TCB: happy jeans contest

[volvo240thebest]

speaking of photography, new cop:  Please excuse the trendy hipstafilter

green with envy mate! plans to get the voigtlander 35mm F1.4 as well?

[garden gnomes in space]

dont think so.  for street photography, 1.4 isnt really necessary and adds to the size and weight of the lens.  The Zeiss lens is really great so far.  If anything, I would go for  the Leica 35mm 2.0 Summicron.  Its like a little engineering marvel.  It feels so solid and smooth, the barrel action is out of this world.  Even the Zeiss pales in comparison to it.    Its also $2800 new, so theres a very small chance that will happen.  

[JohnM]

I have an older 35mm 2.0 Summicron (as well as an M6 and R6) gnomes.  Beautiful lens, as you say -- so small, with a smooth/painterly rendering.  You're right, the 1.4 is much bigger and heavier.  With film, at least, it's nice to have the 1.4's speed at times, but the latest versions are large.  I do like the old 50/1.4 Summilux.  It had that same, sweet image quality as the older 'Cron but with the added benefit of shallow depth of field.

 

The older Leica lenses remind me of some of what we're after in Japanese denim -- imperfection as perfection!

 

John

[garden gnomes in space]

well said JohnM!

I havent actively shot a roll of film in like 15 years, so not only is it a revisited challenge, a rangefinder at that!  I fully expect a few trash rolls before the touch comes crawling back to me

[JohnM]

Been a while for me too, though I still have a darkroom.  I grew up shooting SLR's (Minolta SRT-101, Nikkormat, Nikon F2, Leica R6) and never fully got the hang of rangefinder photography.  But an M Leica with 35 'Cron is a fantastic set-up.  Solid as a rock, easy to handle, mechanical precision, and those lenses with their naturalness and tonal gradation!  I often think about selling it, then I pick it up and 'no' is always the answer.  Have fun with it.  Goes well with a faded pair of jeans ;-)

[Paul T]

ah... nostalgia....

 

[Max Power]

Just read through the last pages - just awesome. Also good to see that Ah Long is still the king of fading.

[volvo240thebest]

he's fucking amazing, I tell you. I'm wearing these jeans hard, wore them as much as I could and I cheated on them maybe 10 days in the whole summer. I can't figure out how the hell he got what he got. Inoue san was surprised too.

we're due for an update on PaulT as well and the other tattoo guy from NYC (can't remember your username duder!). those were the other very promising pairs. and I'd love to see SImon's pair as well, his Ooe contest pair was my favourite.

my pair has developed less contrast, due probably to the fact that they're such a loose fit on me.  I hope that in the long run I'll end up with a great vintage fade with a some contrast, more like Inoue's grail status pair.

Edited September 8, 2015 by volvo240thebest

[Paul T]

Sorry. haven't had chance to sit down and edit pix. Had a good summer, heading with the nipper to Cap Finistere, hwere he surfed for 14 days.

This was one of the places we hung out;

 

 

And this is the weather we've been enjoying back in the UK:

 

 

So, no chance to wash these babies. But remember, it ain't over 'til it's over!

 

[Bobbo]

Fresh out of the wash, pretty true to colour. I think they'll recieve weekly washing from now on, really like the subtle contrast they've got.

 

 

 

 

[volvo240thebest]

lovely stuff bobbo, mine are into almost weekly wash regimen too, I love it! every wash something new pops out.

[tchengaa]

Hi guys! just gave my jeans a thorough hand wash ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sugar Mountain]

Tchengaa - Are you coming to the Take5 party this Saturday? Would be good to meet!

[garden gnomes in space]

Sorry. haven't had chance to sit down and edit pix. Had a good summer, heading with the nipper to Cap Finistere, hwere he surfed for 14 days.

This was one of the places we hung out;

 

 

And this is the weather we've been enjoying back in the UK:

 

 

 

So, no chance to wash these babies. But remember, it ain't over 'til it's over!

