What did Levi Strauss drop from their original denim jeans design and why?

serpa

Picture a scene from the Old West, sometime in the 1870s. Weary cowboys in dusty Levi’s gather around a blazing campfire after a day on the open range. The lonely howl of a coyote counterpoints the notes of a guitar as the moon floats serenely overhead. Suddenly a bellow of pain shatters the night, as a cowpoke leaps away from the fire, dancing in agony. Hot-Rivet Syndrome has claimed another victim. In those days, Levi’s were made, as they had been from the first days of Levi Strauss, with copper rivets at stress points to provide extra strength. On these original Levi’s—model 501—the crotch rivet was the critical one: when cowboys crouched too long beside the campfire, the rivet grew uncomfortably hot. For years the brave men of the West suffered this curious occupational hazard. Then, in 1933, Walter Haas, Sr., president of Levi Strauss, went camping in his Levi 501’s. He was crouched by a crackling campfire in the High Sierras, drinking in the pure mountain air, when he fell prey to Hot-Rivet Syndrome. He consulted with professional wranglers in his party. Had they suffered the same mishap? An impassioned YES was the reply. Haas vowed that the offending rivet must go, and at their next meeting the board of directors voted it into extinction. http://bible.org/illustration/levi-rivets Sep 16 10, 12:38 PM

serpa

So now we have at least three explanations of why the crotch rivet was discontinued: * wartime rationing restrictions -or- * inadvertent rivet heating as reported by customers -or- * Levi Strauss exec suffered inadvertent rivet heating -or- * some or all of the above Levi's story seemed too pat, so I emailed Levi Strauss the following query: While the campfire explanation makes a good story (as you should know since you used it in a television commercial), it seems somewhat implausible to me. First, why wait until 1942, after producing riveted garments for at least 69 years, to stop making the crotch rivet? Second, didn't wartime rationing restrictions have more to do with it? I received the following reply: There were a combination of reasons why we discontinued the crotch rivet. One of the main deciding factors was indeed, wartime rationing. So it seems the FAQ doesn't tell tell the whole story of the disappearing crotch rivet. http://tafkac.org/misc/crotch_rivet.html Sep 16 10, 12:39 PM

hansdelbruk

Good job Serpa Sep 16 10, 2:35 PM