Want - North Sea Clothing "The Expedition"

Though it's supposed to be summer and I should probably be looking for shorts and, God forbid, t-shirts, I can't help thinking about buying something, that I feel, I should have bought a long time ago; The Expedition sweater from North Sea Clothing.

It's made in England (by a family owned company in Nottinghamshire) and it's roughly based on a sweaters, that was issued by the royal navy during the First and Second World War. Something some people might not like is the high content of natural lanolin in the wool, which makes it rather water repellent, but it also has a very special smell, which some people can't stand and some people enjoy. I belong in the later category. From good people, whose opinion I trust, I've heard, that the quality is impeccable and that it's a sweater, that will last you a very long time.

Honestly, that brass anchor button and the shawl collar are just crazy nice details.

READ MORE - Want - North Sea Clothing "The Expedition"

Gung Ho

One thing I learned, when I started getting into menswear and clothing in general, as opposed to more fashion oriented clothing, is that quality doesn't always come with premium  price. Sometimes you do pay for that extra good fabric, some specific details or something being actualy handsewn, but it is possible to obtain well-made products at a surprisingly - or embarrassingly - low price.

This is the case with Earl's Apparel (which I'm pretty sure also covers the brands Gung Ho and Stan Ray), which is made in the US. Their workwear products have long been a mainstay in Japan (where I discovered them a long time ago), but now they are making an entrance in the US in more reputable shops like Hickoree's and Archival Clothing. 

The fit may no be for all, as it looks a bit roomy, however I think the price is something, that appeals to all and personally there is one detail, that I'm just crazy about; and that is the felled outseam. Having thighs like tree trunks myself, I find, that a lot of pants look like they're busting at the seams, especially when sitting down. However that felled outseam prevents just that. Again, a small detail that very few notices, but it makes a hell of a difference to me. You just don't see that many company making pants with that detail and if I could, I would.

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Fabric Knowledge - Ventile

colourswatch of available Ventile colours

I figured, that doing some small features on some very iconic fabrics, would help generate some knowledge and create an appreciation of good fabrics and well-made clothing.

The first fabric I would like to write about is Ventile.

The fabric Ventile was developed by Scientists at the Shirley Institute during the Second World War. But the idea was spawned in the 30's, when the British government feared, that there would be a shortage of flax, which was used for fire hoses among other things. So they decided to find a way to use cotton instead and that is how they invented Ventile.

Ventile is a hard wearing all cotton fabric, that is made of tightly woven long staple cotton fibres. Ventile is known to be both waterproof and windproof - and it's not on account of the breathability. The waterproofness is created because the cotton fibres expand when they become wet making no room for the water to penetrate. So Ventile is not waterproofed through a coating of some kind of wax, membrane or other coating, which is also why it never looses its waterproof abilities with wear.

Ventile is a favourite amongst hunters and naturalists because it is a very silent material. It produces no noise because it being all cotton. This is quite a contrast compared to synthetic and membrane fabrics like Gore-Tex, which can feel like walking around with Einstürzende Neubauten in the shape of a jacket. Besides the silent quality it is very tear-resistant and it doesn't catch fire easily. 

There are three grades of Ventile and they are intended for some rather specific uses. Ventile has generally been used in many situations throughout history. It has a long history in the military, on polar expeditions and it was used in the first successful climbs of both Annapurna and Everest. Unfortunately it is only made in one specific mill in the UK called Talbot Weaving, hence making the availability sparse and the price very high.

I have seen some beautiful jackets in Ventile from Beaver of Bolton (a lesser known brilliant English maker of country clothing),  clothes by Wings+Horns and Outlier, but I think some of the best have been made by Nigel Cabourn - the master of outerwear. This is of course mostly in a fashion context. I didn't include any actual military jackets, though I know the RAF smock is very appreciated.

Ventile and all kinds of goodness - Coyote fur trim,  goosedown filling, Riri zipper, and sheepskin lining

Harris Tweed with Ventile patches

In the Yuketen x Cabourn collaboration. Classic Yuketen Hunting boot (which are also deadly silent on concrete btw) with Ventile accents

READ MORE - Fabric Knowledge - Ventile

Viberg Ripple Sole Oxford

I've been advocating for Superdenim before, and I'll probably be doing it again, as they are doing very, very well. At the moment they are starying a bit off the path, that they followed to begin with, which is good in a way, but I just never hope, that they stop carrying hard-to-find Japanese brands like The Real McCoy's.

I have also praised the Oxford model from Viberg before. It's beautiful, extremely well-made and very wearable.

So when I saw, that Superdenim had just released 4 new Oxfords, I got pretty excited. Each and everyone of them could easily become a wardrobe stable with me and m, however the price might just prove to be a stumbling block.

My favourite is - of course - the one with the ripple sole (by Vibram), which is quite in mode at the moment, but very few people realize, that it dates back to the 50's and was used in the US army. The Ripple Sole was also used on some nice Viberg make-ups for both Inventory and Leffot. 

Other than the sole it features some very nice details such as the brass eyelets on the rough out suede and the laces are some of the nicest ever.

