Ship John
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Very interesting. I know I debated between a rouge territory jacket and Ship John. I'll admit the 'exclusivity' factor and the ungodly weight swayed me over and I laid down a deposit. I get major d-bag vibes from Mike but that's my own bias showing–he could very well be the nicest dude ever.
Two sides to every story as well. Did Mike have "anger" issues with this guy b/c he came late every day or left early type thing...who knows
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Feels like a disgruntled employee that was expecting everything right away. It takes 5-10 years in most fields here before you're competent enough to demand a decent living.
From a business perspective I remember him saying he orders the canvas from a textile supplier in New Jersey. Would guess its this one: http://www.fairfieldtextile.com/sounds/Stock_Items_prices_and_charges27.pdf
Figure $100-150 in material then you pay experienced people $100-150 to make each jacket, shipping etc, and you're at 50% margins. Obviously the costs of the machines, workspace, tools aren't there, but that is probably what keeps the brand afloat.If it was just about money I imagine it would be more profitable for him to just license out the brand or sell a share on the low.
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Mike suffered injuries from from a hatchet attack so maybe -PTSD. I don't know the guy, I can't say.
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Good point @Tmulltuous indeed. I can imagine a young guy starting at SJ thinking there would be some glamor, given the brand.
If I started at Iron Heart tomorrow, I doubt Alex is sending me to Japan right off the bat to have productive discussions with Haraki or the mills. You have to earn your way over the years.
Certainly, when it comes down to it, I've never heard anyone that knows the industry say anything but good things about the Wills.
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I found out about Ship John years ago on Deans podcast. Seems pretty genuine to me. I’ll take my own opinions vs someone on tiktok.
It’s very stressful running a business and paying for other people’s livelihoods. Not that I have ever owned a company. But I’d like to hear this dudes feelings after he starts his own company from scratch and has a dozen employees to take care of.
https://m.soundcloud.com/deandelray/408-mike-elias-ship-john
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Let's stop the conjecture, none of us know anything about what we are talking about.
And listen to this instead…....
https://ironcast.buzzsprout.com/1739026/8750050-iron-cast-s1-ep6-mike-elias-from-ship-john
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Agreed—let’s not put the ‘ass’ in assumption here. Thanks for the links will give them a listen.
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I have a Flint & Tender trucker made from one of Fairfiel's Martexin canvases, and it is a lovely fabric. It's far superior IMO to the Barbour and Belstaff I've had exposure to, less stinky and more subtle in its application and does a great job shedding water.
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On a positive my Wills should be here in a day or two!
I’m glad it’s cooling off here in Texas. Hopefully I can get some good work time in it! -
I got my Wills a month or so ago and I love the thing! It is super heavy duty and I’m glad I sized up to XXL regular. Feels just right with a larger hoodie inside and I can get it over an Iron heart western easily. Looking forward to this getting more worked in!
Edit:
FYI, The XXL chest for me is about 2” bigger than my IH shirt size. Other measurements are about my normal size.
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Anybody who owns a v2 Wills, do you ever wear it with a tshirt? I’m not big on layering, so I hope to be able to wear just a tshirt or long sleeve under.
I’m curious what temperature range it can be worn comfortably in. -
@Danimal506 I haven't worn mine this way yet, since its been pretty cold. I think the lack of breathability of the waxed canvas is the thing that would make this uncomfortable in the heat, sweat won't get out. In the cold it does a good job of keeping the heat in though.
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@Crease I dig the way yours fits and will try to plan my sizing similar to yours. Defo want to be able to layer with a hoodie or anything else. August 2024 seems so far awaaaaaaaay!!! One year and a half for me…
Thanks Man!! Was kind of wishing they had something between XL and XXL but it worked out well I think. Good to have some room to move!
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@Oaktavia I'm in the September '24 group. Will be happy to hear when you get yours!
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It does look great with a hoodie underneath!
I’m thinking it’ll be a great camping jacket for the desert and mountains. And good for early morning working in, until I get too hot from moving around.
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@Crease awesome fit dude!!!
Anybody who owns a v2 Wills, do you ever wear it with a tshirt? I’m not big on layering, so I hope to be able to wear just a tshirt or long sleeve under.
I’m curious what temperature range it can be worn comfortably in.I can chime in. I do wear this jacket with just a t-shirt and I'm good. If I really wanted/needed to, I can definitely wear with a hoodie or an IH UHF western.
Picture I posted on page 54, I wearing just a t-shirt with the jacket.