The Best Work Pants: Levi's vs Carhart Dungaree vs Prison Blues VS Key
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2023
- Work pants are like work boots... they have to be right. Find out what works for you and then never look back. Ken's Workbench here: • The Most Impressive Wo...
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My grandpa passed 4 years ago. He was a WW2 Veteran and the hardest working man I've ever met. He had the patience of a monk. I can't remember a time of him ever getting upset. He wore Levi 501's till the day he passed.
Because when he was younger, and before you were born, he yelled at everyone. Trust me, nobody because is patient at an old age without tiring themselves out with productive rage when they were younger
@@christiansantos8904 you might be right 😂
@@christiansantos8904it’s a DIFFERENT generation now. No one wants to get yelled at.
what did he do in the war?
@@unionironjoshI can’t think of any generation that liked being yelled at. The older ones tolerated it more. Didn’t like it but still took their licks without crying like a mulling babe.
I'm with you, brother. When Carharrt started making their work pants cheaper, I was heartbroken. I didn't mind paying more for the old ones; they were worth it. why can't some companies leave well-enough alone?
Greed! The only thing that matters now is keeping the shareholders insatiable Greed satisfied.
Profit incentives eventually mean producing goods as cheaply as possible and counting on your competitors to do just the same.
A damn shame, but comporations have no motive to take pride in their products, only motive to make the bottom line go up
Short term profits over their bread and butter customers.
Ownership changes and the new blood wants to make money off of the brand and reputation. Largely because the new blood doesn't know anything about the product made by their new company, at least not to the degree of the founders, but riding on someone else's coattails is easy. Like so many great American companies, Carhart was a name with a reputation. Now, they are just a name with an inflated price tag. Hamilton Carhart is long gone. Just like Horace Smith, Dan Wesson, and Sam Colt.
i bought some of the newer style ones with the white pockets, (my older ones had brown pockets) and the new ones ripped almost instantly!
Thank you for the support! We are glad you enjoy our Logger Dungarees!
Round House Jeans at this point on my end. Made in the USA and they offer 2nds if $$ is tight. No middle man and they aren’t fashion statements. Plus you will have your order history so you never forget what size you got.
I wear Round House, too. But they discontinued the double front jeans and stopped with suspender buttons.
Yes. I weld 6, 12's in roundhouse and their overalls at least are flawless.
They never have anything in stock
Their Bibs fit better than anybody else
I have a question would you choose jeans made in the USA over better pair of jeans? is where it’s made more important than the quality? Or is that secondary. Because I see people always going for American made when sometimes I find stuff made in other countries better for example I find boots made in Mexico better. Just wondering what’s the deal with that
When I started high school in 1961 Levi's were $4.25 and a madras shirt was $2.75 . Penny's pocket tee shirts $.98 ! The first day of the new school year was permeated by the strong aroma of new denim and the crisp feeling of a new short sleeve sport shirt .
Truly the good days; a much simpler time .
Love your outlook and channel .
And minimum wage was $1.15. For a young person that shirt and pair of pants was almost a full days work.
I don't know if anyone will find this interesting - but adjusted for inflation: the Levi's were $43.45, the madras shirt was $28.12, the Penny's pocket tee was $10.02, and the bottled Coke was 72 cents. Which means the numbers are kinda close-ish. Quality is different though. And that $1.15 federal minimum wage would now be $11.76, instead it is $7.25, which is 42% lower. So that's a bummer.
$4.25 in 1961 is $44 in today's $$
I remember!
And they probably lasted longer than 3 months.
I'm a shop teacher at a high school and wore the middle out of my Carhartts a lot. I now wear Duluth Trading Co. And love them.
Wrangler and pointer brand always works for me. I’ve wore wrangler for 45 years and 40 of them as a pipeline welder
That suspender slap. 💥
Another vote for Dickies. First of all, I still love carpenter jeans for work even though they have fallen out of fashion, it seems. For the money ($30), I can't believe the value of Dickies. They are a heavy weight denim you don't find much anymore. They break in great and I now wear their non carpenter jeans for everyday. I have tried Duluth, Levis, and several others.
AND...I wear a 33 waist and that is hard to find but Dickies does those odd sizes as well.
