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The 1620 Shop Pant

Posted by 141drew Posted onAug 2, 2019 at 12:45 PM and filed under Reviews & Features
Updated onUpdated on May 28, 2021 at 11:37 AM

Work wear isn’t something we talk about all that often on The Garage Journal. My typical work wear is a pair of Vans pants, a t-shirt, and either Vans slip-ons or a pair of beater Jordan 1’s. And it’s typical because that’s what I wear every day – shop day or not.

Some guys, however, are in the shop every day and have set clothes for it. And most of my buddies in this situation wear Dickies pants and a shop designated t-shirt. Cheap and disposable.

But what if there was a pant that was made in the USA and to a standard far superior to those factory line Dickies? What if they were crazy comfortable and even more functional that those same disposable Dickies?

There is… It’s called the “Shop Pant” and it’s made by 1620. They run just shy of $200 a pair.

I’ve tried them and they are flat out amazing. Probably the best shop pant ever made. But the thing is, are you willing to spend $200 on a pair of pants for the shop? And if you are, would you be willing to use them as intended? Or would you hold back short of their potential simply because you are afraid of tearing up your $200 investment?

Details here.

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TRWham

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I remember, or think I remember, reading a Peter Egan column about his father. He said his dad would come home during lunch break and work on a boat he was building while still wearing his suit and tie, because he said it made him take more care as he was working. Great concept, but I could be wearing plate armor and still manage to ruin my clothing, so no $200 shop pants for me. Instead, I have $40 Dickies Fisher stripe coveralls for the shop.
 
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blacksporty

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Nope only pant I would spend 200 bucks are are dirt bike riding pants, plus they say they are stretch material.....I hate that stuff. I kind of have a limit of $50 for pants, $25 for shorts, T-shirts $20, nice shirts $50, shoes $100
 
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Ryan

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Here's my take... I have and wear Dickies pants. But I reserve them for when I know all hell is gonna break loose in the shop because I hate them. They are made out of that cheap/terrible polyester mix and just feel like they were made in a factory that couldn't give less of a ****. But, they are cheap... so whatever.

I wear vans chinos almost every day. They cost $55, are made reasonably well, and when I screw them up in the shop I get all pissy, but I get over it pretty quick. They are a staple for me.

I don't think $200 work pants were made for a guy like me. I found these through a friend of mine that builds concept Porsches with a vintage twist. His hourly rate is that of a dentist... and his craftsmanship is world class. And when he's not building these Porsches, he's building space ships...Seriously. And to him, these pants make perfect sense. He puts a 100 hours of week in the shop, gets paid well for it, so why not be really comfortable in a pant that lasts years longer than a Dickies?
 
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MattRMagnum

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While I have some jeans in that price range, and a few higher (dress attire at my employer is 'raw denim and a dress shirt'), I'm a tad reluctant to pull the trigger on a pair of $200 pants for working in my shop, especially if they're nylon. I would want to see how well they hold up/survive regularly having grease, oil, and similar grime rubbed into them.

A fitment guide would also be nice, since even men's wear is vanity sized, these days, and the ability to order them un-hemmed.
 
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ard

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I thought it was a typo. Til I saw it was Ryan.... Then I changed paint to pant.

:)

I have prolly 15+ pair of jeans..... Arranged roughly in a continuum of 'dress w a button down and sport coat ' down to 'doing some woodworking today' to pull a transmiossion Outside' or ''spray paint some epoxy". At the very bottom is the garbage can

The idea that I'd buy pants for shop time is not in my way of thinking....
 
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PWC Repair

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Pants???? It's summer! Shorts and flip flops for me! Welding, grinding, mostly wrenching......no long pants until it gets cold.
 
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Lucid Moments

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Jeebus and I thought my Duluth trading pants were ridiculously expensive. Anybody else can wear whatever they want to wear. Unless they want me to pay for it then it really isn't any of my business. But I don't think these pants are for me.
 
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LS6 Tommy

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Fug that. A tux costs less. I suppose they're great... For putting in the closet of your "man cave" next to your tutu and your banana hammock bathing suit.

$200 for pants made out of $3.00 worth of nylon? Pass.

Tommy
 
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rlitman

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ezover said:
I would try them, but they do not make them in fat man size, I mean overly muscle bound. :bounce:
Click to expand...



I see my waist size on the list, but the “custom” inseam doesn’t cover us vertically challenged folk, so no $200 pants for me.

I’ll keep buying my Levi’s on sale and hemming then myself.
 
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bczygan

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Cheap jeans from the resale store.

Usually 2 to 4 dollars.

Wear them until they're unwearable and toss.

Don't worry about getting them dirty, greasy, spattered with paint or have food dropped on them.

They're disposable.

Same with shirts.

