so, i'm having a pair of jeans made . . . .

[mizanation]

kuniyoshi-san has only worn jeans that he has made for the past 10 years. however, this actually includes many famous brands since his factory made most of the top brands.

i will ask about his opinion of lap-felled seams.

[rnrswitch]

Its really gotta be because the interlock stitch looks more like the overlock stitch of Levis... right?

[jimbok]

Very informative thread, thanks for showing us every detail of the jeans.

Makes me regret hemming away my chain stitch... The normal stitch for my new hem will less likely to create the folding wave effect...

[Bona Drag]

i need to hang out in denim more

[raWorkshop]

Just a point of information - the more common term for interlock in the US is "safety stitch," same thing, an overlock stitch with a chainstitch as well.

[CJsmalls]

can't

get

enough

[mizanation]

just got back from kuniyoshi-san's. he made most of my jeans, now all that is left is for him to do the button holes and to sew down the belt loops.

a couple of interesting things he told me today.

1) he always one-washes the jeans before chainstitching the hem. he says that that way, he can always get an exact length for the pant leg. he says that the hem will get roping even if you wash it first. the difference in the puckering (roping) between chainstitching before washing and after washing is not that big. you will get the desired roping no matter what, especially if you use a union special.

2) about lap felled seams vs. overlocked seams. he doesn't have a preference either way. in fact, when i asked him which one he prefers, he says that he's never really thought about it that deeply. he says that lap felled seams ARE stronger, but that it's really up to personal preference. he says with lap felled seams, you lose about 2 cm in the width of the pant leg, so you have to take that into consideration when using a pattern designed for overlocked seams. also, it is not harder or easier to do overlock vs. lap felled. in fact, with lap felled, you can do it in one step.

3) the original levi's inside pant seam was overlocked, then single stitched and then top stitched. he prefers an interlock stitch here for two reasons, 1) you can do it in one step, whereas with overlock, you have to go through another step with the single stitch. also, 2) he prefers the exact distance between the overlock and chainstitch that he gets when he uses the interlock machine. with the overlock and single stitch method, the distance will vary. here he likes to be exact.

4) about chainstitching the waistband. the japanese machines were not designed for this purpose, whereas the american machines were. he explained the difference in the machines to me and i finally understood the reason why older japanese machines could not chainstitch to the end of the waistband. i will post pictures of this later.

[poly800rock]

i love it when Miz posts. he should do so more often

[benzak]

Just a point of information - the more common term for interlock in the US is "safety stitch," same thing, an overlock stitch with a chainstitch as well.

I could be wrong, but I thought that the safety stitch was an overlock + chainstitch + topstitch all in one step..

2) about lap felled seams vs. overlocked seams. he doesn't have a preference either way. in fact, when i asked him which one he prefers, he says that he's never really thought about it that deeply. he says that lap felled seams ARE stronger, but that it's really up to personal preference. he says with lap felled seams, you lose about 2 cm in the width of the pant leg, so you have to take that into consideration when using a pattern designed for overlocked seams. also, it is not harder or easier to do overlock vs. lap felled. in fact, with lap felled, you can do it in one step.

3) the original levi's inside pant seam was overlocked, then single stitched and then top stitched. he prefers an interlock stitch here for two reasons, 1) you can do it in one step, whereas with overlock, you have to go through another step with the single stitch. also, 2) he prefers the exact distance between the overlock and chainstitch that he gets when he uses the interlock machine. with the overlock and single stitch method, the distance will vary. here he likes to be exact.

thanks for asking Miz! and I'm looking forward to the pics..

[hurhur]

I noticed that my samurais and omnigods were not chainstitched till the end at the waistband. both ended with a single stitch. but my evisus ended with a chainstitch though. wonder why..

[mizanation]

hi folks.

i am going to be very busy for the next couple days, so please be patient while i take care of some things. also, i will be doing some traveling for a couple weeks starting sunday--so updates might be a little scarce during that time. i think it's time to finally start that blog i keep saying that i'll make.

however, i do have a quick announcement.

since i am getting so many custom jean requests for kuniyoshi-san, i am going to make an online ordering system to make things easier for you guys.

you will be able to choose following options:

denim fabric

buttons

rivets

hidden rivets

zipper

color of stitching

cut

interlock or lap felled seams

pocket bags

back pocket stitching or embroidery

crotch reinforcement

extra pockets

cinch back

leather patch material

and anything else you might want

cost for a basic jean will most likely be around 35000 yen with shipping included.

i am very happy and proud to be able to share kuniyoshi-san's services to the worldwide denim community. i never expected that i would find one of the world's premier denim artisans living in my neighborhood! hopefully, in the future, we will be able to do other interesting things like denim workshops, camps, online tutorials, etc. please be patient while i set this all up.

in japan, it's customary to say, "yoroshiku onegaishimasu," which basically means, "thank you for your future support." so, YOROSHIKU ONEGAISHIMASU! thanks.

[jimbok]

mizanation, thanks for making this possible! Looking forward to ordering my first pair of customize jean by the great sugoi sensei.

[rnrswitch]

I noticed that my samurais and omnigods were not chainstitched till the end at the waistband. both ended with a single stitch. but my evisus ended with a chainstitch though. wonder why..

Funny, cuz my sammies are chainstitched all the way across. I wonder if it depends on model or year they were manufactured. Also, could be based on size. Are you a fatty?

[hurhur]

I don't know if a size 31 is considered a fatty. but mine are s5000bks

[LetsGetSerious]

It is considered fatty by the weakasses of SuFu.

Youre normal sized according to the MEN of SuFu.

[stewiegriffin]

just finished explored this thread and i do agree this is the most interesting thread in sufu so far.

keep it coming, pls.

