r/rawdenim

After first machine wash.

236/365.

Insoak/one wash : 1

Soak : 1

Wash : 1

Decided to wash it a couple of weeks earlier than planned since it was starting to show signs of mold and develop an unpleasant smell. Not too worried about the extra-high spin cycle though. I’ve put my other jeans through it before and they handled it just fine. #samuraijeans #japandenim #iiy5 #rawdenim

Genuinely flabbergasted by how little they’ve faded. 8 months, 6 washes, 2 of those by hand. Im not complaining on the fades. as they’re the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn.

I've been collecting denim for about 10 years now and always gravitated towards Japanese denim but am always curious about Chinese denim. Sauce Zhan has always been on my radar and managed to pick up a pair from my recent trip to China. I paid a little over $100 and got it shipped through taobao.

As far as I know, Sauce Origin is Sauce Zhan's more premium offering and I'm blown away by the details from this pair: silver buttons, silver thread, blue selvedge line, custom brown pockets, decorative pocket and fly stitching, and horse hair leather patch.

This pair comes in 2 different fits: slim and regular straight. I snagged the regular straight version.

*More details from their website https://saucezhan.com/collections/sauce-origin/products/sauce-origin?variant=43825437409368:\*

*Due to limited production capacity and meticulous craftsmanship,only a small quantity is available for pre-sale initially.*

*Featuring a subtle blend of assorted Japanese GUNZE colored threads and silver thread,refined and understated.*

*Brown rough-out horsehide leather patch(belt-loop compatible)*

*Main button:Handcrafted fine jewelry-grade silver buckle.*

*Secondary buttons:Sliver-plated brass buttons.*

*2025 marks the 14th anniversary of our brand-a truly significant milestone.Every November,we release a limited-edition, high-end raw denim that embodies innovation and challenges the status quo.We believe the 14th anniversary limited edition will fill you with excitement and wonder.*

*Leveraging our extensive expertise in supply chain management and production, we aim to deliver a masterpiece that approaches perfection-a piece crafted for our loyal supporters.With meticulous precision and an artisanal approach,we are creating a raw denim that is truly unique,remarkable,and exceptional.*

*This 14th anniversary limited edition follows the standard configuration,with each pair individually numbered with a unique serial number on the inner side.*

*The design features originally developed fabric and incorporates a wide range of rare vintage sewing equipment during production.Each pair is individually crafted by our master sample makers in an exclusive sample workshop,ensuring a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail far beyond that of mass-produced items.The texture and finishes are executed to the highest standard.*

These are my first pair of raw denim jeans, worn since march of 2024. They are the Brave Star 22oz Gauntlet in the strongman fit.

They definitely have many more wears left in them but have gotten too tight for me to wear comfortably so I decided to retire them from my rotation.

Not sure if I'm gonna sell them or donate them but they were an awesome first pair and I made a lot of memories while wearing them. Plus, I think the fades I developed are pretty sick.

As I seem to struggle to retire these I figured I’ll post some pics of my beloved Petit Standard, 15 years + with these.

Rotation with a SDA, a Kibata from 3sixteen that unfortunately got its crotch ripped after 2 years and a very old Naked and famous as a pure blue Japan special edition with a green leaf.

Cheers everyone

What a fun journey thus far.

Stoked to see how these landed after the second wash with warm/hot woolite dark soap.

Unbranded 21oz wide fit, around 150 days of wear and 3 handwashes

High waisted, relaxed straight leg, 15.9oz denim made from Tennessee cotton sent to japan for ring spinning and rope dying and woven using vintage shuttle looms before sending it back to USA for construction/ cutting and sewing. Earning its name Eastwest denim

Feels light, breathable and soft unlike my graphzero slubby 15oz denim while still maintaining a nice structure.

I purchased this pair a month ago but forgot to take the photos so after 7-10 wears I finally did it. As you can see there is some fade already at the thigh

The pair is of a collection of SauceZhan named 风林火山 (Wind Forest Fire Moutain) aka Furin Kazan, with a 5th one named Thunder. It’s their most premium line below the expensive Sauce Origin line. I got mine for over $60 from Lazada. The cut is 344XX, aka 1944 501 sihoulette.

The fabric is 16.8oz Xinjiang cotton with some slubbyness and uneven pattern. The measurement is a bit off, coming up slightly larger than the official specs so I have to stitch up the waist 4cm smaller. Despite being 16.8oz, the feeling on skin is great and suprisingly not too hot to wear in summer (where I live is about 35-40 degree). I will try 2 more of their pair of the same 344XX in the next month, a 14oz and a 10oz ramie mix one

recently took a gamble and scored these online. They are a pair of Gooseberry Lay & Co. No. 9, and they arrived basically untouched—super rigid, New Old Stock condition.

​They had a bit of a vintage storage smell, so I just gave them a gentle cold water and vinegar soak with a quick machine spin to freshen them up. The soak water came out pretty nasty, but the indigo held up perfectly and the fabric is still incredibly hairy and dense.

​A few standout details:

​Full 1920s hardware (cinch-back and suspender buttons).

​Massive 43-inch outseam (huge win for my height to get a heavy double-cuff).

​Fabric feels like a solid 14oz+ with a really nice, uneven vintage texture.

​One really interesting construction detail: The selvedge finish uses a single-line stitch as opposed to the normal double-line stitch you usually see.

​My main reason for posting: I need some history on these!

​I read somewhere that Gooseberry Lay & Co. was actually a small Swedish brand making high-end American workwear repros, but they are completely defunct now and info is almost impossible to find online.

​Does anyone here have experience with this brand?

​Where were they sourcing their denim from?

​What exact years were these in production?

​Any idea what the original retail price was on a pair like this?

​I’m stoked to finally get some wear on them, but I'd love to know the actual history behind the denim. Any info from the archivists here would be hugely appreciated!

4 soaked 1washed

actual period of wear 130~140 days

1 year, 0 washes, 4-5 soaks.

When they start to smell I wash

Don’t count the wears or washes

Work in a office so not much hard wear

Eternal 811 left

Samurai 0500 right

The deep blue is starting to give way and show some texture. These have such a dense weave, I don’t think I’ll be able to wear them much when it gets warm and humid.

I recently lost a little weight. I somehow stuffed myself into the first pair of Iron Hearts I ever bought. 18 years old. They’re way tight, but I can button them up.

Bought from Giles in April 2008. Delivered in June. He happened to be heading to Japan and I asked if they could be hemmed at the factory and he got it done. Silver rivets. Signature silver crotch rivet. Repaired at Self Edge NYC at least once.

I got this new with tags on poshmark. 11oz Japanese denim skirt from Naked and Famous. The denim is super soft and hairy, but is not selvedge. It’s a little big in the waist but oh well, I’ll wear a belt. Already love it. It appears to be from a pretty old collection and I’d love if anyone knows when that might be? I’d love some more info on it. Took it to the top of a mountain today and it’s so comfy. Cheers!