Posts made by Bobcat Sig

I found another fix worth mentioning.

Knowing that the squeak in both of my lace-ups was coming from the leather insole, I pulled them out and inspected them. The underside of the insole was polished to a nice sheen, as was the midsole in the boot, so it would seem reasonable that these two surfaces rubbing together would start to squeak under heat and friction. It also seems that if these insoles are shorter than he midsole, it gives them room to move back and forth, speeding up the polishing process, and eventually, the squeak. Check that first.

Additionally, if your insoles are showing a nice sheen underneath, do what I did; take a stiff brush and pull that nep back up. After all, these Wesco insoles are roughout on the bottom. Pulling those fibers back up removes that polished sheen and quiets the squeak.

I tested this yesterday with my Brooklyn x Wesco rough-out cap toes, and the squeak in both insoles was gone.

@northsouthdenimguy said in Ship John:

Hopefully I don’t offend anybody with this, but I’m really struggling with the new Denim Townes. This is my first real SJ shirt — everything else I’ve owned from them has been tees and I’m trying to figure out if this fit is just me or if others have noticed the same thing.

Does anybody else find the sleeve width a bit too oversized? For reference, I’ve got 17” biceps but the sleeves still feel like they’re swimming. Most of my 3XL/4XL Iron Heart shirts fit way more dialed-in through the biceps.

I’ve already done some strategic hot soaking on the arms/shoulders, and the arm length + shoulder width are spot-on now. I just wish I could tighten up that bicep area.

I’m debating whether to risk a full hot wash in the machine and toss it in the dryer… worst-case scenario, it’s a 3XL so I figure someone who normally wears a 2XL might grab it off me if I nuke it too far?

Anyone have experience shrinking the biceps specifically on these? Or should I just chalk it up to the cut?

Edit: I believe also did a “eco warm wash” without spin cycle so maybe I start there first and get her spinning maybe that will tighten them up?

I don't have anything specific, unfortunately. Mike has either used patterns from old shirts he likes or tends to cut them how he like them to fit. Some of his early garments were sized weird; tight arm hole openings, long sleeves, etc. They've come around since.

I can't speak on the larger sizes, unfortunately. Your idea to wash and tumble dry might be a bad one. Mike does like his stuff to take a beating... or hold up, if you will. To me, that means washing and drying it.

It might be worth an email to the Ship John shop for their guidance.

@Gianny-Boy said in Ship John:

I have the decade wills, its never been "too heavy" but its def hefty, and thats why I like it so much. I never worn it with a just t shirt so maybe thats why, or the simple addition of the liner but its been a tank for me in keeping in warmth and blocking wind! For me a very versatile piece.

I keep asking when the wagoneer briefcase will make a comeback, and aside from a live months ago saying "soon" i have yet to see or hear anything supporting that. Oh well they probably sick of me lol.

Man... I knew the lining would be the killer update that the Wills needed. Maybe I'll replace it one day.

@dugafola said in Ship John:

@Darth-fader nice! i'm on their mailing list. missed out on the Townes sashiko though...that was a bummmer.

That makes two of us. womp womp

@mecken88 said in Ship John:

@Darth-fader curious to hear how you like it after some wear. If it’s a “all the time jacket” or because of it’s weight just for special occasion

Feels like a lot of Wills owners just have it as a collective piece in the closet, because of its hype and rareness. But would be cool to see and hear about people’s opinions that actually wears it hard and often🫶

It’s a cool jacket, definitely one I have on the wish list for sure!

I have an OG, unlined Wills I picked up a few years and it only sees hard wear.

It's a stiff jacket, and it will and has held up. The newer versions have a liner, which is about the only improvement I'd make on it. As mine sits, it is not a warm jacket. It seemingly has the ability to make you cold almost all the time, which is why I really only wear it when I'm sawing trees, working trails on a wet day, or need some protection. It's sturdy and nearly waterproof. Nearly...

For casual or wear other than my current use, I have other jackets. But it sure is a cool piece!

My quality Craigslist dogs, helping me out on Sunday while I brushed some local single-track motorcycle trails.

