Jungle Heritage: The Pike Brothers 1952 Lowkinawa Boot

The 1952 Pike Brothers Lowkinawa Boots have their origin in the jungles of South East Asia.

US forces in WWII had problems with their issue footwear going rotten in the Pacific Island jungles, several attempts were made to produce a boot capable of surviving the climate, but none were particularly successful. So, soon after the War it was decided to properly develop and trial boots for hot and humid environments. 

This was the fist real attempt at a jungle boot.

Early advisors to Vietnam were often based out of Japan, and these particular boots were first tested in Okinawa, hence the original name: Okinawa Boots. 

The originals were exactly the same as the double buckle leather boots issued to American troops WWII, but with part of the upper in canvas. Good luck finding a pair though, they are as rare as rocking horse sh*t!

An original pair.

Luckily Pike Brothers stepped in and have made their own version: much shorter than the original, dispensing with the double buckle, they've named it the Lowkinawa. 

The upper boot is a mix of cowhide and canvas. Construction is a durable Goodyear welt with an outdoor sole.

It's a stylish and comfortable boot, the cowhide is beautiful and sturdy, however, the canvas ensures that the boot remains nice and light.

In short, it's a boot that wears it's military heritage proudly, but won't make you look as if you're about to retake the Solomon Islands single handed.

For those of us that wear boots year round the Lowkinawa is a great option for Spring & Summer. I can't wait to see how these break in.

Check them out here.

(Pix courtesy of Pike Brothers & Saunders Militaria.)

Tackling a Heavyweight - Pike Brothers 19oz 1948 Roamers A Year On

I've finally buckled... after almost a year of near constant wear my Pike Brothers 48' Roamers are starting to hum a little. So, they’ve had their first wash.

A nicely broken in leather patch.

Since getting them last December I’ve worn them as much as possible, switching only to a lighter pair of LVC 505’s or my 11oz 37’ Roamers for the hottest days of the summer.

I gave the jeans a pre wear soak for shrinkage and to get the starch out of the fabric, but that’s it.

At 19oz this beautiful Kurabo denim took a fair bit of breaking in. Even tackling the button fly was a battle of wills in the beginning. The jeans almost wore me for a while…

Fresh out the box this time last year.

One year in. One soak, one wash and developing well.

But it’s been worth it. The jeans have gradually softened up - I’ve got some lovely whiskers around the pockets, and my wallet pocket is just starting to show signs of wear. Clearly when breaking in heavy-weight denim you're in for the long haul.

Whiskering around the pockets.

Now, Pike Brothers suggest that you don’t wash these babies at all, instead favouring a dry clean.

Other hardcore denim heads might raise an eyebrow at simply bunging them in the washing machine with a bit of detergent but that’s exactly what I’ve done. Turn ‘em inside out, put them in a cold wash and hang them damp. Done.

Denim this beautiful deserves to be looked after and I simply don’t see how dousing it in chemicals at the dry cleaners will help the longevity of Kurabo’s finest fabric.

Just starting to develop some fraying around the cuffs.

If other items in your wardrobe are dirty, you wash them, right? As Denimhunters' Matt Wilson argued in his recent article on washing denim it makes no sense to spend serious amounts of wedge on premium denim to then not look after it.

I love seeing how selvedge denim evolves as much as the next denim head, but not at the expense of smelling like a bath-shy farm hand.

Coin pocket detail.

The 48’ Roamers are tough jeans. If, like me, you like your jeans old school then the classic fit is spot on and denim is evolving wonderfully. They are hands down my go to pair and will doubtless serve me for a long time to come.

For more details my earlier full review is well worth a read. If you’d like to get your hands on a pair check out Pike Brothers here. 
If you're thinking of tackling a pair of these beauties now is the perfect time of year to start.

Those of you lucky enough to be in Munich can also visit the Pike Brothers pop-up store until December - details here.

Making Heritage Contemporary – The Pike Brothers Wabash Series

I’ll make this clear from the outset, Pike Brothers is one of my favourite labels.
Pike’s core line, focussing on European and American inspired military and workwear, speaks to my depths. One of their guiding principles is that their clothes, whilst remaining true to first principles, still function as practical working garments.
With the release of their new Wabash series – a couple of waistcoats and a jean – they’re expanding this range whilst staying true to their roots.

A Striped History

Although mostly associated with railroad workers, the Wabash fabric has seen much wider use. Its ruggedness makes it perfect for heavy labour. Just like Hickory stripe, it gives a different appearance to work attire, smartening up the workman’s wardrobe.

In the early stages of Wabash production, stripes or dots where resist dyed. However, from approximately the 1930s onwards, to speed up production, patterns where woven in.
Pike’s fabric has been made to these standards; a shuttle loom weaving the stripes into the fabric.

A Question of Modern Fit

The fit is fairly relaxed, with 3 outer patch pockets and an inner pocket. It’s also lined with a layer of grey cotton twill.
Yes, this is a heritage garment, but it’s been cut slightly longer than vintage examples would have been. I guess the motive was to accommodate today’s lower waistlines.
I particularly like the real ivory nut buttons – and the little detailing quirks like the selvedge on the coat hook.

