Anybody wear carpenter pants? You know, the ones with the weird side pocket for the wood fold up ruler and the awful hammer loops.
I really like the Carrhart ones because they fit great and last forever, but I never ever use the strange pocket or the hammer loops.
I have had a few minor catches with the hammer loops (ya really should be careful around old style hand rails that don’t have a return). But today I managed to rip off a drawer front when the stupid loop caught on a drawer knob. P Oed me and the DW (not sure I’m thankful it was in my own place vs. a client).
Think I have a hot date with a pair of scissors.
have you EVER put a hammer in one of those loops?
Replies
yep, nothing like scissors for a custom fit.
have you EVER put a hammer in one of those loops?
Think I did once when on a ladder and quickly needed a place to have the hammer held for a tad.
That's about it tho'.
it's scissors time
Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
Edited 11/1/2008 10:45 pm ET by rez
I think you have the right idea cutting off the loop. I have never damaged anything with mine but seem to recall having hooked a few things with it. I have stuck a big crescent wrench or pipe wrench in the loop on rare occasions but wouldn't miss it if it were gone. The right side leg pocket is indispensable for my cell phone though.
Karl
man i'm lost when i wear a pair of jeans that aren't carpenter pants (got 2 pair at northern tool today for $12.99pr) and yeah i do at times use the hammer loop... if you want to be pizzed... i have some from old navy... a hammer won't fit in the loop... all show no hammer unless it's from you kids toy box... i almost took em back a beached.... i use the side pockets... i keep a snap blade knife in one... i keep carpenter pencils the the deeper ones (plus a regular one behind my ear) often keep a screwdriver or an awl in one... the shallow pocket hold extra bits for my cordless and sometimes screws... as far as i know i've never got hung up... but if you don't use the loop cut em off... i just like the loose fit lets my boys have some room...
p :)
I wear the Riggs (Wrangler) carp jeans and I use the hammer loop on occasion when I'm using a hammer and don't want to wear my toolbelt. No scissors for me. I get drawer pulls caught on my cargo shorts often.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
I use Skillers pants with the built-in knee-pad pockets, and extra pockets all over the place. Use them all. Had a hammer in the loop doing siding this afternoon. Loop is annoying though. Would rather a metal hoop.Steve
Steve,I picked up a pair of Bjornkaldder carpenter jubilee pants at the JLC show this year. I really like them. If you like the Skillers stuff, you'll probably like these as well. Removable knee pads (from the inside, not the outside, though), double hammer loop off each side of your backside, enough pockets that you won't need a tool belt (they don't tuck in like the Skillers ones) and these have Cordura at the stress points. I'd almost call them 'smart pants'.They also have winter specific clothing.As far as I know, JR is the only US distributor. And their site is not great, but you'll get the general idea.http://www.jr-distributors.us/default2.aspThanks for the Mac info. That was very helpful.Best,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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I ONLY wear carpenter jeans, work and play.
I use the hammer loop quite often...my biggest gripe is that the loop is always on the left!??
The right leg pocket is great for holding a cell phone but usually horrible for getting it out in time to catch a call.
I usually buy pre-washed American Eagle or Wrangler, no stiff break in needed like with Carhartt and Dickies. I always make sure the reciept says "carpenter" so I can write them off.
Pre-washed wears faster than stiff pants but i've gotten pretty handy with the wife's sewing machine and can usually make them last 2-3 times longer with a "man patch". Also, the wife made a sweet quilt out of a bunch of worn out pairs...it weighs a ton but it will surely last as a family heirloom.
GK
"the wife made a sweet quilt out of a bunch of worn out pairs...i"How cool.I have my mom's Singer sewing machine although neither my wife nor I know how to use it. Sure wish I did. Both our moms were great seamstresses and you'd think one of us would have picked up some skills.There's a Korean seamstress up at the local cleaners who's a wiz and will do anything you ask her to when it comes to clothing repair.
I bring her my expensive Carharts with the blown out knees and pieces of denim and she applies the patches from the inside and runs the stitch several times across the thing thus strengthening it. Costs me $5 and you hardly notice it.
have you EVER put a hammer in one of those loops?
Yup.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Used the loop in my Carhartt bibs just this last week. Had to go up a ladder with a hammer, small prybar, and zip tool to go around and open some newly painted-shut windows. Perfect storage for just a few tools. I love my bibs.
Yup.
And you have the bruises on your thigh to prove it.
Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
Edited 11/2/2008 2:54 pm ET by rez
Nope.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Is circumfrence 3.14 times radius? Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
2 pi R
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
okBehind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
Carhartts are snakeproof for the first thirty washings.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Carharts dirty or clean will stand up by themselves.Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
Indispensible for those occasions when you want to look like you're standing up and working but are too fagged to do so....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
They're about all I wear. I wore Sears for many years, but then tried the Carharts & love 'em....with the double knee. My new favorites are Dickies relaxed fit. They're very comfortable, and about half the cost of Carharts.
I use the side pocket for my cell phone, and yes, on occasion have used the loop for hammers & other things. I'd be lost without those side pockets & don't like it when I'm in a pair of chinos or dress slacks.
I have gotten caught many times on various things like furniture knobs with the loop on the side but I don't move at the manic pace that I used to so things are kept in tact.
Think I'm gonna try a pair of bibs. I wore them 35 years ago in college but not for work so much as style.
One thing about Dickies - try them on FIRST! I wear the double knee pants for my gigs. My waist size is 36 (I'm a fat az), and the size 36 waist in Navy and Khaki fit great... but the black ones are too small! They are closer to 35 or 34.5. Comparing them in the store to others of the same size, they are different!
Really annoying too, as I'd buy a ton more black if they were actually the right size.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
I don't feel it's healthy to keep your faults bottled up inside me.
well duh!
Buy black 38s then.
Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. [Theodore Roosevelt]
Thanks for the advice Mr. Wizard ;)
The black 38's are actually... size 38. D'OH!Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
I don't feel it's healthy to keep your faults bottled up inside me.
I seldom use the hammer loop for a hammer (yeah, why is it on that side?) but it's handy when I'm using my hammer stapler.. Retractable and folding rule( I'm sure I'm not the only one who still uses a folding rule) in the side pockets. Unless I have a tool belt on.
-Paul
Those folding rules are so slow for quick measurements, but I usually have one in the pocket. Tapes have issues too.
Look at the kids--the strange little pocket is for your cell phone!
Hammer in loop.........only as last resort.
My favorite thing is putting my cell phone in the side pockets and forgetting that some of the pants I own have side pockets that go down to my ankles(almost) When It rings I almost have to stand on my head to shake it out........I never get to it in time.
Mr T says "What kind of stupid carpenter needs pants?"
HIs tools have their own holders and hangers.
He is hot - always has some Napalm on hand to solve those tricky remo situations
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I wear POINTER brand, made in USA. The ruler pocket I use for my utility knife
I've found the hammer loop a decent place to hang the tape measure, but it's generally an annoyance ... and it's on the wrong side.
The rule pocket I find very useful, and I'd trade the hammer loop for a second one any day. A perfect fit for linemans' pliers, and deep enough for most screwdrivers to be secure (put them in points up).
I put a hammer in the loop. Thru my tool belt and it happened to catch the loop in the pants too. Naturally it drops right in but when you go to pull the hammer out, it hangs up on the pants pulls the pants up and is a pia.
Last time I was on a steep roof and hanging from one hand and doing something that I shouldnt have been doing but staging would have taken a long time and it was a quick one.
Naturally, I was frustrated.
The loops got cut off!!
Update
The loops are gone on the pair I have on, more loops will be gone as I wear the other pairs.
Carharts have loops on both sides ( I'd give my left arm to be ambidexterious) equal opporunity offenders.
Don't have a cell phone.
Have caught lots of stuff over the years, usually in a "gentle" no damage way. Not sure what happened yesterday, but beer was involved.
I really like the carhart carpenter pants, loops or no loops.
You know it's a little know fact that the loops on Carharts are actually for holding welding rod. Thats why there's a pocket right below the loop.
I use to wear Carharts all the time till I realized that I wore them out just as fast as a pair of $10 Riggs.
My 5 year old holds the hammer loop when we cross the street. Only time I use it
is when I have to climb a ladder.
I hooked an old "distressed" cup board and pulled it almost over, caught the cupboard but the one thing to go was a discontinued designer bottle of perfume, house smelled like a ho house for weeks, don't think the ex ever fogave me (just fore shadowing for the rest of time together)
Should cut out the loop. I quit wearing carharts, mostly due to the wieght. Framed over a decade in Seattle and it was like wearing sponges...switched to cheap nylon second hand stuff, light in the summer and doesn't hold water in winter.
Missed the double knees with pad, so went back to wranglers riggers (?) They r way lighter than most, have rip stop, love em...but still with the useless hooks.lol I know guys who aren't as ingrained to wear bags and they use them a lot, but I'm with you, just another L & I hazard.
