Vintage Machinery: Adapted Japanese Shuttle Loom that Makes Selvedge Flannel

The new Naked & Famous selvedge flannel shirts that just arrived are made using a vary rare Japanese shuttle loom that we just had to show. This ancient machine is one of kind and has been adapted to make specialized selvedge fabrics. The fabrics made on this machine cannot be replicated by new machinery.

The fabrics used on the Naked & Famous selvedge flannel are quite heavy, yet soft and delicate due to the weave of the fabric and the cottons used and thus cannot be made using traditional shuttle looms.

Shuttle Loom Graveyard

These ancient machines are difficult to kept running. They have been obsolete for decades and spare parts are hard to come by. What often happens is some shuttle looms cannot be repaired and are retired to the fields where they are occasionally picked over for spare parts to keep the other machines in working order.

These machines are at a small denim mill in Okayama. It is sad to see these historic machines just sitting in a field, but like keeping a vintage muscle car in working order, there needs to be a source for the parts. Hopefully when one of the working shuttle looms breaks downs, the shuttle loom graveyard will have the necessary pieces to keep them moving.

Momotaro Jeans: A Look Inside the Sewing Factory

Curious about the intricate details, meticulous work, and the pure determination it takes to make a solid pair of denim? The above Youtube video shows just that. This is a view inside of the Momotaro Jeans sewing factory showing the workers carefully sew every stitch, make every cut, and put the finishing touches on the next batch of Momotaro denims.

Vintage Shuttle Looms in Action - Rampuya (Momotaro Denim)

Selvage is an essential element of vintage denim. This is proof of the fabric being only weaved by the vintage looms called "Shuttle Looms". Shuttle looms were invented in England in 1785 and later developed in Japan by Sakichi Toyoda (father of Toyota Motor Corporation founder) in 1897. When domestic heavy ounce denim was produced in Japan, automatic looms made by Toyoda were a mainstream product, though no longer produced nowadays. The traditional production method has nearly disappeared due to the mass production of denim following the popularization of latest (shuttle) looms.

Denim fabrics for Momotaro Jeans are made by artisans who want to create the best denim in the world and still strictly use shuttle looms in doing so. In order to weave heavy ounce denim with primitive feel, as low tension as possible and without losing any of the cotton's original character, careful selection of power looms for heavy ounce fabrics and artisanal technique weaving as slowly and as carefully as possible, is required and will finally create genuine denim. View the above video showing shuttle looms in action producing fabrics in the Rampuya mill for Momotaro denim.

Vintage Machinery: Union Special 43200G in Action!

At the early stages of the denim production, industrial sewing machines such as those produced by the company "Union Special" were used. These machines were slow and labor intensive to operate, but produced very unique characteristics in the way the denim was produced which cannot be replicated. In the late 1970's, newer equipments which were faster and easy to operate replaced these vintage sewing machines as mass production became the mainstream style of producing denim. But, these newer sewing machines had different structure from the vintage sewing machine, which is why there are some differences in a skew or buckering around the chain stitched part.

The Union Special 43200G is a particular model used for chainstitch construction. These vintage machines are still some of the strongest machines out there and highly sought after worldwide. Because of its unique pushing and pulling style of sewing, it is indispensable. This "push" and "pull" creates directional pressure and is used to sew areas along the waistband, hem, and other parts of the denim. Along the hem, the directional pressure will create a roping affect, and it is this "roping" makes the machine so special.

The above video shows a Union Special 43200G in action. The process of hemming using a Union Special takes time, a careful hand, and a little experience. We offer chainstitch hemming for our customers using the same model Union Special 43200G as shown in this video. For more information on our chainstitch hemming service, pleas click here.

Videos Showing Japanese Selvedge Denim Being Made and Shuttle Looms in Action!

These videos were recently taken inside a Japanese denim mill in Okayama, Japan. Watch these vintage shuttle looms in action as they produce selvedge denim.

This video shows a general view within the denim making factory of the many vintage shuttle looms producing selvedge denim fabrics.

Final 2 videos show denim fabric being made for an upcoming project for Shinichi Haraki, designer of Triple Works and Iron Heart. Hakari observes closely as his selvedge denim is being made.
Videos provided by Giles at Iron Heart, United Kingdom.

