Levi’s Vintage

[stanier]

From memory Dave they (Levi’s) got very upset with anyone using the v shaped arc design and red tab. The focus was the Japanese repro companies where the copyright etc laws I understand are different. That’s why, for example, today’s Sugar Cane ‘47’s don’t have arc’s and the red tab, nor any of the Sugar Cane brand. From what I’ve read even customs teams in various countries were alerted to detain offending denim being brought in by denim purchasers. There are some Japanese companies today still producing with an arc influenced design and red tabs but I’d say they’re very niche and “officially” Japan only. Strangely, IMO, redline selvedge wasn’t included though that maybe because Levi’s had already given up on that.

Some will say (and did) good on Levi’s for protecting their brand. IMHO, that would have been fine if they’d made (and they should have been able to if anyone could) the most perfect vintage Levi reproductions in existence, which almost certainly would have shut down the copiers anyway, but they took a different approach. And whilst I love LVC they’ve not been without issues. Shallow and weak pocket bags, poorly rendered or incorrect arcs, wrong coloured and composition weave thread and fiddled with patterns to start.

And anyway, in reality the arc design wasn’t a Levi only thing. Go back far enough and Lee and others used the same.

Sorry, slightly off course giving my personal opinion there, but I think I’ve given you the gist of it. There are undoubtedly folks who know more of the detail than I do.

If Levi’s come after you for that pair you’re making I suggest you and all our American cousins dig dip into your Boston tea party DNA!

Cheers

Chris

 

[dmar836]

LOL. Yeah I have no fear there! It's funny these will be most unlike Levis in cut but they appear to have let their fit and cut style go long ago defending, as you outlined, only their distinctive markers.
I talked with a guy about industrial machine adjustments years ago on another forum and he worked for a factory that sewed for all sorts of companies. Levis was one of them. The runs were inconsistent so they were just the occasional hired hands. I suspect such subcontracting of machinists, even if kept onshore, is why the quality has been all over the place. In refining this pattern a bit I compared some old pairs of mine. Same pattern and size pairs were up to 1/2" different in areas.

Dave

 

[stanier]

Btw Dave talking of tea parties and things, this week I got messaged with a pic I wouldn’t have believed was a possibility let alone happened if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. The future Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip at a hoedown in 1951! It occurred to me that the denim Prince Phillip is wearing looks a lot like that Grant posted earlier. Btw, to folk other than Dave, I just thought this is an interesting pic to share, not meant to be political in any way so to the world in general, let’s not go there please!

 

[dmar836]

One more pair and more learned for my pattern. I'm saving the selvedge denim for when I'm happy with the pattern. Until then I'll just keep wearing them.

 

[EmergencyIan]

^ Very impressive, Dave!

- Ian

 

[CBI]

wow - great work!!!!!!

 

[dmar836]

Thanks fellas. Started another pair as I don't like a blip in that pattern. This is the hard part - drafting patterns yourself with no formal training. At least it's learning.
I think I'll start another thread for them.
Dave

 

[marco]

Hi everyone,

I'm in need of help from the more expert users with LVC.

I found a LVC 1967 Type III jacket 70505-0217 on sale online, I wanted to purchase it but the thing that put me off was the small e on the red tab instead of the capital E.
As far as I know, this type of jacket should have the capital E on the red tab. I checked online, and all the LVC 1967 Type III 70505 jackets I found (either 0131, 0217 and 0124 style) have the capital E on the tab. I could not find a single jacket of this type with the small e.
I asked the seller to send me additional pics of the jacket to check better (see pics attached).
According to the internal label, it's a jacket made in Turkey in 2007 (Levi's used to have production in Turkey for some time before to head back to USA).
Apart from the small e on the tab, another thing that I find strange is that the number reported on the internal label is 70505.9606, while on the tag is 70505-0217.

Any thoughts on this? The jacket seems legit, but, as I said, I couldn't find any other like this.
Do you guys think it might be a fake ? Or maybe it is a factory mistake, they put the wrong red tab?

Thank you in advance for any help.

 

[dmar836]

Marco,
Welcome to the forum. Please take a minute to introduce yourself on a members bio thread.
There is a lot of info on these jackets on the web but this site is tailored to leather jackets so this might not be the fast track to an answer. However, you are welcome to hang out here.
Dave

 

[marco]

Hi dave,

yeah, sorry, I didn't want to sound abrupt.
Will do.
Thank you for your reply.