Spyderco Forums

Those Bulletprufe's look interesting.

I did say I like to try pants before I buy, and it does make me hesitant to order online. Especially overseas, but they seem to be very confident and honest about their sizing, so that helps. 30% BF discount also helps...

aicolainen wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 26, 2021 6:27 am

Those Bulletprufe's look interesting.

I did say I like to try pants before I buy, and it does make me hesitant to order online. Especially overseas, but they seem to be very confident and honest about their sizing, so that helps. 30% BF discount also helps...

I found their sizing to be accurate using their size chart. I measure a true 37" with a flexible tape, and ordered a 36". I wear a belt, and they're very comfortable. If I wanted a snugger fit, I could have sized down more due to the stretch.

benben wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 25, 2021 11:48 am

Used to only wear 501 button fly jeans, they really suck now, they’ve changed so much they don’t even look, or resemble at all the 501’s I’ve worn for decades!

And I just have a really hard time spending any of my hard earned money on the Levi’s company brand now!

Is that right, benben?
That sux man.
It's been so long since I've worn jeans. It all I ever wore until I was prolly 30? I can't remember.
But, I always loved my Levi's and my Levi's cowboy or maybe they call it a trucker denim jacket.
Good memories, 501 button fly Levi's, Levi's Denim Jacket, Cowboy Boots, good to go!!!

Hearing that 501 took a dive is a downer . They for some reason ( shrink to fit ) were not sold east of the Mississippi . I would buy them at BassPro in Springfield MO.visiting family until they dropped Levi’s for some reason . . MG2

I haven’t bought Levi’s since they closed the US White Cone denim plant.

Japan still makes nice selvedge denim, thankfully. I have various pairs of Lee, & buy both new, but also 2nds quality new from eBay for yard wear etc.

The best selvedge bargain has to be Uniqlo jeans, though.

I don't know if we get "special"/low budget Levi's in Sweden, but i feel they have gone from best to average, with at least as much problems as the obscure brands re shrinking and seams twisting etc.
Nowadays i wear kevlar reinforced MC jeans much of the time. Mostly because i'm lazy and don't want to switch pants and empty all pockets before going for a ride :)
I also have a couple of raw denim/selvage jeans that are really good, one pair is from the Finnish outfit Varusteleka, a cool place to visit online. They have a plethora of interesting cool stuff (tip!)

https://www.varusteleka.com

Larry_Mott wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:34 am

Nowadays i wear kevlar reinforced MC jeans much of the time. Mostly because i'm lazy and don't want to switch pants and empty all pockets before going for a ride :)

This is why it's so important for my jeans to offer a really high level of mobility - in addition to cycling and climbing, on any given day at work I may have to jump from office work to construction to teaching a rock climbing lesson.

Larry_Mott wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 28, 2021 6:34 am

I also have a couple of raw denim/selvage jeans that are really good, one pair is from the Finnish outfit Varusteleka, a cool place to visit online. They have a plethora of interesting cool stuff (tip!)

https://www.varusteleka.com

I've perused their site for military surplus gear, but never thought to order selvedge from them. Cool find!

I've been a fan of 501 button fly jeans for a while.
They're worn from 5 to 7 days a week barring work site attire.
I usually buy them second hand so I can find some that were well made (in EU; France, Belgium and Spain had good plants; U.S. and Canada are close contenders) but I go through a couple pairs a year.
I think wearing them on my bike and my motorcycle doesn't help.

Wrangler 47MWZ regular fit. From working in the shop 12+ hours a day to relaxing and hanging out. All I’ve worn for over a decade.

The Prana with the gusset are some of my favorites too, I didn't know they were no longer available. Sucks that they are changing and discontinuing all the time for seemingly no reason. My favorite pair of 5.11 defender pants are no longer available in straight cut and now only come in skinny

abbazaba wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:06 pm

The Prana with the gusset are some of my favorites too, I didn't know they were no longer available. Sucks that they are changing and discontinuing all the time for seemingly no reason. My favorite pair of 5.11 defender pants are no longer available in straight cut and now only come in skinny

Yea, it's a total bummer. Literally all of their jeans are slim fit now, and they use the lighter weight denim they use on their women's jeans. It seems many of them aren't gusseted anymore, either - so much for being a climbing company!