The waistcoat is available in both grey and blue 13 oz. Wabash denim. The jeans are based on Pike’s 1942 Hunting Pant, and for now are just available in grey Wabash.

As ever, Pike Brothers suggest that you wear their stuff in from dry – the denim is sanforized, but my previous experience with their jeans is that you’ll loose just under an inch off the leg after a pre wear warm soak. Either way I’m looking forward to seeing how this Wabash ages.

All the rugged Pike detailing we’ve come to expect is there; the heavy bar tacking and lock stitched hems. Another definite period feature is the D ring and watch pocket. There are little flourishes too. The decorative stitching on the front pockets looks fantastic, yet is still functional, helping to reinforce a natural stress point.

The jeans are cut quite traditionally – with a loose fit and mid-rise, brace buttons, and zinc cinch at the back to adjust the waist. The 1940’s were very much a cross over period when it came to braces vs. belt, so there are also belt loops.

Call me obsessive when it comes to buttons, but it would have been great to see the same ivory nut used for the brace buttons, rather than the coated metal ones they sport now. Still, they're meant to be a rugged working trouser, right?
My only other slight grumble is that it would have been useful to have cinch on the waistcoat too. (However, that’s perhaps the author’s fault for being a skinny bugger.)

A Modern Take on the Past

With the Wabash series, especially in terms of how it has been cut and made, I think Pike has perfectly struck the balance of taking 19th century heritage and making it relevant and stylish for today. Arguably, this is a challenge faced by the wider heritage fashion industry.

Now, I can’t be the only one out there thinking that Pike Brothers need to release a matching Wabash jacket? My covert mission to look like Al Swearengen from Deadwood will then be complete!
You can check out the Pike Brothers Wabash series here.

Pike Brothers 1942 Zip Deck Jacket

Pike Brothers have extended their range quite a bit for Spring / Summer ’14, that said the label are staying true to their work wear / military roots with the recent release of the 1942 Zip Deck Jacket.

The original mid-war jackets were widely worn until gradually superseded by the later N1 and Deck Hook closure jackets.

The DNA of its Army cousin, the Tanker jacket, is clear to see in the knit cuffs, neck and waist-band. The main aesthetic difference between the two are the pockets, with the US Navy version sporting D-shaped patch pockets.

There is no white U.S.N stencilling on the back - that came later in WWII when identifying Navy personal during amphibious landings became problematic.

Zip and inner pocket detail

As you’d expect from Pike Brothers a lot of effort has been expended on replicating the originals in every detail - everything from the correct spec densely woven jungle cloth, wool lining to vintage Talon zippers are present and correct.

Also there is the special membrane interlining - making the jackets just as wind and water resistant as the originals.

Pike Brothers founder Fabian Jedlitschka has been collecting old USN and Army jackets for a while, and it’s something he’s clearly passionate about. The first jacket Pike made was a B10 flight jacket and obviously the N1 is something of a staple. As Fabian says, “I like the styles and think for us it is vital to have the 1940s army/navy jackets as a basic line.” 

With none of us in any danger of having to square up to the Imperial Japanese Navy any time soon deck jackets may now be more of a fashion item, but it’s to Pike Brothers’ credit that they still make them for use as they were intended - to be worn hard as a utility garment.

Beautiful correct spec jungle cloth

Excitingly two more jackets are waiting in the wings, “In July we will be releasing the B15 and then for fall we will have the Deck Hook Jacket.” You can never have enough jackets, right?

Great news for deck jacket fans out there. Meanwhile you can check out the 1942 Zip Deck Jacket here.

Pike Brothers 19 Oz. 1948 Roamer Pant

Japanese Denim, German Engineering.

Taking their inspiration from both European and American workwear, Pike Brothers focus on making beautiful authentic clothes, eschewing trends that seem to govern most of the denim industry in favour of simply producing what they like. This makes them a firm favourite of mine.

Most of Pike Brothers’ other denim is only 11 oz, a trifle light by selvedge standards. However, they did cause a bit of a stir with the uber heavy 23oz 1958 Roamer Pants, and this is where the inspiration for the 1948’s came from.

As Pike Brothers’ founder, Fabian Jedlitschka, says, “we had several people asking for a little bit lighter version and a wider fit.” 

Clearly I wasn’t alone in wanting them to do something in between the two, with a cut closer to the 1937 Roamers.

As their regular mill in Turkey is only capable of working with denim up to 16oz, Pike Brothers had to turn elsewhere.

For Fabian only Kurabo in Japan could deliver the quality needed. 

Simply put these jeans are a thing of beauty. Fabricated from 19oz right hand twill raw selvedge denim they’re satisfyingly heavy. 

The indigo really is quite a deep, well, indigo. The contrasting blue and golden stitching on the selvedge, replicated again on the coin pocket, is a great touch. 

Selvedge detail on the coin pocket

At 19oz I was interested to find out whether these jeans presented any of the same production problems as the 23oz Roamers, “production was a bit more difficult. We had to sew the denims a bit slower not to risk any needle damages but besides that it wasn't too bad.”

 The 1948 Roamer has lost the cinch and brace buttons of their 1937 cousin.

