Cone Mills (last US denim manufacturer) is shutting down

[Leonard Leroy]

Of course but they don't fit anymore.

[erk]

That is an awesome pair of 55s @Leonard Leroy

[liquortine]

Thank you all White Oak staffs.

Poingnantly expressed by those who mattered.

https://youtu.be/IPvLeIcE270

[cusswords]

Seen on the Greensboro shop Hudson’s Hill live story on Instagram 

[mlwdp]

1 hour ago, cusswords said:

Seen on the Greensboro shop Hudson’s Hill live story on Instagram 

Was getting ready to post this but glad someone did.

End of an era.  This is a sad time for Greensboro.

Shameless plug:  Hudson has a sale going on LVC cone denim right now.

[Niro]

I just got a pair of Burgus Plus lot.840, which is made from 13.75oz redline cone denim, and holy shit does it feel so good when I put it on! The weft is soft and lovely to the touch. The denim as a whole feels very light.

It's totally different to the denim in the LVC 66 and 76 pairs I picked up last year. I really like this denim already. I want to find out more about it and wonder if it's been used in other jeans.

I will post pictures and more info on jeans themselves at weekend in the burgus plus thread, but link from where i bought is: https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/hinoya/item/840-cd01/

[MJF9]

Does anyone know if this 7oz Cone denim (being used by Post O'alls) shrinks?

 

[kicks79]

Which store stocks it? I would try emailing them, they should know.

It's hard to say as it's not stated whether it's sanforized or not.

[i_denim]

For all you folks living in the United States, I envy you. You can walk/drive/fly places in your country and pick up several Cone mills jeans from LVC to Roy's; while they are still available. I agree with @Paul T that eventually people will pay crazy prices for deadstock. How I wish I could go back to 2016 when I used to fly into the US frequently and have the denim knowledge I have today.

[MJF9]

^^ yes sure - thanks - did that as well mate. The store believes it's pre-washed (I expected this) and not to expect shrinkage on a cold wash - though no mention of the impact of a warm / hot wash. I'm (in an deal sense) in between sizes so no movement on the bigger would leave it a bit roomy; some movement on the smaller size would leave it tight.

Though Post is on the edges of what we tend to discuss here, I wanted to check for any personal experiences with the denim as I'd trust information from Sufu on shrinkage and how it stretches with wear.

[MJF9]

@i_denim Roy makes his jeans in batches and they go-live for sale online at a predefined time, typically selling out in minutes. 

[i_denim]

3 minutes ago, MJF9 said:

@i_denim Roy makes his jeans in batches and they go-live for sale online at a predefined time, typically selling out in minutes. 

How do you guys track and order? Instagram or something?

[MJF9]

Sales are through Roy's website. He announces upcoming models there or on IG. Someone on Sufu catches wind and spreads the news. Excitement builds, the sale day brings winners and losers and then the fit pics and stories start coming in... that's the general cycle

[i_denim]

On 11/1/2017 at 5:19 PM, Niro said:

ah man that's awesome, thanks a lot! Just ordered a pair of 1966!

Also damn you for being the devil enabler 

@Niro Did you receive your LVC 1966 501s? Would you please share the pre-soak and post soak measurements? I am torn between size 34 and 36 at the moment and as we talk, sizes are going out of stock at End Clothing, Superdenim, Millworks etc. Getting very hard to find LVC. Cone mills pile up has gained momentum I think.

[Niro]

I haven't soaked my LVC pairs yet. Was going to do it in the summer, but probably will hold off until i'm ready to wear them

[i_denim]

7 minutes ago, Niro said:

I haven't soaked my LVC pairs yet. Was going to do it in the summer, but probably will hold off until i'm ready to wear them

Thanks. What do they measure now? Do share the measurements when possible.

[i_denim]

I came across this rather enlightening article that mentions USA was the only country that manufactured denim on this planet till 1970. Also that Japanese mills do not have old/vintage American looms. I like my Japanese denim, this is not a dig at that. I just have newfound respect for Cone Mills though.

GODZILLA VS. KING KONG (OR JAPANESE SELVEDGE VS. AMERICAN SELVAGE)

[Foxy2]

Most of the Toyda looms currently used at some of the Japanese selvedge denim manufacturers are not much younger than those Draper looms that were used at Cone...

[Paul T]

59 minutes ago, Foxy2 said:

Most of the Toyda looms currently used at some of the Japanese selvedge denim manufacturers are not much younger than those Draper looms that were used at Cone...

A few are older: Nihon Menpu has perhaps six Model G, which must be pre-1930. Cone has one or two turn of the century, but nearly all at X models which were launched in the 1930s, while the bulk of NM and Kurabo loom are 50s and later.

The link is correct in that the BS about Japan having "better" looms is BS but of course the question is a vague and meaningless one.

Talking about the G model, the most historic loom, Shinji Kawai told me the difference was simply that they were slower, and that there was therefore less tension in the fabric. The loom-vs-loom difference is probably marginal, the difference between Cone and Japanese denim (and of course discussing the latter group as a homogenous whole is meaningless) is probably more down to yarns than looms.


