501 - Big E (capital E)

Jeans known as "Big 'E' " are generally Levis jeans that were manufactured before 1971.  They are noted by the capitalized E on the rear red tab.  This identifing feature has to be used in conjunction with other identifying features in order to prove authenticity and differences between orgionals and reproductions, and fakes.

  
The famous Big E tab. The (R) on the tab also denotes jeans       Regular more common little e tab.
that were made after 1950 - When the ® started to appear
as Levi's red tab had became a registered trademark.

 There are some more defining points to look for.

-3 digit, 555 or J, J21 stampings on the top of the top button indicate a reproduction jean. 501 stamping usually indicate fakes.

-Singe digit stamping on top button  indicate authentic vintage jeans

-Offset middle belt loop, Single Stitch Rear Pockets and Lemon colored stitching indicate Real Big E Jeans.

- A V-stitch near the top button could indicate either  origional or fakes.

Talking about kaihara denim and uniqlo jeans

Telegraph UK has come out with aninteresting report on Kaihara Denim Mills and Japanese denim . Japanese denim always draws rave reviews about its quality and methods of production which makes it stand apart from other mills around the world. Japanese denim has always been fascinating the denim world due to its great quality, selvedge weaves (on old shuttle looms) and passion for perfection  that goes as a very important ingredient . But the  report from Telegraph comes out with some interesting facts aboutKaihara and Japanese Denim Brand ‘Uniqlo’  which also produces its premium denim range at the same location.

• Kaihara denim mill was started in 1893 tomanufacture Indigo Kimonos. For those who are not aware – Kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn by women, men and children.
• Kaihara uses a large quantity of  Pima cottonfrom US as it is one of the best cottons in the world. This would come as a surprise for many other denim mills as Pima cotton is hardly used for denim  due to its high cost. However, if a top of the line product has to be made, the ingredients have to go in accordingly !.
• Rope dyeing technology is used in the manufacture of denim. 
• Uniqlo jeans are also manufactured inBangladesh and China to keep the costs down. So what happens is that the jeans made from the best denim mill are available at reasonable prices (eg starting from $39.50 in US !)  . So where on the one hand , most premium denim brands are available at prices of &100 and above, Uniqlo manages to bring out jeans made from a great denim fabric at a very reasonable price – making it affordable for masses.

The constant barrage of information on Japanese denim has increased the awareness amongst consumers about the importance of fabrics in the jeans. This has also partly helped a brand like Uniqlo to sell its jeans . The reportmentions that Sam Lobban, the menswear buyer at Selfridges, attributes this to an increased awareness among savvy buyers of authentic fabrications.

“What really makes Japanese selvedge so superior is the depth of colour – the specialist washing techniques take to selvedge denim better to give a more 3D and rich colour.’ Just as important as the finish is the shape of the jean. ‘Selvedge denim tends to be on a more "regular" fit,’”Lobban says.

Something About Uniqlo

It would be in place to say something more about this important Japanese retailer . Uniqlois a  blend of the words "unique" and "clothing" – and 3-4 years ago , it would’ve meant nothing to anyone but the exceptionally well-travelled. The Japanese chain launched itself into the UK in November 2007 by opening two huge new stores in one day (it was actually a relaunch; it tried first in 2001 but scaled back). Since then, its popularity in Britain has exploded. In the midst of the worst recession in Britain since the Second World War, UK sales since Christmas have been up 140 per cent on the same period last year Worldwide, the store says it sells 400 million items a year.

Its New York store in SOHO (the only store in US)  is their largest store anywhere in the world with a huge  89000 sq feet of space and anunbelievable  rent of $20 million a a year .

Uniqlo already has a prescence in the Chinese market with about 47 stores and has just entered the Russian market. It is eyeing Indian market and is sure to make an entry within an year or two . With the kind of quality of jeans it has, it is surely going to give the existing players (including Levi’s) a run for their money.

Working with over 100 factories throughout Asia, UNIQLO is distinctive in that it combines the quality and craftsmanship that is synonymous with Japanese culture with the ability to manufacture in high volume, thereby offering consumers affordable everyday products with exceptional attention to every detail. For this reason, UNIQLO’s can offer its customers denim from the same denim fabric mill used by many high-end denim brands at a substantial savings. And if you are looking for some customer reviews on Uniqlo, here are some.

