Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything

[mclaincausey]

What defines a “Classic” versus a “Crazy” Check? Haraki?

[Giles]

No idea.  I guess Classic is what he thinks is classic, and I am pretty sure I coined the term Crazy Check, but it is now lost in the mists of time….I think we had an "Almost Crazy Chack" once too......

[Giles]

Yeah, we did…..

https://www.ironheart.co.uk/extinct/ihsh-207.html

[neph93]

@Giles:

I think we had an "Almost Crazy Chack" once too…...

While we should all be sensitive to mental health issues, we could introduce a new taxonomy for UHF patterns…

Slightly Loopy Check
Fairly Deranged Check
Borderline Psychotic Check
Utterly F**king Mental Check etc... etc...

[Giles]

Bat-Shit Crazy Check…..

[Filthy2123ozjunkie]

What's @Haraki-san's favorite (vintage) motorcycle?

[weftyarn]

@neph93:

@Giles:

I think we had an "Almost Crazy Chack" once too…...

While we should all be sensitive to mental health issues, we could introduce a new taxonomy for UHF patterns…

Slightly Loopy Check
Fairly Deranged Check
Borderline Psychotic Check
Utterly F**king Mental Check etc... etc...

Don’t forget the 156s though.

I’ll call em the….

No Check At All

[mclaincausey]

Or maybe No Sanity Check Necessary at the bottom of the check insanity hierarchy…

[chrisjohnnick]

Top 5 favorite albums. Any music genre.

[Giles]

@Filthy:

What's @Haraki-san's favorite (vintage) motorcycle?

Triumph
Bonneville TR6

Harley-Davidson FL1200 Panhead 1956 model

[Giles]

@chrisjohnnick:

Top 5 favorite albums. Any music genre.

Oof, never been asked and never given it any thought until now…...

In no particular order....

Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
Transformer - Lou Read
Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
Origin of Symmetry - Muse
America IV - Johnny Cash

Honourable mentions:

Silent Alarm - Bloc Party
Dear Dead Days - Kassi Valazza
Play Bach - Jacques Loussier
Anthem of the Peaceful Army - Greta Van Vleet
The Clash - The Clash

Great idea for a thread - good idea?

[mclaincausey]

A "desert island" picks thread for music (or books, films, IH gear, etc) is a great idea. I always struggle with those things though.

I do like Giles' picks though. I have not yet watched the Velvet Underground doc on Apple TV but I very much look forward to doing so. I have seen Bloc Party once at First Ave in Minneapolis and they were fantastic. They closed the show (since they were in MN and First Ave) with a stellar rendition of "I Would Die 4 U"  This was before Prince's tragic and premature death.

[Giles]

I'm just listening to Silent Alarm Live (in Brussels) - loving it…

[SKT]

I’ve noticed that jean’s measurements can vary significantly run to run. Is this by design so as to cover the most customers or is it just by chance?  Apologies if it’s been discussed before.

[Giles]

Not intentional.  A roll of denim can have different characteristics from one end of the roll to the other, even changes in the humidity within the mill can change the nature of the weave hour by hour. When we cut the parts needed for a pair of jeans, we have to do it in the same part of the roll, if we do it from different parts or different rolls they will look like toned down harlequin pants.  The old Toyoda looms are temperamental at best, so that creates variance too. Even sewing a pair up can change from operator to operator and sewing machine to sewing machine…...

[SKT]

Thank you Giles. I find the whole process fascinating. Part of the fun for me, now that I’m getting the hang of sizing, is the hunt for the “right” one. I think the variation adds to that experience season by season.

[neph93]

@SKT:

I think the variation adds to that experience season by season.

After eight or so years of buying IH jeans you get pretty good at it. Even then the odd curveball comes in. A fabric you don’t know the stretch of, or when trying a new cut.

[Giles]

We had a guy who worked for us once, he simply could not get his head around the sizing variance.  My argument was even Pirelli F1 tyres have sizing variance….

We actually see it as a virtue, it allows us to more often find someone's ideal size.......

[SKT]

@Giles:

We actually see it as a virtue, it allows us to more often find someone's ideal size…....

Exactly why I thought it might be by design. It does seem to work out for everyone…if the measurements don’t work this go round, fingers crossed for next run.

[Nik]

There are great photo tours of the Japanese factories on the forum that have made me curious about the people who work them. What are the conditions for the labourers who make the garments? Are they unionised? Also wondering if there has ever been any though to do some production in UK?