Winner of the Artisan Challenge, Rayn Martin drops three brand new styles and Rope Dye takes a damn close look!

It was way back in 2013 when denim artisan Ryan Martin of W.H. Ranch Dungarees introduced the denim world to the notion of “Bench Made.” This was not a new concept in the world of tailoring, no indeed, this idea went back to the days when a tailor would sit at a makeshift bench and chalk out a custom pattern. It would be one man, one machine doing the whole thing from start to finish. It was this idea that Ryan wanted to bring to the world of jeans.

Taking his place amongst the greats!

The notion has propelled him to the forefront of denim artistry and many denimheads are now lauding him as the finest maker of jeans in the world. And indeed, this was supported when he was awarded the first prize in the Artisan Challenge last year.

Great News!

So it is pretty exciting to hear the news that Ryan has been hard at work on not only one new style of jeans but three! And alongside this, a brand new jacket style for Spring 2018. Rope Dye reached out to Ryan to get the details of what must be some incredible garments.

Let’s take a closer look.

R1946 Ranch Ryder:

The Ranch Ryder is the flagship pair of the W.H. Ranch Merc. Co. brand. It is your souvenir of the romanticism of the Western life that you can take home with you.

Features include a mid-rise, vintage box, vintage thigh and a lean leg with just the slightest taper. Deep-pitched western yokes and a curved waistband for ultimate comfort on the saddle and easy access to your no-scratch, slim shield, back pockets. Made exclusively with a crisp 13oz Nihon Menpu Left Hand Twill milled specifically for W.H. Ranch to historical, period-correct specifications.

R1954 Jett Ryder:

This pair of classic cowboy dungarees is for the Giants among men and features a mid-rise, vintage seat and thigh with a straight leg. Includes seven belt-loops and period-correct half-selvedge side seams. As always, this will fit over your boots.

R1939 Buckaroo:

The R1939 Buckaroo is a meticulous recreation of the Cowboy Dungarees of old. Made from a hard-wearing 11.5oz white line, right-hand twill denim. Faithful reproduction of details includes a hand-branded hair on hide oversized patch, cinch waist with brass period-correct hardware and a three-piece button fly.

The fit is mid-high rise and features a full box, thigh and leg. Confirmed, historically accurate orange thread stitching from the original supplier in the late 1930s.

R1901J Maverick Jacket:

A new variation of the iconic R1901J Cowboy jacket with a few new details: Deadstock Cone Mills corduroy collar with western scroll detail on the back, gusseted back panel for comfort and raw brass “Union Made” buttons throughout.

Have a chat with the man.

Along with these new styles, Ryan is also introducing a new ordering process. Gone are the days of placing an order on a faceless, soulless internet page. If you want a pair of Bench Made jeans or a jacket, you need to drop Ryan a line at [email protected]. He will then have a good long chat with you about your specific needs, explain the process and you will get a chance to address any questions you may have right then and there. He will also be limiting the number of commissions for the Heritage Collection to 75 a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it is a reflection of the time, effort and craft that go into each and every one of these incredible jeans.

“The best analogy I can think of is custom cowboy boots. Most of the boot artisans are generational craftsmen that learned the trade from their father or mother at an early age and spent their life developing their craft. Their skill was decades in the making and what they create is truly artwork (on leather). Because of this purity of craft, they can only produce a very limited amount on a monthly/yearly basis. To do it any other way bastardizes the very spirit of what they are creating. The Heritage Collection is no different. It is focused on one thing and one thing only, purity of craft. Having the ability to convey this man to man is crucially important moving forward and I am very excited for this new process as W.H. Ranch continues to grow.”

Good News!

But fret not, if you are not one of the 75. If you wait for a little while you will still be in for a chance to get hold of a W.H. Ranch product, at least for your top half. Ryan is working on a ready to wear collection to be released early on in 2019. It won’t be made by him but it will be subject to his keen eye for craft. The collection will focus on jackets and shirting and will be made by a small “cut and sew” in Kansas City.

In the meantime, if you want a jacket of a pair of jeans, drop Ryan a line. Have a chat and be sure to send Rope Dye plenty of pictures when you get your new jeans!