I have some personal information about the Viberg Oxford, that I would really like to share, however this will happen sometime next week..

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Crafts - Selvage Denim Laundry Bag

Some time ago I bought several yards of selvage denim from Cone Mills in the US. I passed some on to a friend and the rest have just been sitting in the basement waiting for me to do something about it. Well, I haven't found the courage to make more jeans, though I have done that in the past and I will do so again in the future, so today I spent some hours making one handsome laundry bag with the caring guidance and help from my girlfriend. Or actually it was more of a collaborative effort.

I decided to make this piece out of necessity. I needed something to stow my laundry away in, but I couldn't find anything I liked. But I remember seeing some laundry bags from the American army or rather the navy which were made of a thin denim - possibly chambray. So they were the inspiration for me on this piece, which is why I will possibly add some stencils, once I get around to buying some stencil ink. I already have some amazing Hanson brass stencils, that I would like to use.

For the bag we used some selvage denim (broken twill of approximately 14-15 oz) from Cone Mills, some vintage nylon fabric (I think the term is beaver nylon), a couple of solid brass grommets, some good rope and it was assembled on the Singer 222, that I received some time ago. The same thread was used throughout the project and it was a Saba 50 by Amann - unfortunately not the Rasant type of thread, which I have had troubles finding a good source for.

I did most of the sewing, which is why the stitching isn't entirely straight, though it is pretty good, if I may say so. 

It was the first project I ever did on the 222, and I have to say, it has surpassed my expectations. It plows through whatever you throw at it, and it isn't even an industrial grade sewing machine, but I guess they just made some things better in the old days.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the process, but the light in the basement was poor, so I didn't bother taking that many. Furthermore I was too focused on keeping up with the pace of my girlfriend (who is a tailor's apprentice and has a degree in pattern making), that I found myself forgetting to document the process in pictures.

In short, the bag is made from selvage to selvage across the fabric. Then the grommets were set, but before doing so the leather reinforcements were put in. After that the drawstring hem was sewed, and the sides were connected. We intended to do a flat felled seam, but some miscalculations were made, so it was just a felled seam. Lastly the bottom piece was put in. I decided on the orange fabric because I felt it was a nice contrast to the denim, and orange colour had a navy-ish feel to it. Furthermore I'm sure it will last a bit longer, as it wears harder than the denim and it sheds water. I'm pretty sure that this bag will last a lifetime and improve with wear.

The rope was put in and the ends of the rope was secured with some melted beeswax. This is a very practical way of ensuring the rope doesn't unravel and furthermore it smells deliciously. What I hadn't anticipated was that the rope is already taken on some bleeding from the denim. I'm sure this will get beautiful in some time.

The design is basically too simple to be called design. It is very functional and it will carry a months worth of laundry and possibly more.

You can see the pics in a slightly better resolution on ATD's Flickr. 

And lastly, I would like to thank my girlfriend for the help and support - I'm glad you decided to give my old sewing machine a go, even though you are used to industrial grade sewing machines, which are probably a lot better and easier to use. You did one hell of a job here and I will treasure this bag for a long time and honour it by throwing my dirty clothes in it.

READ MORE - Crafts - Selvage Denim Laundry Bag

"My First Watch" by Rasmus Jakobsen

I'm a watch enthusiast. It was a quartz-diver from Citizen that sparked my passion approximately 10 years ago. I was on my way into the military, on a 12-month self-chosen conscription with Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Life Guards), and of course I had to have a watch with me  that could withstand the hardships in the field. I was born as a gear-freak, so it felt like an obvious move.

I spent a long time looking for the perfect watch, and it was probably due to Frømandskorpset (the amphibious attack and infiltration unit in the Danish Defence) that I ended up with a Citizen, as they used this particular watch in service. I figured, if it was good enough for them, it was probably good enough for me.

Unfortunately I had to face the fact, that the investment of around DKR 3000, which was a great deal of money for me back then, had made a impression on me too big to handle. This meant, I could not even in my wildest dreams imagine it being used - or rather abused - during military service when I finally got the damn watch,. And with this new realization I of course had to put the watch away in a closet and let go of the idea of me being equal to the guys of Frømandskorpset.

But the experience got me going. It was obviously not an infatuation with the movement, as the diver was an quartz, but the solid construction and high reliability of the clock fascinated me to such an extent, that I began absorbing an enormous amount of knowledge on military watches - with the diver being the absolute starting point.

My interest in watches has never declined. Much has happened since my innocent love for a quartz-model, but the fascination of these small wonders is alive and well. Today I concentrate solely on mechanical watches (automatics and hand-wounds). I still geek military watches (and even to great lengths), although I now have moved on to sports and dive watches from the 50s onwards.

I hope that my future posts on this fine blog will provide you readers with just a humble insight in the wonderful world of mechanical watches. If it gets too intimate, you are very welcome to speak up, just like you are more than welcome to drop comments and inspiration if you find it relevant.

Best regards,

Rasmus

READ MORE - "My First Watch" by Rasmus Jakobsen