Dickies were good. Lately, they've changed the fit, like their carpenter denims, and I wear 36 waist, and the crotch isn't as comfortable as my Key jeans. But the Dickies are value and heavier weight, and I do prefer their work shorts with pocket for phone.
I got a pair of the Dickies double-knees (because of the price) and hated them. The side pockets are too wide and shallow, things fall out. Also, the main front pockets are "weird".
I've got a pair of 33x32 that are fairly new. If you give me a place I can PM you, I'll send them to you.
Love Dickies but the ones I have now aren't as thick as those I had 15 years ago. These new ones won't last as long.
Not a Dan of Dickies the crotch is so tight when I squat they get tight around the upper thigh area, doesn't matter the size. Great pants otherwise but I need to find something else
@@Elimino_P are these still available? i'm interested.
My folks owned Sasby Island,outside of Petersburg, Alaska. As a third grader I was always uncomfortable in jeans. As I grew I was introduced to Levi’s. I too discovered they were and are not the jeans they once were. I’ve tried Carhart pants. I agree they’re as, well, cheap as Levi’s.
I’m 71 now and I still use the chainsaw, work pretty hard for my age. I needed a pair of pants that doesn’t like to fade, to rip, to wear out, that fit my 33/32 size.
It’s the Duluth Trading Company Firehose pants I now wear. They make a damned good pair of pants.
I've been wearing DTC for years. Different styles/materials but the last pair of firehose canvas I bought were way better than the new Carhart's I'd been wearing.
Ridgecut flex canvas pants from tractor supply are my new favorite as an electrician. Durable, lots of pockets, and cheap!
Excellent!!!
I remember the old Levi's that were so stiff that it took a full summers worth of wearing to be able to fully articulate the legs at the knees.
👍👍!!!
Yes, too many jeans makers have forgotten that blue jeans were (and still should be) work pants.
Well you still can buy those , they are a different process denim that they use now for mass production.
Levi’s heritage collection have them but you will need to second mortgage your home to buy a pair. Heritage denim is a rabbit hole you may not come out of the same.
Too bad they don't just come out with "Levi's fashion" or "Carhartt fashion" so you know your getting a visual tool instead of a physical tool.
I’m definitely finding myself buying about 10 pair of pants when I find something i like that fits. I don’t like shopping, and I just know they’re gonna change in 5 or so years when I need more. Hard to plan waist size, but it’s worth it to stock up sometimes.
"Hard to plan waist size" - Haha, but maybe if you have a large stock of pants in a particular waist size, it will motivate you not to overeat and let yourself go like so many people do.
I do the same!
Yep, seems like every time I find something I like, it’s discontinued when I need to replace it.
I really like the wrangler Riggs pants. The hammer loop is on the right hand side which is more convenient for me. And there pretty durable as well.
you use the hammer loop?
They were my go to, the first thing that failed was the crotch from walking and crouching. That took several years though. The double front did way better for wear leaning against machines than other pants did.
They'd be fantastic if they only used a proper zipper. The zipper on the pair I bought doesn't lock when flipped up, so the zipper is always opening my itself as I move around.
I’ve switched from Carhartt to Baileys Wild Ass double front denim logger pants and they’re very good quality, come with suspender buttons, super durable denim and require a good break in, but once they’re broken in they’re super comfortable. If you need a nice heavy duty pant I’d recommend them.
I work in a scrapyard dealing with all types of metal & just everything you can think of. I’ve always wore Levi’s but your right. They don’t make them like they use too. This is what I needed to watch today. Thank you for making this video.
I used to only wear Levis. After the last 2 pair I bought wore holes in them in under 5 wearings, I'll never buy another pair. Clearly they are for people to wear to the club or something, not sure they would even hold up to that.
Gents you need a company called sugar cane and you need to take a ganda at the 1947 dugarees/ jeans these guys produce, they apparently bought the old looms off levis and are making the jeans the way levis used to using the selvedge method and also using the 1947 patten to make the jeans , purfect if you like old levis or you could just go straight for the iron heart 18oz work pants and they come in denim and duck kanvas camt see you f**king them up for a good couple of years
Scott, another great video. I love how passionate you are about boots and jeans and all your tools. I feel the same way.
