And for when things get serious

The IH forum is both an excellent resource and a terrible menace to my spending account. Diving deep on this thread is bad for my wallet.

I posted these in the Mr Lou thread, despite the boots being a custom order Boss:

And since we're talking Wesco, my Guildsman (fka the Alex):

With work style boots, two others that I'm quite fond of, Red Wing Moc, a classic. Admittedly, it's on their narrower last, and I should really be in a wide last, but the CRT leather is tough to resist.

Because I'm in what seems to be a great region for many things, including bootmakers, I made a trek down to Truman Boots for sizing and was able to convince them to build these out of the last bit of Waxy China Blue. They are part of my Bobcat boot collection, with the Bobcats being the mascot of my alma mater.

And on the topic of my Bobcat boots, I have a thing for western wear, and boots in particular. These Ariats from their Futurity series, built in Mexico, also sport my university's colors.

Lastly, for now, my party boots, python belly from Tecovas:

And the one that's likely more fitting here, my '94 900 SuperSport with all manner of cool bits and trick parts

On the other end of the spectrum...

This is probably the most fun, especially when you take a perfectly good dirt bike, and smaller wheels and slicks on it. Dumb and hilariously fun.

A sweet shirt, to be sure. I was logged in a bit after the shirt went live and saw available inventory. Then I saw the price. Yah... tough times for those of us in the US right now.

The upside is that many of you snagged a killer shirt, and that gives me a bit of happiness.

I am super stoked! I was down at SE PDX for boot things, which I'll cover in another thread, and lo and behold, not only did they have this shirt in stock, they had one in a tag L. My oh my, is this fabric cool! Because I'm a total neophyte to this whole sphere, many of these non-denim fabrics are new to me. Kersey is no different. I'd never had it in hand, and despite best efforts, the shirt is so much more striking in person. And it's so soft!!

All of this, I'm sure you all know, but I had to share my enthusiasm.

Atop the two-stroke, which is the preferred weapon for the technical and slick singletrack we enjoy in the PNWet.

... and forgive me for the multiple posts; I wasn't able to upload all the images in one post.

Let's see if I can get a few pictures posted here...

From last weekend on the big, overgrown dirt bike, in the wilds of central Oregon.

The 450, which gets a rally tower for racing rallies. Seen here in go-anywhere mode.

@Brandrea Where did you end up on size when compared to other IH shirts? Seems like they are properly roomy.

Also, I dig the color!

I've been busy! I've acquired a few pairs, and there are a few I haven't yet posted.

My new favorite Grailed score is these Brooklyn x Wesco Custom Hendrik Charcoal Roughout boots. Timing lined up with a deep dive on boot fit tips, lasts, and a full send into Grailed. As my IH x Wesco Guildsman boots have been a favorite and fit well, I took a flyer on these. They're a 9.5 D and have only seen a bit of use. They'll take some breaking in as a 9.5 E fits me well.

I had a pair of Chippewa loggers for years that were going to cost most of the way to a new pair of handmade boots. So those went in the bin, and I opted for a pair of hand-made-in-Mexico 8-inch bison loggers from Drew's Boots. Bonus here is their last features a wider toe box and more accommodation in the instep - both things I struggle with. Not only do they fit well out of the box, but they also smell amazing. The shrunken bison is thiccc and will take a beating. These are intended for work, and while they won't be making me money, they will be working the local single track of my favorite motorcycle riding areas.

I'm a bit of a slut for Tecovas, mainly because they offer an EE width and their boots fit me well. These full-quill ostrich boots were my first from the brand. I get comments nearly every time I wear them.

These Fryes have been with me for 14 or 15 years and predate several changes of the brand's ownership, back when they were well-made. I think these were hand-made? Maybe in Mexico, as well? In any case, a reheel and a thin half-sole were added for traction. They're a bit long as I sized them to fit my instep, and they were acquired long before I was aware of all the great, hand-built brands we know and love today. I've often thought of selling, but given the recent brand reputation, I don't know that they're worth anything.

@northsouthdenimguy All good! I'm excited to see if my flyer pays off. We'll know soon.

@Mizmazzle I was hoping you wouldn't say that.
I almost always wash these shirts in cold water, gentle cycle, no spin, and line dry. Is shrinkage expected, even with that level of care?

The shirt arrived yesterday. My first purchase with Iron Shop Provisions, and they were great. I sized down, looking at the measurements, and it seems to fit well... save for the pits. I usually focus on the chest/pit-ot-pit measurement, as that usually ensures I have enough around the body there to make it work, and while this particular shirt measures out well there, the shoulder measurement is a little shorter than normal when looking at other shirts.

I know fit can be a personal preference and that measurements don't always tell the story. How much tightness, if at all, do you tolerate? Or is it a sign of pit tightness that the shirt is sized incorrectly?

@Stringthing75 What a score! Congrats.

We may have similar body types. Me from a lifetime of skiing, hiking, and riding sportbikes. So like you, I've struggled to find cuts that accommodate muscular thighs and still have room for proper glutes. For Iron Heart, this means the 888 and the 634, and the 633 from Self Edge. I get a similar drape in the front like you do, with much of it due to both the stiff and thick nature of the fabric and due to the extra burly construction of the button fly. Even my heavy Naked & Famous Weird Guy jeans do this. Seems par for the course.

And like you, I also overthink these things. A lot. The pictures you posted look good. Keep wearing 'em in. The advice here has been great.

Sorry to hear about the tragedy. And glad to hear that you used it to lose some weight.

@Mizmazzle it's posts like yours that give me hope that I can make a pair of engineers work. I know the JL engineers are a chore to get on when new if you have a high instep. After your foot is in, how's the instep room?

@kojimastreets Double blue double western. I like it. Nice, man. The Kersey, with its soft hand and easy drap certainly lends itself to a great layer. That's a great idea.

@Mizmazzle That's cool to see the leather changing color like that. I know you want some green to remain, but that's a unique brown-ish color that's developing.