Five's-Second Skin

Got a Nice Watch?Make em nicer with Barrett Alley's Honest straps

2011-11-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

Barrett Alley recently introduced a new range of straps made from high quality hides, hand made and sewn with exceptional finishing, if you love your watch, jazz it up with these beautiful straps and I bet it will make a lot of difference in the appearance. For watch lover especially a Paneristi this will be a fantastic new straps that will definitely make your PAMs extra special. :)

For more visit the Official webpage: Barrett Alley Honest Watch Straps

The Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia

2011-10-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Singapore 10.11 Part 3

2011-10-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

DeerSkin No. 4 + Antique Hemp = Amazing piece of art

2011-10-15T05:02:00.000-07:00

As usual, Barrett Alley always produces beautiful leather pieces with very limited and beautiful materials. Just take a look for yourself. Im still drooling over the beautiful Hunter harvested Deerskin No.4 in the Devilish style wallet and the Judas pouch, simple beautiful, have a look at the patina of the Deerskin from one of Barrett's customer after a year or wear below. Stunning. Also check out the new Aoi and Osaka bracelet, the perfect accessory to add some colours to your everyday outfit.

beautiful aged Deerskin

For more info and detailed specs:

Barrett Alley Website and Online Store

Singapore 10.11 Part 2

2011-10-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Singapore 10.11 Part 1

2011-10-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Chester Mox: USA Designed + Crafted

2011-09-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you who actually read my blog would know by now I love to support smaller scale companies which offer more personalized products and personal service for the customers, while I was searching for the right companion for my OGL phone wallet case which is now very thick due to business cards from suppliers I met over these few months, so I am in need of a secondary small card/cash case. I was really sold on MAKR's flap wallet but I feel that they are so commercialized that they dont reply to my emails and I would just have to buy straight from their webshop without knowing the owners/makers. Upon searching, I found Chester Mox, saw that they have similar designs and for whats best, I can actually personalize it with any fonts and wording laser etched anywhere you wanted, and Bellanie from Chester Mox was very kind enough to have a little conversation and send out a few emails to make sure everything is in order, I was very delighted with this kind of service..not only that they also offered their products with a very very affordable prices. I just got this Horse Front leather Flap wallet and I was totally blown away..very very good craftsmanship and details, the quality of the leather and finish couldn't be better at this price..very worth it..So Bellanie, Thank you very much for this wallet! Its outstanding!

For more Info and to make your purchase:

Chester Mox Official Site

Chester Mox Blog

BDD:Benzak Denim Developers

2011-09-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Being on denim and fashion related forums for the past 3-4 years I have been lucky to met a few very passionate personnel who actually bleed indigo and have a high appreciation towards the beauty of natural aging for fabrics and leathers. I have known Benzak for quite sometime and his love for denim and leather goods is applause-able..till he created his own line of jeans and leather goods branded BDD:Benzak Denim Developers. I have always supported smaller scale brands and personal projects similarly. Because I believe the level of passion and customer service is always more personal and I for one love this because you actually have direct communication with the owners rather than "sales department", not only that but tiny details actually makes it more "personal" and you feel its much more worth it to spend your hard earned cash knowing that you are buying from people who are actually passionate to deliver the best bang for your buck rather than just trying to cash in profits..okay enough thoughts more on the concept and the person behind BDD.

Heres what Benzak have to say about his brand concept:

"Benzak denim developers is an amsterdam based denim brand, founded by lennaert nijgh, aka benzak. out of the passion for jeans and inspired by the unique fading capabilities of denim, bdd was born. rather than seasonal collections, bdd works on individual projects."

"BDD focuses on pure products and functional design. all denim products are the beginning of a journey, which needs to be developed by the wearer.by wear and wash the denim of your pair will develop its personal character. no single pair will be the same. be the developer of your denim and become part of the world of benzak."

BDD have also collaborated with OGL, one of my favorite custom handmade leather goods brands to produce unique pieces of wallets and other leather goods.

Benzak also mentioned that there will be few more additional products that will be added to their line in the coming future..so watch out this space. :-)

BDD Official Website
BDD blog:The world of Benzak

Red Wing Genuine Collection..Handsewn in Maine

2011-09-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

Old story but I still want one :-)

"The Red Wing genuine Handsewn collection features durable, rugged soles and thick leathers from our own tannery, S.B.Foot. Made in maine — the traditional home of moccasin-style shoes — with our leather and our signature details, the Handsewn collection is crafted in Maine.

Maine, once America’s footwear capital, has a rich shoemaking history that dates back to the mid-1800s. The Androscoggin river supplied power to many of the tanneries and factories of the early 20th century. This is where our Handsewn collection is crafted using century-old techniques. Today, the few workshops that have survived are proudly carrying on the legacy and tradition of making shoes one stitch at a time, by hand." from Redwing Heritage Blog

and also this from the Spring/Summer 2011 collection please

Railcar Fine Good's Brown Japanese Spikes 002 is coming back!

2011-09-25T04:26:00.000-07:00

Got this news from Steven that they will be another run of the beautiful Japanese brown denim made in the Spikes 002 cut. due to popular demand! :-) Get in contact with Steven@ Railcar Fine Goods to pre order a pair before it runs out again!