Construction Laborer here. My favorite pants are the Wrangler Riggs in the duck material. It’s a bit stiff and warm in the summer, but very durable with deep pockets and a good value.
Same here, I like that theyre double layered up front. Haven't tried the duck material ones but regular jeans. Also the super deep pockets on em.👌👌
Im with you
I just put a pair on 30 seconds ago
Years ago when I was an apprentice I bought a pair of the Riggs double front logger jeans... Best work pants I ever owned. A bit warm in the summer but very durable and comfortable over a 10 or 12 hour day.
I would probably still be wearing them but I married a woman who can cook and the pants shrank on me.😊
I found my boyfriend a pair of prison blues (black double knees with Bach buttons) by chance in a thrift store and they looked so nice on him, I was soooo jealous of the quality and the style and the sturdy denim. Bought myself a pair this summer and haven’t worn a damn thing since. I’ll wear them till they’re threads
Scott your overlooking imo the best work pant out there. Baileys Wildass double front logger pants are worth a try. They are built like work pants used to be.
I loved my Duluth firehose work pants! Wore like iron. Unfortunately, they were a bad match for Louisiana summers. Temps over 90, humidity over 80, they weighed like iron. Took a step down to their regular work pants , wore them till I stopped physical labor.
Duluth is the way to go yup!;bit just like you, I live in Texas and the heat, and humidity kill me dawg
Also, Duluth sizes run LARGE.
Ben Davis and Dickies Loose Fit (they have extra pocket and double front)are nice as of late. Used to be jeans only guy till i worked a job that required black pants. Military surplus BDU pants or Propper modern tactical pants are another great option with double front and a range of materials from cotton twill to ripstop.
Wrangler ATG pants have held up really well for me over the past 5 years doing carpentry. Reinforced knee/double front, somewhat stretchy canvas type material but not fragile so they're comfortable and I can get 2-3 years out of a pair. They look good as well if you prefer a non blue jean look.
Wrangler ATG and the Carhartt double front stretch are my go to. I'm usually kneeling on concrete or dirt/gravel doing industrial electrical so these things have been a game changer having double the lifespan. Plus they're not super baggy like most work pants seem to be.
@@caden01691 Yeah I agree 100%, I know there's the sentiment of a lot of folks in the trades wanting function over form but if you can have both why not go that route.
I have these too! Worn them hard last 2 years as a tree climber/cutter but they don't hold a torch to these old school pants
Very good point, I think all working tradesmen feel your passion for quality and disappointment in the devolution of the products we rely on. I went down the same brand name list as you. Now that I’m retired my garments aren’t pushed as hard anymore and I have gone back to 501 again. I always loved the fit and the pockets are sized right.
Keep up the good work 👷🏼♂️
I used to love the Carhartt jackets but when "The American Brand" switched to making making them in Mexico I was disgusted and vowed never to buy their products again.
Carhartt if you're reading this , SHAME ON YOU!!!
Scott, I'm also here as a contractor to put in a plug for Duluth Trading. Their 'firehose flex' foreman variant has been my go-to for a number of years now, after wearing through pair after pair of Carharts. The fabric is unbelievably tough, the fit is comfortable and slightly giving, and you can get a variant with a hammer loop. Give 'em a try, you won't be disappointed.
Came here to say the same !! Great pants from Duluth
My experience with the Duluth pant was that the denim was great but the firehose pockets were awful and the zippers don't last. I tried 5 pairs and the zipper failed on two and the pockets got holes in the rest.
@@scotthenson5874
And my purchases are opposite. Had I the same experience as you I’d be one ticked off fellow too. I’ve got three pair and so far, so good.👍👍
Only pants i wear are Duluth firehose!
Most interesting video about pants that I’ve ever seen
I love how he narrates and the back story. The nostalgia and all. I can just watch him talk about anything. Keep up the great work
I don’t have the need for the double front loggers, but besides that, I’ve gone through the same transition for the same reasons from Levis to Carhartt, and now I have been buying Wrangler Riggs Workwear, specifically the Carpenter Jean. I am very satisfied thus far. Very good quality and heavy duty denim, sewing, etc. Has the hammer loop, lower leg pockets, deep back pockets and leather protectors on the pocket leading edges. This later feature I found to be really great because I often clip my tape measure on my front pocket, and this both protects it from wear and adds some rigidity to make clipping the tape measure on much easier. Also works well for a clip-on utility knife.
