Aun Tay

May 27, 2018August 18, 2019

The Real McCoy’s, 3sixteen, and Reigning Champ Crewneck Sweatshirt Comparison Review

Crewneck sweatshirts from top to bottom: The Real McCoy's Joe McCoy Ball Park Sweatshirt, Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Sweatshirt, Uniqlo Sweatshirt

I never thought I’d come to speak enthusiastically about sweatshirts this much! I visited Standard & Strange in Oakland, CA, initially interested in purchasing the restocked Red Wing 2966 Black Klondike Engineer Boots. Brandon (who is now with 3sixteen!) was very patient with me and helped me select out a Real McCoy’s Joe McCoy Ball Park Crewneck Sweatshirt in Navy. S&S is a stockist in the USA that carries a great selection of RMCs. The Real McCoy’s sweats along with their other pieces have the reputation of being the best of the best. In this post, I’ll give some of my thoughts about the Ball Park Crewneck and compare it to the few other brand sweatshirts that I own.

The crewneck sweatshirt is a classic piece in American history. Naturally, the design comes from sportswear for the sweatshirt was used as an alternative to itchy football jerseys. The grey sweat has been worn by many American icons such as John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Steve McQueen, and many more. I’d even go as far to say that it’s as famous as the Blue Oxford cloth button down shirt in American history.

Terminology

V ribbed placket: Below the front collar Functioned to help absorb excess sweat and to maintain shape of the collar
Raglan shoulder sleeves (one continuous fabric from collar underarm) vs set inshoulder sleeves: Raglan sleeves provide more arm room, providing a wider range of movement than set-in sleeves
- Set-in sleeves have a clean, tailored look
Flatlocked stitched seams vs overlock seams: Final stitches which are flat, providing comfort by reducing abrasion against your skin
- Flatlocked seams are strong, flat, locked, thin, and also elastic seams
Loopwheeled: The sweatshirt body is one solid piece without seams
- This process is done with tubular knitting machines that are in only two locations in the world – Loopwheeler in Japan and Merz Schwanen in Germany

Added information from Standard and Strange: The main difference between a sinker weave and a loopwheel is that the sinker weave has more needles and knits at a higher tension. Sinker weave knitting machines are still slow and expensive, but not as slow and expensive as a loopwheel machine. Loopwheel knits stretch out a lot, then shrink back down with a wash, similar to raw denim. Standard and Strange suggests that if you purchase an item made from a loopwheel machine, that you have it fit more snug as it will stretch out over time.

Uniqlo Crewneck Sweatshirt

$20 USD
Body 100% Cotton*, Ribbing 84% Cotton/16% Polyester*
+Raglan Sleeves
+V Neck Placket Detail
+Flatlock Seam

My budget, readily available sweatshirt option. I’d say this is the best you can get at this price range. The body length is notoriously short. *Uniqlo often changes their fabric composition and thickness every season (Sometime the blend can be more polyester than cotton – you just have to be sure to read the material tag label).

It’s quite thin and the terry cotton on the inside is much coarser/rougher than the Reigning Champ’s

Reigning Champ Midweight Terry Crewneck Sweatshirt

Price: $120 USD
100% French Terry Cotton

Reigning Champ is made in Canada, and they’re nicknamed the “king of fleece”. Their Midweight French Terry Cotton is a year-round soft fabric and is woven in a way that one side feels like a soft cotton towel (interior) while the other is smooth (exterior). The purpose of the looped side is so that sweat can be easily absorbed. The midweight is a year round option for mildly cooler places like San Francisco, but likely won’t be warm enough for winter.

While the price from a $20 Uniqlo sweatshirt to a $120 RC is quite large, I think RC is the best bang for the buck. The midweight french terry cotton isn’t too thick/warm, so it’s great here in California.

Reigning Champ also has side gussets beneath the underarm that extend nearly all the way down the body. This extra feature provides comfortable mobility with your arms, while also maintaining a slim fit that is usually not seen with sweatshirts.

Reigning Champ also stocks a heavyweight, tiger terry, and tiger fleece versions of their sweatshirts. The heavyweight comes in at 500gsm (their midweight is 400gsm), has a courser feel against the skin from the start and softens/molds to you after many wears like a pair of raw denim. It fits slimmer than the midweight so you will likely have to size up one from your normal size.

The Real McCoy’s Joe McCoy Ball Park Sweatshirt

$160 USD

The sinker weave neither stretches nor shrinks (with a cold wash) very much and provides a more stable fabric. The interior fabric is somewhat courser than the Reigning Champ French Terry Cotton, but I still find it to be quite soft and comfortable for a sweatshirt. The Real McCoys states that this their heaviest sweatshirt fabric (at 12oz), but they do also have a ligher weight version at 10oz. The fit is boxier than Reigning Champs’s fit.

The ribbing on the sweatshirt is very thick and doesn’t stretch easily. I also like the V-placket detail on this sweatshirt because it works better to maintain the collar shape than the Uniqlo’s.