It would be interesting to see the prices of some other Japanese denim brands when we are talking about Uniqlo. These prices were posted in our previous post on Blue in Green Soho – Japanese Denim Shop

Denime – $298-$325 

Eternal – $255 

Evisu Japan – $240-$385 

Fullcount & Co. – $275-$330 

Momotaro Jeans – $250-$315 

Oni Denim – $185-$585 

Paul Smith Japan – $325 

Pure Blue Japan – $169-$559 

Samurai Jeans – $275-$665 

Skull Jeans – $240-$350 

Somet – $210-$295 

Studio D’Artisan – $265-$620 

Sugar Cane & Co. – $265-$370 

Sunrise Japan – $348-$358 

The Real McCoy’s – $248-$368 

Warehouse Co. – $245-$275

KNOW YOUR WELTS: THE MOST COMMON BOOT WELTS

Leather boots are one of the few items of clothing undeniably synonymous with raw denim. Thoughtful construction, natural materials, a century old aesthetic and the fact that boots are equal parts fashionable and functional pave the way for the average denim head and his lasted cowhide to be joint at the cuff.

And as is the case in the denim industry, often times it’s easy to get lost in the whirlwind of terminology. That’s where we come in. Whether to simply outsmart your forum buddies, improve that first date banter (If she lets you talk chromexcel all night, she could be the one), or legitimately find the perfect pair to meet your needs, take heed of our comprehensive breakdown of the footwear industry’s most commonly used welts.

THE GOODYEAR WELT

Image courtesy: mydenimlife.com

Due to its longstanding heritage, little-needed-maintenance, waterproof durability and clean aesthetic, theGoodyear welt is arguably the most prolific construction method within the leather footwear industry. The goodyear welt takes its name from Charles Goodyear Jr., an American inventor who automated the previously hand made welting process in 1869. This very same method is still used by cobblers around the world today.

The first step in constructing a goodyear welt is to stretch the upper over a lastand bring it together with the insole,mid-sole, and welt using what we call a welt-stitch; one of two elements in the goodyear welt, along with the (rapid stitch) that holds the entire operation together. From there, in a relatively simple last step, the welt is cemented and rapid stitched to the both the mid and outsoles.

Alden x Need Supply Indy Boot showing the Goodyear welt

Some of the more well known goodyear welted shoe models are the Red Wing 877, 875 and the Wolverine 1000 Mile boots. New England based shoe manufacturer Alden also offers the majority of their Indy Boot line up in either a Goodyear or Storm welt.

THE STORM WELT

Image courtesy: mydenimlife.com

The Storm welt is closely related to the Goodyear in the fact that each method uses the same components, differing only in form. Storm welt construction uses a welt similar to that of a goodyear constructed boot but wider. The extra width allows the welt to be bent upwards, creating a seal around the junction between the upper and the mid-sole. Aptly named, the Storm welt is generally considered to offer greater moisture protection than a Goodyear welt.

Tricker’s storm welt

Tricker’s and Alden are two of the most prominent users of the Storm welt within today’s footwear industry.

Blake Construction

Image courtesy: mydenimlife.com

Blake construction, in terms of both structure and aesthetic, is a little more removed than that of the previous goodyear and storm welts. In fact, a shoe made using Blake construction goes without a welt altogether. It simply uses a single channelled stitch running straight from the outsole through to the interior to hold the different elements of the shoe together. Some modern shoemakers tend to slip a lining within the shoe to hide the blake stitch from a bird’s eye view, however the more traditional method was to leave the blake stitch visible; often causing discomfort to some wearers.

Blake construction has become less common in hard wearing boots due to the tendency for moisture to wick it’s way through the blake stitch and into the shoe under heavy weather conditions. However a benefit of the Blake stitch, and one of the main reasons why the method still gets used today, is the low, and more elegant, profile that shoemakers can achieve due to the omission of the traditional welt and midsole.

One bootmaker that still uses the blake construction method is Rancourt & Co. from Lewiston, Maine. A personal favorite is Rancourt’s Blake Boot in olive chromexcel. 

