John Lofgren (Speedway)
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Cheers VEB, great to have you here and glad your prospecting some IH denim… They are my favorites!
I can't wait! I'm currently leaning towards a pair of 634xhs.
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Excellent choice! 634s my favorite cut and you can't go wrong with the 25 oz denim.
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mclaincausey, something to look forward to with your new acquisition is the way the patina develops. Because of the amazing formula used at the tannery, it's as if the oils provide a protective layer over the fading black as compared to my Horsehide Becks (left boot in the photo). In order to preserve the HH patina, I'd have to apply my own oil.
Notice how smooth the CXL is even after the careless manner in which I wear them on a daily basis. The Becks receive the same attention and would probably benefit from a treatment.
*both boots are untreated by me.
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lonewolf aniline chromexcel leather engineer boots from 2008 and
whites boots smoke jumper red dog leather from 2008
same amount of time used actually the whites was used more than the lw's dues to work
i use this to ride and work.whites and lw's has been exposed to all kinds of extreme weather condition and also chemical ( gasoline / engine oil, thinner and water) both treated with pecards as their normal maintenance leather food so i say.
you be the judge .
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i wear a size 9d US on any boot the lw's are a size 9d and the whites are a size 8.5E
the lonewolfs are sized perfect on me the whites a bit on the "exact" size meaning i cant wear a thicker pair of socks if i choose to.
this is the " crack"
from the inner shaft where it touches the skin on my leg
alot more cracking on the inner shaft
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and these are some of the shitty crappy things the happened to the leather in just 5 years.
I SPOKE TO NATE MET HIM IN HK A FEW YEARS BACK RE: CXL LEATHER HE SAID THEY IMPREGNATE THE LEATHER WITH NEATSFOOT OIL. AND SOME SECRET MIXTURE, MEANING THE LEATHER IS OILY. HOW COME ITS CRACKING ON ALL THE WRONG PLACES?
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^ great (or not so great) pics right there Ed…thanks for sharing those , so now we (or some) are finally able to see where your opinion about the CXL leather is coming from!
I think it's ok to keep this "discussion" running , since imo a lot of folks that don't have that kinda knowledge (like myself) really do appreciate all those infos... -
^ great (or not so great) pics right there Ed…thanks for sharing those , so now we (or some) are finally able to see where your opinion about the CXL leather is coming from!
I think it's ok to keep this "discussion" running , since imo a lot of folks that don't have that kinda knowledge (like myself) really do appreciate all those infos...+1
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The only experience I have with CXL is my 1000 mile wolverines, and I have to admit, they're my least impressive boots. Now, obviously, part of that is the quality and construction, but part of that is the black leather. I was pretty rough on them, wore them to some punk/metal shows, but they just stretched all out and and the black seemed to give way to the underlying leather. Now, in their defense, I haven't oiled them, or treated them very well, so maybe it's more my fault than anything. I'm just saying, I see how some people could think negatively about cxl, especially on a boot as incredibly well crafted as the Lofgrens. If Rak had the blue badkassis in my size, they would have been insta-copped.
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heres from my blog the day i got my lw engineers 2008
http://vintage-edieee.blogspot.com/2008/03/lonewolf-boots-engineer-boots-cats-paw.htmlafter 2 years 2010
http://vintage-edieee.blogspot.com/2010/11/2-year-old-lonewolf-engineers.html
from 2011 after being resoled by okuyama san
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Great post Ed… Thank you for giving us all a little insight on how your opinion was formed I can definetly understand why this stance has developed. Personally I have not had that experience.... Yet. And really hope I don't but will certainly be keeping an eye on things like this and am glad to have been made aware of this possibility.
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After considering this for the better part of the day:
Isn't it possible, Ed, that perhaps your experience was the (bad)luck of the draw and, in fact, there could be several grades of the same hide? If this is the case then there is a chance that companies are provided with an opportunity to access materials at a lower overhead and therefore able to sell a product that (by appearance, and without a deeper investigation) would appear to be similar to a product that is being sold at a higher cost that SUPERFICIALLY appears to be made of the same exact materials. If this holds true, then it could also be speculated that Mr. Lofgren's hand is forced to sell at a higher price point because he has decided to opt for a higher quality hide, though similar in appearance, that is more suited for an engineer boot as opposed to the lone wolf. I would imagine that there several different options of the same hide available for at different grades and each one needs to be spec'd properly for how well it is suited for its intended purpose. Very similar to the issue I had with Alden cutting corners and sending me a pair of Indy's with a leather who's spec's were not suited for footwear as I had aforementioned. I know several people have stated their experiences haven't been the greatest but that certainly doesn't discount the numerous other positive testimonies. I certainly agree with you that I would be terrifically disappointed had a the leather done that but I think the saying that one bad apple can't possibly reflect the quality of the entire bushel.
Again this is nothing built speculation as none of us have any kind of behind the scenes access to know if the hides are the same specification of or not. I certainly believe that there are many plausible situations that could create differences for a number of reasons… or then again in 5 years I maybe just as disgusted with chromexcel as Ed.
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FYI - regarding JL Engineers - I just heard back from him and thought I'd share his thoughts on sizing -
"Hi Steve, I use a Brannock Device and I am a perfect 9.5. The 9.5 size boots fit me, but I still go with a 10 because I like to use an insole. So, for the shape of my feet, they are true to size. Well, at least true to the Brannock Device, which I consider the most accurate way to measure. I've had some people think they run a 1/2 size big and a 1/2 size small. But they're comparing to some other brand no doubt…Yes, we plan to restock all sizes by Christmas. I honestly don't know what a 12.5D in Whites means. I don't own any of their footwear to compare. I think some of the forums with people who own both could be more assistance in comparing with other brands. Thanks, John"
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Nice. Consistent with what he told me