Heres some words straight from Steven:

"We are re-releasing our mens Spikes 002 Japanese brown denim on preorder. We need to do a preorder because the supplies are limited on this denim fabric and we dont want to over produce on sizes. This is a great example of a non-selvedge fabric that is great. The brown has a ton of character. This time around on the re-release we are doing a chain stitch bottom hem. If you preorder we will even do a custom length of what ever you want. Just email us to confirm when setting the order. You can first make your presale order on our site"

in size32 by yours truly

Railcar Fine Goods

Spikes 002 Japanese Brown Denim

Email Railcar Fine Goods: info@railcarfinegoods.com

New additions to Barrett Alley's products

2011-09-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

Barrett Alley added a new range of Belts to his beautiful line of products, the "Citizen's Arrest" and the "Wanton" these belts will look amazing with your favorite pair of denims or canvas pants.

The Citizen's Arrest Belt from Barrett Alley on Vimeo.

For more info

Citizen's Arrest & Wanton

A lil update on Barrett Alley Daijobu bracelet and OGL phone wallet

2011-08-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Railcar Fine Goods: RMJSPIKESX001

2011-08-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

A very special package came through this week, straight from Steven at Railcar Fine Goods in downtown L.A. , I have been in love with the "Spikes" cut from them, it is very flattering, clean and sharp. Ever since I got the brown denim Spikes sometime ago, it has been the only pair of jeans I've been wearing..sorry to my other denims but I really love this cut and also the brown denim. To make things better, now I own another pair made with beautiful 13.5oz Cone Mills red line selvedge denim. The weight is just perfect for this humid weather I currently live in. I am really looking forward to start wearing it and break em in. I believe it will look very good for dressed up and casual wear. A very big "Thank you" to Steven for this beautiful pair. I love your work and passion for providing high quality goods that everyone can afford.

Here are some details for the RMJSPIKESX001 cut:

100% Cotton selvedge denim fabric from the Cone Mills White Oak plant in North Carolina.
Thick Raw leather patch with burnt in Ralicar logo
Selvedge details on fly and coin pocket
Chain stitched hem
Single continuous chain stitch on the waistband, tucked in to prevent unraveling
Railcar's "R" stitch on the fly for reinforcement and locking the waistband chain stitch
2 piece waistband, preventing rear gapping and to produce a nice "atari" when broken in
hand hammered traditional washer rivets
2 tone stitching with total of 4 colours in the jeans
Screen printed Railcar logo on the heavy cotton pocket bags
belt loops tucked into waistband for extra strength
made on non- automated traditional jeans making sewing machines, now this is what I call hand made!
Clean and smooth construction

Fit pics from their web store for the moment, mine will come sometime next month:

Get your Spikes 001 straight from Railcar Fine Goods

Railcar Fine Goods

Spikes 001

For more info email Steven, at : steven@railcarfinegood.com

FORESTBOUND

2011-07-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

I think I might found the perfect replacement for my trusty MFSC seafaring bag, the minute I saw these bags by Alice Saunders from FORESTBOUND I know that I have to get one of them when the pocket permits..:-)

"Forestbound uses exclusively found and salvaged materials to create durable, utilitarian tote bags. Great effort is put into hunting for well-worn historic textiles and hardware throughout New England. Much time and care is spent working with these unique materials to make every Forestbound bag one of a kind."

FORESTBOUND WEBSITE

FORESTBOUND ON ETSY

FORESTBOUND BLOG

Oak Street Bootmakers

2011-07-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Oak Street Bootmakers Chicago

New Goodies from Barrett Alley

2011-07-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Barrett Alley

Obbi Good Label Anniversary Sale! Leather up fellas!

2011-06-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

O.G.L. is having their 3rd year Anniversary sales now. If you wanted something, now is your chance to grab it at 30% off for selected items.

Anniversary Sales section

Life made easy with OGL Phone / cash wallet.

2011-06-23T03:57:00.000-07:00

Got this custom made phone case which is made to fit any phone you have granted it have a slim profile of course, otherwise it might be too bulky. The first time I saw it, I thought "perfect"!, after starting my working life I need a method of reducing the things I carry in my pockets and always want to keep it simple, when I was younger I love carrying few leather goods along, but now a plain simple "holdall" works great!. Being able to carry and at the same time protect my phone with some cash and cards works wonders for my pockets.

The quality of this handmade case is impeccable, beautiful sturdy stitching combined with a very high quality natural cow hide, from my experience all this time, this hide should age beautifully over time with daily abuse. The embossed details is a very nice touch, making it very special and personal. I could not be happier with the concept and the product handmade for me by James@ Obbi Good Label. I praise your workmanship Obbi Good Label. Hope you guys will produce more fantastic goods for everyone's EDC. Pictures to follow:

nicely hand embossed

beautiful hand burnished edges

Fits perfectly

beautiful light tan colour after a day of tanning and some wax

To order one do visit Obbi Good Label's website :

Obbi Good Label

or personally visit their store in Singapore

39 Arab Street #02-02 Singapore 199738

Denim Sale

2011-06-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Guys and girls..Im having a denim sale at the moment, need to let go some of these to help me set up a new career and some space for my closet

Links: Superfuture

Mynudies

email me at : five.secondskin@gmail.com

Daijobu Bracelet by Barrett Alley

2011-05-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Received this gorgeous piece of accessory yesterday and as usual, I was blown away by the uniqueness, fantastic quality material and finish. Its the Daijobu Bracelet from Barrett Alley's new antique textile collection. The textile on this bracelet is from the Meiji period and I could not believe how deep and rich the indigo on this early 20th century fabric..simply stunning, a perfect match with the brown Veg. Tanned leather enclosure.