Shuttle Looms - Japanese Selvedge Denim and American Culture

Shuttle looms were used to produce selvedge denim fabrics in the early 1900's, but as the popularity of denim rose in the 1930's through 1950's, denim mills stopped producing selvedge denim and switched to projectile looms, which were much faster and used less fabric per pair of pants (i.e., mass production). Thus, the shuttle looms were deemed archaic, costly, and time consuming. Japanese companies purchased many of these old machines off of American mills and continue the tradition of making selvedge denim.

The shuttle loom produces selvedge denim as the weft (horizontal thread) is weaved back and forth continuously in a loop, the full length of the machine. When the weft reaches the edge of the machine, it loops back in and starts the process all over again, creating a closed selvedge edge. In contrast, modern projectile loom produces open edges that need to be stitched together, as the weft is weaved only one way (not in a loop).

Who would have thought those ancient shuttle loom machines would once again be on a spotlight half a century later as the producers of high-end denim? And it was the Japanese artisans, who carried on the denim making as it existed in the early 1900's America — the very fabric of American culture.

These vintage shuttle looms continue to make selvedge denim in Okayama, Japan and produce many of the denim fabrics used by our designers. The fabric above is one of the newest projects by Hakari-san, designer of Triple Works and Iron Heart. We will soon see it sewn into denim!

Vintage Tsuri Circular Knitting Machines of Wakayama, Japan

Tsuri circular knitting machines, also known as a vintage loopwheel machines, were originally used in the early 1800's by Italian and French garment manufactures. Similar to the vintage denim shuttle looms abandoned by USA garment manufactures in the early 1900's, tsuri circular knitting machines were also abandoned and sold to make way to more modern mass production machinery. By 1910, Italian and French manufactures began selling their equipment, many of which purchased by Japanese factories. Only a few vintage tsuri circular knitting machines are still being used today as Japanese artisans continue the traditions of quality make with the use of these machines once thought of as being obsolete.

In Wakayama, one factory owns 100 of these precious machines and 50 still operate. Over the years, the factory's artisans made adjustments to the machines allowing them to knit heavier fabrics suitable for modern sportswear such as sweatshirts, parkas, and other knits. The machines take up to 1 hour to make only a meter of fabric, in fact, they move so slow that they can be stopped by hand and thus very labor consuming. This slow operating technique, "slow vintage" as referred by the Wakayama artisans, produces a fabric with far less tension in the yarn resulting in an incredible soft feel that cannot be replicated on modern day equipment.

Naked & Famous recently teamed with these factories of Wakayama to produce a "slow vintage" slim hooded parka using their vintage tsuri circular machines. Later this week we expect our first shipment to arrive and we will stock 2 colors, gray and charcoal. More information will be available upon arrival.

Chainstitch Hemming on the Union Sepcial 43200G

Blue Owl offers chain-stitch hemming services with the use of a Union Special 43200G. Chain-stitching is used for premium jeans. It is a hemming method and chains two threads together to create a more durable and flexible hem with a "roping" effect after being washed or soaked. A Union Special is one of the original machines used to create this chain-stitch hem on denim.

The Union Special 43200G available for chain-stitch hemming for us is the second generation of the model from the 1950s with a few modifications. This machine has a Servo Motor electric control panel and an air compressor unit updating it to the 21st century. As the machine pulls the fabric adding directional pressure to the hem, the Servo Motor and air compressor allows the speed to go up or down and the needle to create an evenly controlled chain stitch and the desired "roping" effect.

We offer free chain-stitch hemming services for all denim purchased at Blue Owl at regular price within 14 days of time of purchase (plus any associated shipping fees). This applies to both in-store or online purchases. For denim purchased elsewhere, we offer chain-stitch services at $25 per a pair of denim (plus any associated shipping fees). Turn around time is 3-5 days.

On all dry denim (unsanforized or unwashed raw), this service will include a one wash/soak in order to shrink the denim to tagged size. When possible, we use the same thread used by the manufacture and match the color to the original hem. If you are interested in our chain-stitch hemming services or have questions, please e-mail us at sales@blueowl.us.