Wrangler Riggs Work Pants are the absolute best. I have had pairs last five years of near daily wear.
Nice video and some valuable information for tradesmen and clothing manufacturers. I am a retired industrial electrician and most of my working career I wore coveralls that were provided by the company and laundered by them or I would by used work uniform pants. The used uniform pants were cheap and if I got them soiled badly with oil or grease I could just chunk them. Now days I really like the the Duluth flex fire hose pants. They are pretty tough and very comfortable.
Sadly lots of the items in the Carhartt catalog I think are fashion pieces, not genuine workwear. I was gifted a pair of Carhartt composite toe boots last year, and they're basically sneakers. Thin leather upper that had chunks missing the first week I worked them in the cold and rubbed up against the snow plow, glued sole construction (no stitching) that started to separate in the heat in the field in the summer.
Carhart Boots have never been good
Duluth Trading Ballroom (Heavy Duty) Jean is good. They now make lots of thin stretchy fashion jeans too, so you have to search for the Heavy denim ones in the descriptions carefully.
I've been wearing rural king carpenter jeans and really like them. They are cheap (around $10) but hold up better than other other brands I've tried. My fiance did buy me a pair of green canvas Carhartts though and i really like those, although it feels strange not wearing blue denim. It also makes it obvious how infrequently I change my pants
I only use Duluth Trading Flex Fit Carpenter pants. Been wearing them for the last 6 years. Faded a little bit no wear at all despite rough use.
I used to wear carhart. I noticed they started getting tighter and consequently weren’t lasting as long because I was blowing out the crotch after climbing up and down stuff all the time. I switched to key because some people I worked with swear by them. They’ve been good to me since I switched to them. I also get crap for wearing suspenders now because I work as a steamfitter in a chip plant but my pants don’t sag when I fill the pockets with wrenches I need because I’m working away from my toolbox. Everyone else makes multiple trips back to their toolbox while I just keep working out of my pockets
I've been using Roundhouse painters pants in electrical construction, they kick ass and made in USA
Agreed.
Right on. They are the best there are nowadays.
What is the model # or how would I look these up?
Wrangler makes some great stuff. Way better than Levi's now. Their regular cowboy cut jeans and Wrangler Riggs pants are great. I own new Carharts, which I'd say are still better than Levi's, but the Wranglers I like the most.
I write waist and inseam sizes on the pocket bags with a Sharpie marker. Turn the pants inside out, lift up a pocket bag, and write on the underside, which faces the front of the pant when worn. Black on white stays readable, and that surface doesn't rub against your leg or your hand. Survives many wears and many washings.
Scott, first pair of Carhart was 1977. Bib overalls canvas brown, framing in Norfolk, Nebraska. I could only afford one pair so they got worn 5 days a week and washed on Saturday. It was so hot and I soaked thru the pants everyday. I hung them in the basement and in the morning they were dry but stiff as a board (they would stand alone). They lasted for years. Fast forward 50 years, baught a pair of "Bass Creek" @ Walmart and they're not bad but doubt they'll last like the old Carharts.
I tried them all for 15 years .. THEN I decided to buy Round House pin strip carpenter bib overalls with a much bigger waist size…and wore then for 15 years . on a cold day I wore them over my jeans .. on a hot day it was nice that the air could flow through n help keep me cool ! They saved me a lot of cash because they protect my shirts n pants from - dirt - paint - caulk - -glue and at the end of the day I could take them off n not get my car dirty when driving home !
Wrangler Riggs double fronts are the best work pants on the market hands down and they also have bachelor buttons
Interesting. I wonder when they started that again. I wore RIggs, back when they had the buttons on the inside of the waistband. They quit making those (Wrangler told me that when I called) and so for 5 years, I've worn Prison Blues and for what I do, the Prison Blues last longer and are made in the USA. They fit a bit more snug than the Riggs, but I've grown to like that.