Beautiful Bone button

More fine goods from Barrett Alley

2011-05-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Barrett Alley is offering more fantastic products as usual with beautiful clean minimalist design, incorporating beautiful high quality raw materials. I love my Valerie Bracelet dearly, but its really sad that I've lost it few months back while doing a afternoon run, hope to get me some replacement soon as I feel "naked" without it, after wearing it everyday for the past year or so..and I f any of you guys wanted something different, this time Barrett produces a very unique bracelets from Antique fabrics from Japan and Germany. Heres more info about the fabrics he used for this Antique textile bracelets collection( taken straight from Devotism):

The Daijobu Bracelet is braided out of antique Japanese indigo-dyed cotton. It’s a rich textile that’s virtually unused after 100 years – so it starts out a little stiff, like a pair of raw denim jeans – then gets super soft over time. I gave a prototype to my brother in LA about 9 months ago and it has broken in nicely after a summer of surfing.

The Chotto Matte Bracelet is another Meiji Period Japanese textile: a rare coral-colored cotton. Naturally dyed, this cloth will also be subject to beautiful fading over time, (but I don’t have any before-and-after surf-tested photos yet!) It’s a small bolt, so the bracelets won’t last long.

The Weimar Bracelet textile comes from 1920s Germany (yes, the “Weimar Republic”). It’s the same beautiful red, white and blue linen plaid that lines the Noir Collection. Simple, classic, and goes with everything.

and all bracelets feature an antique bone button closure and are hand-sewn with Irish linen thread.

its very interesting fabrics indeed, and just like leather goods, I suspect it will turn out nicely aged after some wear as it is also a "living" materials like leathers.

In addition, Barrett also introduces Revelation style wallet in the beautiful Horween Cordovan collections, a must for someone who likes to carry small wallet just for cash and some cards..perfect!

apart from that, Barrett also offers more customization to the other bracelets by adding these beautiful textiles as linings, simply stunning I'd must say.

News from Barrett Alley: Deer-licious!

2011-04-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Following his first first collection of well crafted and designed leather goods using Deerskin The "Deer Edo", Barrett comes up with the second collection with Deerskin No. 2. Deerskin is known for its soft yet durable hides, whats better is the hides used by Barrett is "hunter harvested" sourced from Indiana and Idaho. This time he uses "Meiji" period handwoven indigo fabric as the lining, and I must admit that the brown and blue tone is really appealing. All hand sewn using fine Irish linen threads. I really love the new Judas Pouch from this collection, simple yet functional. Get it quick as both are made is a very limited number of 6 Devilish Wallets and 5 Judas Pouch, all individually numbered.

For more info and to purchase visit:

Barrett Alley

Barrett will be making few more new products soon, including belts, watch bands and more beautiful bracelets, also free shipping on all orders made this month! So what are you waiting for?

A Gift from Ryo & Hiro

2011-03-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

Received this little gift from Ooe Yofukuten Co. this morning and was really pleased with their kind gesture. This brings back lotsa fun memories from the Ooe Yofukuten World Tour, it was really the best time ever and was a pleasure to see the same pair goes around the world with great friends from Sufu and Mynudies. I really miss it. Thanks again Ryo and Hiro for this wonderful gift.

Prayers for all my friends and victims in Japan

2011-03-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

As we all know right now, Japan is in a bad condition due to the earthquakes and Tsunamis that occurred earlier today, my deepest thoughts and prayers to all my friends in Japan and all the victims there. May all the help from God be given to them and be back on recovery soon..and I hope the other countries will be safe from the tsunami threat coming their way. May all the lost souls rest in peace.

Lodger Footwear

2011-03-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

15C Clifford Street
London W1S 4JZ
United Kingdom

Lodger Footwear Website

Also be sure to check out their Gentleman's Corner for amazing tips and stories

Portel: 100% Simple, Functional & Natural

2011-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

I really fell in love with the handcrafted products from Portel, an Estonian Brand founded by Piret Port and partner Aavo Ermel. Their simple retro-modern design plus the use of natural materials like Felt and leather really hits the spots for me and I'm pretty sure others will love their products too! Have a look on their online stores on Etsy, where they sell products for your favorite Apple products, bags and belts.

"Our goal is to design things which we ourselves would like to
have. All of them bear our signature. No matter in which direction we develop, nothing will go out of this house which we ourselves would not buy or desire"

-Piret & Aavo

Burgers, Hotdogs and Fashion will be better with special sauces :-)

2011-03-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Fashion sauce, a new website for all of us crazy online shoppers! A very good and well composed and managed site listing all the good websites to splurge our $$$$, makes all the search for designer clothing much easier and not only that, we can search using the brands option and also they will list all the sales and discount codes that's going on, life could not be easier with Fashion Sauce and you'll never miss a bargain ever again! Be sure to bookmark this fantastic website and I'm sure you will find it very useful for all your clothing and fashion needs.

Fashion Sauce

Noir Collection from Barrett Alley

2011-03-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

Here comes a new collection from Barrett Alley, looks amazing I must admit, heres what Barrett have to say straight from his website:

"I’m pleased to announce the addition of a new leather to the collection: Noir. From an old New England tannery, this leather is dyed during the vegetable tanning process to create a coal black. The ivory-colored Irish linen thread combined with the Noir leather creates an elegant yet rugged statement – a perfect combination of durability and design. With the Noir collection, I’m introducing a beautiful new lining as well: an antique German linen plaid weave, circa 1920, and, of course, in limited supply." -Barrett Alley

For more visit:

The Noir Collection

Horse ass love :-) from Barrett Alley

2011-02-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

I just got back my PC from the shipping company, and have been disconnected to the online world for a while..but now Im able to post more updates!