This sweatshirt is tubular knitted but not loopwheeled. A common misconception is that a tubular constructed fabric makes it loopwheeled.

3sixteen Heavyweight Crewneck Sweatshirt

$165 USD
95% cotton/5% polyester

3sixteen’s fabric is a heavyweight 500gsm fleece from Canada. It’s very warm and has two hidden hand pockets on the front like a hoodie. The pockets do not connect with each other, however. The interior is fleece. The fabric is a hefty 15oz cotton.

The interior fleece was quite fluffy and soft initially, but after the first cold wash and hang dry, the softness has never quite returned. Some of the fleece shed off after, but eventually stopped. The neck opening is wider than the other sweatshirts and stretches easily.

Ribbing on the sleeves of the sweatshirts

July 23, 2019August 6, 2019

Schott x 3sixteen Arabica Cowhide @ 19 Months

I haven’t worn this piece much since my last update 05/2018 Schott x 3sixteen Perfecto Arabica Cowhide Review, but leather still ages hanging on a clothing rack!

I was reminded of my leather jackets after talking with some old friends who have retired interest in clothing from the Styleforum days before Instagram. Back before I found a comfortable style, I did partake in the whole Temple of Jawnz (TOJ) leather jacket fiasco in 2012/2013. There’s a good summary on what happened over here.

People got too crazy obsessing over 1cm measurements with a MTM offering especially being behind a monitor on the internet. With MTM, the resale value really diminishes, and people don’t measure used garments to a consistent standard. I’m glad I fit in an “off-the-rack” size.

The Schott x 3sixteen Perfecto really encapsulates my more recent way of purchases. Nice stuff made from people I can hang with. It just so happened a few before this iteration jacket was released, both Schott NYC and 3sixteen opened stores in LA.

I took these handful of pics inside the bedroom messing around with my somewhat recently acquired Godox AD200 flash and Glow EZ Lock Deep Parabolic Softbox (28 in). Man.. this pairing of such a workhorse. The soft box is really easy to setup and really amazing for the price. From my past pics, I emphasized using natural light and “working with what ya got” but I figured I tried something different especially in a controlled environment.

Anyways, it’s getting too hot over here to wear nice clothes. Hope to be more active on my blog soon!

January 13, 2019August 6, 2019

Crescent Down Works Italian Vest Review

Crescent Down Works x Freeman Quilted Diagonal Italian Vest

A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I had planned a trip up to Yosemite in December for a few days. Both of us have great experiences with Uniqlo’s HEATTECH collection, and they recently even released an Extra Warm HEATTECH. Uniqlo is quite popular for their down jackets and vests among their other casual clothes. Their clothes are so universal that they even have clothing vending machines various locations!

The Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Vest was on sale and I eventually reasoned with myself to purchase one. The design is quite simple and practical – there are two hand warmer pockets in the front that can be zipped to prevent items from falling out. On the interior, there are additional vertical pockets behind the front pockets. A single zipper on the front. The vest doesn’t restrict my arms and it is very lightweight. I went with my standard size of a large at a 43 inch (109 cm) chest. I can roll it into a small cylinder shape the size of maybe two fists and place it into the pouch it additionally comes with. The vest worked great at Yosemite and was warm enough to even wear by itself only!

Design difference between the Crescent Down Works Quilted Italian Vest and Classic Italian Vest

I never was a down outerwear kind of guy, but after my great experience with the Uniqlo one at Yosemite, I decided to look further into another one. I first learned of Crescent Down Works in 2012 visiting Standard & Strange in Oakland, CA. CDW is a small company that produces down outerwear in Seattle, Washington. Not much further away is also Freeman Seattle which makes great raincoats! Seattle (which includes Filson) is definitely prepared for the elements! CDW does a lot of collaborations with other brands such as Freeman, Lost & Found, Brooklyn Clothing, and recently, 3sixteen.

My girlfriend and I mutually decided to buy each other CDW vests as Christmas presents, agreeing on the specs beforehand. AFAIK, CDW makes garments that are unisex so the measurements are what matters most. For mine, I wanted a somewhat neutral color vest with a ribbed collar instead of the standard collar. It’s a nice extra touch that I think makes it stand out from the other down jackets out there.

Ribbed collar and smooth two way zipper (other zip not shown)

Details

Water-resistant 60/40 cotton-nylon shell.
100% nylon ribbed collar and streakfree liner.
5.5 oz. premium, 700-fill European goose down.
Front placket with two-way zipper and leather-backed snaps.
Down-filled front pockets.
Elasticized waist.
Made in Seattle.

