Red Wing Iron Rangers

No Wash Till Brooklyn

Ok so my initial soak on the Baldwins was January 3rd 2011 (according to the little tell tell markings on the inner thigh).  That's right folks 9 months no wash and multiple wears!!!  The fabric on the jeans is of such high quality to be honest at times I wish it was a little worse so that I could see some more wear, haha. No but really these are cool jeans.  I've got some great markings from my St. Arnolds beer tokens in my 3rd pocket and some action going on with my pocket knife.
    I'm getting down to the wire here and i'm really wanting to get a wash in to get rid of all the filth and see how much they lighten up.  Suprisingly they don't smell or anything like that.  Thanks for the support over the past 9 months, it's been a  great ride.

Jack Purcell's

John Edward "Jack" Purcell (December 24, 1903 – June 10, 1991) was a Canadian world champion badminton player. Purcell was theCanadian National Badminton Champion in 1929 and 1930, and declared the world champion in 1933. He retired in 1945, and pursued a career as a stock broker. Purcell also designed an athletic shoe that bears his name, which is still popular today.


Thought I'd share my recent (and 1st) Purcell purchase.  I spent quite a while looking for the right sneaker. Among the canaditates, Tretorn, Nike, Adidas & Pf Flyer. It was PF for the majority of the hunt, but my boy Jamie assured me I'd be well pleased with the purcell both from an aesthetic appeal and comfort requirement. 
     Coming over from Chuck T's, I assure you these are a WORLD more comfortable. An additional padded layer is a breath of fresh air coming over from the hard bottom'd Chuck's.  Cotton canvas upper, brushed nickel grommets, rubber sole.  This will look good with a club short, your favorite pair of rigid or washed jeans and of course a slim fit chino.


They are also known as trainers (British English), sandshoes, gym boots or joggers(Australian English), running shoes, runners or gutties (Canadian English, Australian English, Hiberno-English), sneakers, tennis shoes (North American English, Australian English), gym shoes, tennies, sports shoes, sneaks, tackies^[1] (South African English and Hiberno-English), rubber shoes (Philippine English) or canvers (Nigerian English).


A traditional "Tennis Shoe", My hat's off to Jack. Enjoy!

They're Special Boys : Baldwin Denim The Reed

I'm stoked to do a piece on my recent denim purchase.  After initially ordering a pair of Levis Premium Selvage 514's I was convinced there wasn't a better fit out there.  Boy was I wrong.  Baldwin has it right with regard to quality, cut, feel, durability, aesthetic..you name it, they've done it.  I purchased the jeans from the fine folks over at Mortar on Westheimer. If you haven't been there yet, I recommend it, Sasha one of the owners is a cool cat and knows his stuff!!!  They carry some strong bands such as, Baldwin, Kicking Mule, Gilded Age, Billykirk, Randolph Eng. etc....

Denim Description

- Dry Indigo Selvage
- 13oz White Oak Plant Cone Mills Indigo Selvage Sanforized Denim
- Woven, cut and sewn in USA
- Custom Copper Rivets
- Button Fly
- Chainstitched Hem
- Yellow line Selvage Fabric is 100 % cotton (Pima Cotton Fill) made of a solid indigo denim from Cone Mills famous White Oak Plant.

I tell you, I was on my way to Mortar to buy a Billykirk belt, not jeans, but with one try I was hooked. Crocking on these is pretty substantial so I decided to do an initial soak to keep from damaging any of my shirting. They are actually drying from that soak now, I'll post updated info on that as time allows.
Hat's off to the boys over at Baldwin, I'm a fan.  These will be my go to pair for the next year. Thanks for reading.  Buy your pair here http://www.shopmortar.com/store/

-Rob

I like what I like....

The newest addition to my leather goods collection comes in the form of one BillyKirk belt. This specific item was a colab with J.Crew (one of my favorite suppliers). Here is the J.Crew write up on it. Founded in 1999 by the brothers, Billykirk's ruggedly minimalist leather goods are some of the handsomest we've seen. Each piece is made by hand in the heart of Amish country using antique tools and master-craftsman techniques, including this expertly crafted cowhide belt. It's proof positive that you can't fake quality. Solid brass buckle with nickel plating. Width: 1 1/4".

This is my 1st belt "investment piece" and I must say I am really pleased. The Leather is thick and and the hardware is sturdy. In the last 3 years I have had a desire to purchase more items made in the U.S.A and actually crafted. This Belt fits that bill. Looking forward to passing this along to one of my sons when the time is right. Buy yours here

http://www.jcrew.com/mens_feature/NewArrivals/accessories/PRDOVR~33926/33926.jsp