Evisu is still loved!

[the_ming]

ah yes. a 2000 No.1 is what everybody needs.

good deal!

indeed! best jeans i've ever owned. i'll have to force myself to start to rotate in the others in a couple of months, but for now it's 2000 no.1 every day.

So many pairs of 2000s on the go now...any updates off anyone?

i don't think any fading will show at this point in photos, maybe in a month i'll post update pics.

[CrashTestBrummie]

I'll be glad when I've got some proper wear on my Lot 2113s, they've taken a beating on the bike recently but very little to show for it...

[ethandesu]

Hi all - new to SuFu, but couldn't resist contributing here. I worked for Evis The Tailor in Daikanyama in 2000-2002, when the product was still incredibly high quality, and still have many of the old pieces, including blanket lined #2 jackets and PinkMimi limited jeans. Great stuff, and a great history, if only Yamane hadn't fallen so in love with the idea of being tailor to the hip hop world.

Thought I'd add a pic that you might find amusing - a red tab that I had from when I was doing repairs/hems/penki. The old "EVIS" tab that was meant to look like a vintage big E tab when the corners had folded over. I'm sure Levi's would have a fit about it nowdays, but back then we had them coming in to store and buying up product for research.. Anyway, enough reliving my glory days..

desu

[Flash]

got any pics of the type 2 jacket ethandesu ?

[salaami]

pink selvage is like pussy, everyone loves it.

[ethandesu]

Flash - I'll post pics of the Storm Rider later today.

A few more curiosities - an old leather tab removed from an early Lee copy Evis jean in left hand denim. ad the lazy S stitch which we offered as a paint (penki) option to certain "maido" customers.

This one doesn't say Evisu, only Style Craft - the company that owned Evisu.

desu

[ethandesu]

And another bit of quality Evisu leather - the well worn tab from my Pink Mimi's - used to have the Evisu logo and No 1 special stamped on it, but over many washes and tumble dries it has gone blank. In my opinion this is the grail for leather tabs, particularly cause it's on a pair of 15oz Blue/Black/Green denims without penki on the pocket. Makes for the perfect "Muji" or unbranded jean - only the faded red tab and rivets would give it away.

I'm sure my ideas on Evisu are pretty strange to guys that know the brand now, but 10 years ago, Evisu was still the brand making the best vintage denims, and the non wash stacking technique was pretty much unheard of in Japan. It was all about was and dry (arou to kansouki) to get skewed legs and lightened jeans that looked like they were out of the 50's. We even mopped the shop floor every morning with a small cloth on our knees - apparently to foster team spirit and respect for the store, but I think it was really to make us have faded patches on our knees.

Anyway, long story short - I've had these pinkmimi's since about '01, and although too small for me know, they are my grail jean, and Evis at that.

desu

[coleslawyum]

Thanks ethan for these small Evis anecdotes. I'm curious what has happened to the Evisu Tailor shop. Is it still around, as well as The Old Hampshire Bond?

[Yin]

So many pairs of 2000s on the go now...any updates off anyone?

Mine only have like 2 months of wear.......will post them at around 6 months mark.

[ethandesu]

Coles,

Evis the Tailor is still in Daikanyama/ Naka-Meguro. Awesome place to visit, with an antique loom by the front door and walls of denim, sized right up to 50, I think.

Not sure about OHB - I'll check with the mighty Murai and let you know.

desu

[CrashTestBrummie]

Any more pics of your jeans, Ethan?

[ethandesu]

Hope I'm not diverting this thread, but I have one more thing to share - something I put together from off cut hems one quiet afternoon at the store. I use it as a tobacco pouch, for my pipe, tobacco, lighter and knife.

Denim is the No1 ToraMimi (Tiger Selvedge), Rivets are old Scovill, with the burr flipped around to be blank, and the leather tab is a blank tab that was lying around.

Stinks of the Graf Adolf Three Kings tobacco (best ever pipe tobacco), but it is bullet proof, and one of those things I will never give up.

desu

[ethandesu]

Thought I'd upload some pics of my old Evis gear. Hope it isn't unwelcome - I've been on SuFu since '07 and only 21 posts! I gotta catch up..