The Classic Italian Vest has an additional inner velcro’d pocket

I ended up purchasing an older stock, unused previous year’s collaboration CDW x Freeman Quilted Down Vest off of eBay. The quilted pattern was used to streamline the bulkier Italian Vest down into a sleeker look. The main difference between the Classic Italian Vest and this Quilted Diagonal Italian Vest is the pattern and how much down is within each stitched area. The quilted design purposely has less fill. The collars are different in that mine has a ribbed collar long enough that folds upon itself once (some versions ribbed but no fold). I haven’t felt any significant difference in warmth regarding the collar types. The ribbed collar does feel cozier on the neck, however. After looking over several online measurements, especially the chest width of 23 inches, I went with my typical size which was a large.

Standard collar on the Crescent Down Works Classic Italian Vest

My girlfriend had received her Italian Down Vest a few days earlier so I was able to compare the two vests. The amounccount for the size proportion difference (XS vs L), but the pockets on mine were very generous, measuring about 9 inches x 11 inches (23cm x 28cm). Both of our pockets were angled similarly, but another difference is that her pockets had more down on the exterior which I’d say would keep your hands warmer.

Ribbed collar on the Crescent Down Works Quilted Diagonal Italian Vest

The quality and specs are definite on point. The front buttons are backed with a circular leather piece to prevent ripping through the material while unsnapping. The bottom of the jacket has a bit of ribbing to accomodate some generosity and retain snugness. I like that the vest has a buttoned front placket over the zipper that prevents any breeze from coming through. I typically wear the vest unzipped or completely buttoned and zipped if it’s chilly. There’s a two way zipper also which might be useful for when sitting down but I haven’t used it yet.

Buttons backed by leather detail for durability

Fit

The length of the vest was longer than I expected. It’s my fault for overlooking the body length measurements for jackets, I typically look at just shoulders and chest (I think I have average proportions). I imagined a vest would be shorter to provide more mobility (such as a well-fitted waistcoat of a suit). The extra two to three inches on the body length exaggerates the classic straight fit. The outerwear, of course, is designed in mind for all weather use and not fashion.

CDW and other sites list the fit as “classic”, so I’d recommend sizing down one if you want a slimmer fit. Stay true to size if you’d like some flexibility to layer underneath.

Rear view of the jacket with elastic ribbing

Function

If you haven’t tried on or own a down jacket, the material really works. I can wear the vest over a henley or flannel comfortably down to mid 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so. If I need extra warmth, I’ll throw on a jacket over everything so the vest acts as a midlayer. The exterior material (60/40 cotton/nylon) is a blend popularized in Mountain Parkas in the 1970s and is tightly woven, so the material is wind and bristle-resistant.

I managed to put my arms through my my girlfriend’s XS Classic Italian Vest unzipped, and I definitely felt the down capturing the warmth faster. Due to more down filling per jacket area in the Classic Italian Vest, the Classic Italian Vest > Quilted Diagonal Italian Vest in terms of warmth.

I’m loving the size of the handwarmer pockets – they fit a bunch of goods comfortably like my phone, keys, wallet even on one side.

Conclusion

Crescent Down Works’ outerwear is made by hand in Seattle factory, and the stitching, quality, and attention to detail was present. At about $295, the price isn’t chump change, but I think it’s justified. The Italian Down Vest is a staple piece on their website

January 23, 2018June 26, 2018

Structured vs Unstructured Toe Box and Shoe Sizing

The left three boots have a structured toe box. The differences in toe boxes are minimal with the Vibergs (middle 4) as the 2030 Last is very sleek.

In this post, I will try to explain the difference in construction of a structured toe box versus an unstructured toe box accompanied with some pics! The brands included in the following pics are: Meermin, Viberg, Alden, Wolverine, Red Wings, Crockett & Jones, and Common Projects.

Viberg Natural Chromexcel vs Color 8 Chromexcel — Viberg Natural CXL (structured) vs Viberg Color 8 CXL (unstructured). Slight collapsing of the left.

Shoes typically fall within one of three categories: an unstructured toe box, a partially structured toe box, and a fully structured toe box. It’s probably best to compare within a brand because of the varying lasts (mold/shape) between different brands.

Wolverine 1K Mile vs Viberg Color 8 CXL — Wolverine 1K Mile Addison (Structured) vs Viberg Color 8 CXL (Unstructured)

3 footwear with unstructured toe boxes. Alden footwear is typically structured with the exception of their unlined pairs like this Alden 1493 Snuff Suede Chukka.

Structured toe boxes typically have a Celastic material, a plastic fabric that is suitable for toe puff material because it is easily shaped during construction, but inflexible once set. Imagine a ping pong ball that you squeeze, but then returns to its original shape. Other common materials used for toe puffs include leather and canvas. The material is placed between the inner lining and the outside material to help maintain its structure. The fine line between between partially structured and fully structured is the rigidity of the toe box material.

Alden Indy 403 vs Viberg Color 8 CXL — Alden Indy 403 (structured) vs Viberg Color 8 CXL (unstructured)

The recent trend towards slimmer fits in denim and boots has been quite prominent in the recent years. I myself prefer unstructured toe boxes because I tend to wear my denim with a slimmer opening. However, all toe boxes will compress over time with wear, and the major difference is just how the boots look from the side initially. In addition, shoes with “captoes” have an additional layer of material which also may minimize the shoe creasing.

