and you can already see the vertical fading that is developing. After purchasing the green hilts to wear at a friend's summer wedding, I pondered purchasing the khaki's to chop into shorts. I was a little apprehensive about doing this as the fit on these is arguably better than any jean that I own, but I am glad that I did...turns out, Kenny was right!
 



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Jan 2014

Edited February 7, 2014 by Al6ert

[altoclefchris]

That's a great idea, I think many of us are in it for the long run, so a thread where we could show off our growing collection would be cool.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Denim:

 

My SC40400.

Never encountered a pair of jeans which has such an interesting denim (natural indigo from Hawaii, cotton and sugarcane) and also incredible construction on top (hand felled seams, single needle construction)!

The rarity of this particular pair only adds to its uniqueness. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boots

My Yuketen Maine Guide Buccanner. Hand made in the USA. Thick Horween leather. Perfect fit, wearable all year along.

(if my MOTO Pecos would fit a bit better and would be more versatile I'd might have taken those...)

 

 

 

 

Brand:

Since my participation in the Denime contest back in 2009 I am really fond of everything Denime from the Shins and Orizzonti era .

Edited February 1, 2014 by beautiful_FrEaK

[Megatron1505]

1) Samurai S5000VX 21oz. These were the jeans that made me start the first HWDC, and I can honestly say that they were the true beginning of getting really into this whole crazy denim thing for me, prior to these I had only really worn LVC, Uniqlo and Supreme.

 

 

2) Whites Bounty Hunters in black dress leather with a medallion toe cap. I've worn and loved Whites boots for a few years now, but apart from my Oxfords I always bought on sale or in the second hand market. These were the boots that I mocked up time after time on the "build a boot" platform, so for me to own them is like a personal footwear dream come to life. Plus, nothing touches the Whites arch ease system for me as I have massively high arches.

 

 

3) Trophy Reservoir Hood jacket. This is the jacket that made me want to work with Trophy, I fell in love with this within a second of seeing it and it remains my favourite piece of outerwear ever, by anyone. The details are insane, from the Talon zipper to the anodised metal clips to the full flannel lining and cord lined cuffs and throat latch. Even now I spot things about how this jacket was made which still amaze me.

 

[Flash]

in no real order 

 

Fullcount 1100-10

 

 

 

ive been after a pair of these for years . I remember being soo excited when i went  to Take5 to get a pair and then being soo disappointed when my size was sold out  , but lucky for me my good mate BF found these for me on Yahoo auctions 

 

Joe McCoys tee

 

 

I LOVE THIS TEE  the fit is perfect for me and the fabric is soo soft , ive worn it for like 3 years and it's still in great shape

 

Ooe Yofuketen 9102xx

 

 

My first contest jeans , they really have been like a second skin ( been a while since they looked like this

 

how they look now

 

Edited January 25, 2014 by Flash

[blackfuture]

Wanted to add this... Its maybe 6 or 7 different types of denim from jeans I've collected and worn into the ground or just didn't work, and the bottom is a cinch wool flannel that my wife found 6 yards of... It's not so much a grail as something that I'll never get rid of.... It would be impossible to find another one like it.

 

That's such a great idea.  I kick myself pretty often for selling off pairs of jeans that didn't work out for whatever reason.  For most of them, all I have are a handful of pictures on my hard drive, if I have even that.

[jstavrin]

Wonderful idea for a thread, aho. I'll post something soon...

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Finally updated my entry. Calling others to participate!

 

(will delete my post later on, if possible)

[BrownMetallic]

Fullcount 1108C vs Samurai 710XX__ close to grail 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Momotaro MJ2103__ aiming for grail

 

 

 

Viberg Loden Green Service Boots_ 2005 Last__ potential for grail

 

 

 

Equus Oak Bark Bridle in russet__ mosdef grail worthy

Edited February 7, 2014 by BrownMetallic

[Maynard Friedman]

I really like that Momotaro jacket BM. I haven't worn a denim jacket for years but have been considering one for the warmer months and that is the item that's been attracting my attention for a while now. The fit seems slightly longer and trimmer than the standard Type 2 and I like the subtle pocket arcs and bronze buttons. It's very understated.

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[BrownMetallic]

Tnx__ yes the Momo is a modern cut version of the type2 ... longer & slimmer

'Tried the Eternal type2 @BiG, as well & was torn between the 2. But, I haven't tried the copper label denim, so that was that.