Barrett Alley have been one of my favorite leather craftsman other than the Obbigood Label team, due to its minimal design and fantastic quality goods, the Valerie bracelet I own have aged beautifully now, the hide used by Barrett is simply exceptional..but recently he produces more of his fantastic wallets and bracelet by using Shell Cordovan leather by the legendary Horween Tannery. I would love to own one of the wallets as they look stunning and guaranteed to age beautifully( by me of course) :-). Here are some of the products he produces with those beautiful shell Cordovan..also He is launching a new website where Barrett be writing in detail about his production methods and materials at Devotism. There is already have a few articles written mainly on leather goods processes. Do have a look if you are interested and love leather goods.

Barrett Alley

Not only that, Barrett is offering customized products now, which looks fantastic and adding some personal touch..also Barrett will produce new products later this year with more fantastic Hides and design. Stay tuned!

My photo tumblr

2011-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Just in case you don't know I have another blog where I regularly update with Vintage Photos from archives, Old Posters, Design, Art and not to forget pretty girls. :-) Do pay a visit if you're bored and have a lovely day.

Five's Tumblr

Enjoying some last bits of Melbourne

2011-01-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

2 weeks.

2011-01-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first time ever in my life to have done so much traveling and meeting new people in just about 14 days, its really nice to see some of the things in my life travel list. But I cant share them all here is just too much! :-) Anyways here are some of them and I hope you'll enjoy em.

M.I.A.

2011-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

Dear readers( if theres any that is...lol), I apologize for the lack of updates or any news recently..first of all I've been away for a while for a little Euro trip and to attend a wedding in London. I promise I'll be back with some news and reviews as soon as Im settled down. Plus Im moving to Asia next month so life is a little hectic now..again Im sorry for the lack of updates.

Barrett Alley : The Deer Edo Collection

2010-11-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Meant to post this a while ago, but got tied up with life for the past month, so following my post on leather goods, heres some brief note about Barret Alley's Limited Edition Deer Edo Collection:

"Limited edition hunter harvested American deerskin wallet with antique Japanese Edo period (mid 19th c.) hand-dyed, hand-loomed hemp indigo lining. Hand sewn with Irish linen thread and edged with beeswax."

The Collection consists of two simple yet very appealing wallets, "The Destiny" and "The Devilish" . Its pretty amazing how a minimal design can achieve so much with just combining gorgeous fabrics and materials..and Barrett Alley have done it flawlessly. Below are some of the pictures straight off Barrett's website.

For More Info and to get one visit : The Deer Edo Collection

My Daily Carry Leather Goods

2010-11-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

Since I took some pictures for the forums, might as well post em here on the blog too:-)

Inventions: Patents Part 4

2010-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates as I have been really busy, however here are some more Patents for your enjoyment! If you love watches then you will recognize some of the designers :

Railcar Fine Goods: Spikes 002

2010-10-20T01:27:00.000-07:00

This fine pair of Jeans arrived to my doorstep yesterday, straight from Steven of Railcar Fine Goods, of all the Jeans I have in my collection, this is the first ever brown denim to join in. I must admit, that i really like the brown dye on this denim, fabric is pretty smooth with some character and slubs to it..the quality of the construction and stitching is top notch, it is also the perfect pair and color right now as were moving towards Spring/Summer. The Spikes models are tapered/ slim yet comfortable, a nice change for most of my Jeans which are straight/loose fit..great for dressier days. All in all, fantastic quality Jeans with such a bargain price.Thanks again Steven and Railcar Fine Goods! Pictures to follow.

Some Specs straight from Railcar's store:

Kaihara Japanese denim
12 ounce denim
Slim fit
Real cattle leather patch
Heat branded patch
Railcar waistband button with contrast black button fly
Lockstitch bottom hem

Heres how they fit in size 32

Valerie Bracelet by Barrett Alley

2010-09-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

Got this beautiful Valerie Bracelet by Barret Alley today, I absolutely love it! Simple yet satisfying my love for details, with the Vintage Cats Eye button, hand looped leather and the personal Barrett Alley signature..came in a nice little fabric bag and a personal note. Thanks alot Barrett! Will posts updates on this lovely bracelet in a few months. The leather looks like its going to age really really well..its already showing some beautiful patina after waxing.

Barrett Alley: Handmade in USA

2010-09-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

One thing that I love so much about having a blog is the random opportunities to discover new labels and getting to know the passionate people behind it. In the last few years, we have seen the emergence of "young" labels which produces exceptional goods driven with passion and care, to ensure full satisfaction for their customers..which we don't get from "commercialized" labels now days. Not only that, buying from a Label where you actually get to talk to real person means much more to me, sometimes its really nice to know the person who makes the goods that you wear.

Enough of ranting, today I discovered Barrett Alley, maker of leather goods, jewelery and accessories from Texas, USA. I'll quote what Barrett mentioned about his leather goods "Everything is sewn by hand and made with all natural materials - the leather is vegetable-tanned and comes from American tanneries, the thread is linen, and I use other recycled materials like vintage cotton fabrics and antique buttons made from bone, antler and metals" . I honestly admire the clean, unique design also the signature and individually numbered pieces (therelativity@hands on with X would love this labels designs). Below are some pictures of the goods from Barrett Alley, on a side note, I love the Afghan Rings as well..type of rings I would wear. For more info visit Barrett Alley's Official website and store.

Barrett Alley: Handmade In USA

Contact Barrett Alley: info@barrettalley.com

101th Post

2010-08-26T04:37:00.000-07:00

After more than 2 years and a 100 posts, i thought it would be great for me to post some recent pictures i took for the "What Are You Wearing Today?" threads on mynudies and superfuture/superdenim, this will also a good way to introduce myself to blog readers who is not on both forums mentioned. Thanks for all your support over the years.Hope i will keep on updating and hope you will keep enjoying my little blog.

