Iron Heart Jeans problem - and solution

[HDRnR]

Prison Blues are pretty insane quality for like twenty bucks. Its over 14 oz.

 

[apba1166]

Prison Blues are pretty insane quality for like twenty bucks. Its over 14 oz.

I have a pair of those too. 100% agree. Good work pants as well. Especially after you trim off all the loose threads. That'll be the new vintage trend, not only hand-made, but the buyer gets to trim all thread ends. that's the business model of the new century, have the customer do all the work somehow, like scan their own groceries or fillout the online fedex forms and drop off. Especially good for nuts and control freaks like me.

 

[HDRnR]

I have a pair of those too. 100% agree. Good work pants as well. Especially after you trim off all the loose threads. That'll be the new vintage trend, not only hand-made, but the buyer gets to trim all thread ends. that's the business model of the new century, have the customer do all the work somehow, like scan their own groceries or fillout the online fedex forms and drop off. Especially good for nuts and control freaks like me.

I didn't have any loose threads but I gave them a rinse in woolite when i got them to soften them a bit and the amount of dye that came out of them was insane, they look even darker now tho, go figure. Anyway definitly a bargain for that type of heaviness.

 

[apba1166]

No question about a good deal. Maybe they are overdyed. Mine softened pretty quick just from one wash and a lot of activity. Wasn't sure about the extra pocket thingy on the version I have, but even like that now too.

 

[Edward]

The denim that companies like Iron Heart and Samurai use is pretty special, Iron Hearts for instance are generally 21oz compared to 12ish oz for an average pair of jeans, Samurai range from 15-24oz I believe. I've 'been down the road' in a couple of bike crashes wearing 17oz Samurais and they've protected me pretty well from road rash!

That sounds great... I've never been able to justify the price of the really high-end, Japanese denim, but if I rode that would make a big difference. I would much rather spend that sort of money on denim that would do that job than contemporary motorcycling trousers that have all the style of a power ranger.

For me, its very akin to the differences between a cheap leather jacket and a £500 Aero HH. I'm not saying its not expensive but IMO, there really is a difference.

That seems fair. Horses for courses; an Aero leather is worth paying for me, but I don't have any use for a pair of jeans I'd be afraid to wear in the "workwear" context. Really does come down to what you want to use them for / whether it's worth it to the individual.

Prison Blues are pretty insane quality for like twenty bucks. Its over 14 oz.

I have a couple of pairs of those, and have been very pleased with them. Also, I picked up a pair of Carhartts cheaply on eBay. Lovely wide legs, high waist. But for the patch on the rear pocket and the tool pockets on the back of the legs, they'd have a very authentic Thirties look, IMO. My other pair of jeans is a pair of cheap (for selvedge) Forties repros (apparently, though the waist feels just a little low for that to me. They are the lowest waist I would be prepared to consider nowadays). I bought them used-unworn, but they are available in the UK from www.sofmilitary.co.uk (see the Reenactors' Catalogue). I think they're probably a WPG product, if WPG do them, as much of the SoF stuff is. Really nice jeans, very pleased with them.

 

[CodeRed]

So here is the deal, I have had a pair of the 634s for about two years.I really like the cut of the jeans and the 21 oz denim, but honesty they didnt stand up to normal wear. I had to repair the pockets, which are now torn again and the jeans have holes in them in just about every wear point. However, I do love the heavy/soft material and the way that it ages, but they are NOT very durable. I may have to to try the DC4 at this point.

 

[apba1166]

So here is the deal, I have had a pair of the 634s for about two years.I really like the cut of the jeans and the 21 oz denim, but honesty they didnt stand up to normal wear. I had to repair the pockets, which are now torn again and the jeans have holes in them in just about every wear point. However, I do love the heavy/soft material and the way that it ages, but they are NOT very durable. I may have to to try the DC4 at this point.

Yep. Well, if that isn't that what repro vintage is all about....handmade stuff to simulate the old days, but made from stuff today that wears out just as fast as the cheap stuff back then, or better: even faster, cause we can't wait. I think there should be a category called IV (Improved Vintage). You make it really nice of stuff that does last--but just give it a few "look and feel" elements of old. Wait: isn't that how Armani got so famous and costly back in the early 80s? Maybe the denim armanis should skip the 300-450 price point and jump right to 2,000 while they still can.

 

[Aether]

I think a lot a people prematurely wear-out jeans by not washing them enough. Like apba1166 has pointed out people want patina asap, and if you wear any pair of jeans everyday and don't wash them then they'll fade quickly but the sweat and grime will probably make them fall apart pretty quickly too! I prefer to wash my jeans and let them fade gradually.

 

[eClairvaux]

As an aside: sometimes i wish this forum would also discuss backcountry gear!

Anyway, those dc4's are doing a fair job. I think i'lll still be getting back to cahartth and levi's for the daily grind.

Thanks anyway for all thbe feedback!

 

[CodeRed]

BTW, I also have a pair of the 634s that are dyed black, for some reason they are much more heavy duty 21 oz. Like an Aero HH jacket, they can stand up on their own...so they are really hard to break in too. Wearing em right now, with some Wescos.