This is my No1 WWII model - I bought it when I first joined Evis and wore it religiously. Had my tencho at the time paint the penki for me - Tokyo style, slim and rounded.

Denim is No1 ToraMimi, buttons are donut laurel wreath, one pocket with no flap and a cinch back. I love this jacket, but sadly it is a 40 and I struggle to even get my arms through it these days...

Hope you like the images. I will post more pieces if nobody objects..

desu

[chantheman]

keep posting!

[ethandesu]

Thanks Chan! Will do..

desu

[ethandesu]

Vintage Evis Denim jacket part deux ~

This guy has to be at least 20 years old, and still only ever one soak and dip dry. When I joined the team, there was a warehouse above the Daikanyama store of old stock from the 8 or 9 years they had been making stock, and this jacket was amongst them. I bought it while umming and aahing over a "mother cotton" version - unwashed, unbleached selvedge denim. The cold one out and I took the Stormrider instead, but I regret not getting both. Anyone out there know who still sells mother cotton denim jackets in the early pleat front styles? Mr Loiron, any chance you can make me one? Happy to provide specs if necessary..

Not to sound ungrateful though, I love this stormrider. When I bought it I put a leather tab over the cotton patch, as I wanted the stitch mark at the back yoke to wear through, but remembering how cool the retro Evis tab was, I pulled it off again.

The blanket lining is heavy horse blanket - scratchy and incredibly warm. I only ever soaked it once, because it takes so damn long to dry again!

It's in a particularly dark denim, which we thought was No 2, but were never really sure. It feels about 13&3/4oz, but may hit the 15 mark if I ever properly was and tumble dry it. Two pockets with flaps, a boxier cut that sits a little shorter, and waist adjustors rather than a cinch - If I'm not mistaken, it's the post WWII model, or second model as we called them.

Again, a grail piece for me that sits in my WWII RAF kit trunk waiting for me to slim down enough to wear regularly.

[chambo2008]

i love desu is just dropping bomb's of knowledge

[beautiful_FrEaK]

yeah keep on posting those stuff! that's really great.

just one question: did the denim on the current No.1s change to the old ones (most likely) and if yes what do you think about it. If you have handled/own it, that is.

[Flash]

thanks for the pics mate , that is a real cool jacket

[ethandesu]

Thanks Chambo & Flash. Freak - the only Evis I rate is the Japanese stuff, I don't go near the International brand. I had a pair of Mikan - the orange selvedge - that a friend sent me, and they were amazing. Heavy, slubby and oily dark. A No 2 denim, by Evis standards, but heavier than a standard No 2.

The Mikan's got too small and my good mate JC inherited them from me, so I'll wait till he's put some wear in them and get some images up.

As far as new stuff goes, not a clue. You guys are the experts, so I'm looking forward to seeing how you rate them.

desu

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Thanks for your fast answer. I only talk about the MIJ Evis/u too

[CrashTestBrummie]

Some good stuff, cheers! You seen the Evis stuff posted by others in this thread?

Evis as a brand name must have been long gone by the time you worked out there in 2000-2002...must've been pretty exciting when coming across deadstock like the jacket and that...

[Paul T]

fab posts, ethan.

I was told that in late 80s Evis were sourcing denim almost exclusively from Kurabo. Would love to hear if you know who was supplying what in the 90s and thereafter?

[ethandesu]

Thanks Paul - it was incredible the things that were lying around when I got there. Double knee jeans with the knees painted, or the entire back of the jeans painted white. Kind of ridiculous.

Pretty sure it's still good ole Kurashiki Boseki denims. I know the guys that make the jeans, but only as "Hiroko's mum and dad". Awesome people. The manufacturing for the jeans is out in prime rice growing country in Kurashiki, and the rice was good enough to eat on it's own.

Edit - that photo is awful. Gotta take it down.

desu

[ethandesu]

Continuing the theme of random Evis stuff - business cards for he shop, and the big man himself.

desu

[-five-]

great to read every post u made desu! very informative and all those cool tid bits makes me super jealous:D!

[edmond]

ode to evis and desuold school evis worthy?

[Flash]

super cool ed , what brand is the type1?

[CrashTestBrummie]

That a FOB Factory 506XX?

[edmond]

yes sir its fob factory