No.2 Jeans Selvedge 1890 One Wash 11.4oz Selvedge

Jean TCB No.2 1890 One Wash 11.4oz Selvedge

• 100% Texas cotton / 11.4oz
• Pre-washed to prevent shrinkage
• Accurate reproduction of the 1890 Model 201
• Vintage straight fit
• Dyed with natural indigo
• Irregular denim
• Wide white selvedge ID
• Riveted stress points
• Screen printed woven patch
• One unique back pocket
• Back cinch
• Expertly made in Japan

Through its meticulous reproductions of historically significant jeans, TCB has carved out a niche for itself in the field of Japanese selvedge denim. In this vein, Hajime Inoue set out to recreate one of the iconic jean models, the 201 from 1890, which was a slightly modified version of the first 1880 model that was made without rivets due to patent reasons. To accomplish this, the founder of TCB collaborated with many top-tier partners.

Firstly, the model that served as the basis for this reproduction is an original piece owned by Mr. Koizumi, a passionate and renowned vintage collector. This model features the characteristic attributes of workwear from that era, intended for lumberjacks and gold seekers: a wide fit, a single back pocket, the cinch (a half-belt at the back that tightens the waist), the presence of buttons for suspenders, orange linen stitching matched with copper rivets used from 1873 after the patent was granted to Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis.

The microscopic study of the original model led to the creation of 5 different cotton threads, 4 for the weft (inside) and 1 for the warp (outside), each thread varying in thickness. In this way, Hajime ensured he could reproduce the significant irregularity of the initial model, an irregularity that corresponded at the time to a shaky management of the spinning phase. To spin the cotton with utmost precision, he turned to the machines of Ishikawa Seisakusho, the oldest Japanese spinning machines still in operation.

Understanding that the original model had not been dyed with synthetic indigo, since its creation by a German company dated back to 1897, Hajime opted for natural indigo dyeing. It took more than 14 dips interspersed with periods of oxygenation to achieve the desired deep blue. Once the warp threads were dyed, the weaving of the denim was entrusted to the expert hands of the Ibara manufacturing, whose craftsmen will readily admit that this was the most complicated project they have ever worked on. Indeed, beyond the mastery required to weave 5 different thicknesses of cotton threads, it was also necessary to account for the alternating weaving directions that the original jeans presented. This mixed Right Hand Twill and Left Hand Twill, a detail visible on the wide white selvedge ID running along the leg of the reference model.

Once the denim weaving was complete, the cutting and assembly phases were carried out by the artisans of TCB who left nothing to chance. From the size, color, and placement of the sewing threads to the awkward positioning of the hand-struck rivets on the original model, all details were faithfully reproduced and techniques adhered to in order to ensure a perfect result. It is always with an eye for detail that suspender buttons accompany the cinch, allowing for waist adjustment in the absence of belt loops, and the rivets ensuring the durability of stress points are deliberately visible. Finally, the unique back pocket, predating the appearance of the fifth pocket a few years later, completes this jean which required the dedication and expertise of a large number of specialized craftsmen led by the passion of the members of TCB.