[raWorkshop]

I could be wrong, but I thought that the safety stitch was an overlock + chainstitch + topstitch all in one step..

thanks for asking Miz! and I'm looking forward to the pics..

Hmmm not to my knowledge but that is very common, it just requires a folder and a second machine mounted behind the overlocker.

I'm going to be purchasing my very own safety stitch here very soon, very excited.

[artisanquality]

Thanks Miz for your work here. Looking forward to be a future supporter and to the pictures of the final result!

[emmitbrown]

This is the first time I've actually learned something on superfuture in a while (besides the LVC thread). Thank you for that. Can't wait till the ordering system is up.

[mizanation]

Hmmm not to my knowledge but that is very common, it just requires a folder and a second machine mounted behind the overlocker.

I'm going to be purchasing my very own safety stitch here very soon, very excited.

you are right about it being called a safety stitch. don't know why he calls it an interlock stitch...

[morse9443]

Looked back a few pages and didn't see much talk of cuts. What are we looking at? His own model, imitation of other models, or entirely user spec requests? Either way this is an awesome idea. Go Miz!

[M.O.A]

you guys do realize the possibilities are now endless

Miz,

Any chance he would use two different denims for left and right legs? ala those LHT/RHT samurais? and another for a buckle back?

selvedge zipper

66 cut

indigo stitched back pockets

time to save 400 bucks for a jean splurge

[Bona Drag]

wouldnt that look weird as fuck once it faded?

[M.O.A]

wouldnt that look weird as fuck once it faded?

absolutely...amazing

somebody go find pics of those samurais...

[scoon0224]

That custom list is... outstanding... for now I'll scratch my plans for 31000yen Evisu No1's.

But I am going to freak my shit for days trying to design my jeans.

[salaami]

this is the most informative thread on sufu. it gives me plenty to chew on while im @work tomorrow. this thread should be read and reread. perma-rep miza! i'll assume that a master worked on these FC, since all of the details described are here, except the inseams are stitched differently. theres the white interlock, then the yellow chainstitch, then a golden-brown single stitch. not the same technique, but masterful work none-the less. being that most of the people are chinese that work in these factories, i guess the main difference between MIJ and MIC is the rigidity of the quality-control?

[dandandan]

everytime i check this thread i look back on my jeans and appreciate the workmanship more and more! seeing all the details and pics are amazingly informative, the best thread on superdenim in awhile. +++rep if i could.

and i guess the difference in quality of japan and china jeans could just be price point that they're selling the jeans at. would it be safe to say that japanese denim mills charge a premium for the details, quality control, and training for their workers?

[mizanation]

Looked back a few pages and didn't see much talk of cuts. What are we looking at? His own model, imitation of other models, or entirely user spec requests? Either way this is an awesome idea. Go Miz!

he has two types of cuts right now, one regular vintage style and one slim straight cut. usually, when people order jeans from him, he has them wear a sample, then he will make adjustments based on their preference. this is not possible with online customers.

i am trying to figure out a way right now if it is possible to make a pair of jeans solely on measurements, but he says it is quite risky--due to inaccuracies in measurement taking.

i have a couple ideas of how we can do this which i will run by kuniyoshi-san.

you guys do realize the possibilities are now endless

Miz,

Any chance he would use two different denims for left and right legs? ala those LHT/RHT samurais? and another for a buckle back?

selvedge zipper

66 cut

indigo stitched back pockets

time to save 400 bucks for a jean splurge

i love those LHT/RHT samurais. BUT, my only problem with them is that (if i remember correctly) they put the LHT on the left hand side and the RHT twill on the right hand side--which is completely logical. however, if you are looking for maximum whiskers, you would want to switch them, so that the LHT is on the RIGHT side and the RHT is on the LEFT side. if you notice, LHT jeans whisker more on the right leg and RHT jeans whisker more on the left leg. can someone correct me if i'm wrong on this?

[selaviso]

you know what miz i was just thinking about that when i was looking at my jeans earlier after a wash....about why the whiskers are more visible on the left.

[mizanation]

this is the most informative thread on sufu. it gives me plenty to chew on while im @work tomorrow. this thread should be read and reread. perma-rep miza! i'll assume that a master worked on these FC, since all of the details described are here, except the inseams are stitched differently. theres the white interlock, then the yellow chainstitch, then a golden-brown single stitch. not the same technique, but masterful work none-the less.

it is the same technique, just different color thread.

being that most of the people are chinese that work in these factories, i guess the main difference between MIJ and MIC is the rigidity of the quality-control?

i'm don't want to open up a can of worms with this, but i'm going to let you know what i think about this topic.

the way you are thinking about this is not quite accurate. it is not just a matter of quality-control, although it is a big deal. it is more of a difference between the philosophies of the factories. so, it is not MIJ vs. MIC per se, but the difference between different factories. even in japan, there are factories which cut corners and factories that don't. have you ever noticed a japanese jean company's quality decline suddenly? this is usually due to a factory change by the brand in an attempt to cut costs--this could mean switching to a chinese factory, but it could also mean switching to a cheaper japanese factory. also, many companies have certain models that are made at high-end factories and the rest made at cheaper factories.

japanese factories cannot compete with chinese factories in terms of cost and scale. however, japanese companies can be the best at quality and detail and innovation. so, because of this, japan tends to have more of these "high-end" factories. this is why MIJ has value. for the best MIJ factories, quality is the primary concern--although this is not always the case.

also, there is a difference between sewing something a certain way and knowing why you sew something a certain way. anyone can be told to sew a piece of fabric with a certain technique. however, it takes passion to care about why this technique is important. if your motivation for working in a factory is purely for income, then, you will blindly do what the factory tells you to do. but someone with passion and pride will question, research and experiment in the quest for quality and knowledge. this is a difference that exists in the individual, not the factory, not the country. and this is what i see in kuniyoshi-san.