Well, got the $30 Levi 514s in today. They're a different color than I expected, but it is a nice color.

The hip mobility isn't nearly as good as my old Prana jeans, the Bulletprufes, or even my Carhartt's. Supposed to be 2% spandex, just like the others, but they just don't stretch as much. The cut is also a bit weird - a little tight in the crotch. Definitely not climbing in them. We'll see how they hold up.

Use to only wear Levi, then sometime in the late 90s, early 2000 timeframe the quality seemed to get bad. Didn't fit the same, and the material just felt "Cheap". Picked up a couple of pairs of Lee jeans and I've been pretty happy with them since. Not a heavy jeans wearer as I wear either scrubs(less often now) or khakis at work, and switch to shorts come late Spring. I've thought of checking out pricier jeans since they last me a few years now.

Not sure about anyone else but I have a small (and I mean small) hobby of hunting denim at thrift stores. My daughter is really into "vintage clothing" which really is just the stuff we wore 20 years ago but usually once a month or so we hit up all the local thrift stores and while she's looking for sweaters and hipster stuff I'm combing the denim racks looking for Levi's. It's helpful that I don't really follow trends with jeans so at a certain point everyone is getting rid of the "outdated" styles and they're generally not even what I'd consider broken in. Getting a $60 pair of Levi's for ~$5 sure makes my other money wasting hobbies easier on my wallet

Good ole wrangler jeans works for me. Less than $20 @wally

There's a company in Chicago named Dearborn denim that makes jeans in the USA. I have been wearing them since 2017. They are cut and sewn in Chicago and cost a smidge above Levis full retail. They also tell you where the denim comes from. Most of it is 10 oz stretch denim from Parras Mexico, but they do make some 14 oz 100% cotton jeans too. There are occasional sales and they also make cheaper "SVR" models (no idea what that stands for) which are around $50. All made in the USA. They also hem to order for no additional cost and you can return them if you don't like them. These aren't "denim head" jeans, but they are "normal guy" jeans. They work for me.

Well, two months later and I can safely say that the Carhartt Rugged Flex jeans take the cake. Just ordered a few more pairs at $30/ea on clearance. They fit well, move well, and are pretty darn tough. Definitely move better than the Levi's 514s I got clearance.

The Bulletprufes are nicer, but I don't wear them every day because I'm afraid of wearing them out (I know, right?). The belt loops where I usually clip my keys is situated a bit further back than most jeans, which means my keys get caught in my car seat. I've already had to repair one of the belt loops - not stoked on that.

Dearborn keeps advertising to me. I think at some point I'd like to try them - they look good, and the price point is very reasonable for made-in-usa stretch denim.

Duluth Ballroom jeans.
Super comfortable.
They have a small pocket perfect for a flashlight on the leg.
They have an extra back pocket behind the back pocket.
You can literally fit an Endura sideways in the fifth/change pocket. It’s like Mary Poppin’s bag. Magic.

A lot of pockets without looking like cargo pants.

Ranger_Ike wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 06, 2022 3:50 pm

Duluth Ballroom jeans.
Super comfortable.
They have a small pocket perfect for a flashlight on the leg.
They have an extra back pocket behind the back pocket.
You can literally fit an Endura sideways in the fifth/change pocket. It’s like Mary Poppin’s bag. Magic.

A lot of pockets without looking like cargo pants.

Man, do those look nice! I imagine that Duluth, like LL Bean, rarely does sales, huh?

I'd really like a nice pair of flannel-lined jeans at some point, and those flannel-lined ballrooms look fantastic.

Thanks for the tips, guys. The "Big Name" brand that people have always associated with denim jeans has worked well for me in the past, except the last few pairs have been more stretchy foo-foo fabric than OG denim. Seeing this thread reminded me that I could use another pair or two. I just checked their web page, and HOLY MOLY! It's like a political advertisement for those folks who think differently than me. It's pretty extreme. So I'm telling you all, I'll not buy any more of their products ever again.

Some of the suggestions here are for $100+ jeans. I'm not gonna do that for something I'll soon be wearing to dig holes in the yard, work on engines in the garage, or an ocassional welding job where I'm too lazy to change clothes. Fuggetaboutit. But the Carhartts and Duluth look nice enough and are priced reasonably. Imagonna bookmark these pages for later.

Thanks!