If Iron Heart jeans are very fade resistant, that sound right up my alley. I much prefer a very clean, fresh look to dark indigo denim, and it always bugs me when jeans fade noticeably.
I know 634 is their flagship model and meant to be straight leg, but for me fit more like straight baggy pants. Even bought a pair of their 666, which is meant to be slim fit, it was more straight leg for me. If you are shaped like me, I highly recommend trying on their 888. The fit is amazing!
To be honest about the fit- I actually really like it. Straight fit is the most classic and I think it flatters the calf area especially for runners with big legs like me! It’s coming back too!
@@Stridewise Just subscribe to your channel. In New Zealand it's impossible to find proper Japanese denim and USA made heritage work boots. It wasn't until I went overseas that I got my first pair of Red Wings. If I want denim I usually buy from Cultizm, Denimio, or Global Rakuten. Keep up the good work mate! By the way you following the Rugby World Cup?
That's a surprise to me. I wonder why Iron Heart doesn't offer kevlar or pockets for padding. I ended up getting Rokkertech jeans for riding because I didn't trust my 21-oz Iron Heart.
Nice that he had that in mind, but cotton is absolutely worthless in a slide, no matter how thick it is, as proven in tests. Luckily plenty of actual motorcycle riding gear brands (Dianese, Alpinestars, Fox, etc) make jeans with aramid (Kevlar) fibers that look like regular denim but perform better than leather, both in how they hold up in a slide and how they breath on warm days. That said, iron heart denin does look great for walking around in. ✌
Honestly, for me... anything above 16oz is a heavy weight denim. I think a good commercial everyday weight is 14oz, this is subjective of course. I have two pairs of 21oz jeans and they're beasts that definitely require work to break-in. They've all produced nice fades. For care, I soak in cold water (dark woolite) for 30 minutes, then hang dry. Wash if they're visibly dirty or smell.
Naked and Famous has some lightweight denim, I think they call it featherweight. I only fit into their easy guy denim and I don't love the look tateandyoko.com/collections/naked-and-famous/products/naked-famous-denim-easy-guy-summer-breeze-selvedge?variant=15888898261066
Naked and Famous has some lightweight denim, I think they call it featherweight. I only fit into their easy guy denim and I don't love the look tateandyoko.com/collections/naked-and-famous/products/naked-famous-denim-easy-guy-summer-breeze-selvedge?variant=15888898261066
Another great review. I'm working on a pair of the 21oz IHs at the moment and loving the process. As you say, they take a while, but the results can be pretty awesome once they start giving up the indigo and those turquoise fades start coming out. I was actually talking with Haraki-san from IH a few weeks ago about this and he's not into high-contrast fades whatsoever (which is ironic as you often see wickedly-faded Iron Hearts in fade contests and such). They actually treat their 21oz jeans with a kind of fade-resistant *something* so I guess I've got my work cut out for me. Anyways, great stuff as usual! Looking forward to more.
Yeah I hear conflicting things about how Iron Hearts fade, some get high contrast but some don't. Was hard to talk about in the video. Good luck on the. 21oz - especially in summer!
They still fade. The fade resistant treatment almost makes them fade with better contrast. The best fades happen slow, I've been wearing my 21 oz 633's for a year and they literally have pure white creases and fades and the non faded parts still look dark and brand new. If that isn't high contrast, I don't know what is.
+Jéan Nelson, Iron Heart should definitely last for ever. My friend let his girlfriend stub her cigarette out on his 25'oz jeans when their were no ashtrays at a party and it did not even leave a mark on the denim. He thinks that they would be ideal for welding, but due to their cost he has not tried them out yet. LOL
Please do more English boots Nick, like Trickers, Crocket and Jones, Edward Green and John Lobb. The English make some of the best shoes/boots in the world. Anyway, great review as always :)
@@Stridewise I agree with you, however, the quality is outstanding. Loakes are considered on the 'lower end' of the boot spectrum, especially the non-1880 versions. Although, it would still be a nice review either way and are a good price point for those who are looking for decent quality without the big prices.
Good objective review bro (as objective as one can be during a subjective review 😉). My opinion, the Iron Heart 25oz fabric is much more interesting than the 21oz or less. ESPECIALLY after breaking in. I have broke in several 25oz, and none compare to the time and energy required for my Iron Hearts 666-XHS. It took approximately a year. Boy oh boy, once broken in with high contrast fades, they demand attention anywhere you go 👖🙌
Haha yeah I mean reviews are subjective, right? People get mad at me for giving my opinion sometimes but like, that's what reviews are. I'd like to try the ultra super duper heavyweight jeans some time. Got any pics of the fade after a year? How often did you wash them?
Stridewise I think a good review uses mixed methodology, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative information. I see some reviews that simply state if a person “likes” a product. But I want to be INFORMED about the product, much like you did. The history, the production, the details, and from there transitioning into the reviewers opinion of the product, backed by some type of experience with similar products. I wore them for a year straight, exploring from Kentucky to Alaska, without a single wash. I do have pictures.
Man, you should try another indonesian brand. I think warpweft company have 2 kind of fit. Slim straight and slim tapered. Maybe you should try the slim tapered one
Awesome review. It's cool to see some denim as well as boots. Are you into denim jackets at all? It would be cool to see some reviews for jackets as well if that's something you'd wear
I wasn't aware they still made the 633's. Like you, my ass & thighs make picking a fit difficult but I read the reviews and finally bought a pair of IH 555's in the 21oz. These jeans are no joke but after a few weeks of hard wear I love them. They're more comfortable than my Nudies and N&F after the break in. I want to try PBJ next but we'll see.