Railcar Fine Goods

2010-08-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

Email Steven from RCFG for more info and details, he will be very helpful and very friendly:steven@railcarfinegoods.com

Inventions :Patents Part 3

2010-08-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

Following up on my last posts on amazing Patents, heres's more for your viewing pleasure and educational purposes..:-)

From Ink & Paper into Leather by OGL

2010-08-06T03:07:00.000-07:00

'The People's Brand, The People's Logo'

Apart from denim and garments fabrics, leather goods have a very special place in my heart, i really adore a well made and used leather pieces, let it be jackets ,boots, shoes, wallets or belts..the textures and patinas really pleases my eyes. I also have high respect for Leather Craftsmen and Artisans. Over the years, ive known some of the most passionate people in this business, all trying to achieve the best possible result to satisfy the customers. Obbi Good Label belongs to this bunch of good people that i admire..OGL is formed by a group of Artisans and Leather Craftsmen from Singapore. It may still be an underground Label, but from the quality and care put into every product they make, OGL will go much further in the future with their ever innovative and creative designs just like on the website says"Obbi Good Label Team, pledge to give you the best, delivering our passions of leather crafting to each and every demand". OGL Offical Website have some interesting section that introduces the artisans under the Label..each with their own personal influences and taste.

James, one of the craftsmen, contacted me for a little fun project to produce a wallet with my own design, this offer is too good to be true, im still thinking if its all true..soon after i start whipping out the sketches for a design that i have always wanted to be made in real life rather than just sketches. I have always loved the design of USAAF /USAF/USN Flight Jackets, so i came out with a design inspired by the "A1"..and i think it worked out just like what i imagined..just perfect. At first, im not sure if it is even possible to be made and weather the design is going to work, but OGL made the drawings into a wallet with less than a week for the first prototype, i was amazed at how well and fast it was executed..the color matched and it flows beautifully with the thread colour. Obbi Good Label also used beautiful buttons from an old Navy Overalls, which they personally got just for my wallet..again, i was totally amazed at the length they go for a single wallet. I couldn't have asked for more..its everything i want for a wallet. The Original specs for the wallet is listed below:

Inspired by USN/USAAF A1 Flight Jacket
Dimension = 6' x 4' x 0.7"- Brown Cowhide Leather 3-4oz thick, with internal soft lambskin lining
Nylon thread size 30 (all OGL craftsmen uses this size which is a little thicker for more durability)
Buttons,originally from an old Navy Overall Jacket for the Royal Singapore Navy.
Black PVD snap buttons
Black Paracord Loop
Holds, 4 top down card slots, 1 side card slot, 2 bill slots and 1 coin utility compartment.

My original sketches for the wallet (Final Draft By S.H.Park)

First Prototype

This is the first wallet made by OGL, as you can see, it is made exactly like my sketches..amazing, however after further "test run" by OGL, more tweaking and modifications needed to be made to the design..to add durability,functionality and ease of use. This shows how much effort they put in to ensure every product is made to last and perform well for years to come.

End Product

Modified Specs:

Paracord now secured by larger leather piece rather than the previous 2 small leather, it also acts as suspension for the closure system
The snap button internally is now hidden as exposing it may caused cards on the opposite to crack when folding
added extra bill slot
Second-Skin X Obbi Good Lab' Leather Patch
Internal layout changed to dark soft lamb skin
Original Detail from Hide color no. code

Detailed Pictures:

This wallet is definitely one of the pieces that i will use and cherish for a very very long time, it also feels solid and the stitching is beautifully done..and not to forget, how supple and nice the leathers are. As i mentioned before, i am amazed at how fast and well the wallet is made and i personally think that Obbi Good Label produces products with care, passion and made to last. I also give OGL huge huge props for trying out new techniques and experimenting with new materials and design just for this wallet..and 'Im proud to have met and experience their product'. Thank you so much James and Obbi Good Label.

For Hand Made/ Custom Made to order Wallets email OGL at : sales@obbigoodlabel.com or james@obbigoodlabel.com

New Interest : Artist Denim

2010-08-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Stumbled on this new denim label on Superfuture not long ago, after all this time my interest in the usual 5p jeans have worn out, but im always interested and try to support a smaller scale produced jeans, where "the passion" is still very admirable. Artist Denim is a label that is proudly based and produced in Thailand, but with Fabric from Nihon Menpu Mill Japan, actually what makes me very interested in this label is the denim itself, they look like one of my favorite denim, the Natural Indigo Hawaii from SugarCane. Rough, uneven and full of characters..the depth and different hues of indigo is so beautiful to look at. The price for a pair of Artist Denim is very reasonable as well, another plus point for a poor uni student like myself. I nearly placed an order... but after calculating bills that i have to pay..i have to pass on this time as well(^%!@). Honestly, i miss the feeling of getting a new pair of jeans..oh well, sooner or later i guess, but for those with the buck, make yourself a favor and get a pair of Artist Denim, for that price and fabric used..imo is well worth it,and join in their wear and tear contest, who knows you might score a pair of Nihon Menpu Edo Ai Denim for the first place. For more info do visit their official website:

ARTIST DENIM ONLINE

You can also email Artsist Denim for Samples of denim and more info, hes a really nice guy and reply really fast: artistdenim@me.com

The real McCoys..

2010-07-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

No..not The Real McCoys Japan or NZ, but two very inspiring individuals, packed full of knowledge and priceless experience that I highly respect and adore, Mr. Patrick Segui and EthanDesu(Newton). Both of them have a fantastic informative blog and you can feel the Love and Passion oozing out from them. Be sure to add them to your daily read list as i have learned alot from them, they are definitely "The real McCoys".

