My thoughts :

1. I agree with others on the elitist aspect. it's fundamentally wrong to provide either early access or exclusive items that the "inner circle" or those that can afford will be the only beneficiaries of.
   Many may and probably will disagree.

2. Anything that requires designing, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivering yet MORE product when that is part of the fundamental problem in the first place is just a bad idea and totally defeats the purpose. Be it a mug, a calendar, a pin badge, a bag of crips or whatever. It doesn't matter if it's made in Japan or Woking, it all takes time and effort and is a distraction.
   If the crew want to drop stuff like this in as one offs whenever they choose to whoever they choose that is their prerogative, but anything beyond that becoming some kind of "right' or "expectation" or “scheme” is only gonna end in tears. As sadly, some of the comments on this thread show. It's like when people start dishing out employee of the month, more hassle than it is worth. There are many ways of rewarding/acknowledging people and their contributions for many reasons. Mostly kept private. At the general workplace or towards a customer. All at the crews discretion as should be the way.

3. If anything I'd revert to Alex's original idea of some kind of "allowance" to whatever gathering may or may not take place. A voucher for a hot dog, a free beer, a tenner towards your train ticket. the financial aspect of it is secondary. It's the gesture, doesn't matter if you are loaded or skint, if someone gives you a tenner or a fiver or a pair of socks or a shake of the hand I'd appreciate it.
   Yes many people will never ever be able to attend a gathering, so what. Let's hope those that do have a great time. It's like a football team wanting to sack their mgr cos their team didn't win the league, if that was your only criteria for success or enjoyment then every year 95% of fans would be constantly raging. You have to find some other measure of success and happiness.
   If you can attend a gathering, fantastic, if you can't, then you've presumably been able to buy and wear some of the best clothes around and you ABSOLUTELY FU**ING LOVE THEM so really, you are a winner already.

4. The point here seems to be to reduce the strain on the entire operation from sourcing to delivery. which must be critical or all the changes wouldn't be very bravely getting made. I've spent a lifetime knee deep in supply chain related stuff so I get it. Anything that takes the focus of the team away from keeping the very considerable amount of plates spinning all year round because someone is griping about not getting the right sticker or chocolate bar or staff member 'X' forgot to put extra kisses on the big spenders Christmas card is just a distraction no one needs. It will only add to the hassle, increase the likelihood of moaning and people feeling left out and take folks eye off the ball.
   As this thread has shown, the whole loyalty thing in the first place was low key, most people wouldn't be aware of it, so to bring it out of the shadows and come up with a new version in my opinion will just become a millstone.

5. The biggest loyalty reward any customer can get is for the brand to simply be able to keep doing what they do and delivering the goods to the level they do and continue to foster the community and the whole 'story'. Most people have zero idea of the complexities : commercial, personal, logistical that go into bringing anything to market. You may think you do but you'd still probably be nowhere near it. To do it so successfully day in day out at this level is no mean feat.
   We need to respect that and let the team actually focus on delivering the goods. In fact if I make it to any kind of gathering then really it should be us buying THEM a beer. I am relatively new to this but have picked up quite a few things in a short space of time and I totally love it.
   It's like when you find a new favourite band, you'd be gutted if they split up.
   So I don't want the wheels to come off because the "Men of Iron Heart" calendar has had a delay at the printers and the big spenders are raging.

I've already gone on too long but you get the gist.

Red Wing 8203, think they were a Europe exclusive.

Playing one of my favourite albums today....

A classic hitting the deck today.

Just got my first ever Iron Heart item, this very shirt. I love it. I've been on the forum for about year just reading and trying to "learn" about all this for want of a better word.
I seen the 373 and just had to go for it.
Ordered it from Rivet & Hide as they had it in my size and I wasn't sure what to expect "in the flesh" but honestly was blown away.
I think I thought it was going to be stiff as a board or kinda rigid cos of the weight ( I had no idea) but I couldn't be happier. First of many items hopefully, even though I don't normally spend anything like that on a shirt. It's hard to explain but I felt happy when I felt it and seen what it was like. And that for me was worth it.
Rookie question here but is it just the Work Shirts in the Ultra Heavy that have the run off chain stitch, not the Western?

