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New Iron Heart Website - Live Now - Feedback and Bug Report Here Please!

Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything

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  • G
    Giles
    IHUK Crew
    Joined: 22 Sept 2009

    Not really.  They buy the stuff from us, they own it.  We don't make large enough margins from our retailers to bail them out of their buying mistakes. And frankly, if we did have a "you-fucked-up-we'll-buy-it-back-off-you-policy", then what would stop them taking purchasing risks (with our money), that they would not otherwise take?  Retailers make much higher margins on selling product than the wholesaler (us in this instance), they have to own their own issues.  However, if we see that a retailer has some good stuff that they can't shift, but we know we can, we'll take it back from them, but it has to work for us as well as them for us to do that.  When Iron Heart Vienna had to stop trading, although we had no financial interest in the shop, we bought everything back off them, some of it was golden, some of it we really did not want, but by doing so, it helped them out, and it also stopped Iron Heart product being dumped onto the market, therefore pissing off all our other retailers. And keeping a retailer community that is happy, does not worry about being undercut and knowing exactly where they stand, is one of our key goals. We have had retailers buy from us, who think they can do what the fuck they want and not give a shit about other retailers.  When that happens they get asked politely to play by the rules once, we never ask a second time, we just stop supplying them.

    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

    last edited by 26 Nov 2020, 16:43 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • D
      dinobarnesberlin
      啓蒙家
      Joined: 28 Mar 2020

      @Giles I woke up to a problem this morning.
      Last night I wore my new white 1600 T-shirt tucked into my 666-21s as it was pretty chilly here in Berlin.
      This morning I see there is basically a ring around the lower part of the T that were tucked into the pants.
      Any chance of that indigo coming out in a wash or am I looking at dying the shirt in another color?
      yikes.

      last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:11 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • G
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined: 22 Sept 2009

        It should come out with a wash.

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

        last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:27 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • D
          dinobarnesberlin
          啓蒙家
          Joined: 28 Mar 2020

          @Giles:

          It should come out with a wash.

          Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
          Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
          Live and learn

          last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:30 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • T
            Tiro
            Joined: 19 Aug 2011

            @dinobarnesberlin:

            @Giles:

            It should come out with a wash.

            Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
            Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
            Live and learn

            U soaked twice and thought they wouldn’t bleed anymore? [emoji2357]

            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

            last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:33 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • N
              neph93
              見習いボス
              Joined: 18 Aug 2014

              @dinobarnesberlin:

              @Giles:

              It should come out with a wash.

              Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
              Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
              Live and learn

              A treatment with this will ensure it comes up clean:

              “Some of those that work forces
              Are the same that burn crosses”

              • Virginia Woolf
              last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:35 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • D
                dinobarnesberlin
                啓蒙家
                Joined: 28 Mar 2020

                Yea, I don't know what I was thinking. I will probably give them their first wash next weekend.
                Thanks for the tip @neph93
                I will pick some of that up this week as well.

                Love the 1600 so much for its warmth and comfort now that its cooling down.
                its perfect under my UHF.
                Ive heard of " ring around the collar" but this was my first case of  “ ring around the waist".

                last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 11:04 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • S
                  Seul
                  Joined: 24 Nov 2009

                  neph93, brought to you by Vanish. The best oxi action you'll ever get.

                  last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 12:08 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • Z
                    zeuloa
                    Raw and Unwashed
                    Joined: 11 Dec 2020

                    I have a curiosity…

                    Just received a 526PJ, and can’t seem to find anywhere the proud “Made in Japan” label...

                    From what I understand all IH products are manufactured in Japan, is this the case?

                    last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 16:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • G
                      Giles
                      IHUK Crew
                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                      Everything Iron Heart except the Simmons Bilt collabs and the IHC-18 (which is made in America) is made in Japan.

                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                      last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 16:29 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Z
                        zeuloa
                        Raw and Unwashed
                        Joined: 11 Dec 2020

                        @Giles:

                        Everything Iron Heart except the Simmons Bilt collabs and the IHC-18 (which is made in America) is made in Japan.

                        Thanks Giles! You just re-confirmed my suspicions!

                        Additionally as I just remembered heheh… I see that some jackets have the jacket and sleeves bottom hems chainstiched, even some department store ones and IH doesn’t... Any reasoning behind this if it make me any difference at all?

                        Thanks!!!

                        last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 17:29 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • G
                          Giles
                          IHUK Crew
                          Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                          Haraki will use what he thinks is the best/most appropriate stitch for each constructional detail.  Chain-stitching, whilst old-skool cool and pretty, is a fairly crap stitch to be honest…..

                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                          last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 17:43 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • S
                            Snowy
                            Joined: 15 Jun 2012

                            If you had your time again, what's one (or more :)) thing(s) you'd do differently?

                            last edited by 18 Dec 2020, 09:03 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • G
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                              I think my response may disappoint and, if it does I'm sorry.

