Rick, one of our amazing customers, has recently sent us a story explaining why his new 517xx contest ONIs are now his favorite jeans. And it's so much more than just the jeans: sorcery, exile, rituals, battles and real Samurais -- the cool coincidences in Rick's family history abound. Perfect for Halloween week here's Rick's story... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Enjoy the story! And make sure you follow Rick on Instagram for more awesome denim photos.

"The fabric is just soft enough to be comfortable while breaking in, it breathes well in the humid Central Ohio summer, and feels amazing."

First are the jeans themselves. I was extremely worried the fit would be far too baggy and the fabric far too abrasive. However, Denimio chose the absolute perfect fit for me. I mean, literally perfect. The thighs fit perfectly, the rise is just right, the waist is slightly tight but in no way uncomfortable, and I can wear them double cuffed or stacked and not have it look strange. The fabric is just soft enough to be comfortable while breaking in, it breathes well in the humid Central Ohio summer, and feels amazing. I'm even finding little bits of husk from the cotton within some of the yarns. Then, there are the details, which Denimio has done an excellent job describing. As someone who uses their coin pocket regularly, I also appreciate the tab not being too stiff and causing scratches every time I have to dig in there.

"My mother still has the paperwork signed by the king of Sweden saying we were no longer welcome in the country, and would be executed should we return."

Here's where things get a bit unique...

My mother's family moved to America because they were exiled from Sweden for sorcery and witchcraft about 250 years ago (if memory serves me right). My mother still has the paperwork signed by the king of Sweden saying we were no longer welcome in the country, and would be executed should we return. In reality, they were practicing something akin to yoga or tai chi based on the old Nordic runes.

""necropants", made from the waist-down, flayed skin of a dead man with a [different] bind rune inscribed on a piece of paper together with a coin stolen from an old widow placed inside the scrotum"

It was a family secret (almost makes me wish the ONIs were made from their secret denim just for the coincidence) that we weren't supposed to find out, but one intoxicated relative and some uneasy conversations with my devoutly-Christian mother later, and it was confirmed. Since then, I've looked deeper at some of the rituals those relatives may have performed.

Two of those rituals stand out. The Ægishjálmur is a bind rune symbol drawn on the helm or forehead using blood drawn from the left thumb, used for protection in battle. There are also nábrók, or "necropants", made from the waist-down, flayed skin of a dead man with a [different] bind rune inscribed on a piece of paper together with a coin stolen from an old widow placed inside the scrotum, said to generate constant wealth--but the pants cannot be removed without someone else agreeing to put them on immediately after [SuFu World Tour anyone??]

As such, the blood-red button reflects these grisly rituals quite well, as does the ONI/devil theme due to the "evil" of the old pagan ways my family once practiced. Perhaps there's also some irony in that before entering the contest, a pair of necropants would've been really useful given all the denim I've bought!

"He commanded the Russian army and defeated Napoleon when he first tried to invade, and also successfully took the city of Paris in the War of the Sixth Coalition."

Numbers are important in Norse mythology as well. 3 and 9 in particular are nearly always used. My contest pair number? 39.

The number of blue lines on the coin pocket tab? 3. How many buttons below the top? 3. When counting from the bottom up, which number is the signature blood-red button? 3. How many times has the number 3 been incorporated in the 517 fit? Three times three is what? 9. Silly coincidence, yes, but fun nonetheless!

Then there is my father's family...

The short version is we've been warriors and mercenaries for hundreds of years, and one of my relatives has statues in Riga, Estonia and St. Petersburg, Russia. He commanded the Russian army and defeated Napoleon when he first tried to invade, and also successfully took the city of Paris in the War of the Sixth Coalition. We have a long history of joining epic battles and winning!

"Her father's family were Samurai from Honshu, and her cousin still owns the family katana and armor."

My direct lineage went from Scotland to Australia and then the US, both countries from where the cotton for the ONI denim was grown.

Then there's my wife/girlfriend's family. Her father's family were Samurai from Honshu, and her cousin still owns the family katana and armor. I'm not familiar with Japanese feudal history, so unfortunately I cannot back this up with specific accomplishments her descendants have made, but I believe their family has (or had) a castle that still stands today.

"...like the slubby denim, we make it through thick and thin, and while it doesn't always feel perfectly smooth, the roughness itself can show how quality, time, and experience through daily living can make something wonderful..."

What I can say, though, is she does not like me buying Japanese raw denim, so the lineage battle between ONI and Samurai has already been underway for a long time in our house!

However, like the slubby denim, we make it through thick and thin, and while it doesn't always feel perfectly smooth, the roughness itself can show how quality, time, and experience through daily living can make something wonderful in part specifically because of the blood, sweat, tears, dirt, scrapes, and work put into it.

Even though this may be weird, coincidental, and the analogies a bit of a stretch, I see them, and that's what this is all about, isn't it? Taking something shared and making it your own? Admiring the work, history, legacies, and traditions of old and making them our own, today?

So thank you, Denimio staff, for not just the best jeans I've come across, but also a pair that is uniquely mine!

#gdbteamoni

Sincerely,

Rick