@AdamJ I believe you've strayed over the white rope and are nearer than the allotted 5metres from the cliff edge. Keir Starmer's minor infraction police will be onto you shortly. 4 years min.
Lawyer up!

Great shots though!

All time classic on the deck today. As debut albums go, this is up there.

I'm currently Wk 4 of Manchester Marathon training plan. This will be my 3rd Marathon, really enjoying the training and seeing proper progress. 18km done today.

@goosehd haha. hmm. prepared to actually follow through on that plan to make this happen.
(can you see what I did there etc).

Sage advice my friend. Duly noted.

Love this. This is a large and I normally take a large in UHF.

@goosehd said in In Fitness and in Health:

https://forum.ironheart.co.uk/topic/2076/runners?_=1769981095539

thank you, and thank you!

I'm currently Wk 4 of Manchester Marathon training plan. This will be my 3rd Marathon, really enjoying the training and seeing proper progress. 18km done today.

@will6er absolutely not an argument, apologies if it came across like that lol. not at all.
ultimately the customer would be paying more, that was my point really.

and either way, I am working on the assumption that wouldn't really move the needle on the supply/demand issue, although I suspect the real solution will indeed be a myriad of different options.

thanks for engaging in the healthy debate, it's all good, all positive and respectful.

and the fact you ended up not buying that shirt is a loss. its a lost sale to IH. even if someone else bought it five mins later. they lost your sale. But I totally get what you're saying. it's just a very tricky situation.

@will6er raising prices might work if it was something like flour, or milk, or tea or rice or basics that everyone buys and continues to buy, that is there aren't alternatives easily available. People sort of don't have an option.

raising prices for luxury "inessential" items that are already at the higher end from one particular brand will only ever have a detrimental effect in the long run. especially if its just seen to be the same product as before. A great product nonetheless but you know what I mean etc etc.
It's basically "we have an internal issue so everyone can pay more, just because". And I say that with the greatest respect.
remember a lot of businesses are hopefully growing each year anyway, so all this would do is bring in more money but they're also STILL making more product anyway. slowing the rate of growth perhaps, but thats without knowing the details of how businesses are leveraged against all sorts of bank loans, complex overdraft arrangements and individual credit agreements with suppliers and vendors.
Decisions like raising prices and tariffs etc can't just be taken in a vacuum.

Reducing demand let's not forget is the last thing a business wants to do. because its not actually reducing the demand, it always remains, its purely that Iron Heart themselves (or whoever) would be failing to meet that demand.
That's the whole point, you can't just wish the demand away, you need to find a way of fulfilling it. So charging people more in my opinion is short sighted, there will be someone else fills that gap and finds a way to fulfil that demand.

remember we only know all these issues because the team are graciously sharing it.

if Samurai or whoever you want to mention here just upped their prices (outwith the standard inflationary based mechanisms) with no explanation let's not pretend there would be anything other than disquiet.

It's a bad idea, it's pulling the wrong levers and what you dont want as a business is for people to ultimately start buying from other brands to the point where they never come back.

One day we all sit around in an empty warehouse saying proudly "we have solved the demand problem"

Its a tough problem for sure, some may say these type of things are a 'good' problem to have. but there are no such things as a good problem. because they still have the same potential to derail the whole operation and relationship and finely balanced product pipeline.

This is all good healthy debate but with finite manufacturing demand, products that take a long time to make, an ever growing market for this type of thing and factories that are not solely owned by the procuring companies it becomes a dogfight.

The brand has to be protected, and rumours of disquiet or bad vibes or price hikes and all sorts of stuff are better left in here if at all. It doesn't take much to tip the balance and from my couple of years on here I've seen an outwardly super slick operation run by an absolutely dedicated but relatively small in house team that deliver a vast range of very different products all year round at a fairly high price point that people love and want to support and continue to live and work in.

The answer isn't printing calendars, coffee table books, t-shirts, or trophies for best forum post.

Sadly businesses have to tend to look at product rationalisations, longer runs with even longer between restocks, less flexibility and mobility and speed in bringing new lines to market, making it even harder to react to fluctuations and spikes in demand, and likewise end up sitting on piles of unwanted stock when everyone has moved onto something else.

