Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.

[ColonelAngus]

I don't see any practical need to wear heavy denim. in the whole XX century people never felt the need for heavy denim, anything between 12.5 and 14 oz it's always been plenty enough for an all year around pair of jeans.

even in freezing temperatures a normal pair of jeans with a pair of long johns underneath seems to me more practical than heavy denim.

 

the heaviest pair I had was 15 oz with a pretty dense weave and was already too much for me even in winter, my legs just can't stand heavy denim. I am also not very keen on the idea of a "summer jean" or a "winter jean", I like to buy stuff that I can wear anytime in the year.

 

Heavy denim do fade differently but I happen to not like generally that look either.

 

So that's why I think heavy oz jeans are (to me) pointless.

 

gotcha. I usually wear 13-14oz denim year around but do wear long johns underneath during the winter months. But, given my location it does get pretty darned cold and that's where I think heavyweight denim can help a little. I think the preference for heavyweight denim comes from the fact that they feel more substantial and they do have different fading properties. I'm not much of a jeans guy in the summer, simply because my tolerance for extreme heat is very low. so in those instances I wear my ugly shorts since I sweat like a pig. I guess it all boils down to personal prefernce

[Max Power]

There's no real need for heavy denim and I've come to prefer midweight denims over time, but as in all hobbies it's sometimes fun to push the boundaries and see what's doable. But I agree, those super thick high contrasted heavy denims have been overdone lately. Just my 2cts.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Max Power

[BrownMetallic]

14.5-15oz is the sweet spot, for me ðŸ‘🼠Edited March 5, 2016 by BrownMetallic

[Cold Summer]

My opinion is pretty much exactly the same as volvo240thebest, I want to be able to wear my jeans throughout the whole year, and I'm not really a big fan of the way heavier jeans fade.

 

For me the sweet spot is definitely 14-19 oz. I like the weight on my S710xx, but don't have any interest in going heavier than that.

[goodrain]

That's a pretty big sweet spot

[Maynard Friedman]

9-32 oz is definitely my preferred weight range.

[Geeman]

Currently rotating 15 and 24oz. Heavyweight doesn't bother me that much once they are worn in they feel fine. Weight isn't a deciding factor when choosing a new pair for me.

[Bobbo]

What mostly made me stray away from heavier denim was the comfortable feeling that hit me when I put on a pair of say 14 oz jeans after a couple of days in heavy weight denim. It's not to say heavy weight denim is uncomfortable, but lighter denim is definitely MORE comfortable. 

[Max Power]

That's true. But I must say, I prefer denim that have a certain stiff feel to them. My WH 800 were super soft right from the start and I don't like it that much. The Resolutes, dispite being lighter, feel stiffer and more substantial.

[Iron Horse]

Is WH's banner denim quite soft, or does it have some stiffness to it?

 

(There's a joke somewhere in here about stiffness).

[clt3]

Is WH's banner denim quite soft, or does it have some stiffness to it?

 

(There's a joke somewhere in here about stiffness).

 

It's really soft and airy. Not much stiffness at all.

[iamsuperflush]

Maybe I'm weird, but I much prefer the feel of heavyweight denim. After wearing my 21oz samurais for so long, even my 16.5oz Japan Blues feel like I'm wearing nothing.

[cmboland]

Maybe I'm weird, but I much prefer the feel of heavyweight denim. After wearing my 21oz samurais for so long, even my 16.5oz Japan Blues feel like I'm wearing nothing.

Do you wear them when the weather gets fairly hot.

Edited March 6, 2016 by cmboland

[iamsuperflush]

I wore them everyday in the Texas summer

[dwilson123]

I'm kind of off the heavyweight trend after vowing a few years ago anything below 20oz will never touch my legs again

[Blue Nemo]

I don't see any practical need to wear heavy denim. in the whole XX century people never felt the need for heavy denim, anything between 12.5 and 14 oz it's always been plenty enough for an all year around pair of jeans.

even in freezing temperatures a normal pair of jeans with a pair of long johns underneath seems to me more practical than heavy denim.

 

 

i do agree with you. i talked to Fardin about this the first time I met him, and he stated that most actual workwear denim during our XX period weighed from 8 to 12 oz. Not more. I am pretty sure that actually the japanese started to produce "heavy weight" denim of 14 to 15 oz for the first time. which back then stressed the looms pretty much.

 

so i think producing denim weighing over 12 oz was just too expensive & time consuming for both the manufacturers and their clients back then, which might be the main reason for their preferences.

 

just imagine the hype of 21 oz denim in the good ol usa back then haha

[EA1R]

This is me feeling stupid:

 

A while ago I bought a belthook, Rooktown, from swedish store Meadow:

 

http://www.meadowweb.com/art/rooktown-belt-hook.php

 

Then I found this:

 

http://store.flobyoverskottslager.se/product/baltesbarrem-med-galvad-hake-begagnad

 

It's common surplus and the surplusguys charge 6,5o € instead of 67 €. So the Rooktown-company probably bought a caseload of them and are laughing all the way to the bank. Good job Rooktown and Meadow!