Been wearing Riggs for the past year and a half now, and I have to agree with you, they are one rugged pair of pants. 👍💯
These are definitely the best and the toughest made. They also have a gussetted crotch.
Thanks for the video, growing up in a cowboy family I always (and still do) wear Wranglers. As a farrier, my apron is constantly wearing out the front of my wranglers where my knife sits and rubs on the pocket...so I might have to check out the keys.
I'm thankful wrangler started making the dark blue stiff jeans out of 100% cotton again. Those last the longest for ranch work, without the saggy butt from added spandex
I really enjoy your channel, the wit, wisdom, and humor. I've been wearing double front Dickies for a number of years. They don't have the hammer loop and a bunch of extra pockets, but I do have an extra layer of denim when I wear out the first layer. 😉
Duluth Trading, and it's not even close. I love the Double Flex jeans. If I was capable of doing the splits, I could do them in these pants, no problem.
I bought 4 pairs of Carharts late 2015. 2 pair of logger double front and two pair of cotton duck double fronts. I added suspender buttons to the duck pants. I retired from the carpenter union in 2016. All four pair are still in service, though getting rather threadbare. They are, or were very good pants. Looks like I will be switching to Key, when I need to replace my Carharts.
Scott: I wear Wranger Riggs Workwear Utility Jean In Antique Indigo. These are heavy duty jeans with the double knee front, hammer loop, and suspender buttons. The buttons are in the inside while the jeans you wear have the button on the outside. For the smaller guys, they can buy these jeans in some of the local "farm" stores. Take a look - might be what your are looking for. As always, thanks for the videos.
I use the same jeans, I’m on my second pair in 3 years I’m very unfortunate to have a small waist and long legs so trying to find a 30w 34l that are available in the uk is very hard
I love my Bailey's wild ass jeans.they take awhile to break in but the durability is unbelievable.
Ill definitely be looking at key pants soon ive been buying carhart still because other brands of pants dont fit the same. So im glad to hear they are very similar is size and fit.
As a Oregon crane operator and rigger, Prison Blues double front loggers serve me well. Wear like iron, and can't beat the price. Oregon made, Oregon worn.
I do construction in southern Oregon and northern ca, I’ve worn double knee prison blues for about 8 years and love them
Thank you for all the information old timer! Great video and great stories. I'd like to bring to your attention that Carhartt split into two brands somewhere in the mid 90's. One is called Carhartt WIP (Work In Progress) and the other is called Carhartt Workwear. WIP sells mostly streetwear, fashion items that are loosely based on the old(er) workwear items that we all grew to love. I can safely say right now though, that the Carhartt workwear items are pretty good quality (again). Just make sure you don't buy WIP. The logger jeans with double knee fabric are also back.
Thank you again!
funny, that's my size. I have been wearing wrangler carpenter jeans from good ole Walmart for the past 8 years or so, but they too have gone cheap and thin like everyone else. I haven't tried key before but willing to give them a shot. I was born and raised here in Las Vegas, my father has been a general contractor here for many years and also had a steel fabrication shop building and installing gates, railings etc. we are still plugging away, he's finally getting ready to retire so he says for the past few years. started back in the 70's, I'm sure we crossed paths at some point when you were here. thank you for your channel and the things you teach, you're a good man.
Finally, the video I've been waiting for.
My daughter is an environmental biologist. She works in the field and says the same thing about Carhartt !! Today she spend a 14 hour day plowing through bushes, weeds and shrubs. Pants are important. I will tell her about Keys. Thank you.
I'd bet when Carhartt changed, that was when the kids took over.
I went through that when I worked at Empire Level.
The kid took over and the manufacturing processes changed from excellent to good enough for the pencil pushers at the reduced cost.
Example: the milled edges went to a sanded edge.
The mill needed to be replaced and the sander was less expensive and faster.
The quality change was like going from a Snap-on tool to Ace hardware.
This happened in the early 90s.
BTW, Wrangler Riggs seem to be decent pants.
When did Empire level change?
Shop teacher here. Duluth Trading is the old Carhartt. Love the blue jeans!
I got sold on Key back in the 90's when we sold them at the family hardware store up to Oakridge. Still have one of the jackets from back then that even survived a winter on a stump where I forgot it.