The rain returned, and riding off-road in it isn't my favorite, so I got out and worked some trail. It gave me a chance to start the break-in of my Drew's Loggers. Forgive me for the top-down shots. I did the best I could...

The dogs were quite interested in what was happening

1. freepickin
2. Purple UHF western cut

@freepickin was great! Quick to respond, even quicker to ship, the shirt was as described (and fit great!). As a cool bonus, we both lived/live in Bozeman. Small world. Top marks for the transaction!

We all aspire to the fades of @Oaktavia

@Denimhead-0 @northsouthdenimguy Thanks, fellas. I'm stoked to not only find these, but finally figure out a model and size that works. These particular boots will take some work to break and get comfortable, but I know it's worth it. The roughout is just so cool!

@hgering27 said in Ship John:

@Bobcat-Sig after speaking with Chris awhile back I warm soak almost all of my engineers when I get them to help the break in period quicken up. For me I just need the instep to loosen up and it’s always done the trick without any issues. Enjoy the boots man they look great

He recommended the same, stating that their steel shank keeps the boots where they need to be, despite the warm water, and may other influencers (and I use that term loosely) saying that it's a bad idea.

I've never done a warm soak before - I just stubbornly grind it out until the boot breaks in. So my question: what's your process for a warm soak? Just hot water, drain, and wear to dry? Or shove my foot in the warm water? I know; dumb questions, but asking so others don't have to...

I'm stoked to share another Grailed score and to join the Derroll Cool Kids Club. I picked these up recently... and there's a bit of a story.

These things are killer! Kind of a neat thing to have the same leather as my Guildsman (fka The Alex), only flipped inside out. The Grailed seller was a little wobbly when I pressed him on the sole construction. Nonetheless, we found a price where I could take a flyer because on an earlier trip to Wesco, I found a size I could (eventually) squeeze into of their 7500 Engineer. The seller claimed these were a Ship John Derroll boot. And by most markers, it is; the boot leather, the last, the toe shape, buckles, etc. But the soles were off. Mike at Ship John specs his boots with the Vibram V-bar full sole and heel stack pad. These suckers have a Sure-Grip half-sole and maintain the V-bar heel stack pad.

Deep in a rabbit hole - and a question I asked here - I toted them along when I picked up my reworked custom Engineers to ask the man himself at Wesco; Chris Warren. Turns out, these were likely a recraft. Someone bought a pair and had them resoled and either rebuilt or tweaked the uppers. If you look closely, you'll see different wear on the vamp (new) versus the shaft and straps (original).

It's a bit of a frankenboot, but importantly, I can get them on. There will be some break-in, especially with the left boot, but I remain committed!

Two other nuggets I learned: Chris confirmed that hot water in the boots is a-ok with their footwear. He went on to explain that with Wesco, the steel shank will support such heat, whereas a full veg-tan-constructed boot would be susceptible to accelerated collapse. The other is that people buying brand new boots will often send theirs in for a rebuild; be it a different sole, a buildup tweak, or most commonly, a full resize. I had no idea! Crazy.

I'll wear these and either have them reheeled with a Super Grip heel when the time comes or have them completely resoled with the VIbram V-bar.

Bonus nugget: Mike of Ship John specs his engineers with the full sole due to all the rain we enjoy here in the PNWet. With no sole leather exposed, the boots require less maintenance. Though Chris was quick to say that applying boot wax to the sole leather negates that breakdown. The more you know...

Update! And it's a good one.

I chronicled earlier that Wesco was going to rebuild the boots, of sorts. They offered to fit a stiffer heel piece between the leather and relast the upper to a 9 E sole, narrowing the boot and removing some excess leather. I picked them up yesterday. And man... Chris and crew at Wesco do an incredible job!

Not only do the boots fit like a firm handshake, but they have also been completely resoled, and they have even added a different heel stack. A proper heel cup is now present, and while things are a little tight over the instep, it should loosen. There's also a bit of heel slip, but the boot's lower and sole are nearly new, so they will need more break-in. I'm stoked!

I finally have the Mr Lous I always wanted, but could never fit into.