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[garden gnomes in space]

I will add pics soon.

 

Denim:  Full Count 0105xx.  Full Count was the pair of jeans I always wanted, but could never quite figure out why.  To this day, I get excited wearing them.

Honorable mention: ROY RS_04

 

Footwear:  Whites/Bakers Oxfords in red dog rough out.  Well built (although not as on point as Whites boots), extremely comfortable once broken in, and easy to care for, aka I have done nothing at all ever.  

Honorable mention: Oakstreet Bootmakers trail oxfords in Natty CXL.

 

Upper Torso:  Toss up between my Strike Gold hoody and my Mastersons Ls-2.  I had to have a repair done on my Mastersons shirt, and it happened to fall right in the time when Michael was moving across country.  Not only did he perform the repair, bt he straight up gave me a second shirt for free.  So I have a crispy as fuck Mastersons LS-2 hanging in my closet.  

Edited February 6, 2014 by garden gnomes in space

[BrownMetallic]

Ah, do you recall there being much in it with the cut? Momo still the longer jacket perhaps?

 

edit - ps, sorry, again, thread crashing..

sorry,  i was @work when i posted reply__ sleeve measurement were same [ie, as per Momo sz 42 vs Eternal sz L,  but center back on Momo is longer by about an inch than that of Eternal.

 

construction-wise,  the Momo has back pleats @back yoke & bottom [like on the original design]  while the Eternal has back pleats @yoke only ...    i think

Edited February 6, 2014 by BrownMetallic

[Geeman]

That momo jacket is on my list! Prefer the slightly longer cut on denim jackets. It's sanforized   right?

[BrownMetallic]

^yeah, sanforized + one wash,  so minimal shrinkage.

 

just be careful with the pit-to-pit measurement.  you need to factor in the 1/2 + 1/2 = 1 inch allowance [ie,  for back pleats @yoke] on total chest measurement

[Max Power]

Not sure if "grail" is the right category for what I post, but I'll act as the ones before me did and post my current favorite pieces.

 

1.) Denim: Samurai 710. Best fit, great character, lots of good memories and my most faded pair. There are rarer pairs in my collection that could be consideredgrail by some, but to me the value of a pair of jeans increases with wear and so these are my choice.

 

 

2.) Shirt: I love flannels and re-black has always been my favorite colourway. Add a perfect fit and super thick fabric that gets nice character with wear and you have the IH SH72. I got another one as backup and wear it nearly everyday.

 

3.) Belt: Split between my 2 year old Samurai A 103, that aged nicely and fits like a dream and the very recent FH belt. The FH is even thicker and the buckle is just amazing. I've never seen a better belt before.

 

 

 

 

4.) Shoes / Boots: I have not acquired my grail pair yet, but try to do so this year. In terms of sneakers I love the Sk-8 Hi, but that's nothing for this forum.

 

5.) Sweat: Ballpark / Joe Mc Coys Hoodie. Loopwheeled or not, the fabric and fit is ace and it's so warm you can wear it as a light winter jacket with a flannel underneath.

 

[louisbosco]

max.. the second belt photo, what would that be?

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Samurai A 103. As written

[BrownMetallic]

 There are rarer pairs in my collection that could be considered grail by some, but to me the value of a pair of jeans increases with wear and so these are my choice.

.

mosdef agree with this.  i mean, it is not easy, but would rather part with a rare piece that's unworn or lightly worn, than something that i've invested time in & has evo-ed on me.

 

... afterall,  thread is about "our" personal grail__ not other peeps definition of what is grail, right? 

 

 

 

 

edit: ...  'reminds me to post up my belt, as well

Edited February 7, 2014 by BrownMetallic

[hectic]

This is my modded Aero half-belt in FQHH. It's about 10 years old, my old man (now departed) bought it for me so it holds considerable sentimental value. Originally it did not have the fur collar, this was added after about 3 years wear with the standard collar. It was also (perfectly) re-cut (down from a 46 to 44) after I lost a bunch of weight. 

 

 

[dylanbooth78]

Very, very nice halfbelt mate! Not enough love for the 50's halfbelt's in my opinion! 

[hectic]

The only tiny irk I have with it is the weight - its not quite versatile enough in that respect. If I could do Ship of Theseus with it, with a lighter leather, that would be amazing.