Damn you Flathead, your so hairy!

[KennyGhetzoff]

First off, love the fit/style of flathead shirts and their denim is great.

SOmeone who knows mega all 'bout denim explain to me why the denim is so hairy... is this good or bad?

I'm really interested to know from a technical point of view.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

the denim is not singed

 

[danilo]

mine had a bunch of peach fuzz after a soak... but it starts going away the more you use them

 

[kiya]

This hairy texture you're referring to is a very common characteristic from denim that is made of unsanforized cotton.

The sanforization process that cotton goes through essentially destroys (compresses) all the extremely small microscopic fibers that would normally be seen once the denim has come to life (soaked in water to allow the fibers to open up).

And just like DDML said, it's partly because the denim hasn't been singed to remove the excess fibers from the warp.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by kiya

This hairy texture you're referring to is a very common characteristic from denim that is made of unsanforized cotton.

The sanforization process that cotton goes through essentially destroys (compresses) all the extremely small microscopic fibers that would normally be seen once the denim has come to life (soaked in water to allow the fibers to open up).

And just like DDML said, it's partly because the denim hasn't been singed to remove the excess fibers from the warp.
Hmm, never thought sanforizing destroyed the hairy texture but it does make some sense. The exception to the rule I suppose is the older generation RRLs that came hairy AND sanforized:

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

kiya would know better than I, but I would guess that extra-hairy jeans are not mercerized or calenderized.

 

[kiya]

Yeah, jeans such as Flat Head aren't mercerized or calenderized.
The lack of sanforization, and both processes mentioned above are what attributes the super intense fading properties of the denim from Flat Head. The raw form of cotton without any process of compacting before or after woven into denim yields denim with strong character.
I'm working with Cone right now to get a denim that's similar to what we're all after, a strong fade, vertical falling, and a deep indigo start.

 

[kiya]

For the record, the opposite of what we're all talking about would be denim from APC, Imperial, and most Nudie fabrics.
Those are all mercerized, which is where that strong sheen that people like so much comes from.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

^ and motherfuckers who bleed indigo want denim as close to loomstate as possible.

 

[KennyGhetzoff]

Originally Posted by kiya

For the record, the opposite of what we're all talking about would be denim from APC, Imperial, and most Nudie fabrics.
Those are all mercerized, which is where that strong sheen that people like so much comes from.

I do like the sheen that comes off my nudies and apc's.... will flathead denim ever get to that point or will it just remain a big, nasty, hairy 5-pocket pant?

 

[Pangolin]

Originally Posted by kiya

I'm working with Cone right now to produce a denim that's similar to what we're all after, a strong fade, vertical falling, and a deep indigo start.

Eternal? Omnigod? It's good to hear you're working with Cone. Is it too early to ask what kind of project you're working on?

 

[PG2G]

Where did Eternal and Omnigod come from?

 

[Pangolin]

They're known for their denim with strong vertical falling. Both brands also offer a denim extremely dark and produce fades with a lot of contrast. Some of my favorite denims.
Sorry if I wasn't clear, I was refering to Kiya's post about the kind of denim he is developping.

 

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Originally Posted by KennyGhetzoff

I do like the sheen that comes off my nudies and apc's.... will flathead denim ever get to that point or will it just remain a big, nasty, hairy 5-pocket pant?
Abrasion will take care of the hairs. Cherish them while they are there. And sheen will come along; that's a result of compression of the threads. Just don't wash for a while. A wash encourages the remaining hairs to stand up and say "allo! allo! allo!" and your sheen will go bye-bye as the fibers relax. You gotta let the bad blood out and keep the good blood in.

 

[the etruscan]

If you really hate them, an extremely hot ironing will get rid of them. But it is more fun to leave them!