James Cooper was the fit around your butt and thighs roomy enough for you? The 633 was the direction I was thinking about going, but the 555’s where the other contender. I just was uncertain how snug they’d be in those areas.
Great vid. I've just recently started skimming the surface of the Denim world. Would love to hear your thoughts on Raleigh Denim Works! Keep up the stellar work mate!
Me too. And I live in Raleigh...so I'll be paying them a visit soon. They got into this game probably over a decade ago; at least that's when I first heard of them. I saw the owner speak at a Sparkcon presentation (it's a yearly festival of ideas in Raleigh) sometime around 2009 and their model sounded fantastic. Sadly, the mill from which they sourced their denim , in Greensboro, NC, has closed. It was owned by Wilbur Ross---current US Sec'y of Commerce. Probably the best thing he's done was to save the mill for many years after purchasing it. Sadly, it closed in 2018.
The 633”N” is ONLY made in 17oz as an exclusive for Self Edge. I’m not sure how you got confused during your purchase and thought it was “20oz.” Also, Iron Heart is most well known for their 21oz sanforized denim - it’s their flagship material and one of the industries’ best - however it’s not a natural indigo dye. You mentioned the natural indigo as a bonus for this brand a great number of times and it’s somewhat irrelevant because Iron Heart typically does not use a natural indigo material. Iron Hearts are stubborn faders across their entire range so you still make a great point there. The last thing I’m confused on is your use of the word “rigid.” Iron Hearts are NOT rigid. They are tough. Very, very tough. But they are faaaaar from rigid.
Iron heart UK has a price tag that is twice as much as the Original Japanese Iron heart. Basically, they are a retailer that purchase their products from IH Japan in bulk and sells 2 times the price.
I’m a year late, but had to comment. In my experience, my 21oz OD frayed very fast at the crease of the cuff and was already getting a hole in the crotch < 1 year. I’m a physical therapist and wear these 1-2x/week. It’s a physical job, but not to the extent of construction work. The fabric and fit is terrific, but the longevity is sorely lacking. I get the devotion to denim, darning and patching and what not, but to have 400$ jeans already developing holes and tears with moderate use is BS. I’ll continue to buy from another supplier with Chinese denim, that’s 1/3 the cost, and their products have lasted well into 2 years with no fraying/holes.
I’ve had mine for 5 years, zero fade. Kinda disappointing. You’d have to live in them for a year, and I mean live in them literally, to get any whiskering.
Ok, the 777 21oz are starting to fade. That’s what I needed, a little hope. And so of course I bought another pair, 555 21oz this time with a much shorter inseam for no-cuff duty, or small cuff for loafers. I’m really loving these, I just needed to wear them exclusively and be more patient.
@@drzaius844 the jacket is doing great. not a whole lot of fading as jackets take longer but it has softened up a bit more. Actually had it shortened in the sleeves and length.
Thank you for your super helpful and informative videos! I too have the IH633N’s from Self Edge. I agree they feel great on. Seeing we have pretty similar body shapes, may I ask what jeans in your collection do you think are the MOST flattering for your body? I struggle finding cuts that make me not look super TUBBS! Any insight is much appreciated!! PS: Would love to see a review on some Wesco Job Masters or Engineer Boots, or more Whites reviews! I love my 350 Cutters!
Thanks Erik! I think the best is Pure Blue Japan's NP-019. I've also go some Samurais but I'm away from New York and can't get the number for you just yet. Momotaro's G015-MZ also quite good!
Stridewise Much appreciated. I’ll give PB and MMTaros a try soon. Would greatly appreciate the Samurai number when you get a chance. Safe travels back!
I know that these brands like ironheart, naked and famous, and tanuki have nice finishing and different fits but I will only buy Bravestar and Gustin denim.
Looking to buy my first pair of Raw denim,out of all the many brands,would you say Iron heart is the best quality,durability,longevity wise,i want to go with either a Japanese company or US company,i was looking at Leftfield NYC,ironheart or a brand called momotoro i believe its called.i just subed to your channel.
Iron Heart jeans are extremely great and hold there value nicely, however, diving head first into the raw denim market with Iron heart as your first pair might not be the best idea. Raw denim is extremely different from the normal 98% cotton 2% elastane that most jeans are made of nowadays- really no forgiveness/comfort in Raw Denim at first. Brands i would check out - 3x1, 3Sixteen, RRL, Nudies, Naked and Famous, Brave Star, Raleigh Denim Workshop and Levis Vintage Clothing. Most of the ones listed are American made. If you're looking for Japanese Jeans though- The Flat Head, Sugar Cane, Pure Blue Japan, Dry Bones, Real McCoy and Oni are very reputable IMO. I find that Japanese Jeans often have a shorter rise and tighter fit in the thigh area, i believe this is due to the Japanese demographic being shorter in stature compared to the American Demographic. I'm around 6'" 140 pounds and Japanese jeans are often tricky for me. Definitely start with a cheaper brand and see how they work for you before spending $300+ on brave hearts! Many brands that are around $120-200 are up to par with that of Iron Heart!
@@Stridewise I like iron hearts over all, I don’t think I’m into the slubby look tho haha have you heard of Imogene and Willy? If so do you have any opinions on them you could share?
@@Stridewise Hey, thanks for the reply. I wouldn't have guessed that Brooks Brothers would sell a workshirt style like that, but I see that their Red Fleece line has a lot of similar stuff.
Dude I see what you mean about not being able to squat LOL but I'm much skinnier than you. hopefully my 25 oz that I order will allow me to have full range of motion LOL
Oh those are Rider, they're great! Did a video on 'em here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uHLI9cebvLs.html (and you get a discount code)