Best 21oz denim?

mendelboaz · Aug 27, 2014

Hi gents, I'm looking to buy my first pair of 21oz jeans. I've always worn cheap, regular jeans found in fashion stores in town. Think Levis, Garcia, Chasin', Cars, etc. Most are kids brand and you've probably never heard of them. I want to up the ante and buy a high-quality, heavy duty pair of 21oz jeans that will last me a very long time. I'm interested in the Unbranded Brand UB221 as they look nice, are 21oz and cheap compared to Iron Heart. Can anyone speak for the quality of these jeans and recommend some more high end 21oz jeans, and perhaps name the top manufacturer of all?

Your knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

handymike · Aug 27, 2014

Sloan has a pair of Unbranded...
But if possible, you should try before buying!
I was enthusiastic about the whole "Heavy" denim thing for a bit, but after trying on a bunch of jeans at Self Edge I've come to realize that I like the 16oz stuff the best. Still quite substantial, but not burdensome.
Test the waters if you can. Most of the heavier stuff is quite pricey. See if its for you befor you pay.

mendelboaz · Aug 27, 2014

Sadly, 21oz jeans aren't offered in my country so I'll have to buy "blindly", so to speak. I think I'm up for the challenge, though. I like my jackets heavy so I'll probably like my jeans heavy as well.

Gobble · Aug 27, 2014

Gustin have some 23oz going at the moment but I think that as you are in Europe by the time you pay customs it may not be worth the price discount that they offer. That aside I wouldn't advise going with gustin's more expensive jeans first, you need to get your size and style figured out with them on a cheaper pair.

Sloan1874 · Aug 27, 2014

Ub's are nice, though I find the metalwork a bit 'agricultural' (I'm surprised I haven't cut my thumbs on the buttons) and the low rise makes them a bit hard to wear with a waisted jacket such as a half-belt or Irvin. They were fine for the money, and good starting point if you're just wanting to try heavy denim.

Plumbline · Aug 27, 2014

With jeans "fit" is the key ... they need to fit how you like them ..... I find this a MUCH more fit orientated decision than a jacket for example where an inch either way usually doesn't bother me .... but in jeans, i'd never wear them.

I only ever had one pair of really heavy Iron Hearts ( for all of about 3 days) ... bought on ebay and sold on ebay within three days of receipt. I simply didn't like them at all too heavy and like wearing bike trousers. I have found my ideal jeans though, I'm an Edwin ED-47 guy ... they fit me and I have half a dozen pair or so. I'd encourage you to find your fit then buy ... otherwise be prepared for a LOT of trial and error ( liek I did).

HTH

mendelboaz · Aug 27, 2014

Dang... All of my jackets are short jackets (HWM, Schott Perfecto, cafe racer jackets). Will these jackets look bad with a pair or UBs? Or is it just 'hard to pull off'?

mowgli222 · Aug 27, 2014

I have a pair of UB221's and like them. However they are low rise as Sloan mentioned and also shrunk quite a bit in the inseam when I soaked them after I first got them..

Here are a couple pictures when I firt put them on after a soak.

schitzo · Aug 27, 2014

Medelboaz what is your preferred fit?

I've got slim iron hearts in 21oz and slim/straight Lee 101s in 23oz. Once you've worn them a bit you forget they're 'heavyweight' and they just feel like good jeans. Then when you put your 501s back on you feel them for what they are i.e. flimsy cheap crap.

'Break in' for heavier jeans cannot be compared to breaking in a heavweight jacket. For me the Lee's were totally comfortable in just a few weeks. Perhaps because you leave them on longer the process is accelerated. My view here is find out the fit you want, find out your correct size and then don't cheap out. No point in half measures so you should definitely go for some that are 21oz or above

Sloan1874 · Aug 27, 2014

I'll take a pic wearing them with one of my shorter jackets.

mendelboaz · Aug 27, 2014

Very nice looking jeans, mowgli! Are those boots Wolverine 1000 Miles?

Come to think of it a lot of my jeans might be low rise. Some are left overs from a couple of years ago, and as a teenager you tend to like low rise jeans. They look fine to me with all of my jackets. However, I'm not sure they're low rise. Thank you for taking the time to take pics, Craig.

Schitzo, I prefer slim to straight cut. The UB221s are "tapered" so they're something inbetween. I can also pull off skinny jeans, I don't think they look half bad. Iron Hearts are a bit out of my price range atm I think, and Lee 101s in 23 oz have been discontinued I believe.

Edward · Aug 27, 2014

According to Aero both Lee and Wrangler have cut or are cutting their high waist models. I've been tempted to try sone heavies, but the affordable options to date are all too low and narrow for me. Pity Aero haven't subcontracted their own a lathe Aero Clothing line. If they were as goods as their cords...

Plumbline · Aug 27, 2014

Don't even think nthey'd have to sub-contract .. I've got horsehide bike jeans from Aero and the pattern isn't too bad ( although I needed zips fitted to accomodate my bike boots) but they're not far off a good jean pattern and have all the tools ........

schitzo · Aug 27, 2014

mendelboaz said:
Schitzo, I prefer slim to straight cut. The UB221s are "tapered" so they're something inbetween. I can also pull off skinny jeans, I don't think they look half bad. Iron Hearts are a bit out of my price range atm I think, and Lee 101s in 23 oz have been discontinued I believe.

idk man, seems like you've got money for jackets that cost thrice as much!