[Blue Nemo]

I don't disagree, it's just one of those things; look at all the Japanese brands that use swastikas and a straight up Nazi imagery. Anyways, a topic for the blunders thread.

 

 

right!

that is something that sickens me even more. baaaaad japanese. the repro attitude should has its limits... nobody today is a us vet hells angel, that got fucked by nazi germany AND his own government, and has some kind of score to settle with his own government now. still not my preferred way, but at least its no superficial fashion related abuse of entirely fucked up symbols.

[pudaspriest]

The swastika is a Buddhist symbol in japan. In my experience when brands are using a swastika it is in that context, not a nazi thing. Now I could be wrong, but I would give them the benefit of the doubt considering it was their symbol first. 

 

example -- peep the temple behind me here

 

[Cold Summer]

Pudaspriest is correct. That symbol å is called Manji in Japanese, it comes from Buddhism and apparently has been used in art and religious iconography for thousands of years. It also faces the opposite direction of the Nazi swastika.

 

See also here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#Misinterpretation_over_imported_Asian_products_in_Western_countries

Edited March 13, 2016 by Cold Summer

[Iron Horse]

I know all about the history of the swastika, I live in Taiwan* and have been to Japan a couple times. I was referring more to brands like Freewheelers and Westride that play around with Nazi imagery. 

 

*A year or so ago we had a pasta restaurant here that offered a German sausage spaghetti called "Long Live Hitler Noodles." The owner thought it was cute. I've also been in random shops here that sell flags from around the world that included Nazi Germany's flag. Hence, why I said not to be too shocked about this stuff over here!

 

Freewheelers:

 

Westride:

 

[aho]

^Yeah that's f'd...Japan doesn't always make the best decisions when it comes to foreign symbology but of course in a different country the context is different and unfortunately is more "cute" than outright offensive to them. Heck, they never banned the Rising Sun flag after WWII (not exactly the same as a swastika mind you) which other Asian countries take offense to, which is sort of like seeing a Confederate flag here in the states. Speaking of which, I've seen many an unfortunate shirt with the confederate flag when I lived there...

[Cold Summer]

Ahh. To be fair, I had no idea any of this stuff ever existed (and didn't see the post the sparked the original discussion until after I responded.)

[dwilson123]

Speaking of which, I've seen many an unfortunate shirt with the confederate flag when I lived there...

 

Yeah its quite embarrassing.  Especially since I live in a northern state and seeing confederate flags raised is even more suspect.  I'm not sure why anyone would want to romance that period of our country's history especially on that side of the battlefield.

[Blue Nemo]

you guys are right, and I wasn't referring to the way the japanese and asian people / cultures are using their "own" swastika. i am fine with that.

 

but the swastika used in the context of the second world war, as a nazi thing, or by the ex vet and then criminal hells angels, as a counter culture and fuck government thing, are in fact, something else entirely. and there is a kinda repro thing going on, especially inside japanese mc gangs, that embraces the hells angel swastika to express their lifestyle. which isn't cool at all.

[Geeman]

You think freewheelers are bad..... 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/07/15/world-cup-celebrants-go-chain-hitler-celebrate-their-ignorance-world-0

 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/12/09/prayuths-thai-values-school-children-love-painting-hitler

[Mr-Bielby]

I saw someone in Bangkok the other day with the phrase. Stop Rape, Consent on their T-Shirt.

[Iron Horse]

You think freewheelers are bad..... 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/07/15/world-cup-celebrants-go-chain-hitler-celebrate-their-ignorance-world-0

 

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2014/12/09/prayuths-thai-values-school-children-love-painting-hitler

 

[setterman]

Yeah its quite embarrassing.  Especially since I live in a northern state and seeing confederate flags raised is even more suspect.  I'm not sure why anyone would want to romance that period of our country's history especially on that side of the battlefield.

 

Make me furious when I see the ragpickers around here flying the Confederate Flag.  Makes me want to shake them and scream "do you know how many men from here died fighting against that flag and what it stood for?"  The 83rd Pennsylvania (along with two other regiments) was raised primarily from Erie and Crawford counties, and only one other Union regiment saw more of it's members killed in action than the 83rd.  NWPA bled to maintain the Unites States, and yet you see rusted out pickups all over the place with confederate flags flying from the truck beds, or on licenses plates on the front of their truck.  There's a certain pride in being white trash among a lot of rural america.  And don't let anyone fool you, they're not fans of black people.  

Edited March 15, 2016 by setterman

[dwilson123]

And don't let anyone fool you, they're not fans of black people.  

 

Basically every time I see someone with confederate anything I just assume what they're trying to advertise is they're a racist.  For whatever reason history has told us that the Civil War was 100% about slavery and even though it was a major issue they were fighting over it was hardly the only reason.