Bill
 
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clinebarger

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Ryan said:
Here's my take... I have and wear Dickies pants. But I reserve them for when I know all hell is gonna break loose in the shop because I hate them. They are made out of that cheap/terrible polyester mix and just feel like they were made in a factory that couldn't give less of a ****. But, they are cheap... so whatever.

I wear vans chinos almost every day. They cost $55, are made reasonably well, and when I screw them up in the shop I get all pissy, but I get over it pretty quick. They are a staple for me.

I don't think $200 work pants were made for a guy like me. I found these through a friend of mine that builds concept Porsches with a vintage twist. His hourly rate is that of a dentist... and his craftsmanship is world class. And when he's not building these Porsches, he's building space ships...Seriously. And to him, these pants make perfect sense. He puts a 100 hours of week in the shop, gets paid well for it, so why not be really comfortable in a pant that lasts years longer than a Dickies?
Click to expand...

Try Dickies EMT cargo pants, I wear them everyday & they are well made......Way better than their lower tier offerings.

But they are $40 a pair, So if your happy with the $55 dollar pant.....Why change?
 
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Stuart in MN

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There's a guy who's somewhat local to me, who along with his dad restores old Caterpillar tractors (Squatch253 on Youtube.) It didn't occur to me until recently how clean they are able to stay when working on big giant greasy hunks of machinery. :) Some people have that talent, some don't.

I noticed this about the 1620 pants in Ryan's original post: 91% Nylon/9% Spandex. That would be good for stretching and for resistance to dirt, but they don't sound very breathable and may not be appropriate to wear if you're doing any welding.
 
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OccupantRJ

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I will stick with my $10 Rustler jeans and a T shirt since I am going to ultimately ruin them anyway. Almost all of my jeans are “distressed”. Refurbish and restoration work kills clothing in a hurry.
 
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reader2580

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In the past I have mostly worn used worn out Khaki pants that can't be office wear anymore. Recently I picked up four or five pairs of new Made in the USA 100% cotton BDU pants from Ebay for about $15 each for work wear. (Tan color, not camo.)
 
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dr_clyde

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If they did something better or lasted longer than my Carhartt or Levis I'd be ok with paying the premium.

High quality clothing typically costs an order of magnitude more than the stuff you buy at the farm store or wally world, but lasts way longer and is typically made locally or with first world manufacturing.

If I'm spending that kind of money I'd probably splurge the extra hundred and get Mercy Supply pants. Handmade in my home state, and he offers repairs for wear and tear. I have a few things from Mercy and they are OUTSTANDING quality.
 
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jd_1138

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LS6 Tommy said:
Fug that. A tux costs less. I suppose they're great... For putting in the closet of your "man cave" next to your tutu and your banana hammock bathing suit.

$200 for pants made out of $3.00 worth of nylon? Pass.

Tommy
Click to expand...

The materials cost is just a small part of the equation. You're paying for quality -- the stitching, thread quality, craftsmanship, probably a long warranty, not made in a sweatshop. Also, the retailer has to devote shelf space to a premium work article of clothing. They do have pants for like $120 on their website.

I wear Dickies work pants, as I can't afford $120 or more for pants. I have like 5 pair, and they last for years. Stains come out easily. Yeah like Ryan said, they are kinda stiff and uncomfortable, but after a while they get way more comfy as they are washed and worn more often. They get rid of most of the stiffness. Sort of like jeans how they get more comfy the longer you wear them.

Plus I wear work suspenders with them, usually. I wear the suspenders over a t-shirt and then usually put another shirt on over the suspenders if it's kinda chilly. The suspenders really keep them up. If not wearing Dickies pants, I wear shorts with elastic.
 
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oberst

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When I worked in a machine shop, I wore lightweight Proppers. Hard wearing nylon tactical pants with plenty of pockets. A step or two above dickies, and a little coolant or some trace oils wiped onto them wouldn't cause me to lose my mind. I'm back to jeans and a work shirt in my new life - a cleaner, more public environment.

200 dollar work pants, in my mind, are made for the guy with the Garage Mahal that doesn't really do a lot of work in it.

This thread reminded me of that 25 dollar axe that someone sells for 200 after a buff and a paint job. Yeah, someone is buying, but it's not me and I would never have the chutzpah to try and get away with marketing some utility tool as art for investment bankers that want to get back to "their roots".
 
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moto367

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I have some clothes from Red Cap. They are the stretchy material and very comfortable. Good fit also.
 
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Pluribus

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I'd buy a pair...if I found them at the thrift store...tagged at $12.99...on 50% off day.

