Lecture 3: Michihiko Kurihara
The profound world of vintage masks and hoods. Ideal for collector's items?
chestnut field: First of all, I brought masks and hoods from outdoor manufacturers and military, something I've been collecting lately.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): Why did you choose this one (laughs)?
chestnut fieldI thought it would be nice to have the pleasure of searching for them: they are relatively inexpensive for a small number, and I can collect them without hesitation (laughs).
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I've never seen a down mask in navy before. This is awesome.
chestnut fieldThe beige one is from the well-known Eddie Bauer brand, which I found at a vintage clothing store in Hachioji about 20 years ago. The navy one is from a company called Blue Goose, which was given to me last year by an acquaintance who lives in LA, and I was really excited about it (laughs). (Laughs.) I think this manufacturer was probably doing OEM for various brands at the time. They both look similar, but when you try them on, they are completely different.
Mr. Kurihara begins to put on his down mask...
all of usLOL: LOL
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): This navy military mask is a favorite item of mine, too. For mountain troops, it's white, and there's also one in olive with a PVC-coated surface texture.
chestnut fieldI see.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I saw a picture of a mountain troop wearing that mask and they looked pretty strong (laughs).
section (of an orange, etc.)Patagonia?
chestnut field: Yes, they are. One I bought at "Okidoki" and the others I got in the US. I found the navy one at a local junk flea market last year.
section (of an orange, etc.)How much was it?
chestnut fieldI thought it would be a couple of dollars, but it was surprisingly $10 (laughs).
section (of an orange, etc.)Number-wise: is it still too few?
chestnut fieldThe most famous ones are the jackets and vests that you all know and love. There are also mittens, but I think hoods are the least popular.
section (of an orange, etc.)I think it's interesting to see how people are wearing vintage items like this. Personally, I think it's interesting to incorporate these vintage items.
chestnut field: Next up is Champion's Reverse Weave. We introduced an unusual one with a crazy pattern at the first Vintage Summit, and we continue to pay attention to it.
section (of an orange, etc.)Not so old, is it?
chestnut fieldI would not call them vintage just yet. There are not extremely small numbers at present, but there is a fear that reverse weaves will disappear recently. I myself have stocked thousands of pieces for remakes in the past few years, and also, recently, it has become popular among young people and even XXL is selling well, and I think the number of American-made pieces in particular is decreasing year by year. Even printed tags from the 80's now seem old-fashioned.
section (of an orange, etc.): This half-snap button type is also rare, isn't it?
chestnut fieldI think it is true that in the 1990s, they would have sold for around the low 10,000s yen.
section (of an orange, etc.)Which one is this?
chestnut fieldI think it was about 7,800 yen at "Berberzine".
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)The Champion logo on the buttons is also a nice touch.
chestnut fieldThe similarity is that the full-snap stadium jacket type is no longer available for the most part.
Fujiwara:Reverse weave is often deformed in shape. I recommend using steam to stretch it to a good shape.
chestnut field: Next up is custom made military. I brought two jackets and a vest. The first one is this deck jacket. The base is an "N-1," and a flock-printed fabric is attached to the reverse side. At first glance, it is hard to tell, but if you look closely, you can see the print marks floating in the air like a pattern. Since it is a bee motif, I think it is probably a sea bead.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): probably cbee's.
Fujiwara:Is this a custom?
chestnut field: Maybe it was done by an individual, but I found several pieces together, so it's not impossible that it could have been done by the military. It's quite intricate and I daresay printed on the back side, but it's interesting.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)How much would you put on a "berberzine"?
Fujiwara:I think it will be 20,000 to 30,000 more than the regular "N-1" because there are many enthusiast customers who will buy it even if it is priced high.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I was shown this one a long time ago, but I have only seen it at Kuri-chan's place since then. There must be no more than 10 copies in existence.
chestnut field: And I recently found a custom jacket that has MA-1 parts stretched over a US Air Force "CWU-8P". So there are pockets under this one as well. At first I bought it hoping it was a test sample, but perhaps not.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): Wow, this is amazing. The ribs have been replaced, but they're not from a flight jacket, are they?
chestnut fieldYes: Yes, it is. This is different. It is also interesting that the front has MA-1 pockets as they are. It is possible, though, that there was damage to the main body and this was done to hide it.
chestnut field: Next is a vest remade with a liner of trousers, which is a set-up for the M-51 mod parka, isn't it?
section (of an orange, etc.)How much was this one?
chestnut field: It was a few tens of dollars at a flea market in LA.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): I love how the pockets are shaped like a mountain poke. It would have been perfect if the buttons were big yanks (laughs). But there was a remake of the mountain pocket motif I introduced last time, and it must have had quite an impact at the time.
Fujiwara:: It's a mystery if this mountain pocket has a proper meaning, but it's nice.
chestnut fieldThe custom-made military items introduced in this article are liked by those who like them, and those who are not interested in them sell them at a discount. It is interesting that people have extremely different opinions of them.
chestnut field: My last one is an "ECWCS", so called Gore-Tex parka. I put it up on my Instagram, but it was thrifted out on a business trip recently.
section (of an orange, etc.): I've never seen this coloring before, what is it like?
chestnut fieldIt is worn by soldiers on the side of the hypothetical enemy during training, and it features a monochromatic green coloring. It's like a modern version of the aggressor used until the 70's. I knew it existed, and I've been looking for it for a long time. I knew it existed and had been looking for it for a long time, but I never thought it would appear in thrift stores.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): It's really amazing, isn't it? I wonder how long the aggressor has been around? I see the "M-51" aggressor every once in a while.
chestnut field: In the beginning, it looks like they used to dye M-43s and such. I've seen the real thing; I think they started making them for aggressors in the 50's or so.
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I've heard that the price of the early Woodland "ECWCS" has gone up as well. If the size and condition are good, the price is in the 30,000 yen range.
Fujiwara:: I feel like you're using this to some extent, but if it's dead, how much would you be willing to pay for it?
chestnut fieldI'd buy it if it was: dead and 80,000 yen. This is size small/regular, and I really wanted small/short, but I can't afford that luxury (laughs).
the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.): Aggressors and OPFOR are not well known because there are extremely few of them, but if a few interesting ones emerge and become a genre, the price is likely to go up.