 

 

Paul T forgot to mention he was hanging out on set of season 6 of Downton Abbey....

Edited September 14, 2015 by garden gnomes in space

[Paul T]

We had a pretty good summer which seemed, like they always do, to end too quickly.

 

But we eased the pain of the back-to-school vibe with a weekend in Whitstable, a little town on the Medway, where the Thames estuary meets the English channel. It's one of the few places on this side of the country where the sun sets over the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

I moved the car around the park to be near a contemporary.

 

 

Brought a few bottles down with us of course including this old classic:

 

 

And finally this weekend we got enough sunshine to wash and dry these babies.

 

 

[Bobbo]

Oh my Paul, I knew you would kill these babies but that's definitely a grail pair+ in my book. Stunning. What do you think about them? 

[Paul T]

I'm very happy but I think they have a way to go and are at a kind of in-between stage; usually when jeans are at the four or five wash stage, let's say 13 months or so, I put them aside for special occasions. I'm looking forward to taking them further.

 

I did take a month off to wear my LVC 1890s for the summer but now I realise i have some serious competition, they won't be leaving me...

[volvo240thebest]

^ grail! please keep them for special occasions so there is still a little hope for the others to win this contest thing!

[ah_long]

I'm very happy but I think they have a way to go and are at a kind of in-between stage; usually when jeans are at the four or five wash stage, let's say 13 months or so, I put them aside for special occasions. I'm looking forward to taking them further.

 

I did take a month off to wear my LVC 1890s for the summer but now I realise i have some serious competition, they won't be leaving me...

 

Paul, do you use the dryer or hang dry?

[Paul T]

I always hang dry. In fact I don't own a dryer...

 

thanks for positive comments (which really attach to the denim not me, of course). I prefer Ah Long's I think!

Edited September 14, 2015 by Paul T

[Graytrain]

Oh Paul T, I love the way you fade a pair of jeans!

[Bobbo]

Bits and pieces from the last couple of days:

 

Tried and succeeded in making killer falafel

 

 

They have this "italian style café" in Örebro. I've been sceptic and only recently tried it out. Coffee wasn't good but I could do with another tiramisu!

 

 

And this weekend I went to Stockholm to see the very awsome Leon Bridges. I didn't take a lot of pics this time but I had great beer and food at Akkurat which I've heard mentioned as the best pub in the world (?). Definitely worth a visit if you like beer and/or whisky. 

 

 

Tend to come back to Johan & Nyström for my cup of coffee when I'm in town, this time was no different.

 

 

A mate of mine lives in these cool old worker households in the middle of Stockholm. Always feels surreal to find them in the middle of the buzz.

 

 

Lots and lots of tasty beers got devoured. Found this coffee stout a little amusing since I bought that exact roast the day before.

 

 

 

[tchengaa]

Tchengaa - Are you coming to the Take5 party this Saturday? Would be good to meet!

 

too bad ... I will be out of town this weekend. Enjoy the party! 

[aho]

Paul T, those jeans are out of control! You could leave them be till end of contest and still be in contention!

[volvo240thebest]

Paul T superstar on the TCB blog!

http://happyjeans.jp/tcb/2015/09/17/9613

[tigerstrom]

Damn, they are so nice! High contrast vintage looking fades. Love it!

[volvo240thebest]

couple pics from Glasgow.

had not much time to do the tourist this time but here a couple pics anyway.

beautiful University building, has a lovely Hogwarts vibe.

went to a good Gin bar yesterday evening, called Gin71. my mates here know I love gin and they just decided to make me really happy as you all can see!

So I tried the Edenmill Buckthorn and the Edinburgh Cannonball, both real nice.

Edited September 17, 2015 by volvo240thebest

[ah_long]

Paris again this past weekend

 

DSC_1664 by 6u07, on Flickr

 

DSC_1663 by 6u07, on Flickr

[Bobbo]

^ What do you do for a living mate? Seem to travel quite a bit! 

[edmond]

hes an iternational giggolo buddy.