Random questions to which you seek an answer
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G??
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Engineer/boot/leather aficionados: Was leather say 50 to 60 years ago super nice? I see these vintage boots and they look like they've seriously held up well and the leather looks amazing. What surprises me is I feel like these are just boots that you would get at sears and such…. Was it really just so nice back then that you could just hit up sears and get a nice engineer?
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I'd guess the answer is mixed. 50-60 years ago, there was less automation and fewer decent artificial materials, so most boots & shoes were made of leather and by hand. So overall quality was generally better than the stuff you find in stores today. However, after 50-60 years, the only boots that are still around are the ones that were well cared for, well made and made out of quality materials. Everything else died somewhere along the way. Even the best leather and the best craftsmanship isn't capable of lasting for 50 years of daily hard use. Anything less than that and it's in the trash bin in short order.
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An answer from Ray (Vintage Engineer Boot guy) about the topic of vintage voots:
b_f there is actually a substantial difference in the quality of some of the older leather used on these older pairs, which I have personally seen. The leather on the pairs from the 40s-50s is genuinely more supple, tougher wearing, and appears to be better tanned. I haven't seen leather that is oil tanned in the same way the stuff from Chippewa was at that time period (and Chippewa and others like Santa Rosa and the pre-cursor to Georgia made the Wearmaster boots for Sears).
A lot of the smaller tanneries from that era are now completely gone, and their methods might be lost entirely. I'm not sure what the main reason for the difference is in the leather quality, but it is very noticeable.
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those are not for little pigs
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I'm starting my search for a pair of jeans I can wear in the summer. As much as I'm loving my 21oz IH…I can't see myself wearing it through an Ohio summer.....who knows though.
Anyway, I'm looking for something fairly opposite to the 21oz. Lighter, with a lot of slub and/or nep....something that will fade intensely and have a lot of character. Honestly, I'm looking more for something hairy and neppy more than slub.
The search is half the fun....but for an initial pass I'm planning to look at PBJ, Strike Gold, Oni, Red Cloud. WHat brands am I missing, and what denim should I be including in my search?
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Strike Gold has a new 15oz slack slubtastic fabric dropping soon. I'd wait, I think we will hear something from Kiya any day now and SG is always worth consideration.
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Samurai 15oz Texas Cotton (0500 or 0510 cut) could be something for you. If you like Flathead denim, the Eternal denim could be also something for you.
edit: if you are eyeing Red Clouds standard denim, Fullcount's 13,7oz denim is similar