Patrick Segui's : RIVETED

EthanDesu's : Rugged Old Salt

i could only wish that one fine day i could be living me dream just like them..and having my own "Archive of Good Things in Life"..

"Blutiful"

2010-07-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Woad dyed T Shirt by Tender Co., double dipped in Woad indigo for extra goodness :

Via: SuperFuture/Superdenim/Tender Co.

MFSC: Fall '10

2010-07-07T01:17:00.000-07:00

some sneak peak of whats coming this Fall from Mister Freedom X Sugar Cane, list includes(taken straight from MF website):

MIDNIGHT P-JACKET: A 16 oz. indigo balck back denim (aka “Midnight Twill”) early pattern Peacoat
MIDNIGHT and OFF DUTY CPO: Our famous “CPO” is back in a 10 oz. midnight twill and a plain weave indigo/white fabric. N1-H “Troy”:
MFSC N1-H Deck jacket, Modified Issue, with a reprocessed wool Alaskan Troy blanquet lining.
CHINOS, COTTON TROUSERS: A new pattern for our MFSC Chinos
MARINIERE JERSEY: Real Indigo dyed yarn stripe “Marine Francaise” type jerseys, in three combo colours.
RIDER’S DUNGAREES: modified version.
CHILLER VEST: A zip up cotton padded vest in 4 different issues. (Rayon/Cotton fabric, Indigo denim and Midnight Twill.)
UNION FLEECE: A cotton French terry/Fleece henley type undershirt, with three different contrast plackets combinations.
MF “CALIFORNIAN”: Lot. 54… A five pocket blue jeans, loaded with details, proudly crafted in the US of A. Made from 12 Oz. ”New Old Stock” indigo selvedge denim we found in limited quantities.

The concept as written on the official website "This season sees a merger between the “Naval Clothing Tailor” and “Speed Safe Clothing”. The characters in both stories are meeting on common grounds, with pieces crossing over, all under the old school MF umbrella…The idea was to have clothes that can easily be mixed together to create an individual style"

This collection should be available in September/October.
For more info email: katherine@misterfreedom.com or jared@misterfreedom.com

Wishing for: Bell & Ross Instrument BR-01-92 "Heritage"

2010-07-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

If I have the cash or offer from my parents for something, a birthday present maybe(wink wink) I would definitely go with the Heritage BR 01-92 from Bell & Ross, considering the price, it is within reach, so this wish may come true after all. :-)

Bell&Ross Official Website

Inspired by fighter plane cockpits from the World War II, the new Bell & Ross BR 01-92 Heritage watch is certain to become a Bell & Ross cult classic. Part of the great Swiss watchmaking and perfectly suiting a professional use, Bell & Ross has been long known as one of the favorite watches of pilots and adventurers. Their latest Heritage model — the BR 01-92, continues the tradition and features a stylish 46mm carbon-coated stainless steel case, a black dial, index marks and a synthetic canvas strap. Perfect for most social and traveling situations, you can expect it to get the job done and draw eyes like a road flare.

Movement: Automatic mechanical ETA caliber 2892 with hour, minutes, and center second functions.

Case: Stainless steel 46mm square case with black carbon powder finishing. Sapphire crystal, four screws on the corners, screw-locking crown with ampersand engraving.

Bracelet: Printed natural leather tan strap. Also comes with heavy-duty nylon strap.

Dial: Matte black strap with photo-luminescent beige vintage-style numeral hour markers and hands.

Yours for only $4200

BR01-92 Heritage

Preview:The Hill-Side + Tender Co.

2010-06-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Some sneak peak preview from Hickrorees I want one of the Woad dyed Hankies please.., would'nt mind the scarf and the tie too

The Seven Samurai & A Bandit

2010-06-26T01:50:00.000-07:00

Beautiful_Freak and a few bunch of us, well 8 to be exact on Mynudies and Superfuture started a project on documenting the progress of 8 Samurai Jeans with variant models,inspired by a group of Japanese guys who did a similar project 7 years ago! the initial idea is to look for a less "popular" models to fully see the ability and difference in fading properties as they're not much around for the chosen models, all the documentation and updates will be mostly on this link:

The Seven Samurai & A Bandit

Inventions: Patents Part 2

2010-06-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

continuing from my previous posts on great details and improvements on garments, heres more patents to inspire us:

Theres a few companies that have incorporated these improvements and details on their products, most of them was reproduced beautifully by Warehouse, in their Duckdigger and Heller's Cafe lines.Rising Sun also have some of these details in their waists overalls. Below are some pair of pants that have that "edge".

Warehouse DuckDigger

Warehouse Heller's Cafe

Old Town Clothing

Rising Sun Jeans

Official Website

ARN Mercantile: UK Built.

2010-06-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is a very interesting read on ARN Merchantile, who worked with Kato', Nigel Cabourne and some other great designers.

The explosion of all things workwear and craftsmanship based these past few years has reached fever pitch in 2010 - it says a lot when Gucci are touting their heritage in adverts - but there are a few companies who've managed to avoid the glare of the spotlight. So just how have ARN Mercantile, despite their collaboration with Nigel Cabourn, managed to keep a low profile?

"Hype's quite Expensive" says Neil Christopher, co-founder of ARN Mercantile. "We don't do it because we can't afford it." At only four seasons in, ARN Mercantile is still a relatively new company, although Christopher - along with his co-founder and wife Akimi - has a storied history in menswear.

It started from an early age, as his dad opened up a factory after finishing service for the army. "When I was growing up I spent the school holidays working there. I cut my first pattern at age 12 and was hooked from there - the idea of taking things apart and putting them together again was central to my childhood. Patterns to me were like massive airfix kits I still look at thing in their whole and try to work out how to take them apart.'