Like with everything else, no one's giving away free lunch and if you pay a bit less expect to receive a bit less. I strongly advise that you re-prioritise this acquisition and get something really good first time out. If it takes a little longer to accumulate the funds so be it. I think Iron Hearts are a good bet for several reasons. 1) They've got all types of fit covered, 2) They're well put together and the denim is very good (view the pic of Davs on my 'Your height and the length of your A2' thread to see how they fade, 3) Sanforized IHs will barely shrink if at all, and 4) For just £10 extra IH will chain stitch hem them to your desired length.

You're right, the Lees have been discontinued. A while back there were some in the sale though and I managed to nab a couple of back up pairs for £110 (half price) and for £75! That was a good day's trading

Edward · Aug 27, 2014

Plumbline said:
Don't even think nthey'd have to sub-contract .. I've got horsehide bike jeans from Aero and the pattern isn't too bad ( although I needed zips fitted to accomodate my bike boots) but they're not far off a good jean pattern and have all the tools ........

Fair point, actually... I suppose it depends how far they want to diversify from leather. The impression I had was that aside from the wool Waterfront, and the wool / leather mix jackets, they're outsourcing the other stuff to keep as many hands on the jacket-sewing machines as possible. They're obviously not shy of orders, even if they have gotten the waitlist down to a biref three months and are able to start putting together a few jackets for off-the-rack sales. I'd have thought denim's a risky game to get into in this niche market; it's already well covered by a lot of other options, and there's no way a small, niche company could pump them pout at a price that could compete with the likes of a monster like Levis, especially paying European labour prices.

I didn't try the leather trews on there (I'm far too far the wrong side of twenty-five and not Jim Morrison for leather trousers), though I imagine they'd be a good pattern for those who prefer a neater fit in denim (bearing in mind the last thing you need on a bike is flapping leather that rides up in a spill). I suspect I'd still need wider in the leg. They'd definitely make a cracking pair of jeans, though, if they wanted to.

mendelboaz · Aug 27, 2014

schitzo said:
idk man, seems like you've got money for jackets that cost thrice as much!

Like with everything else, no one's giving away free lunch and if you pay a bit less expect to receive a bit less. I strongly advise that you re-prioritise this acquisition and get something really good first time out. If it takes a little longer to accumulate the funds so be it. I think Iron Hearts are a good bet for several reasons. 1) They've got all types of fit covered, 2) They're well put together and the denim is very good (view the pic of Davs on my 'Your height and the length of your A2' thread to see how they fade, 3) Sanforized IHs will barely shrink if at all, and 4) For just £10 extra IH will chain stitch hem them to your desired length.

You're right, the Lees have been discontinued. A while back there were some in the sale though and I managed to nab a couple of back up pairs for £110 (half price) and for £75! That was a good day's trading

LOL, yeah, you're right... I have so many things planned to do with my money that it's getting harder & harder to add stuff to the list. But you're right, you get what you pay for. Those Iron Hearts look very fine and very dandy. Model IH-634S is in the headlights. How long do these typically last?

devilish · Aug 27, 2014

Samurai do the heavy denim thing better than anyone else out there. They offer a variety of weights 19, 21, 23 and 25oz. All in a wide range of cuts. If you want a nice 'vintage' looking straight cut with a good rise then the 510 in 21oz is a great choice. 710 is a slimmer (but not skinny) tapered cut and the 19oz denim is beautiful. 5000 is a straight cut with a lower rise and comes in both 21 and 25oz. They aren't cheap but the quality is at the top of the tree. They are raw and unsanforized so you'll have to do the shrink to fit thing but they shrink to tagged size so buy true to size and it's not as scary as it can seem.

mowgli222 · Aug 27, 2014

The boots are Red Wing Iron Rangers in Amber Harness..

mendelboaz said:
Very nice looking jeans, mowgli! Are those boots Wolverine 1000 Miles?

Flat Foot Floey · Aug 27, 2014

mendelboaz said:
Sadly, 21oz jeans aren't offered in my country so I'll have to buy "blindly", so to speak. I think I'm up for the challenge, though. I like my jackets heavy so I'll probably like my jeans heavy as well.

Are you sure? I've read about denim stores in Amsterdam and Rotterdam several times. I forgot the names but you sure would find them via google. I just tried it.

PS: There are "store locators" for different brands that might help you. A search with brand name or "selvedge denim" and the name of the nearest big city should do it too though.

Sloan1874 · Aug 27, 2014

My Ub21oz with my Irvin:

Best 21oz denim?

One Too Many

One Too Many

New in Town

I'll Lock Up

One Too Many

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

Suspended

I'll Lock Up

One Too Many

One Too Many

Suspended

One Too Many

A-List Customer

One of the Regulars

My Mail is Forwarded Here

I'll Lock Up

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