IH Denim Feedback
-
To me, the best way to truly explain the 21oz denim is to compare it to luxury cars. The 21oz is a really really beautiful Jaguar. There are no focuses onto how fast it goes or the construction or bells and whistles. They are made with care and a craft that is not readily seen very many places these days. While our niche forums may have fanaticism with brands such as The Flat Head and Samurai (lets say BMW and Mercedes), its the Jaguar owner that has taken the time to differentiate themselves from the pack by purchasing a vehicle that does not need to get the attention of everyone else to know who they are. And to me, that is where the true beauty of the 21oz selvedge indigo denim lies. Also very similar to the Makers Mark whiskey slogan, "It is what it is not."
Iron Heart makes you work for a great looking pair, it does not give in and fade quickly. While i have love for both Flat Head and Samurai, it really takes a special kind of individual to really love and wear Iron Heart because of the dedication that goes into them. Long Live the 21oz.
No offense to you or anyone else, I really like IH as you may have noticed. But this is just a bit too much elitism/snobism to me. Concerning the denim itself, there are many interesting fabrics out there and some are much more appealing or interesting in my opinion, than the 21 oz. To say it loud and clear: i love that fabric, it's softness, durability and even structure but I love as well a slubby, irregular denim, that may fade faster. It's like deciding between blondes and brunettes: everybody's got his/her prefereces, but one shouldn't look down upon
other types.And concerning attention: it was never that easy to get attention on SuFU or other forums than right now wearing Iron Heart.
My 2 ct. -
This is my first outing in the heavyweight denim world, and I am still blown away - had 31's DC4001 and 666S delivered last week, both were brilliant, both really flattering, could only buy one pair and went for the DC's, slightly preferring their fit, BUT the 18oz raw denim is lush - and seeing Giles' 4 month wash pics (should not be allowed, showing such things to an unsuspecting public) well, what can I say?
DC's, in 18oz raw denim (maybe with a touch higher back-rise) - mmmmm.
Having said all that, it's all a bit hypothetical - soaked, dried and sent the DC's back for hemming, and they haven't arrived back yet, so there's still a lot of wait and see to happen.
-
back on track - let´s chat about the different denim that IH makes right now…
lol
We can do anything
http://bybeatle.com -
Ok…
The flagship 21 oz:
-
will always be my fav... Sturdy, fades nicely, and you can throw anything at them... Keeps ya cool when it's warm, and warm when it's cold...
-
the fabric on the SEXIH07bk: not a fan - too thick, becomes shiny, doesn't breath well
-
fabric on the SEXIH07: reminds me of Samurai, fairly slubby and hairy... Wish a cut like this would've been made in the 21 oz sig denim...
-
21 oz. duck: thing of beauty... Has only been used for the IH-2527J as far as I know, which is a shame, but the 16 oz. duck is very nice as well (eg. 801, upcoming 2526J)!..
-
-
Indeed, the black denim is another story. The IHSH08 is so stiff even after soaks & washes, I doubt it will ever get soft
-
-
we all know the annies are made from some amazing denim, but the denim on the SEXIH07s is a really crazy grade as well. on the write up on the SE site the denim is described as 19oz, but i swear just like the 666s the SEXIH07s feel really beefy & heavier than the flagship 21oz denim.
i guess sometimes less really is more
-
My experience of IH denim:
21 oz selvedge Kickass… Withstands a crasch, comfortable and fully wearable on varm summers day despite its thickness. I wear my jeans tighter than most, and this denim takes about 3 months to fully mature, streching to about an inch extra circumference over thighs etc. Shrinks some when washed but streches back in a few wears. I get a much more "criss-crossy" whisker fading than normal denim. Some thinning out at crotch area and a bit blown back pocket after 9 months hard wear (which is about twice as good as any other raw denim I've tried).
21 oz Superblack (New) Holds colour really well. Subtle fading to greyblack over time. A bit rulier to break in, approx 6 months to fully strech out. Feels a bit heavier than the above (could be more dirt in the jeans…). Pretty dull (as in non shiny) appearance when broken in. Engineering quality like the above. Lovely piece.
21 oz superblack (Old) Stiff as hell and stays that way, but really comfortable. Develops into the craziest shine ever. Doesn't strech as much as the other fabrics, approx. 4 months to break in. Although black, they develop a mind-numbing patina. My favourite denim ever, would like to see this weave in an indigo denim, the shine would be super. Some of us doesn't mind wrestling with our jeans a little.
-
Is there a comparison between the two fabrics to be seen somewhere?
-
The reason that we changed is that the older stiffer version tended to crack with a lot of wear….
Yeah, forgot to say, the prominent whiskers and honeycombs on the old superblack tend to crack/break in high stress areas (whereas the new denim only breaks in high abrasion area, like where your cuffs rub toghether or in a wallet wearing back pocket, but only after serious wear). Great fabric for tops though, they dont get as much bending.
-
After 3 months, no wash:
25oz XHS: (666ers) Your first thought is "I didn't order black denim"; appears much darker than the 21oz, and the warp is slightly thicker by comparison. You first find the jeans ridiculously hefty, but once you put them on (rather effortlessly) they are surprisingly comfortable. They do add some girth to your profile. I wear my jeans rather snug and it's a tad more wrestle to break in than the 21oz, but possible. Creasing and "streching" is comparable to the regular blue denim. Fading seems faster in high abrasive areas, and overall there appears to be more contrast in the fading, with less gradients.
16oz SBG: (08 shirt) Stiff like cardboard when new, no denim feel to it. Very, very slowly, this goes away and you discover the thickness of the fabric. No streching whatsoever, but it sort of melts and molds onto you. Back and front area below pockets develop creases. Very nice black - not as deep nor dark than the superblack (new, it appeared lighter in colour the 9 months superblack, more like the black 7oz but with less brown). Slow fading, mostly at elbow creases thus far, even some fading of the weft. However, the fabric develops a shiny, almost oily appearence (similar to the old superblack) all over with time on both warp and weft side for an extreme character! Kick ass fabric, gonna age like no other.