He eventually began working at several retail outlets until a great, if not peculiar, opportunity came around. "I had this bizarre drunken conversation with a guy called Lee that led to 'come to America, I've got a shop'." says Neil. "I didn't take it seriously until, about two months later, two plane tickets to Miami turned up. He said bring your girlfriend and if you don't wanna stay, 'have two weeks in Miami'. I ending up taking a girl I'd known for about three weeks. Obviously it was the most glamourous chat up line you're ever gonna get. So we went and she got pissed off with me after about a week. Eventually, I went 'fuck it' and ended up traveling on the train to New York."

Full Story Via Selectism

Woolrich Woolen Mills “Hunting Noir” Autumn/Winter 2010

2010-06-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

Woolrich Woolen Mills give a preview of their “Hunting Noir” Autumn/WInter 2010 Collection designed by Daiki Suzuki for Woolrich Woolen Mills.
Inspired by the stark colours of late 1970s and early 80s designer labels such as Comme Des Garcons, as well as his passion for Americana style, Daiki’s latest collection is a subtle range of blues, blacks and greys.
Once again Daiki has drawn upon the renowned heritage of the original Woolrich label, using Hudson Bay Stripes, traditional Hunting Plaids and Herringbone Wools all produced in the historic Woolrich Mill. However this season marks a new sharper stage for the Woolrich Woolen Mills collection with Daiki’s decision not to pre wash the garments as in the past in order to create a more tailored aesthetic.
The stand out pieces include; a toggled pea coat, sporting poncho and jeans in Woolrich Wool/ cotton blend denim. Returning from past seasons are the Upland jacket, Stream Jacket and Field Parka. Also look out for hooded sweatshirts and pants in a custom print fabric and knit cardigans, scarves and hats using archived Woolrich patterns.

Full Post and more images via SlamHype

Post O'alls Fall/Winter '10

2010-06-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to Post Overalls Fall/Winter '10 preview and some interview on StyleForum:

Text by Pete Anderson
Photos by Albert Thomas.
Looking around (capsule)--hell, looking around the streets of Soho--it's pretty clear that the vintage American clothing is a dominant theme of men's clothing. It hasn't always been that way. Post Overalls's (or Post O'Alls's) Takeshi Ohfuchi has been hunting down and collecting old American clothing for decades, and designing new classics since 1993. As we talked at capsule, he admitted that there were a few years when it wasn't worth coming to such shows, but shifting trends didn't change his vision of authentically detailed, eclectically fabricated clothes rooted in American workwear. "I always wear what I like to wear in the season, within our context." Ohfuchi's Fall/Winter 2010 collection shone in the Puck Building's bright, spare setting. On a rack of dozens of shirts, washed plaids stand out. Ohfuchi said he's stayed away from plaid in the last few years. "We did lots of plaids in the early seasons, then stripes and solids for years. Now, those plaids start looking fresh to us again."

Read the full post here: Post Overalls Fall/ Winter 2010

Kato' A/W 2009

2010-06-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Apart from true reproductions from Japanese Companies, sometime i love vintage designs with a little bit of twist, Companies like Engineered Garments, Post Overalls, Woolrich Woolen Mills, and Kato' have done this perfectly in my opinion. Almost every piece i see from them every season have made me love them, although they are really pricey, there's something about them that i really love, details that im interested in, the use of beautiful fabrics..i just wished i could afford to get some more pieces from them. I know this is abit late for posting up their A/W '09 collection, but here in Australia, were always a "season" late anyways..and looking at their pieces makes me feel all warm inside.

Inventions: Patents Part 1

2010-06-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

When i have some free time with nothing better to do, i love to browse around reading and looking at Patents that are now easily viewed on the web, let it be garments, zippers, machinery and all sorts of things. It makes me appreciate and understand why the details are incorporated into something also why it is designed in a certain way or look..most of them is to improve and make things much better for its intended use. Here are some of my favorite Patents ive stumbled upon,designs may be familiar to some as Japanese companies used some of these details :

do take the time to browse around these fantastic inventions and get inspired, i know i was..i will post more of them later.
For those whos interested to get some of these wonderfully designed shirts, reproductions of course, do visit some of the links below:

USN Deck Hook Type & MFSC COAT,DECK,FOUL WEATHER Type N-1H

2010-06-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Officers of the USCG Pequot - March 1945

Sailors Quinn, Cline & Livingston of USCG Pequot

Since its extra cold this year, thought would be nice to post up some read about my favorite jacket of all, the US Navy deck jacket "hook type". Here's some short read i quoted from History Preservation:

"The U. S. Navy developed and used many different styles of cold weather gear and clothing during the 1940’s. Winter jackets, commonly referred to as “Deck Jackets,” became the most cherished clothing articles of sailors during WWII and among collectors today. Most of the deck jackets used in WWII evolved from a dark blue, waterproof, zip-front design that was very similar in appearance to the U. S. Army’s Winter Combat Jacket (Tanker Jacket). In 1943, the second version of this Deck Jacket design was introduced, featuring a new-style front closure that was both an improvement over the zipper closure and a distinguishing characteristic of this jacket style destined to become an American classic.

This new Deck Jacket took into account the lessons learned from several years of warfare at sea. By the time America was actually at war and fighting in 1942, it was concluded that Navy personal who found themselves on shore or beach landing operations needed to be instantly and obviously recognized as U. S. Navy personnel when viewed mixed-in with various Army troops. Likewise, the USN had such different working uniforms from the U. S. Army that it was also feared GI’s unfamiliar with the Navy clothing might mistake USN personnel on the beach as enemy troops, many of whom were themselves also blue-clad navy forces manning the coastal defenses that U. S. forces were assaulting. This potentially deadly dilemma was rectified in late 1942, whereby the newer-production zip-front Deck Jackets leaving the factories had the upper back area boldly stenciled with the identification text “U. S. NAVY” in block letters using an opaque, semi-reflective, silver-colored silk screening ink.