Structured on left vs unstructured on the right.

Wolverine 1K Mile, Alden Indy 403, Viberg Color 8 CXL — Wolverine 1K Mile Addison, Alden Indy 403, Viberg Color 8 CXL

3 structured toe boxes – Red Wing Iron Ranger, Viberg Black Waxed Flesh Service Boot, and Viberg Natural CXL Service Boot. Even structured toes will collapse over time.

With some companies such as Viberg, Dayton, and Truman Boot Company offering different toe types, it’s hard to make a choice. If you have a sedentary job such as working indoors in an office, your boots may keep their structure fine over many many years. However, if you work outdoors in harsher environments, you may want a structured toe or even a steel toe. Unstructured toes tend to appear more casual than structured ones.

C&J, Wolverine, Alden, Viberg Side Profiles — C&J Islay, Wolverine 1K Mile, Alden x Jcrew Captoe, Alden 403 Indy, Viberg Color 8 CXL, Viberg Brown Waxed Flesh

Some think that a structured toe leads to a “bulbous, clunky toe”. Red Wings one of the boot companies most notorious for this aesthetic has decided to produce a “Flatbox” model in FW2017 very recently (within the last few months) for the Japanese and Singapore markets.

Bulbous structured toe on Red Wing Iron Rangers compared with an unstructured Viberg Boondocker Boot.

Some companies even have a relatively a slim structured toebox like the Alden Indy Boot, but regardless, everything will flatten with time. Even my Viberg Natural Chromexcel Service Boots from Mr. Porter with a partially structured toe has flattened out a bit (seen in the first picture).

Common Projects Derby Shine vs Common Projects Achilles

Top view of the Alden 1493 Snuff Suede Chukka vs Viberg Black Waxed Flesh Service Boot laying on their sides.

Top view of the Red Wing 8085 Iron Ranger vs Viberg Olive Chromepak Service Boots laying on their sides.

Top view of the Viberg Boondocker vs Viberg Natural CXL Service Boot laying on their sides.

My advice is that you should buy footwear because you love exactly how they are, not because of what you expect to happen to them in 1, 5, or 10 years. Just wear them; the story is told later on when as the boot ages. I adore the look of all my boots as its part of the process of wearing stuff in!

Here are my shoe sizes including some not pictured that I no longer own. I recommend to measure first using a Brannock Device. The order of shoe sizes listed below is very similar to the order I purchased them in with the oldest starting from the top.

My brannock size is 9.5E

Nike Flyknit Chukka/Racer/Trainer: 10

Red Wing Beckman/Iron Ranger: 9D

Alden 403 Indy Boot (Trubalance Last): 9D

Wolverine 1K Mile Addison Boot: 9D

Common Projects Achilles and Derby Shine: Size 42

Alden x Jcrew Shell Cordovan Captoe Boot (Barrie Last): 9D

Oak Street Bootmakers Trench Boot: 9.5D

Viberg 2030 Last: 9

Viberg 2040 Last: 9

Crockett & Jones Islay (365 Last): 8.5UK

Meermin Hiro Last: 8.5UK

Crockett & Jones Islay, Wolverine 1K Mile Addison, Alden x Jcrew Captoe, Viberg Color 8 CXL, Viberg Brown Waxed Flesh, Meermin Mallorca Rapello Suede

May 19, 2018May 23, 2018

Vermilyea Pelle Day Bag Review

If you want a bag between a briefcase and a backpack in formality, a tote bag might just fit the bill for you. One of Vermilyea Pelle’s staple products in their catalog is the Day Bag. This will be my third review of a VP bag with previous two being the briefcase and the weekender bag. Their Day Bag is a bit of a hidden gem product in their catalog as most guys stumble upon VP because of their briefcases.

When I’m heading out to do some errands, a briefcase might be a bit much in formality especially if I’m not bringing my laptop. You might have seen women carrying their ubiquitous nylon tote bags in a multitude of colors. Likewise, I too want a casual bag that I can throw everything into.

The design of the day bag is quite simple – a one compartment tote shaped bag with a zippered opening. On the exterior is one small pocket. Even though the design is simple, the superb quality of materials and craftsmanship into the bag is what I’ll be focusing about.

Details

Price: $275 USD
Dimensions: 12″ x 14″ x 6″
Materials: Snuff Mohawk Leather from C.F. Stead
- 37oz Heavy Waxed Olive Canvas
- Glove Tanned Deerhide Inner Bottom lining
Leather backed brass rivets at stress points
Heavy duty brass YKK zipper with a leather

Ordering

I ordered this bag from Dustin in June 2016. At the time this specific makeup wasn’t listed on his site. He posted a picture of this bag on Instagram, and I asked him if he could also construct one with the same specs for me. It took around 2 months for the bag to be shipped which was a bit more than the typical few weeks lead time.