I find it hard discussing Cone as the whole business is so depressing! But there is perhaps one upbeat story in all of this, about hugely successful selvage fabric producers in the USA. Detailed here: http://loomstate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/drapers-in-field.html

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Paul T

[i_denim]

On 4/27/2018 at 5:05 PM, Paul T said:

A few are older: Nihon Menpu has perhaps six Model G, which must be pre-1930. Cone has one or two turn of the century, but nearly all at X models which were launched in the 1930s, while the bulk of NM and Kurabo loom are 50s and later.

The link is correct in that the BS about Japan having "better" looms is BS but of course the question is a vague and meaningless one.

Talking about the G model, the most historic loom, Shinji Kawai told me the difference was simply that they were slower, and that there was therefore less tension in the fabric. The loom-vs-loom difference is probably marginal, the difference between Cone and Japanese denim (and of course discussing the latter group as a homogenous whole is meaningless) is probably more down to yarns than looms.


I find it hard discussing Cone as the whole business is so depressing! But there is perhaps one upbeat story in all of this, about hugely successful selvage fabric producers in the USA. Detailed here: http://loomstate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/drapers-in-field.html

 

Thanks @Paul T This makes sense. I'm still not sure why Cone had to shut down, I've been reading up a lot. There are brands like Bravestar and Roy who use cone denim. I am sure there are others as well. I think there is a general lack of awareness about cone denim worldwide and most people believe cone only produced the generic denim. LVC could have done for awareness but I don't think they did.

[Paul T]

3 hours ago, i_denim said:

Thanks @Paul T This makes sense. I'm still not sure why Cone had to shut down, I've been reading up a lot. There are brands like Bravestar and Roy who use cone denim. I am sure there are others as well. I think there is a general lack of awareness about cone denim worldwide and most people believe cone only produced the generic denim. LVC could have done for awareness but I don't think they did.

I think the main issue is that Cone only supplied LVC for well over a decade - they only gradually branched out with their own premium denim because of their contractual obligations to Levi's. Hence everyone's opinion of Cone was dominated by their opinion of LVC. For nearly every independent shop, world-wide, Japanese jeans were their main product, and it made sense to push that and belittle Levi's - this is why the whole lie about Cone selling their looms to Japanese makers spread.

My impression was that at one point Levi's realised their monopoly on the fabric endangered White Oak and became more relaxed about Cone supplying other makers. But in the meantime, of course, Levi's stopped using much Cone in their volume range. I was told around 2001 that the 501 raw and rinsed jeans (mass market, not LVC) only used Cone denim, but my guess is that by 2010 they were using a lot of other suppliers, probably as part of the same cost-cutting that saw Levi's own US factories closed. Who knows the real truth, but there are people around Cone who blame Levi's for letting them down.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I could have posted it in the Blunders thread but I thought this one might fit as well...a little bit. And since no one around here has posted about it, I thought "why not"?

Vidalia Mills

https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/introducing-vidalia-mills-bringing-back-american-selvedge/

https://www.vidaliamills.com/

[Suitedupmon]

14 minutes ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

I could have posted it in the Blunders thread but I thought this one might fit as well...a little bit. And since no one around here has posted about it, I thought "why not"?

Vidalia Mills

https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/introducing-vidalia-mills-bringing-back-american-selvedge/

https://www.vidaliamills.com/

I'm interested to see who else secures rolls of their denim. I'm not a fan of Left Field's garish stitching and Imogen + Willie's slim cuts. Regardless, all the press surrounding the mill, especially I+W's mini video on them, has been a pleasure to watch/read.

 

Edit: Also the Reddit thread announcing the mill yesterday was class, people arguing about if the name of the mill was "good."

Edited May 14, 2020 by Suitedupmon

[Jared_Lee]

Yeah, I read the interview yesterday. For me, the machines are only a small part of the allure of White Oak denim. I love Eric. He's a friend of mine and former employer, but the focus for the brand Vidalia appears more concerned with PR than heritage. And let me say, that's totally fine. It's a business. It's also not my business. That being said, it's also not a story or a fabric that has any strong appeal for me. I think it's great that they have maintained some US manufacturing of denim and the sustainability angle is important for the world going forward. I wish them and Left Field all the best.

[Broark]

Jared's sentiments sum mine up as well, the machinery is only one part of what made Cone special.
Best of luck to them, I'm glad it's a thing and I'll be following along but I'm not sure anyone will be able to replicate what made Cone unique.

[redragon]

I think if they are real serious about bringing back the feel of Cone, the old wooden flooring should be installed before re-starting the looms.

Small details but I read somewhere that the vibration off the wooden floor makes Cone fabric rather unique.

 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

The denim looks rather nice but the poor model...that is a low rise. Jeans you don't want to sit in.

https://imogeneandwillie.com/collections/men/products/barton-slim-indigo-rigid-usa-lot-1

[unders]

This thread bump has prompted me to post a book I pulled out the loft to help with the lockdown boredom. 

It’s called Found and Cone sent it in 2006 (happier times). It’s a collection of images from a haul that some bloke, a James Harlow discovered in an abandoned two-room shack in Greensboro. The find included plenty of dungarees, shirts and a quilt. I’ll add some photos of the book and the note that Cone sent with it. And then the story which is a lovely read for denim nerds like us. 

 

Edited May 14, 2020 by unders

[unders]

I know there are plenty of denim discovery stories on the internet, but the fact that Cone put this one in a little book makes it a bit better than all the rest!

[lyraman]

Thanks for sharing that book, really interesting