The Flat Head
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@Cold:
I'd just tell everybody, please don't give Kiya or other retailers a hard time about this or pester them with questions about "is ______ loopwheeled?!" They're good guys, we owe a ton of our knowledge about the whole Japanese denim scene to them, and they'll take care of things when they're ready. I think they all know by now, let's just let them deal with it as they see fit.
backed! please take it easy on their backs guys! kiya and all the others are awesome guys and they'll sure know how to deal with this (if needed at all, since the quality and price are the exact same)! think about it…
thanks again Kyle!so Ben...post some more info/pics mate, so we can get back to our daily routine
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This is all pretty interesting… I have grown to love my THC tees and after owning Loopwheeled from a couple different companies had decided that preference was with what I believed to be the flatheads THC line because they are the absolute sturdiest tshirts I've had the pleasure to own... Knowing this changes none of that.
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I agree, the THC shirts and Flat Head shirts in general are just superb in their construction and cut and the fabric is excellent. With collars like that, I don't need them to be loopwheeled.
Credit to Kyle for coming on here and explaining things and to Rafa for his responses.
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for me, these are the most important facts and nothing else matters imo…loopwheeled or not!
@Cold:
As anybody who owns one of these T-shirts already knows, the fabric and construction is second to none, and almost all of our T-shirts (excluding special ones like the Flatlock series) cost the same, so it's not an issue of money. Knowing all of this, I bought four THC tees the other day, and I honestly prefer them to any other tees I've touched, loopwheeled or not. I think we need to evaluate these - and tees by other Japanese manufacturers, for that matter - on their own merits, rather than based on the mystique of any particular machine used in constructing it.
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I agree those collars are :-*… Anything else just doesn't cut it for me now.
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I don't know much about this topic. I don't own any TFH tees, and I don't even know what THC stands for – I just know the "higher" the % the better -- but even after only a couple posts, it's clear TFH is lucky to have Kyle represent them. He addressed this issue head-on, in a professional/respectful manner, and was eloquent and informative in his response.
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Thanks Cold Summer for your explanation.
One thing to take away, please ask TFH to make their Ts in bigger sizes for us folks in North America. Love to get some, but many of them are limited to 42 inches in chest sizes. And if they do, I don't think the shoulders need to be more than 21 inches imho.Seanocono, I think the closest you will get in a XL is size 46 (and unfortunately sold out in SE) in this: http://www.selfedge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=901
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Thanks, Omega Man. Unfortunately, even those would be a little too small in the chest, if they were available. I'm actually hoping the 46" chest of the latest IH XLs stretch a bit, which I'm sure they will. I'll find out later today.
I definitely second TFH making some larger-sized Ts for us North Americans. I really dig all the native motifs.
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Sean, if you can find some of their "wide body" models, you might be able to get one that will work. Those are sized like standard Flat Head tees, but are generally 1-2 inches wider in the body. Good luck with your hunt. Everyone should get at least one FH tee, they're fantastic.
As far as this whole loopwheeled/not loopwheeled thing goes, it's all pretty irrelevant to me. Several people with greater knowledge than I will ever have say that telling if a finished garment is loopwheeled or simply tube bodied and woven on a modern machine is impossible. As further proof of this irrelevance, when Haraki started making the new 7.5 oz tees, he didn't bother telling Giles that they were loopwheeled- because it didn't matter to him. If an obsessive perfectionist like Haraki-san doesn't care, then it can't be very important to the quality of the shirt.
Bottom line is that FH tees are beautifully made, comfortable and of the highest quality. If you're going to write off buying one because of what appears to be an honest translation error about a fundamentally inconsequential knitting technique, then I just feel sorry for you.
(BTW, I like IH tees better, because I hate the neck on FH tees
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I do agree that if the most "trained" people (Kiya) can't tell loopwheeled tee vs not, it's probably not a big deal. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure that Self Edge sells the THC series at their stores.
But I will say that at SELA I held a flat head tee and an iron heart one, which we know is loopwheeled, and I was amazed because I instantly said out loud to the girlfriend that I thought the fabric on the IH was nicer.
Does that mean i prefer loopwheeled, or is the cotton just nicer? Not sure, but I have an iron heart one on the way and ill give my 2 cents on both when it comes, if anyone would like…
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I saw some size 44 tees here the other day, and the SE page suggests that a size 46 exists. I don't think TFH makes very many in these sizes, but as Chris mentioned the Regular Size models (40R, 42R, etc.) are wider. I'm sure that if you contact your nearest store and asked nicely, they could probably order some of these for you.
I think Chris is right, it doesn't seem like the whole loopwheel thing is quite as big a deal in Japan as it is on English denim forums. But I will re-state that Flat Head makes tees with many different types of fabrics - most of them loopwheeled.
The THC's main selling point is that they're made out of heavyweight, durable cotton with triple-stitched necks. If for some reason you don't like the necks or fabric on these, you can always try the Glory Park or Black Mint tees that might have the feel you're after. TFH makes so many different types of T-shirts that I'm sure just about anyone could find a fabric and details that they liked.
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How about a picture of said tees to break up some of this text eh?
New TFH pick-ups from Take5 and 2nd…
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@Cold:
I saw some size 44 tees here the other day, and the SE page suggests that a size 46 exists.
Since I wear a 44, I can say that they are not super common, but you can find them with a bit of effort. As for the 46 (I owned one, by the way), I've never seen that size anywhere but at Self Edge, so maybe Kiya did a special order. I'm sure he'd be willing to give some additional info if asked politely.
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Great tees especially the RJB one
