Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[NautOfEarth]

you literally have no idea ...

The leather wasn’t suitable for boots. The squeaking of the leather (not the usual mid/outsole one) was UNBEARABLE! I sent them in to Kyle bc he wanted to take a look. We were in the phone as he was handling them & I could hear over the phone lol.. just from flexing the boot in your hand.
Not to mention it had a complete sh|t break to the leather

Hah I tried searching your posts before asking but its erroring out for some reason.

Guess I'll just stick with essex for my future build, then. Shame because it looks to have interesting grain.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Apologies if you're asked this a lot but what were wrong with the russet HH boots? I've been contemplating a pair of Wesco's in that leather.

you literally have no idea ...

The leather wasn’t suitable for boots. The squeaking of the leather (not the usual mid/outsole one) was UNBEARABLE! I sent them in to Kyle bc he wanted to take a look. We were in the phone as he was handling them & I could hear over the phone lol.. just from flexing the boot in your hand.
Not to mention it had a complete sh|t break to the leather

I was just about to write: "How much time have you got?"

 

[Alaskaking]

@Alaskaking - those are HH? I’ve never seen it break like that in the stuff Bakers’ sources from Horween. The pair of Russet HH’s that I had built were similar to those but I had Kyle throw them in the trash.

@passaloutre - HH is killer. Do it. You won’t miss the money for the upcharge. It’s a great value as it splits the gap between Shell & CXL; looks quite similar to the $1,200 stuff and shares many of the physical characteristics. Takes a shine quite well & patinas/ages very gracefully.

Here’s some pics of my HH Semi-Dress & Bounty Hunters

Yes. At least that what I paid for . Baker’s brown HH.

 

[Alaskaking]

I was just about to write: "How much time have you got?"

What is your opinion of the break in the leather that I posted? @hoppy_IPA thinks mine don’t look right. @Quack Attack ?

 

[Alaskaking]

@Alaskaking - those are HH? I’ve never seen it break like that in the stuff Bakers’ sources from Horween. The pair of Russet HH’s that I had built were similar to those but I had Kyle throw them in the trash.

@passaloutre - HH is killer. Do it. You won’t miss the money for the upcharge. It’s a great value as it splits the gap between Shell & CXL; looks quite similar to the $1,200 stuff and shares many of the physical characteristics. Takes a shine quite well & patinas/ages very gracefully.

Here’s some pics of my HH Semi-Dress & Bounty Hunters

How old are these?They look great! Mine are only 3months old. I WAS having a good day. The pictures you are showing in this album is what I expected after @Legal Eagles poetry sessions about the quality of HH. I even ordered a pair in Black at the same time (don’t have those yet). I’m guessing I lost the lottery? How is that even a thing for$700 boots?

 

[hoppy_IPA]

How old are these?They look great! Mine are only 3months old. How is that even a thing for$700 boots?

They are ~ 1.5yrs old in that pic.

You shouldn't feel bad asking for a new pair. One doesn't buy Horsehide for work leather grain. Rip the bandaid off and make the phone call. There is a reason why Bakers & Whites have an impeccable reputation; they take care of sh|t like this and make it right.

 

[Widening Gyre]

@hoppy_IPA

If my boots look anything like yours in horsehide, I’ll be a happy man.

What pants are those in pic #4, if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[Alaskaking]

They are ~ 1.5yrs old in that pic.

You shouldn't feel bad asking for a new pair. One doesn't buy Horsehide for work leather grain. Rip the bandaid off and make the phone call. There is a reason why Bakers & Whites have an impeccable reputation; they take care of sh|t like this and make it right.

? actually still waiting on resolution on a few issues from the first pair of boots I bought...
I honestly had no idea what to expect from the leather. Looking back through my phone, I was wrong, that creasing and break happened when I was still trying them on.. you can still see the tags in some of the pictures ?. The leather itself was very dry out of the box-almost dusty, there was a blemish or two, but otherwise ok by my eye?? I’m not a horsehide specialist (@smartbrother , @PACostag ?). It looked strange to me, but I had read it creased differently than cowhide, I thought maybe that’s what it was?. I was just glad to have a pair of boots that fit and were sewn together in all the right places and maybe ignored the rest “This guy ordered a 38 swing last... he won’t care how they look, use that last piece of hide over there in the corner”
The last pic are just a grain closeup currently (asgood as the camera on my phone will close up.)

now

 

[chicagoan2016]

@Alaskaking boot veterans here could tell if the creasing on your boots are different than the pictures I posted (Burgundy HH)?
My boots are almost two months old.

 

[Alaskaking]

@Alaskaking boot veterans here could tell if the creasing on your boots are different than the pictures I posted (Burgundy HH)?
My boots are almost two months old.

There’s a difference alright.... when you first mentioned your knee pain, I looked at your boots and thought you hadn’t even worn them yet since you didn’t have any creasing in the toes!!!!

 

[hoppy_IPA]

@Alaskaking - the Russet HH Strip broke like immediately for me as well. It seams that if it’s gonna be an issue, it will present itself in short order.

@Widening Gyre - The denim is IH-633-XHS. Self Edge does this cut in other weights; Ive got a pair in 21oz in addition to those 25oz'ers in the pic. The 633 cut is roomy in the top block & tapered in the leg. I really dig it.

 

[chicagoan2016]

There’s a difference alright.... when you first mentioned your knee pain, I looked at your boots and thought you hadn’t even worn them yet since you didn’t have any creasing in the toes!!!!

The two pictures I posted yesterday were the most recent (actually taken yesterday). Pics I have posted before then were from the time when the boots were brand new.

 

[Widening Gyre]

@hoppy_IPA

Thanks, but I actually meant the duck pants (which I just now notice you’re wearing in multiple pics). Actually fell down the IH rabbit hole with a pair of overdyed 888s. Would like to try the 633, but buying from Europe would be costly. 634 looks good too, but I’m a tag 42 which also means a gigantic hem.

 

[Mghart]

I have some very minor grain break in my black hh SDs, but thankfully it’s in the quarters which are usually covered by pants anyway. Because Horween processes the hh the same as CXL I guess it’s still a crap shoot, but perhaps safer than just CXL itself.

I have another pair of boots with the same leather from a different maker on the way, and I’m hoping they won’t have the same thing but it is what is. My SDs are basically beaters that I throw on when I don’t want to think about it and the leather on the rest of the boots still looks great.

 

[chicagoan2016]

Have you measured them? Impossible to say from just photos since angles and lens distortion can really throw off distances. You could put them sole-to-sole as well.

My new Bounty Hunters look pretty good with denim, I think. Gonna try them with various other pants this week as well.
View attachment 1607189

cinnamon waxed flesh? They look great, how do you like the lineman patch?

I measured the soles of both boots at the same place (used the medallion toe cap as a reference point) and the left boots is 1/16 of an inch narrower