11 WAYS TO FADE YOUR RAW DENIM FASTER – GUIDE

 One of the most sought after facets of all raw denim culture are the fades many jeans achieve after intensive wear. Such grail-level evolutions, however, require, months and years of patient wear and waiting isn’t for everyone. One of the most common questions we get here at Rawr Denim is “how do I fade my jeans faster?”

Well there aren’t any quick tips to release the fading potential in your indigo threads–until today! We’ve decided to share with you 11 surefire ways to speed up your journey to sick fadesville:

1. SLEEP IN YOUR JEANS

Image courtesy: vwc.edu

How can you expect fast fades if you’re neglecting up to 8 hours of potential wear per day? Sleeping in your jeans lets you dream about fades while you create them, plus if you do it often enough you’ll get a free pair of indigo-dyed sheets! For extra fast fades, be sure to keep them on during any “nightly activity”–now you know why most raws come with a button-fly instead of a zipper.

2. WEAR YOUR JEANS INSIDE OUT

G-Star’s waaaay ahead of the curve! Image courtesy: upscalehype.com

Raw denim fades based on friction, the majority of which happens against the weft of your jeans with your legs. This is the same reason crotch blowouts happen. Wearing your jeans inside out will allow you to turn 100% of the the natural friction your body creates and into fading gold, plus how else can you show off the full length of that selvedge ID?

3. RUB COFFEE BEANS ON YOUR JEANS

Image courtesy: bluejeansandcoffeebeans.com

Coffee is naturally acidic so it should be no surprise that the beans possess fading properties. Take the beans by the handful (green beans are best but roasted will also work) and rub them throughout the targeted areas. After you’ve applied enough, pour near boiling water over the top of your pants. Collect this water in a mug for a refreshing indigo-mocha beverage.

4. MOVE TO THAILAND

Really, anywhere in Southeast Asia works. The super high humidity and hellish temperatures makes for the best environment to fade your jeans and the worst environment to wear them at the same time. Just look at these amazingfades. If your family and your boss don’t understand your need to relocate to achieve the fades you need, then you don’t need them.

5. MICROWAVE YOUR JEANS

Image courtesy: archiexpo.com

The key to your unlocking your fades has been living in your kitchen the whole time. The indigo chemical (C16H10N2O2), is based in Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen–the same elements that make up our food. Applying a light amount of microwave radiation to your jeans will break down the indigo bonds, letting them separate from your jeans more easily, and thus fade faster. We recommend 45 seconds on maximum power or the baked potato selection if your microwave has one.

6. URINATE ON YOUR JEANS

Image courtesy: Universal Pictures

You may be worried about the odor, but if you’ve already gone for several months without washing then covering your jeans with piss won’t make them smell any worse. The ammonia and potassium nitrate present in your urine will dissolve the indigo’s bond with your denim–it’s even endorsed by renowned jeans expert Ruedi Karrer. Bonus points for being able to write your name in the fades!

7. DEEP FREEZE YOUR JEANS IN LIQUID NITROGEN

Image courtesy: gizmag.com

Many companies starch their jeans to make them more rigid and thus more likely to develop creases for fades. There’s no better way to get a rigid pair of jeans than to bathe them in liquid nitrogen at temperatures as cold as -346 degrees Fahrenheit. This method guarantees any pair of jeans will be able to stand up on their own in seconds, but be careful not to shatter them or get frostbite when putting them back on. This option may be limited to chemistry students and trendy ice cream workers.

8. TALK TO YOUR JEANS

Marilyn Monroe reads her jeans a nice bedtime story.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that talking to a plant will help it grow faster, and we’ve found the same results with fading raw denim. Tell your denim encouraging things like, “you’re a good jean” and “you’re going to be on Fade Friday some day” I’ve also found success in reading bedtime stories, my Iron Hearts and I are almost through The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

9. KEEP BALONEY IN YOUR POCKETS

Image courtesy: wikipedia.com

Don’t ask us how, but it works!

10. BLEACH ‘EM

Rorschach blot patterns are hot, hot, hot! Image courtesy: denimblog.com

They may not be the fades you want, but it’s undeniably the best way to achieve high-speed fades.