@ZackB My pleasure. The community here has been great, and I feel compelled to give back.

Really good stuff, fellas. Thank you.

I was up at Wesco yesterday, picking up another pair of boots that I chronicled in another thread, so I had a chance to take the problem to the source.

Turns out, it's two things. The most common - and my problem - was the footbed rubbing against the midsole. The remedy? Baby powder, just as @ZackB and @northsouthdenimguy mentioned. They gave me a new set of insoles that solved the problem just the same.

The other issue that Wesco mentioned is that the leather-stacked heels, which are nailed together, can work a part just a slight bit and squeak. They tend to work themselves out, or a re-heel can also fix it.

@Ross said in The Wesco squeak; is there a fix?:

@Bobcat-Sig In my experience i'd say you're probably right, this is normally caused by rubbing between the layers in the sole, many other brands do put an 'anti-squeak' layer in the midsole to combat this (normally something synthetic, but it varies) - Wesco doesn't, preferring a more traditional construction throughout:

However, what you gain in durability you loose in leather surfaces being layered together in a way that can cause friction and therefore a squeak. I'd say you've got two realistic options;

Send them back to Wesco with the best description of exactly where the squeak is located and when it occurs to see if they can rebuild the sole in a way to eliminate or mitigate it.

Alternatively you can try to power through it, if its a friction squeak it will eventually dissipate on its own as whatever two parts are rubbing wear themselves to a point that they settle with each other, although how long this may take is anybodies guess.

I also asked about this midsole squeak. The multiple layers of veg tan leather can cause squeaks, but Wesco employs the use of a steel shank, which prevents most squeaking in the midsole. Others, like Drew's, White's, NIck's, etc., use veg tan shanks.

Such are the quirks with the sweet, hand-built boots.

@ZackB said in The Wesco squeak; is there a fix?:

@Bobcat-Sig I know back in the day on sneakers people would put baby powder under the insole.

This is the sort of alchemy I was hoping for. I'll give it a try. Thank you.

@68degreesorless said in The Wesco squeak; is there a fix?:

This happened to my White's. I called them figuring there would be some kind of simple fix, but nope, had to send them back and had them completely resoled. This pair was less than 6 months old and not worn much so I was surprised that was the best course of action.

Yes, crazy. I know some squeaking can occur between layers of veg tan leather in the sole buildup, and some manufacturers will layer in various materials to combat the squeak. Was your issue in the sole or with the insole, like in my case?

@northsouthdenimguy Heh, I bet! I've shifted my buying to things that last. I got tired of the runs to the donation bins and giving clothes away. It seemed wasteful. My sweet wife knows that now, so I luckily don't get a lot of heat for my acquisitions. She's coming around.

@northsouthdenimguy Totally. Seems to be the case with Iron Heart, as well.

As the title says, two of my Wesco lace-ups have developed a squeak. I suspect it's friction between the leather foot bed and the bottom of the boot. Leather on leather, if you will. Only my Wescos do this, hence the post here.

Is there a trick, hack, or known fix to reduce the squeak? Say, maybe some boot dressing? Or adhering a dryer sheet to the underside of the leather footbed? How did you handle the squeak?

Pictures of the offending boots:

I had a wild ride yesterday on a bike I never thought I'd bother to consider. Man, was I wrong.

That thing is an absolute sled. And the handling breaks my brain. I kind of want it...

@gazza61 Beautiful bike! I got my start on a CBR F4, and later, a CBR 929 RR. Next to Ducati, no one does paint like Honda does on their high-end bikes. And those HRC colors are gorgeous! Congrats on the new weapon.

I imagine that this has been asked before, but a search didn't yield much. Are snap upgrades only available when purchasing a shirt new? Or can a IH shirt be sent in for an upgrade?

The conditions were all-time this weekend in Oregon's High Desert. Heavy rains blanketed the region the days prior, and with the temps cool, the dirt was perfect. And I do mean perfect. Like all-time best conditions, perfect.

I was on my KTM 350 XC-F, which I have come to call my desert sportbike. It's dumb how good it is in the fast stuff.