The only other regularly stocked Day Bag makeups I had seen available were an unwaxed Duck Canvas/Chromexcel or Ranger Tan Waxed Canvas/Chromexcel.

Two months prior to ordering this bag, I purchased a Day Bag made for North and South Knives (the sold listing is surprisingly still up!). I contacted NSK and was told that the particular bag was a one-off made for them.

One connection I can make is that after I received my first VP bag, the briefcase, every next purchase from VP after had one material in common. In this example, the Day Bag from NSK also was made of Ranger Tan Waxed Canvas like my briefcase, but with a Mohawk Snuff Suede leather instead.

I liked the style of the day bag, and when I found out an olive 37oz waxed canvas one was potentially available, I knew I had to get that one! (Olive is my favorite color). The Ranger Tan Day Bag eventually was given to my now ex-girlfriend.

The Ranger Tan Waxed Canvas/Snuff Mohawk Day Bag a few days after I received it.

For VP’s all leather bags, they offer rolled handles instead of the regular flat handles which is more comfortable (that’s why many women handbags have them!), but you lose the option of the added handgrip. The Day Bag is the only style that does not come with an attached handgrip even though it has flat handles, but I think it fits the design well. The handles are short and unlike female styled tote bags that can be carried over the shoulder, these ones are only long enough to be carried by hand.

The day bag is completely unstructured and tends to collapse if it is empty. The waxed 37oz canvas started off quite rigid but softened up quickly as the wax wore off. On VP’s brand new bags made in the 37oz Heavy Olive Waxed Canvas, you can see that the material is so thoroughly waxed that the canvas shows creasing. The wax on mine has definitely worn off to reveal a lighter olive color underneath!

The Snuff Mohawk leather is my first experience CF Stead’s Tannery which is based in England. CF Stead is known for their suede leather and is used today in well known shoe companies such as Clark’s Originals, Truman Boots, Allen Edmonds, and Wolverine. From other pics of their leather I’ve seen online, their suede isn’t a typical soft consistent suede. They embrace the hide’s marks, scratches, and scars, and they are definitely renowned for that.

On my Day Bag, the Snuff Mohawk is used as the bottom exterior, the side pocket, the handles, and the strap. The Snuff Mohawk is definitely reminds me of roughout leather in terms of its durability and water resilience. It feels a bit waxy and thick. Unlike the VP briefcase whose zipper opening is supported by two parallel, robust leather strips, the day bag does not have that feature. Instead, the zipper is surrounded by just canvas. This tends to make the bag open flop it a bit.

The coolest and my favorite feature on the bag is at the ends of the zipper where there is a Snuff Mohawk leather pull tab reinforced by 4 brass rivets. You can grab onto this tab with your other hand to help stabilize the zipper movement with your other hand. I like this detail of the bag and wished the briefcase had longer pull tabs.

One one side of the bag, there is a midsized pocket leather pocket attached to the canvas. The corners are reinforced by brass rivets. I can’t seem to find much use for this pocket as it’s too small to put documents in and too unsecured to place my phone in. I either wish the pocket was both longer and deeper, had a zippered closure, and/or was on the interior instead.

The interior bottom is lined with soft deerhide leather. I’ve spilled so many forms of liquid in this bag such as water and coffee, and the only the deer lining is still going strong. You can see stains of the liquid but it is only cosmetic. I’ve once spilled nearly a whole liter of water, and none of it penetrated through to the exterior bottom Snuff Mohawk Leather. That shows how well the Snuff Mohawk leather handles water!

The strap attaches to the bag with a D ring on the opposite sides of the bag. What I noticed immediately is that the strap length is much longer than the briefcases’s even at its shortest hole length. I think the longer strap provides you the option of carrying it cross body.

January 2, 2018May 22, 2018

Fluco Shell Cordovan Watch Strap Review

The first watch I purchased myself was in college – a Timex Easy Reader. A simple white watch face that shows the date and also the day which was useful in college haha! I bought a couple of NATO straps to go with it.

However, a problem with watch straps is that they get smelly easily. NATO straps are usually made of nylon and I’d have to scrub them with dishwashing soap at least once a week. The nylon straps emitted a strong odor from the dead skin and body oils that smelled… raunchy? Nylon just seems to absorb these smells quickly.

The reason I chose a shell cordovan watch strap is because shell cordovan is not a skin (like regular cowhide leather) but a fibrous muscle. At the time, what was the “cheapest” shell cordovan watch strap? A hidden gem German company called Fluco.

I purchased an 18mm Fluco Medium Brown Horween Shell Cordovan from eBay for about $73 USD shipped. I remember selecting the “padded” strap option which has flattened down quite significantly. I’m familiar with Horween Shell Cordovan, as we all know and love. The strap brand new started off close to a whiskey caramel color. To this day I haven’t conditioned it with anything… other than my natural skin oils, dirt, faucet water, etc!

