JAPAN TRIP November 2011
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Grey for me
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has Ironheart an own loopwheel machine? Is it also a vintage one? I remember Kiya talking Flathead being one of the few owning a vintage loopwheel machine (or how one call it)
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I don't know either, but I remember this post by loopwheeled god FOXY:
Hey G,
Studio d'Artisan also has sweats which they call "Wakayama special edition" (link)… I know Wakayama is just a place where a lot of loopwheel fleece is made so maybe the name is generic but curious do you know are they different fabrics?SDA's "Wakayama" sweats & hoodies are loop-wheeled as SDA always puts a few of these items in their range each year. Usually, Wakayama is used as a synonym for loop-wheeled in Japan. Getting loop-wheeled knits in Japan outside of Wakayama is very unlikely as hardly anybody else in Japan owns these machines anymore - TFH being one of the known exception.
G replied to my earlier question with a 50/50 possibility here…Regarding the difference in knits: based on the old hoodies I have seen from IH - they are circular weft knits manufactured on circular knitting machine in the form of a tube. These tubes can be cut open and then turned into tees or hoodies. For tees without side seems these tubes have specific diameters for specific sizes.
From the point of forming the loops in circular knits and the mechanical principles loop-wheeled knits (using ancient machinery by modern standards) and modern day weft/circular knits are technologically the same and can have the same appearance. It is unlikely that you or I will be able to tell the difference...I guess, it is rather unlikely.
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Flat Head do have there own loop wheeler, but it is just for show, they do not make anything on it, though it does work and I have a video of it somewhere.
There are only about vintage 200 Loop wheelers in Japan, most if not all in Wakayama.
There are modern versions that will make different sized "tubes", but we utilise the vintage machines that are not adjustable, so to make 4 different size of "tube", we need to use 4 different machines.
Haraki is getting the fabric made in Wakayama and then the garments will be made up in Tokyo in the Shitimachi workshops.
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thanks for the fast answer and also thanks to you holla!
So it's likely the Buzz Rickson, Strike Golds (Kiya's new favorite) Toys McCoys, IH, Samurai and on and on all come from the same region and maybe same factory? So does the fabric really differs that much like Kiya said about Buzz Rickson and Strike Gold?
