Sanding

[MrWynn]

Forgive me if this is covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find it! Does anyone have advice on sanding denim to wear it in? What grade of sandpaper is best? Is sandpaper even recommended?

Cheers!

[jubei]

nonononono

[BoardC3]

superblasphemy

[cuddlysheep]

nonononononononono!!!!!!!

[cuddlysheep]

someone get this guy outta here!

[justinbaily21]

Hell no. Even when an "expert" (using the term very loosely) like CMF uses sandpaper it looks like shit. IF you were to use sandpaper because you've absolutely lost all will to break in a project, use sandpaper with almost the same coarseness as actual paper.

[MrWynn]

I am really more curious about how it is done in an industrial setting. When denim is hand finished, is regular sandpaper used?

[MrWynn]

Forgive me, I thought there were many denim processing experts on the forum. If it is just raw denim fanboys I suppose this isn't the right place for me.

[vee_dub]

Nooopee!!....why sand it for? Just let it be.

[xerikx]

Forgive me, I thought there were many denim processing experts on the forum. If it is just raw denim fanboys I suppose this isn't the right place for me.

there is/was a video on nudies site showing their manufacturing and this is in it

but why do this yourself and risk destroying a pair of nice jeans.. or causing them to look rediculous? just buy a nice pair already done or break them in through wear

[plongin]

sanding? lol.

[BTT]

when i get home, i'm going to sand my raw denimzzz and perhaps sand blast it.

[eastcoastrider27]

When people wear jeans over a long period of time, the indigo falls off which results in fading.

If you sand the jeans you are destroying the actual fabric, greatly reducing the life of the jeans.

Plus sanded jeans look like shit compared to jeans that have achieved fading through years of wear.

[ringring]

Welcome MrWynn

There's a lot of enthusiasm here for 'naturally' worn jeans here. If you can call wearing them for 6+months without washing natural

It's just abrasion you're after, something to accelerate the rub-off of the indigo from the surface of the denim. This can be achieved with a stone, brush, fine sandpaper (the finer the better, and better still a bit of old used sandpaper that's had the 'bite' taken off it) or sliding down asphalt ...whatever.

There is some info about acceleration abrasion on jeans on the forum. For example, here: http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?p=78235&highlight=brush#post78235

and here: http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?p=21258&highlight=brush#post21258

Just go very easy and be prepared to screw up a few pairs of jeans in the process.

And yes, regular sandpaper is used in the industrial process.

[cheapmuthafukr]

Hell no. Even when an "expert" (using the term very loosely) like CMF uses sandpaper it looks like shit. IF you were to use sandpaper because you've absolutely lost all will to break in a project, use sandpaper with almost the same coarseness as actual paper.

very very loosely... i only tried it once.

[kauflust]

metal rasp > sandpaper

[Begåvningsreserven]

[tweeds]

shit, begs, you've gone and surprised me. i fully expected a cmf-face photoshopped somewhere, not real pics of NBHD doing processing work. e-props to your e-peen!

Nudie Jeans has had a little video of their production line for awhile, i remembered seeing some shots of their processing steps and i was right - you'll see them doing some sanding as well as sandblasting towards the end of the video.

http://www.nudiejeans.com/videos/player.php?movie=data/fineArt.flv

but as the members at the start of the post put it vehemently enough...nothing beats real wear. is it recommended?--well not really. but it makes for an interesting experiment, seeing how realistic you can make a worn effect look.

by the way, welcome to superfuture MrWynn

i hope this welcome doesn't come too late.

[wildcat]

Almost every pair of jeans that's "distressed" looking have been treated with chemicals, and hand sanded by people making $5/hr. Usually with those electrical sanders (like pictured above).

[tweeds]

unless you're in thailand, in which case people are rumoured to wear those jeans for long periods and hand them back to the store in order to give you your hige/atari/etc

[dismalfuture]

unless you're in thailand, in which case people are rumoured to wear those jeans for long periods and hand them back to the store in order to give you your hige/atari/etc

now if only we could do something about the average height of these jeans freaks in Thailand, so that we'd have all of these awesome worn-out fake Levi's in inseams longer than 28"...

[LIVENUDEGIRLS]

MW, There was a guy on here who artificially distressed a pair of jeans, stf iirc. It'd be worth searching for if your really interested.

[Tarmac]

I almost bid on this:

[superock]

i took a nail file to my nudie's because i was an idiot, now i regret it because the fades from the "sanding" look extremely obvious and fake, don't do it, whatever you do, DO NOT sand...it just ruins a perfectly good pair of jeans

[tweeds]

Tarmac - is that the kit with a medium-sized patch of denim and two gloves? i saw it at a local store and it amused me so much i nearly bought it, until i realised i really didn't need a little bit of selvedge and a pair of gloves for 10 bucks.

while i wouldn't sand a good pair of jeans, if i had a pair of STF to kick around i would starch it, wear it for half a day and try taking some sandpaper to it, very lightly. it would be an interesting project, to see how much work a good sand actually takes - and how easy/difficult it is to come up with all those 7FAM or TR washes.

[Tarmac]

haha yeah this is that kit. What is the retail on it? I am 90% sure this particular listing ended for under $30.

[lilodxd]

wow @ the huge rolls of denim in the nudie vid. :eek:

[tweeds]

haha yeah this is that kit. What is the retail on it? I am 90% sure this particular listing ended for under $30.

okay i didn't flip through the book, but i like how they've got the gloves around a female ass in the illustration.

i don't believe they were over 30 here! i'll have to go and check, but i'm in singapore so already the exchange rate makes it cheaper.

[shekki]

sanding = gg nub

[Dogfarm]

Since you have a high percentage of sucky baby answers to this thread I thought I would give you a real one.

I will say sanding is really hard to do well and those that can do it well are really artists. I have a decent little book "Denim Design Lab: A tribute to the beauty of vintage denim" it has a very extensive guide to sanding and aging denim.