11. BAPTIZE YOUR JEANS WITH HOLY WATER

Baptism, the original ocean wash. Image courtesy: charisisenough.wordpress.com

A pair of jeans that will live long enough to see amazing fades needs to be composed of strong moral fibers. In order to avoid hole-y pants, you’re gonna have to get some holy pants. Enter into your local church, preferably after hours, and spread about two cups of the liquid over your stress points while saying, “In the name of the bar tack, the hidden rivet, and the Union Special, I summon you Jeansus!” (WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BAPTIZE ONI JEANS).

Did we forget your favorite way to speed up jean fading? Too bad!

Stay-Raw! Stay-"Lenjan"!

The Essential Guide To Japanese Denim Proxy Services

Ordering jeans or other clothing from Japan can be a daunting task. Most Japanese retailers have little – if any – English presence or customer support and thus checkout processes can be frightening, particularly when you have no ideas what you’re supposed to do.  The very layout of major Japanese sites like Rakuten and Yahoo Auctions is completely different from major English sites like Amazon orEbay, but for many denim fans it’s an unavoidable obstacle if they live outside of Japan.

The fact is, even the best retailers outside of Japan can stock only a small percentage of a brand’s total offerings, and whether you’re a denim neophyte or a someone with a closet full of sick fades, sooner or later you’ll probably end up wanting to order something from Japan that’s not available anywhere else – or at least, not at a reasonable price.

Enter Proxy Services

What exactly are “proxy services“? For a percentage of the total price, a proxy service takes care of the hard work of actually purchasing from a Japanese store, then eventually ships the denim to you. They handle large walls of Japanese text so that you don’t have to.

This especially comes in handy whenever you’re dealing with buying secondhand. For example, on the Amazon Japanmarketplace, the vast majority of resellers won’t ship outside of Japan, making it otherwise impossible for you to get your hands on such an item. Yahoo Auctions – essentially, the eBay of Japan – is much the same way.

Proxy services can circumvent this limitation because they’re located in Japan. Once you’ve paid them, they buy the item for you, then ship it to you after they receive it. It’s an extra step, but it’s certainly a lot easier than flying to Japan and back just to purchase a pair of jeans. Further, as shipping inside of Japan is so inexpensive and fast, it doesn’t cost you much more time or money anyway.

Let’s take a look at three of the proxy services available.

1. Sutocorp

One of the best-known proxy services to denimheads thanks to their advertising on SuperFuture, Sutocorp offers proxying not just for Japan, but also other countries.

All you have to do is contact them, explain what you want, and they’ll handle the rest with a service charge of 8% of the price of your purchase. Since they maintain an open thread on Superfuture, you can read about customer experiences and feedback so you know exactly what you’re getting into with them.

2. Bidservice.jp

Bidservice.jp functions rather similarly to Sutocorp, but they emphasize that they’ll also handle bidding for items on sites like Yahoo Auctions. This particular service comes in handy since Japanese auctions often only accept payment by bank transfer, which is difficult or impossible for those not in Japan and lacking a bank account. Bidservice charges 11% plus other costs for shipping or bank fees.

3. J-Goods

J-Goods works a little differently from the last two. Here, you fill out a form with information on what you wish to purchase and the charge is calculated after the fact (rather than based on a flat rate). A nice bonus offered by J-Goods is the fact that they’ll refund you if your package is lost or stolen in transit, plus you’ll be interacting one-on-one with a staff member for easier transactions.

There are many other proxy options available, but these three should give you a good taste of what to expect when using these services to get your hands on Japanese denim and other items. Is there another proxy service that you’ve used in the past and other would fine useful? Let us know in the comments below.

Stay-Raw!

Denim Stains And Indigo Bleeding – How To Avoid And Clean

Indigo Staining can happen anywhere

One of the risks of starting to break in a new pair of raw denim is the great amount of indigo dying that will occur on furniture, your hands, your boots, and anything you put in your pockets in the first couple weeks as the dye sets itself. If this is something you want to avoid (and in the case of furniture, you almost definitely do), there are a few simple steps to minimizing damage and reversing any dying that does occur.