The revised Deck Jacket of 1943 was exclusively produced with the silver stenciling across the back, unlike the earlier jackets it replaced. It retained the waterproof, celluloid plastic lining (sandwiched between the outer shell and Melton wool inner lining) of the earlier jacket style, but the most-recognizable improvement incorporated in the 1943 Deck Jacket was the new-style frontal closing method. The earlier jackets closed via a metal zipper. During very cold weather conditions, any collected water spray on the zipper would immediately freeze, making the zippers very difficult, if not impossible to operate. Likewise, deck personnel wore heavy gloves in cold weather, the wearing of which often made operating the zipper slide unduly hard, and if the zippers were ice-caked with frozen spray, more often than not they would simply fail completely. The solution to this problem was found in the typical fireman’s coats of the era. Naturally, firemen wore heavy gloves and were often coated in water from head to toe, and in winter, this water froze to their coats, yet they could fasten or unfasten their coats without great difficulty. The fireman’s coats, however, fastened not with zippers but with a metal hook-style clasp fastener that pivoted on a hinge pin and folded around and through a metal bracket. It was this same fastener design that the U. S. Navy incorporated into the 1943 Deck Jackets. This new Deck Jacket became synonymous with WWII U. S. Navy operations around the world."

I believe there are few variation in the production of this "hook" type as well, most of the original issued jackets ive seen includes the "D" patch pockets and single hook at the bottom of the jacket, however ive also seen similar "hook" type without the "D" pockets and some have double hook enclosure at the bottom. This is no surprise as the patterns are usually modified to suit the situation and varies from one manufacturer to another.

For those who enjoy collecting US Navy items, heres a wonderful guide by dustin from usmilitariaforum to help determine the year and where it is awarded to and from.

All contracts were awarded in numerical order starting with 1.Typically you see a contract example NXSX-12345:

N-meaning naval

XS is the designation for the bureau of Supplies and Accounts which is the bureau that oversees all the contracting bureaus

the last designation represents the cognizant bureau which the account is for so an NXSX means is that the Bureau of supplies and Accounts awarded a contract on representing themselves

the other naval bureaus are as follows with thier designation

Aeronautics- A

Supplies and Accounts-X

Yards and Docks-Y

Radio division-R

Naval Personnel-P

Other-S

Medicine and Surgery-M

Ordnance-O

Secretary's Office-D

you might see an NXSA which the contract was awarded through the Bureau of supplies and accounts for the bureau of aeronautics.so the series of contracts you will encounter are

NXSX

NXSA

NXSY

NXSR

NXSP

NXSS

NXSM

NXSO

NXSD

Most of the bureaus contract through themselves their desigantions are as follows

Aeronautics-OA

Yards and docks-OY

Ships-OBS

Naval Personnel-OP

Ordnance-ORD

Marine corps-OM

Coast Guard-TCG

you will see these contracing bureau prefixes

NOA

NOY

NOBS

NOP

NORD

NOM

NTCG

There are also contract prefixes you will encounter they are 288, 140,145 and a few others these numbers represent the procurment station within the naval department.I have only been able to identify the 288 prefix this Identifies Naval Aviation Supply Depot Philidelphia (NASD) these contracts represent contracts for the bureau of aeronautics.

On a piece of naval equipment you rarely see a date only a contract number.It is possible to date a piece using the contract number.When you do see a date with a contract number that is the month/day/and fiscal year the contract was awarded not the actual date of manufacture but most likely within a few months.an example would be a date of Dec. 1943 is the fiscal year but the manufacturing carried over into 1944 so because your item is dated 1943 does not neccesarily mean it was made in 1943.

another contract prefix you will encounter is N5XS the represents the fiscal year [1945]when the series of contract numbers reached 99,999 and started over from 1.

This is a series i put together for the NXSX contracts these cannot be used for any other contracting bureau as they use there own numerical system.You can use this by plugging in your contract number and find out approximately when your item was made.

NXSX

16868 oct. 1942 / 19958 dec. 1942 / 21747 jan. 1943 / 23534 feb. 1943 / 27612 april 1943 / 28180 may 1943 / 32566 jun. 1943 / 37374 sept. 1943 / 47990 jan. 1944 / 51656 feb.1944 / 55601 mar. 1944 / 58293 apr. 1944 / 63353 may 1944 /64856 jun. 1944 / 71083 jul. 1944 / 74718 aug. 1944 / 77162 sep. 1944 / 82724 oct. 1944 / 87107 dec. 1944 / 90338 jan. 1945 / 93082 feb. 1945 / 96119 mar. 1945 / 98850 apr. 1945 / 5sx 1974 may 1945 / 5sx 7547 jul. 1945 / 5sx 12406 aug. 1945

This Deck jacket from Mister Freedom is actually a combination of 2 patterns, which have the details of the "hook" type and features N-1 style drawstring bottom, instead of ribbing. i find this design very cleverly put together by Christophe..this was released back in Dec 2008 and i've heard rumors that they will make a comeback with different lining this Winter..so better start savin!

Details and Descriptions can be clearly viewed on the Catalog above

I also have another reproduction jacket that i got sometime ago, made by a lesser known company and without the "D" patch pocket details. For the price that i got them, i still think its a nice jacket and had kept me warm for a few winter months