Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.

[Double 0 Soul]

I didn’t actually know that^ 👍
I know next to nothing about Ben Fogle, I’ve got nothing against him per se, it’s just the ongoing hijacking by the middle-classes.. first workwear, now outdoor gear.

edit- holy crap, you’re right 

Edited January 28 by Double 0 Soul

[Maynard Friedman]

I think the middle and upper classes were probably instrumental in the development and use of some of the outdoor gear as they were the ones with the time and money to go exploring, climbing, skiing, riding, etc.

[Double 0 Soul]

Buffalo isn't expedition gear, it’s just basic Peak District wear / not very tech.. ideal for the pockets of those steel workers who protested Kinder Scout.. alas, once Fogle gets his hands on it. 

[Double 0 Soul]

Is Cabournification a word? 

[CSL]

19 hours ago, Double 0 Soul said:

After you’ve taken them out of the glass on the bedside cabinet?

No! Damn you!!!🤨 Not counting the four wisdom teeth I have removed as a teenager, I still have my native teeth albeit a few crowned. No thanks to 1970s/80s British dentistry btw. I recall my dentist telling me before my first trip to America, "You know when you get over there they're going to be trying to talk you into using dental floss (rolling his eyes disapprovingly)...".

[redragon]

6 hours ago, Double 0 Soul said:

Is Cabournification a word? 

Ironically, he still do not have any store in UK.

[ATWM]

17 hours ago, Mtvare said:

Fair enough on the espresso machine and the Marvis toothpaste - but all the same, the guy did row across the Atlantic...

Just to keep being that guy, I was gifted this portrable espresso gizmo https://wacaco.com/products/picopresso a few years back and it’s been a significant quality of life improvement for travel situations. 😃 I can pull better shots from it than a lot of cafes, especially if I’m out in the sticks. Takes some work but worth it!

I dare say @Double 0 Soul may even enjoy the process of it - all done by hand - it’s just a pressure pump really. 

[Double 0 Soul]

I tried and failed to make freddo espresso last summer after drinking it daily in Chania.. I came to terms with the fact that I need something along those^ lines..

[CSL]

@ATWM, I'm curious how well a device like that performs with 'hot' water from a hotel coffee machine? Meaning does it require full-on boiling water to get a good result?

Since I rely more on tea than coffee these days, I'm traveling with a rubber, collapsible kettle. Likely a good solution if a true boil is required.

 

[Hopethisoneisnttaken]

@ATWM what CSL said, + how was the learning curve? How long did it take before you could sustainably pull a good shot?

[ATWM]

@CSL @Hopethisoneisnttaken 

I didn’t find the learning curve too tough - but it’s a bit more laborious and not as quick as with a home espresso machine - you know like every time you switch beans dialing it in can be a process of a few shots and even when you keep getting the same bean from the same roaster the batches can vary a slight bit. 

I haven’t had to try with coffee machine hot water, but I am not sure that would work out. Always have been able to boil (or near boil) from a kettle. 

I pulled a pretty nice shot on the first day with the help of a YouTube tutorial, probably on my 3rd try, using a shitty 40$ hand grinder on the finest setting. I eventually got a nicer hand grinder that goes much finer for espresso. 

Some days, it will still take 3 tries if it’s a new bean. Some days I settle for a decent enough shot, I tend to make errors with grinding too fine or slightly too much volume, so my shots run long(er), more bitter than sour. I tend to stick w traditional espresso roasts for this, I’m not trying to pull shots from light roasts, that might be too much for it. 

[MJF9]

The Rok - a coffee machine rather than the former WWE wrestler - makes a decent 'espresso' approximation. It's definitely a faff, so not quick work and not for everyone but the quality is good when you get the grind right for the bean, as @ATWM mentions.  I bought it after @Foxy2 posted about it.  This has prompted me to dust it down for a brew tomorrow.      

[nopal]

19 hours ago, MJF9 said:

The Rok - a coffee machine rather than the former WWE wrestler - makes a decent 'espresso' approximation. It's definitely a faff, so not quick work and not for everyone but the quality is good when you get the grind right for the bean, as @ATWM mentions.  I bought it after @Foxy2 posted about it.  This has prompted me to dust it down for a brew tomorrow.      

Reminds me of the cafelat robot.

[MJF9]

@nopal twins

[Double 0 Soul]

I’m currently reading Sol Yurick’s ‘The Warriors’ at work.. 