Firstly, too minimize ruining furniture with denim stains, the first (and most obvious) thing to take care of is to simply avoid coming into contact with any white or tan surfaces. In the case of white furniture, if you absolutely have to, be sure to not rub back and forth at all or to get damp or overly warm while sitting down. Avoiding excess warmth and moisture should keep you from getting noticeable stains on other colors of couches as well, though these will be much less likely to show through.

Indigo Stained Couch

If you do get a little bit of denim staining on your furniture or another piece of clothes, saddle soap or your other favorite cleaning product in a warm water wash will most suffice in battling any indigo bleeding. You’ll likely need to rework the stained area a few times, but it’s more important that you clean as soon as possible so as not to allow the dye to settle.

Indigo Stained Boots

The saddle soap option is also the most reliable for cleaning indigo stains off something like leather boots which can take on the dye in wet weather or through excess rubbing. I’d recommend avoiding high boots which will definitely rub the denim as well as avoiding water immersion near the contact areas. The same goes for sneakers, though these can also be easily just be washed with soap. I would recommend avoiding soap on leather, as this risks ruining the leather in the area you wash.

Indigo Stained Sneakers

Your hands are probably the easiest to take care of, as all you really need to consider is washing them with soap and warm water until the dye eventually comes off. The good thing here is that it isn’t all that common, some denims will get a ton of dye on your hands, but luckily most won’t so your hands and whatever you put in your pockets should be fine.

Re-Cap

In summary, there are a few simple steps to be taken to avoid lasting denim stains on any surfaces:

1. Prevention – avoid whites, high boots, and wet weather’
2. Rapid Response – if you detect any sort of stain, get soap to it as quickly as possible, and ideally don’t rub it in too much with water beforehand. Warm water will help prevent the indigo from settling and though saddle soap is the best option, any cleaning solution should be effective. You may want to stop short of bleach unless the item is pure white to begin with.
3. Repeat - Continue to scrub with soap until the stain has come off or at least faded. Keep the warm water coming.

This simple guide should work for most indigo stain prevention and removal, but if you have other suggestions, hints or improvements that you favor, we invite you to leave your comments below.

Stay Raw! 

OFF-TOPIC: Ray ban BL and RB, History and Information

Ray-Ban was founded in 1937 by Bausch & Lomb (B&L) as a brand under which to design and manufacture sunglasses which incorporated advanced B&L lens technologies. The initial buyer was the U.S. Army Air Corps, but it was Lieutenant John MacCready who had the idea that would change the face of sunglasses.

In 1920, MacCready returned from a balloon flying expedition complaining that the sunlight had done permanent damage to his eyes. He contacted Bausch & Lomb to ask them to use their optical expertise and technology to design sunglasses that would provide complete UV protection while also being stylish and comfortable to wear.

On May 7, 1937, B&L took out the patent on the prototype which included "Anti-Glare" lenses and construction of a lightweight frame that weighed only 150 grams. The prototype sunglasses were made of a gold plated metal with 2 green lenses made of mineral glass to filter out both infrared and ultraviolet rays. Pilots in the Army Air Corps immediately adopted them as did pilots in the other branches of the armed forces.

The "aviator" style became synonymous with Ray-Ban, never more so than when General Douglas MacArthur landed on the beach in the Philippines during World War II and was photographed wearing Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses. Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses featured dark, moderately reflective lens in a shape that covered 2 to 3 times the area of the eye, and they were popular with both traditional wire ear stems and ear pads as well as curved wire ear stems that looped around the ears and secured the fit. Over future years, this style of curved wire ear stems on Ray-Ban sunglasses were also referred to as Shooter and Outdoorsman sunglasses.

There have been many famous Ray-Ban styles over the years transcending Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses, many coupled with new optical or frame advances. As for styles, none became more aligned with pop culture than did Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses designed by B&L optical designer Raymond Stegeman and first introduced in 1952 when their design was a revolutionary break from earlier sunglass styles.

According to design critic Stephen Bayley, the "distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a nonverbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness, but one nicely tempered by the sturdy arms which, according to the advertising, gave the frames a 'masculine look.'" While popular in the 1950s and 1960s, Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses attained the height of their popularity from celebrities who favored the style, from Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast At Tiffany's to Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in Top Gun.