I was very disappointed with the Carhartt rollover, I started as a production framer right before the change, and had an excellent experience with the first two runs of pants. You couldn't pay me to purchase them now. But also as life changes do occur, I am now in a management position (in Florida), and my Colombia pants have held up excellently, even for the days when I'm still slinging tools, and working production.
Like you, I have worn and been a fan of the double front logger pants. I still have a few of the carhart's. The prison blue's brand is cut too short in the crotch area for me.( I'm 6'4"). Key pants are the reasonable alternative. I would ask you to look at Origin brand jeans. The company, people and mission to restart American manufacturing is an honorable and vital thing.
Scott, I darn near busted a gut listening to you complain about new carhardt. You always seem so calm. It speaks volumes there.
I've got multiple pairs of double front prison blues. Never found a pair that has a hammer loop. And I agree about the pockets.
The SNAP of the suspenders NEVER gets old. When Scot pulled that strap out, I held my breath and waited for that SNAP that I knew was coming.
Good britches are a must, and the shift towards that godawful stretchy work wear is the absolute pits. I'm in a similar state with good button down work shirts. Cotton, crosshatch weave, two button chest pockets. Over the years, it seems that clothiers have been starting to target the Tyrannosaurus Rex demographic. The arms are too short, the shoulders restrict movement, and they have become some awful cotton polyester blend.
As an aside, I've always wondered why folks carry wallets in the back pocket. My dad did and was appalled that I carried mine up front. My reasoning has remained the same, regardless. If someone tries to snag my wallet from my deep front pocket, they're getting some fingers broken.
Ive always felt like my wallet was more secure up front as well, I remember trying it in the back pocket in some Levi’s for two days and it fell out both times when I was sitting in a chair. They were regular 100% cotton 505s so I don’t know what the deal was there. I just don’t like it being where I can’t see it
I tried to carry my wallet in my back pocket but I noticed my but start to get sore after a couple days and I hear it is horrible for your hips as time goes on
Thanks for all the awesome content and great videos!!
Wrangler Riggs utility jeans antique indigo by far the best I’ve worn, same sizing as the key pants but thicker softer denim, they have the bachelor buttons, double front, hammer loop deep back pockets and side pockets for a cell phone a sharp looking pair of rugged work pants you won’t be disappointed
For general work pants or just tough pants, Levi's raw denim 501s still hold up pretty well. They're fairly heavy and are stiff enough to practically stand up on their own.
My wife actually switched from Levi to Lee because the stretchy jeans that Levi made were too week. I'm a wrangler Riggs guy right now. But I like blaklader. Maybe I might try those one day.
Thanks for this. I just bought a pair of Keys. Never considered them before.
Nobody does pockets better than Carhartt, but I agree they've refocused towards fashion.
I love Diamond Gusset for quality. The price is high but they're heavier and better made than almost every jean out there.
Roundhouse is also pretty decent, very similar to Carhartt, but always low in stock.
I will have to try out Key, I guess.
I switched to Key dungarees a couple of months ago after watching one of your previous videos. Best fitting work pants I've ever had. Thanks for the tip.
For me, it’s Riggs Wrangler ranger pants. No more jeans. Double front leg, cargo pockets. They don’t wear out where they wrinkle when you sit down, like Levi’s do now.
Don’t work construction but I do a lot of welding and fabricating as well as ranching and will only wear the wrangler 13MWZ cowboy cut it’s a good thick weight that is tough as nails (Been stomped a few times in them and still no rips) and the dye holds up great I’ve got pairs that have been going for three years with only small Knicks
Oh man the tip at the end is golden. Don't know how many times I've bought a pair at bi-mart only to be heading back the next weekend for the right size.
Im a wrangler guy. 13mwz pro rodeo cowboy cut. They fit me well, are tough and are under $30 a pair. Been wearing them since high-school (early 90s). I liked the old school 501s but just couldnt justify the extra expense.