I wish I had the answers, actually giving it some serious thought last night as if I was at my work lol.

I have full trust in the squad there, building a business this strong isn't a fluke, so the folks there are serious business minds with strong relationships. Keep the faith.

My thoughts :

1. I agree with others on the elitist aspect. it's fundamentally wrong to provide either early access or exclusive items that the "inner circle" or those that can afford will be the only beneficiaries of.
   Many may and probably will disagree.

2. Anything that requires designing, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivering yet MORE product when that is part of the fundamental problem in the first place is just a bad idea and totally defeats the purpose. Be it a mug, a calendar, a pin badge, a bag of crips or whatever. It doesn't matter if it's made in Japan or Woking, it all takes time and effort and is a distraction.
   If the crew want to drop stuff like this in as one offs whenever they choose to whoever they choose that is their prerogative, but anything beyond that becoming some kind of "right' or "expectation" or “scheme” is only gonna end in tears. As sadly, some of the comments on this thread show. It's like when people start dishing out employee of the month, more hassle than it is worth. There are many ways of rewarding/acknowledging people and their contributions for many reasons. Mostly kept private. At the general workplace or towards a customer. All at the crews discretion as should be the way.

3. If anything I'd revert to Alex's original idea of some kind of "allowance" to whatever gathering may or may not take place. A voucher for a hot dog, a free beer, a tenner towards your train ticket. the financial aspect of it is secondary. It's the gesture, doesn't matter if you are loaded or skint, if someone gives you a tenner or a fiver or a pair of socks or a shake of the hand I'd appreciate it.
   Yes many people will never ever be able to attend a gathering, so what. Let's hope those that do have a great time. It's like a football team wanting to sack their mgr cos their team didn't win the league, if that was your only criteria for success or enjoyment then every year 95% of fans would be constantly raging. You have to find some other measure of success and happiness.
   If you can attend a gathering, fantastic, if you can't, then you've presumably been able to buy and wear some of the best clothes around and you ABSOLUTELY FU**ING LOVE THEM so really, you are a winner already.

4. The point here seems to be to reduce the strain on the entire operation from sourcing to delivery. which must be critical or all the changes wouldn't be very bravely getting made. I've spent a lifetime knee deep in supply chain related stuff so I get it. Anything that takes the focus of the team away from keeping the very considerable amount of plates spinning all year round because someone is griping about not getting the right sticker or chocolate bar or staff member 'X' forgot to put extra kisses on the big spenders Christmas card is just a distraction no one needs. It will only add to the hassle, increase the likelihood of moaning and people feeling left out and take folks eye off the ball.
   As this thread has shown, the whole loyalty thing in the first place was low key, most people wouldn't be aware of it, so to bring it out of the shadows and come up with a new version in my opinion will just become a millstone.

5. The biggest loyalty reward any customer can get is for the brand to simply be able to keep doing what they do and delivering the goods to the level they do and continue to foster the community and the whole 'story'. Most people have zero idea of the complexities : commercial, personal, logistical that go into bringing anything to market. You may think you do but you'd still probably be nowhere near it. To do it so successfully day in day out at this level is no mean feat.
   We need to respect that and let the team actually focus on delivering the goods. In fact if I make it to any kind of gathering then really it should be us buying THEM a beer. I am relatively new to this but have picked up quite a few things in a short space of time and I totally love it.
   It's like when you find a new favourite band, you'd be gutted if they split up.
   So I don't want the wheels to come off because the "Men of Iron Heart" calendar has had a delay at the printers and the big spenders are raging.

I've already gone on too long but you get the gist.

49ers! get in!

First pic upload here. Love this shirt so much.

Worth checking out The Massive by Brian Wood. Recommended.

Love this. This is a large and I normally take a large in UHF.

Personally I wouldn't ever jump two sizes. This is meant to be roomier, but even then I wouldn't skip down from XL to M. Each to their own.
I wear Large in UHF's and went to Medium for the Green check overshirt, but it's a diff cut and it's not easy to directly compare. M was smaller than I thought, even though the measurements might have indicated otherwise. Ok for me though. But I would never ever have got away with S for instance.

Have to stress, it's a personal thing, but I wouldn't be going from XL to M.