Vintage Denim?

[killer b]

i' gutted they don't fit...

the same woman had some levis with a blank red tab (just the R, no 'levis') - is this significant? i'd have picked them up out of curiosity, but they had a vile wash, and the wife might've objected...

[Paul T]

Blank red tab means they're post 77 Levi's - no more collectable than normal tag, they were introduced then to protect the copyright on the red tab in general (as opposed to the red tab with 'levi's' written on it).

[killer b]

that's a relief. acid-wash jeans have no place in my wardrobe...

[killer b]

i found a bit of info elsewhere about tek-sac - they almost certainly date from the 60s. cheapo british made jeans for people who couldn't afford levis by the looks of it.

[bluegoldblues]

from memory there are a few lines in Eric Clapton's biography explaining how "Levi 501" were very hard to come by in the 60's, worn only by the affluent kids on the kings road with their chelsea boots and leather jackets!

[slowdownarthur]

As David Bailey said on 'The Swinging Sixties' "They were fabulous, God yeah, but only for about 500 people in London,"

[bluegoldblues]

For those in London..There is still hope!!

£28!

More pics at BlueGoldBlues.com

[Dr_Heech]

Great score there BGB. There is hope for us yet!

(can you disclose the location of purchase?)

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[robbie]

...

Stupid filter! Wish I wasn't at work, these sound awesome!

Found what I am guessing is a late 60's early 70's Lee 91-b on Wednesday.Pretty stoked as it feels lighter than my 80's type 3. I am only guessing at its age, it has the union made tag and is LHT. Anyone care to shed some light?

[bluegoldblues]

nice talon zippers! prob early 70's

Quick way to date Lee stuff- look at the small black lee tab.

Lee + R + MR =1970's

Lee + R =1960's

Lee + no trade mark = 1950's and earlier

[Happy Hooligan]

is that top button "E" for the European market? Looks like they were made in TX

[Dr_Heech]

On the pic of the tag, just love that jelt denim.

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[bluegoldblues]

is that top button "E" for the European market? Looks like they were made in TX

I''m not sure TBH! I have come across a similar pair with 'E' stamped

here

http://bluegoldblues.com/post/1551981319/in-the-meantime-a-pair-1960s-of-501s

vintage levis have lots of different letter/number stamps wish there was a chart out there explaining them all!

what makes you say TX? out of interest?

[Happy Hooligan]

I''m not sure TBH! I have come across a similar pair with 'E' stamped

here

http://bluegoldblues.com/post/1551981319/in-the-meantime-a-pair-1960s-of-501s

vintage levis have lots of different letter/number stamps wish there was a chart out there explaining them all!

what makes you say TX? out of interest?

I've only found numbers on the buttons, I don't remember letters in the states. I've always thought that the TX plant made the off set back belt loops, but I could be wrong.

[bluegoldblues]

Was just watching an american TV programme called 'storage wars' online. sparked my interest as all the best vintage on eBay seems to come from storage auctions.

Some pretty hilarious jean appraisals going on circa 16 mins!

http://s7icky.com/tv-shows/storage-wars-season-1-episode-11/

"These are definitely redlines" whilst pointing at some nasty overlock 501's"

[aho]

^Yeah, caught that while I was watching it as well...was wondering when someone would bring it up! Makes you think, how many pairs are just sitting out there in random places...

[bluegoldblues]

its mad all the best 30's/40's stuff on ebay is coming from these storage places! Does make you think!

There were some interesting looking redlines early on in the episode but the show looks very set up!

[Dr_Heech]

@HH & BGB

I have found pairs of 60's 501's with the letters J, K, and L  as well as E and S.

I think the offset belt-loop was a feature ('56-'62ish) that evolved from rushing pairs out made by operators who just couldn't get the thread through the thickness of all that denim.

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Edited August 28, 2022 by Dr_Heech

[robbie]

Found another jacket today:

[wywh]

@HH & BGB

I have found pairs of 60's 501's with the letters J, K, L and M as well as E and S.

I think the offset belt-loop was a feature ('56-'62ish) that evolved from rushing pairs out made by operators who just couldn't get the thread through the thickness of all that denim.

.

@Dr_H, mine have letter #L at the back of every crotch buttons and the jeans do have offset belt-loop. Wondering whether this is from '56-'62ish as you mention above since it also features zink rivets. I noted all features look like the jeans are from 50s but the only thing puzzle me was the zink rivets which according to http://www.levisguide.com/ it's from '66 and beyond.

[bluegoldblues]

Levis guide is really good but it has inconsistencies.

as far as I know silver rivets changeover is from 62-64 I think its all different at different factories, I imagine with all these things, whatever rivets, buttons etc where left in the factory would of been used at different times which explains these "transition periods".

I came across this pair like yours with "L" stamp but these are 1967 and are one of the first models without hidden rivets.

[robbie]

@HH & BGB

I have found pairs of 60's 501's with the letters J, K, L and M as well as E and S.

I think the offset belt-loop was a feature ('56-'62ish) that evolved from rushing pairs out made by operators who just couldn't get the thread through the thickness of all that denim.

.

I think the J,K,L,M.... might be categorizations used by the company which made the buttons and rivets. I had only seen 'K' once on a pair of Levis 503's I had. This afternoon I found another jean jacket (4th in a month,here's hoping things don't dry up) and its rivets all bear a 'K' on the back.

photos of the jacket :

excuse the blurriness, cursed wobbily hands!

[Dr_Heech]

Ahh, Lee jackets are different from Levis, number-wise.

The 101J or 101LJ's have a '21' or K on the button-backs, whereas the 100J has X on the backs.

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[robbie]

^

you learn something new every day, thanks doc!

[Dr_Heech]

^

you learn something new every day, thanks doc!

Yes and with your jacket being from 1962-64ish, it has the letter K. Anything from 65ish onwards has the ' numbers '21'. From experience, after 1972 there is nothing stamped on the buttons.

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[wywh]

Ahh, Lee jackets are different from Levis, number-wise.

The 101J or 101LJ's have a '21' or K on the button-backs, whereas the 100J has X on the backs.

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Dr_H, I've with me 101J with #X on the button-backs. I believe, this mid-60s jacket was made with the same era as 100J you mention here. My camera is not handy right now, I might post the pic later.

[Dr_Heech]

Thought I'd try and get some reasonable shots of the 1978-81 501's I got from Robbie (thanking you:)) which have some generous cuffs -

IMO, in terms of aesthetics, 501's look best when the outside edge of the back pocket is in line with the belt loop. Arcs on this pair are relatively deep for the era, which is a real bonus.

Love the back pocket detail. This disappeared in early 80's.

Belt-loops tacked on.

Inside detail of bar-tacking.

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[killer b]

very nice dr. are you going to wear them?

[cheapmuthafukr]

hed better wear em... a waste if he doesnt

[killer b]

truth.

look forward to the fit anyway...