We have just restocked our Moleskin Work Vests and our Crucible Pinch Rods. Both are available for immediate shipment from our warehouse in Indiana.
If you want a vest, don’t delay. These are time-consuming to make, so this is likely the last batch until fall 2020. They are worth the wait. I wear mine almost every day and have thoroughly broken the thing in. It’s soft, pliable and impregnated with sawdust. I love it. Be sure to measure yourself before ordering to avoid disappointment.
We have had more luck scaling up production of pinch rods. But there is a tremendous amount of hand-finishing with these (like our lump hammers), so we’re still struggling a bit to keep up with demand.
— Christopher Schwarz
I have your Chore Coat. I love it. Very comfortable. I have a Moleskin vest made in the U.K. and love it, very comfy. I want to get your Moleskin vest but I have reservations. The chest pockets should be reversed! In order to access the internal pocket (genius organization) the left hand must snake it’s way past the Placket (which is on the left side). The outer pocket can be placed either side with equal access. If the inner pocket were positioned on the same side as the Placket I would jump at this. As it stands, the inner pocket will be underutilized.
Cheers!
Thanks for the feedback, Tom. We’ll definitely talk it over with the designer.
All best,
Chris
I really like the pinch rods and will probably order some once things calm down here. However i had a question. Would it be possible to make some that doubled as trammel points? Maybe a screw in point for when you need them? Or is that a terrible idea for some reason? I’m kind of new to both tools after reading about them in ATC.
Hi Steve,
Of course, it’s possible. But trammels are so commonplace and take up such little space in a tool chest that we saw little advantage to doubling the manufacturing expense of these. in other words, it would be cheaper to buy separate trammels than for us to manufacture these to do both (and make us happy with the way they function). Hope I’m making sense here.
Chris
Hi Chris,
How is it looking for more LG Chore Coats? Cheers!
That is what Sew Valley is working on now. I think they are shut down by government order now, so I don’t have an update on timing.
Well I took the plunge and ordered one. Have been going back and forth between an apron and one of these for getting into better habits and moving into “shop mode” so these coming into stock tipped me over. Guess I will find out how they do in the FL heat…
Also glad to support two good businesses too.
Florida heat ha! Everyone down there keeps their ac set to 62 degrees. Likely as not you’ll take that vest with you everywhere you go so as not to freeze death in doors. (I grew up in Gainesville)
Garage shops are a little different but I hear you
Looking to order a vest and trying to determine size. Now, I am not a clothes guy so I might be confused but…on the chart the pit-pit widths are wider than the shoulder-shoulder widths…my shoulders are wider than my pits, so?
Ack. Will check….
Howdy Mattsanf,
Thanks for your comment! This is a common question. The measurements in the chart are correct – if you spread a shirt or coat out flat, you’ll see that the shoulder-to-shoulder is narrower than the pit-to-pit. That’s done in order to give the sleeve more mobility. For more info, consult the post linked below. The measuring process is the same for the vest. Cheers,
Tom
https://blog.lostartpress.com/2018/02/16/how-to-buy-the-right-size-chore-coat/
Chris,
Have you thought about making a audio book with yourself narrating? There is hardly any out there! I’m sure I am not the only one doing long drives on a weekly basis that would enjoy it or your customers who would listen in workshops. In the short term is there any web sites you know of that are good to listen too?
The description says to spot clean or dry clean the vest. Given it’s a work vest and likely to become filled with dust and grime over time, I find it hard to believe that spot cleaning and dry cleaning will be adequate. Has anyone tried cleaning these in a washing machine? What were the results?
Hi Jesse,
I treat it like my wool Filson vest – in 15 years it has never been dry cleaned. I’ve spot cleaned it with water and beat the dust out of it many times. The material looks better with age and (let’s call it) patina. I’ve owned other moleskin vests (from Orvis) and treated them similarly. Same with the chore coat – wrinkles, scuffs and the occasional encounter with lunch (and then cleaned with a little water) and the thing looks great.
The short answer is we haven’t machine washed the vests. I suspect they would shrink, but I’ll ask Tom to weigh in.
Sorry I don’t have a direct answer.
Chris
Hi Jesse,
I 100% second Chris’ comment. While you could machine wash this vest, you’ll be surprised at how well the fabric ages in place. An occasional whack to knock the dust out and a willingness to accept patina, and you’re set.
Thanks and cheers!
Thanks Chris and Tom, your answers are very helpful.
Man those pinch rods are sexy! “Ship it!”
Those pinch rods are lovely! Any planes to make them available to us over the pond in the UK (via your distributors)? Same goes for your lump hammers.