The first reissue of the phantom 1942 model, which was produced for only a few months.
-After that, they not only delivered vintage pieces, but also reissued S506XX with thong on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Berberzin, and this time, they took full responsibility to reissue 501®︎XX, which is the main line of "Levi's ®︎." I heard that they were very enthusiastic about the reissue, which incorporated new discoveries in the history of vintage. This time, they reissued 501XX, the main line of Levi's. I heard that the reissue incorporated new discoveries in the history of vintage, and I think they must have been extremely enthusiastic about the reissue.
For this project, we reissued a 1942 model that does not yet exist in the "Levi's ®︎ Vintage Clothing" lineup.
To begin with, 501®︎ has undergone detailed specification changes and can be distinguished by the year in which the change occurred. However, the 1942 model was not recognized at the time I published my book, and was treated as the same as the '37 model.
-Generally, people think that the Great War model has been available since '42, right?
Yes, it is generally believed that the years from 37 to 41 are the years with cinch backs and no suspender buttons, and that from 42, the cinch backs are discontinued and iron rivets and laurel buttons are used for the WWII models. However, I recently discovered a dead stock with a flasher with the year 1942 and a cinch back, and I started to investigate "what the heck is this?
In fact, just as there was a 1946 model that used the same fabric as the World War II model but with one-sided tabs, there was a transitional model that was used when switching from the 1937 model to the World War II model. The 1942 model was produced for a very short period of time from the beginning of 1942 to around August.
-When did the 1942 model become known?
I think it was a few years ago . It is miraculous that the discovery about the new vintage piece came just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Berberzin and the 150th anniversary of the birth of 501®︎, and the first thing that came to my mind when I was told about the project was the reissue of the 1942 model.
The flasher is also faithfully reproduced in this reprint. If you look closely, you can see that the year "1942" is written on the bottom copyright page.
Of course, the guarantee ticket is also a 1942 model specification. Normally, the text above the two horse mark is ORIGINAL RIVET, but this one is COPPER RIVET.
-What are the specific features of the 1942 model?
First, the flasher that led to the discovery of the 1942 model is marked 1942 for the year. Prior to this, the notation was 1937, and the shape of the flasher itself was changed for the World War II models.
Also, the guarantee ticket below it is also marked COPPER RIVET, not ORIGINAL RIVET. . By the way, this guarantee ticket alone, if it were to appear on the market, would cost about 200,000 yen.
One of the features is the cinch back. . The metal parts are also dyed black.
The back pockets are reinforced with rivets instead of canned stitches . Moreover, they are made of iron.
And the overall configuration is the same as the '37 model with the cinch back and red tabs, but the crab claws are dyed black. . This is a part that was probably used from the end of '40 until just before World War II. . Also, like the World War II model, it has iron back rivets and thicker fabric.
. On the left is a cinchback from a different era, and on the right is the 1942 model reissued this time. . As can be clearly seen in the comparison, the back yoke covering is reversed.
Also, only the 1942 model and the early items of the World War II model are sewn with the back yoke covered from the top. Although the specifications were changed for the convenience of the sewing process and pattern in accordance with the model change, there are traces of trial and error, as if they were quickly returned to their original form.
-That's a great find, by the way. I had no idea.
When I explained the features of the 1942 model to Mr. Uchida and Mr. Paul and proposed reissuing it, they were surprised and said, "This is indeed an amazing item.
-It is also fate that Mr. Fujiwara owned the actual 1942 model.
Yes, it is. My own pair was acquired 7 to 8 years ago, and the color has faded considerably, but as far as I know, there are only two dead stocks in the world. Even though there are so many replica makers in Japan and abroad, there is no brand that reproduces the 1942 model, so it was great that Levi's Vintage Clothing (®︎) was able to be the first to reproduce the actual model.
