Japan November 2013…...

[adam_r]

@Giles:

After we had been to the "heavy ounce" mill we went to the "middle ounce" mill….

Here is the owner (and sole worker) marvelling at the weight of the UHR's

Never mind the weight, look at the size of them!

[Giles]

They were IIRC waist 34, so not that big…..

[Giles]

I will post more pics of the "Middle Ounce" weaving factory later, but in the mean time, here are a few taken at lunch.

We had lunch in an amazing place overlooking the Seto Ohashi Bridge which stretches 9.4 kilometers from Sakaide in Kagawa to Kojima in Okayama. It is made up of several different types of bridges, including suspension, truss, and cable-stayed. Its two separate levels serve as an expressway for cars (upper level), and tracks for a railway (lower level).

And the lunch was as pretty as the view….

[Giles]

Bobbin being filled with weft…

http://gifmaker.me/PlayFrameAnimation.php?folder=2013111809ADSZVmwBF5Wh7MWve8WQ8R

[Giles]

More from "middle ounce" weaver….

Weaving beams

Beams and denim

[Giles]

[mclaincausey]

Infectious smiles on those two…

[Simon]

The two girls are so effortlessly stylish 
Great shots of the Mill Giles, love that stuff too.

[Aetas]

What a smile.
Gil, can you explain the difference of this two selvedge sides. Right with a cut thread and the left side without?

[Giles]

It's not just those two either, it's a recurring theme.  One of the reasons I love it being in Japan so much…..

[Giles]

@Aetas:

Gil, can you explain the difference of this two selvedge sides. Right with a cut thread and the left side without?

The side where the weft pokes out is the side where bobbin changeovers occur,  i.e where a new length of weft starts.  The warps are effectively continuous, the wefts can only be as long as will fit on a bobbin.  If you have a look at the bobbin change side of our denim, the distance between those threads decreases the thicker the weft yarn (effectively, the heavier the denim)….

[Aetas]

That is the technical inside I ever waited for. More pictures please. Winchy, please film film film, Mrs G. has everything under control.

[ohighyo]

Ya, really awesome photos!!

[IHIHIH]

the mills pics should be in the IHUK archives ..

[Giles]

More "medium ounce" mill pics

[Giles]

And before we leave the mills, an anecdote.  Out of the dozen or so looms that this guy owned, about 8 of them were running whilst we were there, the sound is phenomenal, the only way of communicating is to shout down the ear of the person you want to talk to.  Sarina was watching a loom at one end of the room, "Mr Miller" was elsewhere, whilst she was watching, a warp broke.  Out of nowhere this guy hurried over, knotted the warp together and went back to what he was doing…...Seriously, the change in noise/tempo/whatever must have been like being able to discern an ant farting at a Converge gig.....Amazing...

[Morose_Penguin]

Is that the same pair of UHR in the earlier pics, that Haraki-San is showing the miller?

[Giles]

Yep…..

[Max Power]

Thanks a lot for the wonderful pictures. Sarina and Tom can brighten up a pale november morning like no one else.

On the other hand, I think I'll be saving some money next year. Those pale colours are far from what I would wear and I've never been a fan of the 30s work shirt style neither. Ok, the Sh 64 might be an option, but this is the only fabric I really like (personal taste)

Still hoping for new plain Tees, preferable as Pocket Tees.

[Giles]