                              The simple answer is nothing.  And I do not say that out of any sense of arrogance, because boy have I made a lot of mistakes and there are plenty of things that I could have done better.  But one of my fundamental beliefs is that everything you do, every choice you make leads you to be the person you are and the place you are.

                              I'm happy where I am, I have a lovely loving family, I have great friends all over the world, I have a successful business and I enjoy what I do and who I am.

                              In reality, everything I have done in life has led me to where I am.  Had I done almost anything differently, then I would most likely now be in a different place.  It may have been a better place, it may have been a worse place, but it would certainly be a different place. But, I don't waste my time on what-ifs.

                              A friend of mine went fishing on his own recently, he caught a fish of a lifetime.  He phoned me up to tell me and say how much he wished I hade been with him.  I told him I was glad that I had not been, because had we gone together there is zero chance that his lure would have been in the right place at the right time and he would not have caught that fish.

                              I don't believe in fate, but I do believe that whatever you do, wrong or right dictates the rest of your life.

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                              last edited by 18 Dec 2020, 10:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • ROmanR
                                ROman
                                Haraki san Prodigy
                                Joined: 5 Jan 2015

                                An exceptional statement. ^^

                                last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 01:13 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • S
                                  Snowy
                                  Joined: 15 Jun 2012

                                  Thanks for the answer. It did not disappoint at all :).  😘

                                  last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 04:11 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • DstaufferD
                                    Dstauffer
                                    啓蒙家
                                    Joined: 24 Apr 2015

                                    I too love the history of the brand and it’s evolution over time.

                                    Also, I love the collaboration and camaraderie between IH and other brands/retailers.

                                    I’m very curious (as I already know the story of how you and H connected), how did you you connect with Josh over at GA and Kiya at SE?

                                    Also, since you said you were open to transparency, what happened with Viberg? My ultimate grail is the 310 Viberg/IH collab, when I asked a few years back another forum member said there would be no more collaborations with Viberg and all boot footwear collaborations have been with Wesco (which of course is another amazing brand).

                                    You won’t be satisfied until you wear Iron Heart.

                                    last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 04:34 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • G
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                      Josh loves Iron Heart, it was inevitable that we should meet at some point.  Paula's wedding band was getting smaller and smaller :-), so she needed a new one, I got in touch with Josh to discuss making her a replacement, we ended up speccing an engagement ring, wedding band and eternity ring.  Josh and I both needed to be in Japan at about the same time that year, so we agreed to make it exactly the same time, so we met up and he showed me what he had made her…

                                      Kiya emailed me saying that he was opening a shop and wanted to stock Iron Heart, could I send him some samples.  So I did.

                                      Viberg is a complicated story better told verbally.  Suffice to say, my expectations from the relationship were vastly different from theirs.

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 08:27 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • Z
                                        zeuloa
                                        Raw and Unwashed
                                        Joined: 11 Dec 2020

                                        A couple things… 😁

                                        Read an interview with Haraki where he stated he is not concerned with fades whatsoever, just tries to make the strongest, best built and darkest denim possible.
                                        Additionally he mentioned he does not really follow or is concerned with what the competition does, that he prefers not to know as to not be influenced with outside ideas (it went something along those lines)...

                                        Whats your stand in the fades craze (companies designing just for fades, people sleeping in their jeans and other extremes)?
                                        And of course your competitors, do you do any market research or sample their products? And I’ll add, if you don’t mind saying of course, who if any do you admire/like what they’re doing?

                                        One las thing... Is this the same jacket in both photos? Looks great BTW!


                                        last edited by 21 Dec 2020, 03:17 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • G
                                          Giles
                                          IHUK Crew
                                          Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                          Other companies can do what they want and it really does not bother me that much.  We make what we make and have a customer base who will buy it.  I'm guessing the other companies do what they do and they also have a customer base.  If they do what they want to do and there is no demand, then natural selection will take over. There's stuff out there that I think is absolutely awful, but that is a purely personal view and who am I to pass judgement?

                                          And if individuals want to sleep in their jeans, never wash them, jump into the sea with them, use abrasives to accelerate the ageing process, that's 100% up to them, and nothing to do with me.  All that matters is that an individual feels comfortable in his or own skin and comfortable within his or her peer group.

                                          In reality, the only market research I do is into other online stores, I'm always wanting to improve ours, so seeing how other people sell to an online audience is what fascinates me.  How is stuff presented, how does the check out work etc etc etc?  I'm always intrigued by how I differ from my bricks and mortar retailers when we are in Japan, they love going into physical stores and seeing how other shops display and sell, it has no interest to me.

                                          From other brands perspective, Alex and the crew look at other brands to see who we should stock for Sonder, so I guess the lazy answer is that I like and admire the brands we stock on Sonder.

                                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                          last edited by 21 Dec 2020, 10:13 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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