Love: Horween leather. Shell Cordovan. Minimal “stretch”. No residual smell. The patina. The price.

Not fond of: Excessive glue spilling out.

The smell is basically non-existant with this shell cordovan watch strap. I’d have to place the strap in front of my nose to smell something. Definitely would recommend this strap! Be sure to order the correct lug size to your watch face!

January 19, 2018May 22, 2018

Viberg Color #8 Chromexcel Service Boot Review

Viberg Color 8 CXL Service Boots

I first heard of Viberg through /r/goodyearwelt. Around 2014, a there were quite fewer number of boot companies around primarily made in the USA – Oak Street Bootmakers Trench Boot, Wolverine 1K Mile Boot, Aldens, etc. Viberg’s sleekness of their service boots and their quality was mentioned several times. Dayton boots also made in Canada were also quite popular (the black nubuck). By then, I already had purchased Alden Indy 403 Brown Chromexcel, Alden Shell Color 8 Captoe Boots, and wanted a boot that was military looking to go with my style at the time.

The 3 main colors of service boots that Viberg had on their site was Black, Brown/Icy Mocha, and Burgundy/Color 8. I actually wanted the Icy Mocha (which looks very similar to natural chromexcel), but the site didn’t have it in stock at the time with no estimated time to restock. Between the black and burgundy CXL, I decided with Color 8 CXL at a total cost of $735 USD including shipping. At the time, I thought this was going to be my one and only Viberg boot, so I wanted it the color and style to be as versatile as possible.

Details

Last: 2030 Last (Canadian Military Officer’s Last)
Size: 9
Color: Color 8 Chromexcel
Style: Service Boot
Specs: Brogued Captoe, Unstructured Toe Box with a contrasting black tongue
Sole: Dainite
Hardware: 7 Brass Eyelets
Price: $735 USD

Sizing:

I had already owned the Alden 403s on the Trubalance Last (9D), and Alden x Jcrew Captoe Boots on the Barrie Last (9D), and was confident I sized correctly in those. The general online consensus is that the 2030 last runs half a size large just like the Barrie and Trubalance. My brannock sizing is 9.5E, so I ordered a size 9.

The boots fit perfectly with thinner dress socks and stretched out comfortably to fit thicker wool socks later.

Impressions/Quality:

I remember the box the boots came in – it was the sturdiest shoe box I had ever felt in my life. Inside came with shoe bags, a handwritten note, and an additional pair of laces. The two pairs of shoelaces included were a flat waxed cotton black shoelace and a brown rawhide leather shoelace.

The depth of the color 8 chromexcel was really beautiful, such a stunning color. I don’t remember seeing any flaws that warranted returning. The black contrasting tongue was very thick but yet still soft. I initially wore them with the black flat waxed laces, but later settled on the rawhide laces. The toebox was unstructured and provided a very sleek/slim look from the top and sides.

I believe this was the first or second boot that had Dainite soles. However, this pair didn’t actually come with Dainite branded soles. It was actually Itshide which is slightly firmer and less flexible. I had problems with some of the lugs chipping off quite early on within the first couple of wears. I’m not sure why Viberg used Itshide soles for this batch, but in later makeups they switched back to Dainite. I like the soles because they’re really sleek, yet provide enough traction in rain to prevent a slip.

Conclusion

After owning them for just about 4 years, I think they were a solid purchase. Now that there are other quality boot competitors (Truman, Junkard, Thursday Boots) that also provide a slim last, it’s quite questionable whether Viberg boots are worth $700+.

At the time I purchased them in 2014, they were the only company that provided a slim look accompanied with an unstructured toebox. Nowadays, Viberg has ventured into wider territory such as using Italian leathers, switching to goodyear welt, no longer producing unstructured toeboxes (I stand clarified by Frank P. @imustbefrank ! Viberg still produces boots with an unstructured toebox, but as of now all the CXL have a structured toe – may change in the future) , no more contrasting tongues. A lot has changed since then. Right now, I’d price these boots at around $500 new. Viberg hasn’t decreased at all in their quality boots, but now with increased competition in the market, they may not be the “best bang for the buck”. In addition, Viberg has held a couple sample sales where you can get a new pair of one-offs for $400 and below once a year. I’ve also been noticing companies being more liberal in placing them at sale prices such as Mr Porter, Superdenim, and Brooklyn Clothing Co.

I think the era of Viberg’s dominance in the market peaked in 2013-2015, and now if I had a brand new footwear wardrobe, I’d look into other options such as Truman boots. However, that’s another day’s discussion!

