Iron Heart Jeans

[rustygoose]

Can take some more pics tomorrow, fishing trip now!

[summ3rhays]

Interesting few pages.  Fascinating to hear about how different IH is in Japan vs out.  I fall into the "it fits westerners" being a 6' 200lb guy from the west.  I do ride a MC but don't really consider myself a biker.  I agree that the marketing is genius and I've definitely researched and bought more due to the forum,  but I consider an educated buy a huge advantage.  If I'm shelling out $$$ for a shirt I want to see how it fits on people my size and I want 15 measurements instead of L or XL.

[zwer]

Excellent discussion and great to see it remain civilized.

 

I also fall into the 'Western-sized' category (6'1", 215lbs) and IH works for bigger guys. I would like to wear Flat Head, but after trying on every 36" pair at Tate & Yoko, nothing fit properly.

[Geeman]

Good couple of pages reading. I own a pair of IH and have to admit although I do like my pair they aren't the most..interesting jean I've had or handled. A great point above re the support the brand gets which can be a good thing but try having this discussion on the IH forum....

[beautiful_FrEaK]

hehe....exactly what I already thought. Wouldn't be that neutral there

(but that shouldn't be a surprise)

Edited August 1, 2013 by beautiful_FrEaK

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[garden gnomes in space]

^Do you have examples? (Serious question, I did not find another brand yet that makes shirts that appeal to me more - in terms of fit, fabric and construction).

 

^^ Yes, the sizing part is definitely true. There are a few brands that interest me, but I simply can't fit in. I also knew about the status of IH in Japan - when you look at magazines, IH rarely appears and it is among many other small brands, not counted as big player. Besides the western markets I think that the indonesian denim hype helped them too, as they offer slim fits in heavy denim. And this works like a charm to 18 year old denim fans over there.

IH-44.  I have one, love the fit (you have one too, right?)  But if you look at it, the fabric is pretty standard.  Nothing jumps out at me to justify the $290 price.  Not saying I dislike Iron Heart, Im just finding their gear less inspiring as of late.  Tastes change and evolve, maybe this is my moment of evolution.    

[garden gnomes in space]

Not to kick a dead horse but ive been wearing Iron Heart for a few years now and have tried multiple other brands, but always come back to Iron Heart, especially for shirts and jackets.  They make clothing that fits western customers better than a lot of the other japanese companies, and while flannels may not be very intriguing to some, they come out with interesting but subtle fabrics each year.  Most Japanese companies tend to make shirts that I need to have the shoulders be an inch too wide for the length and sleeves to actually fit.  Its also awesome to be able to make suggestions about products to make, colors things should come in, etc, and have those opinions actually be listened to.

Im with you on the fit of the shirts.  Fit very well.  

[garden gnomes in space]

Cold Summer, you summed up the t-shirts far better than I did. The cheesy Engrish stuff does nothing for me, even ironically, although I'm sure most of the wearers aren't embracing it for that reason. Also, I don't want to plaster myself with motorbike or hot rod club labels, seems a little juvenile, although if that's someone else's bag, then I have no problem with it. Glad to hear FH are moving away from that side of things. I really like FH, just wished they did slightly looser cuts with rises a little higher, even the F350s are a little tight on my (manly!) thighs. My 1005s (still raw) seem like they might be a little looser, plus I won't repeat the mistake of washing them at 60C for max shrinkage!

I have to admit, the lastest run of "engrishy" statements makes me cringe.  as does some of the artwork.  

[elmcitizen]

Excellent discussion and great to see it remain civilized.

 

I also fall into the 'Western-sized' category (6'1", 215lbs) and IH works for bigger guys. I would like to wear Flat Head, but after trying on every 36" pair at Tate & Yoko, nothing fit properly.

 

Same boat as you... Wanted to try Flat Head and it just didn't fit well.

[Seul]

Hiya lads... I'm Seul... Most frequent and worst poster on the IH forum... Dedicated IH Fanwhore... So no unbiased post from me...

I stuck to IH after having experienced lotsa Samurai, Flat Head and even some Oni... Seeing as how I do physical labour in all my gear (yes: inc shirts in the winter), I'm very particular as how it holds up 24/7/365... Now have a pair of 666-XHS'es and some IH shirts I wouldn't trade for the world... And an FH shirt I wish would have a different cut... And have had about 5 FH shirts at least which I had to sell cause they weren't made for lads who work hard but also love their beer...

Sure: the IH forum can come across as forced, just a bunch of tossers in one big international circle jerk... But I made some friends on it... Bastards both m and f doing me favours that wouldn't happen on any other site... It's not so much about the clothes... It really isn't... And I'm not some overly naive, effin hippy... Shit I'm just an anti-social Belgian who likes to work, drink, and abuse jeans...

