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J. Crew Quality?

skalogre

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Originally Posted by Sartorially Challenged
I generally agree with that sentiment... but these companies are in the business of selling, not in the business or honor.
You have a very static view of America. It's always been a country of the future, not the past. That is not to say there is no history, rather that we Americans do not feel constrained by the past nor do we feel that our past should dictate our future.

The loss of American artisanal tradition is lamentable, but the fact is that consumers enjoy a wide variety of choices over a varying price spectrum. On the whole the benefit outweighs the cost, as can be demonstrated by the comparative standard of living.

Furthermore, this choice factor has allowed artisanal crafts to flourish in some ways. For example, outside Japan, there is only one country where extremely high quality (and extremely high price) Japanese-style blades (I mean Katana and such, not kitchen knives) are made in any quantity. And that is the good ol' US of A.

Because of all the low cost Chinese clothing and mass-manufactured (low cost) food we buy, we have high disposable income and can spend our money silly on one of a kind blade that will cut through about 8 bullets fired at it before it gives out (and the $3,500 select-fire weapon to fire those bullets with in the first place).

I love consumer's choice.
smile.gif


I know exactly what you are referring to. While it is not a traditional blade, the Howard Clark L6 seems to be an exceptionally durable weapon. Well, if I could afford it I would get a proper handmade nihonto from a high end Japanese artisan (basically an art piece) AND one of those L6 to use for tameshigiri practice
smile.gif
 

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by Sartorially Challenged
When I hear (or read) "practical" coupled with "Alfa Romeo Spider" (among other things), I realize suddenly that I am in a different company. Ever drive one in deep snow? Seeing as an auto accident is one of the leading ways to buy the farm, I like my vehicles with the latest safety features, including, yes, electronic ones. I get my "thrill" differently, but to each his own, eh?
You can drive one everyday without any problems provided it's well-tuned. Note I did not include English cars; a Citroen DS can also be very practical given that you remember to take care of the hydraulic system. I don't think the Alfa Romeo Spider was designed to be driven in the snow, so I can't imagine why you would. It's a warm-climate car.
 

Sator

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Originally Posted by Sartorially Challenged
I think it began with someone making absolutely declarative sentences like things made in certain geographic locations are "guaranteed to be rubbish," not finding "real America" and so on. Those are fighting words. And, being of ill-temper, I rose to the challenge.

My thanks, however, to those of you who answered the querie I posed initially without making hyperbolic statements about "rubbish" made in places other than England, Australia and the U.S.


Look, sorry if any of my comments were inflammatory or offensive to you. If I did offend, I hope you accept my apology like a man and leave it at that. J Crew is not to my taste but if you are happy with the way they make their products then wear it in rude health.

As far as those posters who did point me in the direction of more authentic Americana, I am most grateful to you and look forward to looking out for them when I go on business again to the US. Remember I wrote as I did yearning for the honest apple pie elegance of America of old, as epitomised by many old Hollywood movies. It is surely as attractive a dream to chase as that of those bootmaking English lads playing cricket on their break.
 

Sator

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Originally Posted by Mentos
I don't know what the hell happened to this thread. Thankfully this is atypical.

I think the disaster was fuelled in no small part by me walking into a 'J Crew' in Boston thinking it was the same as 'J Press'. After all the lofty praise I had read of J Press I had looked forward to the experience immensely, so you can probably imagine what a nasty little shock I got
laugh.gif
. The rest is now history.

Had I been aware of the difference between the two before this thread I would have likely never even bothered replying in the first place.
 

Sartorially Challenged

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While it is not a traditional blade, the Howard Clark L6 seems to be an exceptionally durable weapon.
Hence my earlier term "Japanese-style" rather than "Japanese" (Nihonto as you wrote). Then again, it doesn't cost $200,000 either, eh? And it will certainly cut through a pile of straw just as easily (or cut down a man should you not possess a more modern weapon).
You can drive one everyday without any problems provided it's well-tuned... I don't think the Alfa Romeo Spider was designed to be driven in the snow
The fact that you are adding caveats tells me that you understand that it is not an "everyday" "practical" car.
Look, sorry if any of my comments were inflammatory or offensive to you. If I did offend, I hope you accept my apology like a man and leave it at that.
I was not offended, merely irritated by an illogical statement. And, for the record, there is no "if" in an apology. Either one is sorry or one is not. An apology does not depend on my perception of your action. What it should depend on is your perception of your action (or statement).
J Crew is not to my taste but if you are happy
It's not about my happiness (or lack thereof) with J. Crew. The original point of my first post was to inquire about the quality of J. Crew compared to, say, Charles Tyrwhitt. While I enjoy a good conversation resulting from my query, everything from Asia is guaranteed to be crap-type of statement was neither helpful to me nor particularly useful.
Remember I wrote as I did yearning for the honest apple pie elegance of America of old, as epitomised by many old Hollywood movies. It is surely as attractive a dream to chase as that of those bootmaking English lads playing cricket on their break.
So long as you know it's a dream (your word) or a fantasy (my term) on your part, rather than any objective measure.
 

Mentos

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Originally Posted by Sator
I think the disaster was fuelled in no small part by me walking into a 'J Crew' in Boston thinking it was the same as 'J Press'. After all the lofty praise I had read of J Press I had looked forward to the experience immensely, so you can probably imagine what a nasty little shock I got
laugh.gif
. The rest is now history.

Had I been aware of the difference between the two before this thread I would have likely never even bothered replying in the first place.


Did you end up buying any J. Press? How have you been working it, so to speak? I'm interested b/c I like their stuff, but I'm not sure how I can pull it off. I'm a little young. Or I'd like to think so--I'm 29.

I apologize for talking smack about this thread then jumping right in...
smile.gif
 

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by Sartorially Challenged
The fact that you are adding caveats tells me that you understand that it is not an "everyday" "practical" car.
Well, clearly, cars are designed for various purposes. I certainly wouldn't drive a 2006 Lotus in deep snow but I would a Range Rover, vintage or not. Unless you're trying to slush it through long Canadian winters, then an Alfa Romeo can be driven quite nicely everyday.
 

Sartorially Challenged

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Well, clearly, cars are designed for various purposes.
Well, "everyday" cars are designed to take me from point a to point b under most road conditions prevalent in all seasons, including snow.
I certainly wouldn't drive a 2006 Lotus in deep snow but I would a Range Rover, vintage or not.
Thus a 2006 Lotus, while an incredible, special purpose car ("toy" for some) would not be an everyday car for me. Mine right now is Infiniti FX AWD (which, by the way, also rates very well on safety in collisions).
 

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by Sartorially Challenged
Well, "everyday" cars are designed to take me from point a to point b under most road conditions prevalent in all seasons, including snow.Thus a 2006 Lotus, while an incredible, special purpose car ("toy" for some) would not be an everyday car for me. Mine right now is Infiniti FX AWD (which, by the way, also rates very well on safety in collisions).
I have no interest or compelling reason to get from Point A to Point B, and just that.

I think a Citroen DS is a practical car. They won several rallies too so that proves the point of being able to withstand various climatic circumstances. And aside from Mercedes-Benz, they were the first to use crumple zones.
 

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