I’ve seen the film numerous times and this book is soooo much better, it’s so grimy..  .. the descriptions of gangwear are great, especially when compared to the film where the costume department went for an almost cartoonish angle.

[Maynard Friedman]

 

[Double 0 Soul]

He describes white jeans / trousers as “ice-cream pants” 

I thought it was just us 

[bod]

Can you dig ittttt

[CSL]

6 hours ago, Maynard Friedman said:

 

I always found it funny in the film -

'Main Man' get's assassinated. Then 'sketchiest dude in the universe'^^^ points, and says (with perhaps the 'sketchiest voice in the universe'), "the Warriors did it', and everyone just believes him...

[Double 0 Soul]

As a promo stunt for the film.. 'The Warriors' was painted on a building.. the film crew not understanding street culture, painted it over the tags of a local gang.. who were understandably pissed and promised to find these 'Warriors' and fuck them up! .. the situation came to a head so the producers of the film offered to pay the local gang to appear in that^ scene as paid actors.. just so they'd chill the fk out 

Edited February 6 by Double 0 Soul

[CSL]

Ha! Would be fun to know where they were in the shot (no pun intended).

[Hopethisoneisnttaken]

In the spirit of books mentioning outfits - an interesting description from American Prometheus, Robert Oppenheimer’s biography about his outfit in the early 1930s. 
 

 

I wish they included a picture. The belt was also included as part of his outfits in the Oppenheimer film, and so wash the grey suit with denim shirt. What I find interesting though is that he wore faded blue jeans, at a time long before denim turned into a fashion choice rather than a workwear. 

[Double 0 Soul]

Nice series of photos in Life.. https://www.life.com/history/robert-oppenheimer-in-life/

As an aside to the Oppenheimer story.. i enjoyed this 5pt podcast 'The Men Who Might Have Killed Us All'

Pt1

Pt2

Pt3

Pt4

Pt5

Sleep well people 

Edited February 6 by Double 0 Soul

[Maynard Friedman]

Happy birthday @Dr_Heech 🎂 - too many candles, it’s hurting my eyes!

[MJF9]

@Dr_Heech Happy Birthday matey!!

[MJF9]

27 minutes ago, MJF9 said:

Takes me back... Diamond (Argyle) Pringle with Lois back in the day (or Farah for school wear), either sporting Adidas shoes (Corsica) or Trimm Trab... classic top scally combos

Reminded me I got a book called Counter Culture last year from some scouse fellas which documents their story with casual clobber from the early 80s with examples they had kept or sourced (fair play as that's an achievement for c 40 years ago).  It's a beast of a book, weighing in at 4.5kg no less.  There's opinion in, and why not, plenty of nostalgia and a lot of it resonates with my early 80s - 90s memories and thoughts.  Stoked up memories of gear I had (and wore to death) or had coveted.   

I've been meaning to post some photos from it for ages... here's a few related to the Argyle, scally clobber chit chat...

^ from the At Last thread...

I think you've posted more exhaustive lists and pics of Nike trainers, but the book has these @Double 0 Soul

... and a Head bag for @Maynard Friedman as, unless I've dreamt it, we had a chat many moons ago on here about these...

Edited February 8 by MJF9

[Mtvare]

Everyone at primary school, and then the beginning of secondary school, had that Head bag for their games kit.

I remember when one of the rich kids came to school one morning with an extra long one that was far bigger than was useful, but seemed to serve its real purpose of impressing everyone.

[MJF9]

Same down our way... if you pile loads up they make decent goals too

[Maynard Friedman]

Hi Michael, it was me, I posted a picture of the exact same Head bag a few years ago. It’s in my loft with my old football boots, shin pads, goalie gloves, stud keys, etc - all untouched in years. I think the bag itself is at least 30 years old.

I had the oversized version in blue and red too in my younger days, great for those weekend trips back home from university, full of dirty washing for my mum to have clean and ready for my return on a Sunday night!

At secondary school we had to use standard, plain black & red school issued holdalls (very strict establishment) but in my younger, primary school days, I used one of these beauties…

[Dr_Heech]

On 2/8/2026 at 10:07 AM, Maynard Friedman said:

Happy birthday @Dr_Heech 🎂 - too many candles, it’s hurting my eyes!

 

On 2/8/2026 at 11:20 AM, MJF9 said:

@Dr_Heech Happy Birthday matey!!

Thanks fellas. Happy birthday for yesterday Martin, nearly as many candles as me

Edited April 6 by Dr_Heech