Bob Dylan was hardly ever seen not wearing his Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the 1960s, and other notable personalities who have been extensively photographed wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers include Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, James Dean, John F. Kennedy, Roy Orbison, John Belushi, and Andy Warhol. Vintage B&L Ray-Ban advertising was very effective in conveying their history with aviators, pilots, and celebrities.

Ray ban Aviator

Ray-Ban introduced a number of innovations in lens technology over the years, and the Vintage Sunglasses Shop has collected plenty of original B&L Ray-Ban marketing materials from the 1940s onward. All vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses feature "precision ground lenses polished from crystal clear optical glass so they are free from distortion or any other flaw." Marketing material from the 1980s notes that Ray-Ban frames "are meticulously from specially alloyed metal or from plastics that are used in prescription eyewear frames."

Among B&L's constant density lenses, theRay-Ban G-15 neutral gray lenses transmit all colors equally so they retain their true values, providing 85% visible light absorption and 100% UV protection. Ray-Ban B-15 high contrast brown lenses screen out blue light to improve contrast and sharpen details, providing 85% visible light absorption and 100% UV protection. Ray-Ban RB-3 green lenses feature absorption balanced with the eye's sensitivity to colors for peak acuity, with 71% visible light absorption and 100% UV protection.

The amazing Bausch & Lomb Diamond Hard lenses are noted by both the Ray-Ban logo and a diamond etched in the glass of the lens and are virtually scratch proof. Most authentic B&L Ray-Ban lenses produced c mid 1950s and after have a very small BL etched in the glass of the lens near the hinge points of the sunglasses.

Ray-Ban sunglasses were marketed as "The World's finest Sunglasses" which promoted the company's experience over more than 100 years of manufacturing scientific optical instruments. Quality control at the original Ray-Ban was a top priority, with lenses made from optical glass which had been "precision ground and polished to be "free of waves or any other defects that could distort vision and cause eyestrain and fatigue."

Ray-Ban gold frames feature gold electroplating, sometimes with 10k, 12k, or even 24k gold, and the process ensures that the gold is permanently bonded to the core metal which was specially alloyed for both strength and malleability. It is important to note that Ray-Ban black frames were known as "black chrome" and similarly electroplated, so the black finish is not an enamel which could chip or wear off.

We are often asked about what vintage Ray-Ban marks on gold filled frames means. As an example, a vintage B&L Ray-Ban frame with impressed marks B&L 1/10 12K GF indicates a frame with gold content of about 5% pure gold when you exclude the plastic parts, lenses, and screws. To be more exact, the frames are 5% pure gold, 2.5% copper for wear resistance to the gold finish, 2.5% silver to retain the yellow color of pure gold, and the balance magnetic steel in the core. The "GF" hallmark does in fact mean "Gold Filled," but when you consider the relatively small percentage of gold the frames contain and the fact that the gold is on the surface of the frame rather than the core you can see that the GF marking is somewhat a misnomer.

It should also be noted that the "GF" mark is equivalent to the "G.O." (Gold Overlay) mark and the "RGP" (Rolled Gold Plate) mark all used at different periods. Each of these marks implies a gold content of at least 5% by weight. In this type of plating, a layer of gold is attached to the core metal by a combination of pressure, heat, and chemicals. This is the origin of the "Rolled" in RGP, i.e. the gold is literally rolled or pressed onto the core metal.

This method differs from electroplating in that the gold content in electroplating is less than 1% by weight. The idea behind RGP is to put enough gold on the core metal such that there will be no wear through at least 30 years of wear. Obviously the process is better than expected as we've never seen a vintage B&L Ray-Ban gold filled frame with wear through to the finish. The bottom line is that a GF finish will last indefinitely with no significant wear to the gold plating at all. Remember that a 12K gold alloy of 50% gold, 25% copper and 25% silver has a hardness rating of 160. That's pretty hard compared to pure gold which has a hardness rating of just 20.

Ambermatic lens

A few of the most notable variations of the Ray-Ban lens technology include Changeables, photochromatic lenses which react to the sun's brightness to protect your eyes, darkening and lightening an amazing range of 75% range depending on light conditions. Ray-Ban Kalichrome shooter and outdoorsman sunglasses were yellow lens shooters designed for shooting sports conducted in hazy, foggy, and low light conditions.

