Suede Chukka: Vass U or C&J 348?

[william]

Now that Plal has the C&J Tetbury is suede I'm considering ordering it instead of the Vass suede chukka. I'm thinking that the U last and the 348 last are too similar to warrant paying twice the price for the Vass. On the flipside, I'm so smitten with most of the pictures I see of the U last that I think maybe I should hold out and get the Vass.

So...those of you that have experience with both lasts....which model would you go for?

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by william

Now that Plal has the C&J Tetbury is suede I'm considering ordering it instead of the Vass suede chukka. I'm thinking that the U last and the 348 last are too similar to warrant paying twice the price for the Vass. On the flipside, I'm so smitten with most of the pictures I see of the U last that I think maybe I should hold out and get the Vass.

So...those of you that have experience with both lasts....which model would you go for?

I was very unimpressed with the suede quality of the C&J suede Chukka I had (the handgrade one they did for Polo a while back). The Tetbury is benchgrade, I think, so I would assume the quality overall is better than the one I had but I very much doubt that it will be in the Vass quality league. But, as you sais, it is twice the price so that brings up the age old question "is X twice as good as Y"? The answer is different for everyone.

 

[william]

Thanks. This is the type of info I was after. In the end I'll probably end up getting the Vass anyway so I'll probably just save my $$ and hold out for the Vass.

 

[mussel]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I was very unimpressed with the suede quality of the C&J suede Chukka I had (the handgrade one they did for Polo a while back). The Tetbury is benchgrade, I think, so I would assume the quality overall is better than the one I had but I very much doubt that it will be in the Vass quality league. But, as you sais, it is twice the price so that brings up the age old question "is X twice as good as Y"? The answer is different for everyone.

Why do you think the Benchgrade suede quality is better than Handgrade?

 

[von Rothbart]

So you're smitten with Vass U last, but are you also smitten with C&J 348? I'd pick Vass U over 2 pairs of C&J 348 in a New York minute. This one rare case where you pay double the price and get something more than twice as good. Go for the Vass. End of discussion.

 

[william]

Originally Posted by von Rothbart

So you're smitten with Vass U last, but are you also smitten with C&J 348? I'd pick Vass U over 2 pairs of C&J 348 in a New York minute. This one rare case where you pay double the price and get something more than twice as good. Go for the Vass. End of discussion.

Good then. It's settled.

 

[sartort]

any one else have an opinion on this as i am also contemplating these two shoes? thanks.

 

[sho'nuff]

i have never dealt with Vass suede, but here is the thing:

vass is not twice as better than C&J tetbury even though the cost is twice as much.
so you buy the tetbury...
you wear it a few times, and you , as well as me, and every other shoe connosseuir here, psychologically you will not be satisfied deeply knowing that you had an opportunity to buy a vass and did not and just settling for tetbury.

later you will see photos of others vass' on u last and how superlative and luxurious they look and everyone basically is smitten by their U last. they are proud of them. they are fully satisfied.

you know your tetbury are satisfactory. they are comfortable, you get complements at work, they pass. but you find yourself itching for that vass as you want that superlative,
and you end up selling the tetbury at a B&S price trying to recoup some of that , "barely worn mint condition , $250?" so that you can get that vass.

get the vass

dont let your money (if you have it , planned it) dictate what you eventually get and settle , get what your heart fully set out for .

 

[aportnoy]

Vass, case closed.

 

[lee_44106]

Originally Posted by shoe

i have never dealt with Vass suede, but here is the thing:

vass is not twice as better than C&J tetbury even though the cost is twice as much.
so you buy the tetbury...
you wear it a few times, and you , as well as me, and every other shoe connosseuir here, psychologically you will not be satisfied deeply knowing that you had an opportunity to buy a vass and did not and just settling for tetbury.

later you will see photos of others vass' on u last and how superlative and luxurious they look and everyone basically is smitten by their U last. they are proud of them. they are fully satisfied.

you know your tetbury are satisfactory. they are comfortable, you get complements at work, they pass. but you find yourself itching for that vass as you want that superlative,
and you end up selling the tetbury at a B&S price trying to recoup some of that , "barely worn mint condition , $250?" so that you can get that vass.

get the vass

dont let your money (if you have it , planned it) dictate what you eventually get and settle , get what your heart fully set out for .


Very well said Brian.

That's my mentality now with all my clothing purchases, from socks to shirt to pants to jacket.

 

[lee_44106]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I was very unimpressed with the suede quality of the C&J suede Chukka I had (the handgrade one they did for Polo a while back). The Tetbury is benchgrade, I think, so I would assume the quality overall is better than the one I had but I very much doubt that it will be in the Vass quality league. But, as you sais, it is twice the price so that brings up the age old question "is X twice as good as Y"? The answer is different for everyone.


I also have the said suede Polo chukka. I did not know it was made by C&J until now (but I guess I should have as it's got three nails at the heel). Anyway, what makes you so dissapointed witht the suede quality? I thought it was not bad.

 

[edmorel]

Hated it. Seemed very cheap given the quality that C&J puts out. I like a very "tight" nap on my suede, for lack of a better description. I did not like the way they were wearing. That is also what has kept me from buying the Drummond, although I need to really inspect it at T&A to see if it's the same suede. Many will disagree, but the suede that Ferragamo uses in it's Nostro wholecut (which is not the same suede as it uses on it's brogue which many here have), is far superior to what I have seen from C&J. I plan on trying out the Vass suede out at the end of the year.

Nostro second from left.

 

[william]

Please let us know about the suede Drummond at T&A. I have been REAL close to ordering that from Plal several times.

 

[culverwood]

Is a suede chukka with a crepe sole a desert boot or is there some other difference?

 

[sartort]

Originally Posted by aportnoy

Vass, case closed.

Andrew, can you explain your preference for Vass? I only ask because I've read posts where you sing the praises of C&J's 348 including the drummond, hallam, etc.