I don't think there's anything else like them. No tool crap, no double front needed because they're thicker and stronger than two pairs of pants on all sides. There's nothing I'd rather slide down a rocky hill on my rear end with. You've got to add the bachelor buttons, but EC already covered that problem. (for anyone else reading, not all Wranglers are work jeans. You have to get the unwashed or 'rigid' kind. They're always dark blue, half the price and feel like 500 grit sandpaper)
This hasn't been my experience at all. I bought exactly the pants you're describing on Amazon for about $30. Super stiff, not very flexible even when fully broken in. Pockets are tiny and it hasn't been 11 months yet and the knees are shot, as well as the back pocket where I keep my phone. My carhartt 102808 pants last twice as long. Just my experience.
Can’t beat the wrangler I bought 15 pairs ten years ago I’ve kept five of them for out on the town wear but the other ten have been abused and are just now starting to develop little pin holes I believe at this rate I’ll probably get another three years out of them. Once they do finally wear out I will happily buy me another ten pair!
I bought a pair of Key a few years ago, and they're nearly as good as Carhart was, the only issue is, is that the belt loops are too tight. You can't fit a very wide leather belt due to the small size, and you can't fit a very thick belt because the bachelor buttons are in the way. Charhart didn't have that issue.
I’ll try a pair, thank you!
Wonderful introduction and great video overall. Thank you.
i went through the same thing during that same time period with the dark grey carhartt work pants i used to wear. they changed the fabric completely, to something unusable for work. the new fabric has no give at all, particularly when soaked with sweat, and they started giving me horrible lower back pain before I had to give up on them
The pants gave you back pain? Can you elaborate on that ?
when you find the right pair of pants, or the right undershirt/underwear etc. buy all the ones they have in stock, because in todays economy, they just will NOT keep anything in stock, it will sell out and be replaced by completely the wrong thing and you will never find the same thing again
I bought about 10 Levis during last ten years when visiting the US - not as workwear but for office. I think I bought them for 30-35$ at Sears. I Germany the same Jeans would cost at least 80€ or more. The problem I had with Levis ist, that the little loops that are holding the belt gave up and I had to reattach them at nearly every Jeans. But it was still a good deal. In Germany we usually wear Engelbert-Strauss as workwear - these are really great!
Dad and grandpa always used to rave about how good levis used to be. When I got my first job, went and bought a pair of levis, they were comfortable and looked good, but didnt last. I was disappointed. I now wear wrangler jeans. I like that they make the same jeans theyve always made, and are still made for work.
Can’t beat the wrangler cowboy cuts. A lot of people don’t like that they don’t stretch and that they’re stiff, but I’ve had pairs for 8 or nine years and are still going strong!
Love you videos but I was REALLY hoping to hear you found a company that manufactured an excellent pair of sturdy pants! Oh well, the search continues.
You should look at Diamond gusset from Tennessee.
A timely video! Thanks!
This would have to be the best insight on Jeans for manufacturers. Love it mate. We feel you cobber.! Cheers from Australia.
Duluth Trading makes a great pant. The Ballroom pant is extremely comfortable. Try a pair on and out stretch a leg. You’ll feel the extra material used for the flex in the crotch. Here’s the hard part. Finding 100% denim, for that you have to order them online or in store and they will deliver them to the house.
Duluth isn't what they used to be. The material is thinner, and the stitching is not as high quality.
The ballroom pants are still decent (at least they were when I got new ones 1-2 years ago), but they dont sell the flannel lined jeans in normal material anymore. They are the crappy flex material now. I contacted them and asked if they would be bringing it back and they wouldnt say "no" and kept trying to upsell me on the flex material saying "a lot of our customers really like the new material". :(
'cause they're more and more city folks in their suv's that never get dirty!
@@ccvegita I don’t want that flex, give me an unwavering material, canvas and denim only. That’s why I have to order them online. They won’t sell 100% canvas/denim pants in their stores.
I used to have a supervisor who worked for Levi's in San Antonio in thr 1970s and she told me one afternoon there were jeans that had showed up which no one knew where they came from. They were told to "make sure they're good" and then send them out with the regular ones they were making. These batches didn't come in often but they did and over time, the ratio started to change of pants they made to pants they checked and passed them off.
About the time yo say you noticed they were different, they went through San Antonio and Levi's went downhill after that
Thank you for the video.
Still have a dwindling stack of Carhartt from sierra outlet, used to get b 11 s for 24_28 bucks a pair. Those days are long gone, so thanks to everybody for your suggestions.