Yep, in a pinch when I was too lazy to get my belt. Those pockets work good for a few hand tools also. My weekend boss won't let me where a tool belt in a finished home, he doesn't want me breaking or scratching anything. Makes sense to me. Those carpenter pants have helped me out once or twice.
If anyone's already mentioned these...sorry..didn't read all the posts.
I discovered wearing cargo pants to work instead of my Levis.Found a pair from an Army Navy store on St Marks Pl down the village a month or so ago on sale for $25 each. Real nice and didn't wanna ruin yet another pair of pants at work till I put em on and realized how comfortable they were and how little I paid...so screw it if a pair got ruined (I always say that...ugh). Anyway...all the pockets were GREAT. The flaps that covered the front pockets came right over my knees hence no holes with all the work on my knees I've been doing...screwing down subfloor and plates etc etc.
Anyway...I was so impressed I looked on line and found these on Amazon. They look pretty comfortable and bullet proof as well ( I hope)So I just ordered me two pair at $32 each plus free shipping. The reviews were great re:these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A2KDOQ and I can't complain about the price.
"Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit". abbie
"Give them what they want" abbie
Edited 11/2/2008 2:08 pm ET by AbbieHoffman
Edited 11/2/2008 2:11 pm ET by AbbieHoffman
Try http://www.workingperson.com for riggs pants. That's where I buy them and they are good to work with. They also sell Carharts and other brands.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Try http://www.workingperson.com for riggs pants. That's where I buy them and they are good to work with. They also sell Carharts and other brands.
Thanks John...cool..glad to see I didn't over pay for em'. amazon was the exact same price. Hope I like em'. The reviews were real good so...
I have one pair of the Duluth's and i hate the fabric...far too stiff!!!"Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit". abbie
"Give them what they want" abbie
Yes, and I prefer the Wrangler Hero relaxed fit.
I occasionally use the loop, but I've never had a problem with it being there.
The pocket on the side was called a pliers pocket where I came from. Must be a farm country thing.
I use that loop for wipe rags when painting/caulking...
hammer goes in the hammer loop, in back, on the tool belt where it belongs.
A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.
OK, this pants thread is now pushing the acceptable
limits of "guy" conversation.
So, how about them Bears?
Not yet!
The Duluth trading Firehose cargo pants are awesome tuff, and loaded with pockets, and no fruit loop.
Edit: my exwife used to say the loop was so wimmin could drag the drunk carp home from the bar..LOL I dunno how she figured that one out.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj_oEx4-Mc4
Edited 11/2/2008 6:23 pm ET by Sphere
you should know better then to let her sneak up on
you like that.
About all I wear--in office or out. Carrhart with double knees. Rivets always caught peoples eyes on the black ones. Had top seam of double knee ripped and new row of stiching sewn in below to make top loading pocket (like the side pockets but wider).
Always wondered why the loop was on the left. Eh, nothings perfect. Tyr
I looked high and low for smart carpenter pants and cannot find any in my size. I hate when that happens.
You must be one of the dumb sizes. I know I am.
Edited 11/3/2008 7:14 am ET by Dam_inspector
I like the Carhart pants - That's what I wear when it's too hot for bib overalls. The side pocket is great for a pair of pliers or a screwdriver. Seems to me I heard that Carhart was gonna make the side pocket a bit larger, so cell phones would fit in it better. But I'm going from memory...I've used the hammer loop occasionally. But I've also had it snag on things once or twice. Never thought about cutting it off, but it might not be a bad idea.
The proctologist called… They found your head.
They need an insulated pocket so you have like a built in koozie.
I use the hammer loop every working day.
Immediately following shingle tear-off I go over the whole roof deck with a broom and a hammer----having that loop delays having to put on the tool belt another 5-10 minutes or so.
I do not put my cel phone in the ruler pocket however---because when roofing I often sit on the side of my hip----and that will chew up the cell phone in no time( it's a roofer thing)
Stephen
Immediately following shingle tear-off I go over the whole roof deck with a broom and a hammer----having that loop delays having to put on the tool belt another 5-10 minutes or so.
EXACTLY! Me too...gives me a little more time w/o my friggin' hundred pound belt on but I still can carry my hammer up the ladder or where ever.
Reckon these guys haven't figured out thats what its for yet : )"Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit". abbie
"Give them what they want" abbie
For the record-
The hammer loop is more properly called a "Lezzy loop" While the version found on the back of some shirts is a "Fag tag".
This has been thoroughly investigated in numerous junior high schools
around the country.
I myself had a pproblem with carpenter pants. So I called a pexterminator, and she sprayed a #### of ppesticides, which solved the pproblem in pnotime.pAitchKay
pWhaddya know, pEdited again!pAitchkay