The yellow lenses actually intensify light and increase contrast, and wearing them on bright sunny days might hurt your eyes a bit but you will at least look cool. The shooter design is similar to the aviator but sits higher up on the face, and the space between lenses is separated by a circular ring that is referred to as the bullet hole, and it has cable temples to give a secure fit for active pursuits. Ray-Ban "smart" Ambermatic lenses adjust to the prevailing light. On cloudy and overcast days, Ray-Ban Ambermatic sunglasses are lightly tinted and amber colored to cut through haze and sharpen vision. On sunny, warm days they turn brown to block the glare, and on sunny, cold days they change to dark gray for superior protection from direct and reflected glare.

We are also asked a lot about characteristics and marks on real vintage Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses. The aviator frame should be solid and sturdy with de minimus wear to the gold plating regardless of the age of the aviators. You can find vintage aviators with the typical B&L Ray-Ban gold plating as well as aviators which are either 10k or 12k gold filled. In almost all cases, the top of the frame at the nose bridge will be marked with B&L Ray-Ban U.S.A. sometimes followed by the frame and lens size and sometimes followed with 10k GF or 12k GF designations, all etched in the metal of the frame.

Most aviators will also have B&L Ray-Ban USA inscribed in the frame below the nose bridge as well depending on the design. The small etched BL in the lenses near the hinge points was not used in Ray-Ban sunglass lens production until the late 1970's, and the cursive white Ray-Ban trademark logo on the lens was introduced in late 1982 and subsequently present on all Ray-Ban sunglasses from 1983 onward.

Like many higher end consumer items, Ray-Ban sunglasses are extensively reproduced in Asia, so easily that a simple google search will turn up Chinese web sites selling many styles of fake Ray-Bans. At the Vintage Sunglasses Shop, we take great care to vet every pair of vintage sunglasses we sell for period authenticity. There are various ways to identify fake Ray-Ban sunglasses if one knows what to look for. If you buy vintage sunglasses on auction sites, your chances of buying a fake are not insignificant.

Ray-Ban was acquired by the Luxottica conglomerate in 1999, also now the owner of many of the world's most famous brands of sunglasses including Revo, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Persol, Chanel, Versace, DKNY, and more. In our view, the quality of Ray-Ban sunglasses quickly declined with corporate ownership and a blurring of the lines with other Luxottica brands. While the new styles are fine if you like them, the Vintage Sunglasses Shop focuses its attention on Ray-Ban styles and models produced c 2000 and earlier.

The classic and eclectic frame styles produced during this period coupled with the most significant advances in B&L lens technology easily explain why these vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses styles usually sell for higher prices than brand new Ray-Bans- even in the exact same style.

Source :- sunglassesmalaysia.com 

Chain Stitch v.s. Lock Stitch – Pro’s & Con’s

The infamous chain stitch. What’s all the fuss about?  Why do some make such a big deal out of it while others could care less?  Unfortunately, there is no cookie cutter answer here. The easiest way to go through the advantages and disadvantages of chain stitching and lock stitching is probably to do just that in point form.

Chain Stitch

Chain Stitching

Chain Stitching – Process (wikipedia)

Advantages

• More authentic and original
• Results in nicer fading pattern around denim bottoms
• Better “roping” effects (i.e. twisted, rope-like look at denim bottoms)

Disadvantages

• Difficult to have done (since chain stitching must be done on Union Special machine since chain stitching can only be done on a special sewing machine)
• Tends to unravel
• Only noticeable on the inside (i.e. after you cuff)

Other (if you decide to Chain Stitch)

• Ensure you have done post soaking
• Available at Blue in Green, Self Edge, and Blue Owl Workshop

Lock Stitch

Lock Stitch

Lock Stitch – Process (wikipedia)

Advantages

• Stronger stitch
• Much cheaper
• More accessible of a service

Disadvantages

• Aesthetically more unnatural (however, this vary between denim, material, etc.)
• Less appealing to some due to weaker “roping” effect

Additional Resources

• How Sewing Machines Work Article

Stay Raw!