Also: assuming Giles (IH.UK) is doing any kind of marketing is giving the man too much credit... He's just a bloke from Gosport who has a wife with a calculator... And if anything, I don't mind giving the man my hardearned €... At least I can rely on him, and he'll always try and help me out with any- and everything...

As I promised: none of this was gonna be biased... But I love IH... The gear and the family... Like it or leave it (or have a great discussion on it here!)...

[garden gnomes in space]

well said Seul.

 

 I had a hard time fitting in at IHUK forums.  Its the kind of place if you are not buying Vibergs and everything else, nobody really seems to have the time to converse with you.  

Glad you found a brand that meets your needs.  

[tigerpac]

^Good group of guys over there... even if they did induce me to spend thousands needlessly...

 

And to your point, my White's are just starting to break in juuuuuust a little

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 10, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Seul]

Us hogs have to stick together ey lad!..

[Indranurf]

this thread need more love

 

 

666s 20 months

[Maynard Friedman]

I've had no problem on the IH forum. I don't visit or post often but when I do I've found people generally friendly and helpful, just as much as here, if not more.

My 2oz...

[cc.rider]

i like the iron heart clothing that is work wear and not fashion clothing. same as double o, 99% of the time nobody sees me or what i wear. i really like the fact that iron heart clothing doesn't stand out and almost fly's under the radar in public. a bunch of the newer iron heart stuff is not for me, i don't want to wear denim and denim and hickory stripe and herringbone denim and wabash denim.  the 634 is a great fit for me and the 21oz is like thicker, better, old levis to me. and it's not levis.   the flannels are perfect fit and the textures of some are creamy. any t-shirt over $20 seems crazy to me no matter the print or material, loop wheeled or not. they just get between me and my flannel. so for me it is a bit of a nostalgia thing. being a kid growing up in the seventy's and eighty's, this is the stuff i wore and what everybody i thought was 'cool' wore. i've worn jeans and flannels most of my life and will always appreciate nice wearable jeans and flannels. that's my canadian uniform.  

 

i buy 95% of my iron heart clothing from japan, for a lot less money than iron heart uk.

[501XX4EVER]

i like the iron heart clothing that is work wear and not fashion clothing. same as double o, 99% of the time nobody sees me or what i wear. i really like the fact that iron heart clothing doesn't stand out and almost fly's under the radar in public. a bunch of the newer iron heart stuff is not for me, i don't want to wear denim and denim and hickory stripe and herringbone denim and wabash denim.  the 634 is a great fit for me and the 21oz is like thicker, better, old levis to me. and it's not levis.   the flannels are perfect fit and the textures of some are creamy. any t-shirt over $20 seems crazy to me no matter the print or material, loop wheeled or not. they just get between me and my flannel. so for me it is a bit of a nostalgia thing. being a kid growing up in the seventy's and eighty's, this is the stuff i wore and what everybody i thought was 'cool' wore. i've worn jeans and flannels most of my life and will always appreciate nice wearable jeans and flannels. that's my canadian uniform.  

 

i buy 95% of my iron heart clothing from japan, for a lot less money than iron heart uk.

 

So, go on then, tell us where you get that 95% from, help a newbie out. :D

[cc.rider]

all the info is out there on the interweb. i'm very fortunate to have a personal buyer/shopper that does it all for me.  

[bradl]

I guess I can vouch for the shirts, just received one of their pocket ts. Am incredibly happy with the fit on every measurement. Have to say its become a fast favorite of mine, and going to try and grab a few more at 30% off over at tuckshop.

 

Never been drawn to their pants, but always like looking at stuff posted in this thread.

[Sugar Mountain]

There have been a couple of remarks over the last couple of pages that Iron Heart UK are charging unreasonable prices for their product. I'm not sure how people are coming to this conclusion because a cursory look through their online store shows the majority of their jeans (excluding the 25oz denim) to be in the range of $325-375. This is no different from the prices being charged by Self Edge or BIG for The Flat Head or Samurai for example and includes free express shipping to anywhere in the world. The prices were even adjusted when the Yen became cheaper and Giles has negotiated a commercial rate with his shipping company for returns. You can't say fairer than that but if people prefer to pay the very lowest for a product and forsake that level of service and convenience, it's their choice.

[garden gnomes in space]

personally, I dont think the prices are that unreasonable over all.  However, I do feel that the price of some of the shirts is a bit too high.  But thats just me, and I feel that I am in a weird place in the denim/clothing aspect of my life.  Im starting to expect more from the pieces that I do buy, and therefore I am much more frugal and pay attention to different details.  it takes more than just made in japan by a denim company to attract my attention.  

[Sugar Mountain]

Totally understand that 'weird place' you're at and can certainly relate. I'd rather have a small collection of clothing that really impresses me than a larger one of fairly generic workwear repros and flannels.