Fabian argues that by 1948 manufacturers had ditched these in favour of belt loops, “we looked at our archive and also studied pictures from the 40s and decided not to outfit the 1948 with suspender buttons and a cinch. These features are hardly found during that era.” 

By way of comparison the 501 lost its brace buttons in 1937, younger workmen preferring to sport a belt.

D ring for your watch or wallet chain

In cut the 48’s retain an authentic "anti fit" feel, with a decent rise and a wide, un-tapered leg, again entirely accurate for the era. 

All the details you expect to see from Pike Brothers are present and correct - the honey yellow stitching, the heavy bar tacked belt loops, seam ends and pockets.

As is the lock stitched hem. In an earlier interview with Denimhunters, Fabian argued that European work wear manufacturers would not have had access to Union sewing machines capable of chain stitching. Maybe an issue for some people, but I don’t see a problem. 

Lock-stitched hem

My one quibble is that it would have been nice to see Pike Brothers dispense with the light zinc finish buttons and rivets in favour of something worthy of such heavy denim. In all other respects they’ve gone the extra mile with these jeans. A minor point though. The quality of this Kurabo denim is such that it’s not a deal breaker.

Maybe too light? Zinc buttons..

Pike Brothers recommend that you break in the jeans from dry. It’s been covered before in the Denimhunters Rinse Guide, but I always give raw denim a pre wear soak. Not only will a soak make your denim last longer, it will prevent them shrinking after the first wash. 

There’s not much point investing months of your time breaking in such beautiful jeans only to have them not fit you afterwards.

That said, post soak the jeans had lost only an inch off the leg. The waist stretched by just 3/4 of an inch. 

I’m genuinely excited at the prospect of breaking these in over the next few months. At 19oz this will take some work, (just buttoning the fly is a challenge), but that’s why we love raw denim, right? Thank Christ it’s winter though, these baby’s are heavy!

Pike Brothers have surpassed themselves here. Clearly a lot of hard work went in to developing the 1948 Roamar Pant, and the end results are impressive in almost every way. Tempted? You should be.

Available direct from Pike Brothers in two inseam lengths, 34” and 36”, you can order them here.

(With thanks to Fabian & Olivia at Pike Brothers for letting me try them out on behalf of Denimhunters)

Pike Brothers 1937 Roamer Jeans

Simple Yet Beautiful Denims

   

Three months solid wear...

... and developing lovely honeycombing

Continuing on a denim theme it's time to turn to the German brand Pike Brothers. Taking their inspiration from both European and American workwear these guys focus on making beautiful authentic clothes, eschewing trends that seem to govern most of the denim industry in favour of simply producing what they love. This makes them a firm favourite here at New Utility.

11oz Raw Selvedge Denim. Note the lock stitching.

I had been searching for the right pair of selvedge jeans with brace buttons for a while, so was quite excited to find the 1937 Roamer Pant. Pike Brothers jeans are listed by date, with the year denoting the type of cut. They also have 1958 and '63 versions that gradually sport a more narrow, lower modern fit.

Fabricated from 11oz raw selvedge denim, milled in Turkey, the 1937 Roamer has an authentic "anti fit" feel to it. A high rise at the back and wide, un-tapered leg are entirely accurate for the era. This commendable attention detail extends to the heavy bar tacked belt loops, seam ends and pockets.

The 1930's were a cross over period for mens trousers - by the end of the decade brace buttons were being phased out in favour of belt loops. Levis added belt loops to the 501 in 1922 but retained brace buttons through to 1937. Though, even then Levis gave their customers the option of snap on buttons, just in case. To absolutely make sure your trousers stayed up they also had a cinch back. All details that have been faithfully replicated by Pike Brothers.

Features typical of mid 1930's trousers - belt loops, brace buttons & a cinch - once on these trousers aren't going anywhere!

In keeping with Pike Brothers functional aesthetic there are a minimum of frills. There is no arcuate on the back pockets, a simple branded leather patch and - denim heads look away now - no chain stitched hem. In an interview with Denim Hunters Pike Brothers argue that the lock stitch is actually more authentic - European work wear manufacturers would not have had access to Union sewing machines capable of chain stitching.

Beautiful leather patch.

Pike Brothers suggest that you don't wash the jeans for 3 to 6 months. As with  all my raw denim these jeans had a pre wear cold soak in the sink. The inseam shrunk just over an inch and I lost a little off the waist. In my view there is no point expending the effort to break them in for half a year, only to have them shrink on you during their first wash. A pre wear dip will help prevent this.

After roughly 3 months of wear they have softened up and are developing some pleasing honeycombing. Unlike the pre-aged nonsense, one of the most satisfying attributes of raw denim is that you break them in yourself over months & years - your reward being a garment that is deeply personal to you.

Button fly... of course.

Riveted heavy natural cotton pockets

At 11oz these are perhaps a little light by selvedge standards. Pike Brothers raised quite bit of interest recently, producing an über heavy 23oz version of the 1958 Roamer. I'm sure I am not alone in thinking that the 1937 in a heavier denim would be A Good Thing!

If these jeans tickle your fancy you can order them online here.