January 7, 2018May 22, 2018

Thrux Lawrence Drop Dopp Review

Stores that carry different “third party items” such as Railcar Fine Goods located in Monrovia, CA are often my favorite stores to visit. You get to feel the fabrics, pinch the thickness, and smell the aromas of different brands. I’ve been in and out of Railcar Fine Goods a few times, and this dopp kit on the shelving above the Red Wing Boots caught my eye. The listed price on the Railcar tag was 49$ (differs from the brand’s website of $149)

Thrux Lawrence is a company built upon the passion that goods should outlast you. The brand uses a THICK leather (8-9oz Horween leather) instead of the typical 3-4oz that Horween recommends for “bags”, and a 24oz canvas that supposedly is “anti-mildew”. Mildew? I’ve never had that as a problem for dopp kits…

Love: The bottom is leather lined, flesh side on the inside. Spills will leave a patina. Brass rivets. A handle to hang/carry. YKK zippers with a leather pull. Made in the USA.

Not fond of: I pretty much have to graze my hand against the zippered teeth when I reach in due to how robust/sturdy the bag is. Maybe once the leather “softens”, this won’t be as much of a problem! The logo branding is only seen on the interior bottom “#Thrux Lawrence”. The brand font could use some improvement to make it more memorable!

For now, I’m constantly trying to pry the zipper teeth apart to soften it a bit. I’ll use it to carry my camera flash!

One of the unique things about this bag is it has the double stitched leather alongside the zippered opening. The purpose of this is to keep the bag’s opening structure even . You commonly see this used as such on Filson’s Original Briefcases.

January 19, 2018May 22, 2018

Filson Zippered Tote 261 Otter Green Review

In 2012, the Filson Zippered Tote was the first Filson bag I purchased. I knew about the brand because on Reddit shared that the bags are warrantied for life. Looking through the options online, the zippered tote stood out to me because I wanted an everyday bag and not a briefcase at the time. Between the two Filson colors, I went with the tote in Otter Green instead of Tan because the color is more masculine for a guy carrying a tote. The shape of the bag – like a box also helps with that.

I was living in Cupertino, CA at the time and the closest retailer was Doms Outdoor Goods, one of the largest Filson approved stockists in the US, and it was located in Livermore, CA. The other closest stockist was all the way in San Francisco, Unionmade Goods, but they only stocked the tan color according to their website and my experience visiting the store in the past.

I called Doms beforehand to ask if they had a Filson 261 in OT in stock. The associate went to go physically check and he responded there was 1 left on the shelf! I decided to take a trip spontaneously that day to buy it. So after a 1 hour drive to Livermore, I ended up purchasing it for about $130.

A bit of history about the change of ownership that happened recently. Filson started producing luggage only in the ~1980s to early 90s and before that only clothing. The first zippers they used on their luggage were “Talon zippers”. Most of the Filson affectionados today desire bags with Talon zippers because they were really smooth, and the zipper teeth were no joke, very little, if any, of zipper failure. If you have a bag with Talon zippers, it for sure was manufactured in the 90s. Later in the 2000s filson switched over to YKK branded zippers. YKK zippers were also solid, they’re a well known zipper company based in Japan. They continued with these zippers to about 2010. Around that time Filson the company was sold to Bedrock Manufacturing, a company that also owns Fossil and Shinola Detroit. Since the 2010s Filson started using their own branded “Filson” zippers which likely were just YKK zippers. In my experience, they worked just as well.

However, the major changes in quality over the years was most prominent in the bridle leather used and not so much the zippers and twill canvas. If you had a Talon era bag and Filson era bag (today’s) and compared the leather, the Talon bag’s leather was significantly better in quality. The Talon leather aged to a lightened chestnut color, was thicker, and also felt robust in weight. The recent Filson “bridle leather” doesn’t feel like leather, cracks more easily, and the backside is typically unfinished and fuzzy. The current leather feels more like “foam” and not leather. The leather also wrinkles very easily in an unattractive manner and does not lighten with color over time.

All of this information I learned much later after I had owned a few more Filson bags. Filson bags are still ‘buy it for life’ bags because they still have a lifetime guarantee regardless of when/who you purchased it from. When you send the bag in for repair, they will either repair it or replace it with a brand new same bag if they deem it not worth the repairs (time/cost of repairing that bag outceeds the time/cost of producing a new bag). The only situation of a Filson garment/bag that is not under lifetime warranty is items purchased from a Filson outlet. These bags are indicated with a “X” on top of the Filson logo, and Filson will literally not touch these garments/bags, and will send it right back to you.

So back to my Filson 261 Otter Green tote, I’ll now talk about the design. There are 4 large outer pockets with 2 of them on the functioning as water bottle pockets. Each of them are large enough to fit my 32oz Hydro Flask. Other uses include an umbrella, sunglasses case. The two longer pockets are great for papers/documents, quick access things. In one of these pockets there’s a small key clip on the inside. I don’t find it useful because it’s too short.