Wrangler?
I use to carry a trifold wallet. I’ve discovered a single fold wallet is much more comfortable and safer in my front pocket.
I came to the same conclusion a decade ago
I'm also old enough to remember when Levi made some decent jeans... In the '70s, they were still good, but I think they started using lighter weight denim sometime in the '80s and that was the last time I bought any of their crap pants...
Many thanks! My new Key's arrrived, washed, and ready for their first day of work! They fit and feel great. Good to know I wasn't alone as my favorite jeans went to hell and the alternative brands I went too. I loved Carhartt and I ran into small pockets with Wrangler George Strait garbage. They were at least made out of cotton and were straight cut, but couldn't commit with the tiny child size pockets.
Carhartt stopped making apparel in the USA back in 2009, so maybe that's part of the lower quality issue for the pants. Their upper body apparel is still really good as far as I can tell.
The Carhartt B01 is still made in the USA.
The best I've used are Bläkläder. They're spendy, but it's really a case of you get what you pay for. Super durable, super comfy (they've got a stretchy gussetted crotch) and all the pockets and loops you could ask for.
Me too! When I went to Ireland last year, practically every tradesman I saw was wearing a pair. still waiting for them to catch on in the States
Same here! I learned about them from my daily trips to dunn lumber where they're stocked. Duluth firehouse pants are comfy but the hammer loop is too small, and as a measure/ service tech my tape measure had the pockets in shreds within a month. The blaklauders have been going strong for years and the dickies Carpenters are also great
Blåkläder, well Blaklader works better in English, is a Swedish brand that started to develop modern working clothes. I am a general construction worker in Sweden, and I never see any professional craftsmen wearing pants without pockets for knee pads or those exterior pockets up on the hips. That kind of working pants has been around for more than 20 years, and I am amazed that they aren't the norm in America.
Amen SCOTT! 🙏
At 62, we’re close in age. My career with Local 134, IBEW as a Journeyman Electrician/Foreman spanned close to four decades. Like you, started in Levi’s. Always commercial industrial jobs; high rises, factories, hospitals and hotels. Concrete, rebar, metal studs and countless lengths of Heavywall pipe, needed the “tough pants”. Ran the gamut of brands… Lee, Wrangler, loved the heavy denim Carhartt. Sad they changed. Even tried Farm and Fleet house brand. All too thin. IMHO, stretch doesn’t belong in men’s workwear!!! Now that I’m retired from the trade, I still do some work; not as fast or as agile as I once was, but the knowledge and determination are still ever present. I still wear my jeans each and everyday. Gotta try those Keys! Keeps me young, wearing what I always wore, and staying active with the tools, even though it’s not from 0700-1530 Monday-Friday anymore, with that ever loving overtime on the weekends! 😉
Truly enjoy your channel, your knowledge and experience! So much that I can relate to and so much that I’ve lived. THANK YOU!🙏
On board with everything here.
I’m 68, grew up with 501’s then Wrangler 13mwz’s.
A couple years ago REI Trailsmiths!!! They rule.
I was born and raised in San Francisco. My father was close to Walter Haas in business matters while Mr. Haas was CEO of Levi Strauss. This was back in the mid to late 60s. One weekend day, my father drove me to downtown SF where we came up to an ancient, multi-story brick building in the warehouse district. Upon entry, you were overwhelmed with the scent of denim. It was darkly lit, but you could see wall to wall, floor to ceiling shelves of Levi jeans. A grisly, old warehouseman greeted us, looked way down at me "so, your the lucky kid, huh?" My father followed "ok, pick out whatever and as many as you want; a gift from Mr. Haas." Was this heaven?
I switched to Key when Carrhart went GQ, I hope Key stays the course and continues with the traditional Loggers pants. 👍
I got some Keys in the mail right now thanks to another of your videos. I thought it was hopeless before then! I have just been wearing Wranglers (even though they are stretchy mom jeans now too) just because Carharts rip so easily now. At keast the Wranglers were comfy hahaha.
I grew up on a Cattle Ranch in Texas Wranglers were the brand we preferred heavier than modern Levi's. I blow out the crouch of Levi's after a year or so.