 

I too baulk at paying as much as $300 for a shirt but I'm a bit spoiled here because I have Take5 less than 30mins away and can pretty much get Japanese retail price as a member. Though that's definitely a double-edged sword, believe me!

[everyinchofgod]

For me, quality of construction and ruggedness of materials is extremely important when spending this kind of money on clothing. The only way I can justify these prices is if I know I will be wearing these clothes years and years down the road, that they'll still be with me like an old friend. And of course the cut has to be flattering, they have to make me look good, I need all the help I can get. Iron Heart kinda originated the whole heavyweight, rugged ethos, at least to me, and their clothing (shirts especially) fit me well. I do like the character and quality of Samurai's denim as well, and my 710's fit like a dream, but as far as overall quality goes, IH is tough to beat, and even though the denim doesn't have as much character as some others, it's still some of the best denim out there. Even their "boring" regular 21 oz denim is fantastic and will always be one of my favorites.

[Double 0 Soul]

In addition to what SM says for Europeans new to the denim scene who may not have figured out what there actual size is yet, shrinkage, stretching ect (complicated stuff) Giles offers good advice and an easy returns policy without having to hawk your goods on ebay.

[Max Power]

True. When I talked to him, he told me that their slowest selling items are mostly the raw/ unwashed models. I think that unsanforized denim is much more appeailing than one-wash (we had this discussion in the PBJ thread, so don't start it again), but many of his customers embrace exactly that fact. I don't quite get the problem, but I think that's one of the reasons why traditionalists round here think the denim lacks character.

 

Another reason for the popularity is clearly the heavy denim. Many new guys step up from nudie, APC, N&F or the like and want to feel "the real deal". For them, the limits of what is doable on shuttle looms might be defined more through weight than anything else. It's the most recognizable fact when you put on a new pair of jeans. I was like this myself - when you started out with heavy feeling 12 oz, stepped up to 14 oz selvage and then learn, that denim can be 50% or more heavier - you want to know what's behind that.

 

I think, this explains why IH is often the choice of new guys, whereas veterans stay or come back to brands like WH, OOE, FC or the like. Extremes are always attractive to young folks. But that does not really diminish the attractivity of the brand, only if their customers behave in an ignorant way. This was pretty bad a while ago and threw me off a bit. But I like how relaxed this discussion goes.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Max Power

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I really think that Max got several good points here. If you “step up your denim game†from your typical mall brands you often go through the entry brands like APC, Nudie, N&F, Unbranded, Kickstarter denims (for me it was Nudie) and then you learn or read more about the “real†Japanese brands and you want to discover them.

5-6 years ago, when you wanted heavier denim, Samurai was the brand to go. Ironheart only had their 21oz denim (maybe a bit more but I can’t remember). But as their flagship denim needs time to fade and the results available weren’t that great (by the time back then), it was a lesser worn and lesser popular brand.

 

Nowadays you will find plenty of nicely faded Ironheart jeans and this is always an aspect, as one of the most often asked question is “how do they fade† (besides “what is the slimmest fit they makeâ€). More example of great faded  jeans = more byuers.

 

And today you see a big range of heavy denim by Ironheart and they followed the customers need for slim fitting jeans (the 301, the 666 and 555 and some collabs). That combined (heavy denim / slim fits) is attractive to a certain group, the younger and new people. But then you also have the older gents, loving the classic 634 cut with the comfortable 21oz denim. They reach a lot of customers

 

I do like wearing heavy denim and it is nice to discover what can be done but I’d take a 14-17oz denim anytime over a 21+oz denim

[Double 0 Soul]

For me it was LVC in the 90,s when i bought my first pair of Japanese Denim (Sugar Cane) i fully expected LVC type shrinkage thought it was a standard thing so bought a 34". How wrong i was. Doh!

[Seul]

I've worn tons of Sammies and FH... Have been eyeing Strike Gold jeans for a while now... But the main problem for me is the rise of ALL the models... I mean, seriously, SG has NO high rise models... Samurai?.. All mid rise... I'm talking tapered, slim models... FH?.. Forget about it...

If you're actually gonna work 4,5 times a week in your jeans, the last thing you want is a rise that is too low... My sz. 32 XHS'es have a 15.5" rise and that's perfect...

It's all about practicality for me... Whether you think 25 oz jeans are practical or not is a different discussion, of course... But I prefer it over anything I've worn on the workfloor... This includes FH 3010, FHxSE SE05BSP, Sammie 710xx, 710xx Black Knight, 0500XX, 0500VX,... The only thing I've kept are my first "serious" jeans I bought five years ago (after having fooled around with Nudies and Earnest Sewn and LVC): Atelier LaDurance Prescott darktone...