January 23, 2018May 22, 2018

One Star Leather Park Sloper Senior Notebook Wallet Review

One Star Leather Park Sloper Senior

I started journaling in 2011 in a Moleskine Cahier / Field Notes size notebook. My thoughts back then were that I wanted a canvas to jot my thoughts and ideas, and I felt using a phone to do that appeared too oblivious to others. When you see someone using their thumbs on their phone, you likely think they’re texting someone, but if you see someone writing in a notebook, you think elegance and sophistication.

A lot of my Moleskin Cahier sized notebooks were roughed up on the edges with the notebook spine almost fraying apart. My first notebook cover was purchased from Renaissance Art in ‘Flight Jacket’ Cover. Just a simple leather stitched notebook cover with a sleeve for the front and back of the notebook.

I used that for some time along with a Saddleback ID wallet for my everyday carry. I would jot down my workout numbers, notes from a sermon, and grocery lists. But the biggest issue that I had with the cover is that I’d often fumble finding my pen in the bag. I wanted a cover that integrated a pen slot with it. Lo and behold, the company that popped up after a Google Search of “moleskine cahier cover with pen slot” was One Star Leather Goods. I didn’t “need” the card slots as I had another wallet at the time, but it was attractive anyway. At the time in 2013, there was only one review online of it, mentioning that Keegan, the owner of One Star Leather, suggested a Natural Chromexcel exterior and a Hermann Oak leather interior for the card slots. This way, the Chromexcel will age and develop a patina beautifully with time and the Hermann Oak leather will minimize card stretch. I browsed through One Star Leather’s Etsy site and found the exact same makeup!

Park Sloper Senior without the notebook — Park Sloper Senior interior

Details

Cost: $141.00 including shipping

Ordered on 11/17/2013

Park Sloper Senior can fit a Moleskin Cahier or Field Notes or other similarly sized notebooks. The Parker Sloper Sr has a pen sleeve on the exterior that is designed to swallow the whole pen including the clip. In later versions, Keegan added the option to remove the pen slot.

Exterior: Horween Natural Chromexcel Leather

Interior card slot leather: Hermann Oak Brown Leather

Interior slot for folded bills or receipts

Initial Impressions

The Chromexcel leather had a overwhelming smell of quality leather and had great pullup leather quality. Natural Chromexcel started as a light brown color with much variation in color and darkened with use. The pen I was using at the time was a Zebra F-701 Stainless Steel Retractable Pen and the pen slot was large enough to swallow the whole pen. Two logos were present, one on the inside between the card slots, and the other stamped on the inside back. I liked that the logos were not gaudy or present on the outside, just subtle.

The Brown Hermann Oak leather I chose for the card slots was more rigid, lacking pullup quality, but stretched a lot less than Chromexcel. Even though I had a wallet at the time, I tested the card slots by stacking many cards, perhaps up to 4 cards each. Also, the stitching and thread were very well performed without any crookedness/misalignment.

To this day, I went through a lot of Moleskin Cahiers, perhaps up to 12, and the Park Sloper wallet held up very well. The natural Chromexcel darkened quite quickly and absorbed denim bleed. More than 4 years with it, I feel that the color has saturated and won’t get any darker. I never used the Park Sloper primarily as a wallet, but as a notebook cover instead. I would sometimes keep a few rarely used cards in the cover because I wanted to slim down my primary wallet. In the jeans I wore at the time, the Park Sloper with a pen fit comfortably in my back pocket.

There was later occasion where I switched over to a Parker Jotter pen which was significantly thinner. Because the pen sleeve had stretched out, if I turned the wallet upside down, the Parker Jotter would fall out. I remedied this issue by wetting the whole pen sleeve with water and taking a hairdryer on high to it. The chromexcel leather shrunk and then the sleeve only stretched out to the slimmer size.

Pull-up leather quality on the Horween Natural CXL

The only other notebook cover I purchased after was a Loyal Stricklin Edison Wallet in Honey Harness leather. The total price for this wallet including shipping was $147.03. I initially purchased this wallet because I saw a pictures of a beautiful patinaed version by @har.bach on IG. A few differences I would note from this wallet: the pen sleeve instead is on the interior which creates additional thickness, and it has 3 vertical card slots instead of horizontal. When I used all the card slots, they would overlap and create too much thickness. In conclusion, the Edison Wallet ended up being too “thick” especially when it was in my back pocket, and I retired it after a few months. The quality and stitching of the wallet was on point though! I loved the patina created from the Wickett & Craig harness leather.

Conclusion

I love the One Star Leather Park Sloper wallet just as much as the same day I received it. The leather has darkened significantly, but has varying tones in direct sunlight. I like that the pen slot is on the exterior because it doesn’t add that much more thickness when it’s in your rear pant pocket. I now use a Tactile Turn Glider Pen in Titanium which is a lot thicker than the Zebra, so I actually place the pen clip on the exterior (I really don’t want to risk tearing the pen slot) . I would absolutely recommend this notebook cover if you’re looking for a field notes sized wallet with a pen sleeve. I tried searching for alternatives, but none other have sufficed as well as this design!