These days, I'm finding that the Riggs Workwear Ripstop Cargo Pants seem to be my go-to pants. I also keep a pair of Carhartt double-front, duck pants around for the nasty brushwork, since they're great for the blackberries, salmonberries, etc. Those are the only things I buy new, and that's if I can't find them at thrift stores. Guess that puts my most expensive pants purchase in the mid-$40's, but I keep thinking about trying some Duluth Fire Hose Pants. Regular jeans are always available for little money in thrift stores. For really dirty shop work, I'll put on a pair of worn out jeans that may or may not just get tossed on any given day.
 
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trythis

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Nope. Cant wear synthetics since I weld or grind or mess with hot stuff.
I go for Berne Carpenter pants, not the denim, just for style reasons. They are about $45 but they hold up so much better the last Carharts I bought that ripped to shreds in 3 months.
 
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BPJOOP93

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Some or most of the people on this forum cannot afford $200 pants. That’s just stupid if I could afford $200 pants be driving a brand new Mercedes-Benz sorry for the rant but seriously Ryan really
 
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ClappedOutBport

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For everything but welding, I like to wear military BDU pants. They are the comfiest pants I own, over 36" inseam, rip stop, don't grab you when sweaty like jeans, breathable, wear for years and years with no visible wear, cheap as hell at a thrift store if you can find them, and they are almost impossible to soil. The bad thing is that some manufacturers didn't produce as good of a pant as some of the others. If I walked into a thrift store with 10 pairs that fit, I'd buy em all. And still walk out with more than half of what one pair of these cost.
 
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dr_clyde

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I’m very amused sometimes at how much we chest thump and shout USA when it comes to tools, but are more than happy to pay the sweat shops for blue jeans.

Small companies producing high quality, domestic products costs more, therefore the pants cost more.

Is $200 a lot for pants? Maybe. It is maybe 4x a pair of Levi’s. But I’d be willing to bet they are much better pants, and they are made with American hands. I also see $2-3-400 boots when the wal-mart boot is $50 and no one makes a fuss. Different markets.

It is a luxury good, for sure. Not intended for the guy that shops at the thrift store for his pants. Doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it to some buyers.
 
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NUTTSGT

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Whoa $200/pr for pants ? I'll pass, I have hard enough time shelling out $32 for Carhartt jeans or $60 Vertx for duty pants at work.
 
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LS6 Tommy

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dr_clyde said:
Is $200 a lot for pants? Maybe.

It is a luxury good, for sure. Not intended for the guy that shops at the thrift store for his pants. Doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it to some buyers.
Click to expand...

IMO, those pants are intended for the guy who doesn't do anything substantial in his garage. Nylon is a TERRIBLE marterial for work pants. Good for outer wear, though. Probably targeting the guy with the $30k store/catalog bought "custom" Harley he "built", the guy who puts on designer copies of a Carhartt jacket and Timberland work boots to jump in his brand new dealer maintained Merc G63 SUV that has never seen dirt or snow to go to the local hardware store to buy a light bulb. :lol_hitti

Tommy
 
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cvairwerks

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I don't mind paying for a quality product that holds up to heavy use and lasts close to what I think it should. On work pants, other than the Duluth line jeans I bought a couple of years ago, Most won't last me more than about 6 months before coming apart. Usually, it's the waist band tearing out or the material next to the crotch seam failing. Doesn't seem to matter brand either, Lee, Levi, Wrangers, Fade Glory, all have dome the same thing. Now I buy a couple of pair every few months and toss the ones starting to come apart.
 
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MushCreek

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I don't know what you guys do to pants. I buy the cheapest 'whatever' at WalMart, and they last me for years. Usually, they get pretty well ruined with paint, glue, grease, or whatever, but they don't really wear out. I'm a tool maker by trade, so I'm not sitting in an office all day. I wear new jeans for better until I spill something on them (doesn't take long) then they become work pants, working their way down to 'too bad to wear in public'. When it's below 75 degrees, I wear overalls.
 
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thewatusi

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I have a pair of work pants that were just under $200. But they're FR rated (and the company paid for them)
 
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jfish

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Carhartt double fronts. All day, erry day

I didn't read every comment but I'll say this.

To the friend that "builds concept Porsches with a vintage twist."

The pants look great. Very compelling.

But I'm a ditch digger. I dig ditches and put tubes in them, with a blue collar twist. The $200 pants just are not relatable in my universe. Looks nice though.
 
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jfish

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thewatusi said:
I have a pair of work pants that were just under $200. But they're FR rated (and the company paid for them)
Click to expand...

LMFAO

I forgot about all my FR that costs a fortune. Ok, I stand corrected. I wear about a grand every day.
 
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bwringer

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Nope. No.

Cost aside, nylon is absolutely no bueno for all sorts of work where things get hot and for working with several chemicals.

Maybe they've really found a way to make plastic pants comfortable (I'm skeptical, but for $200 I can believe they can pull it off).

I mean, if I were doing high end work where the money was not an issue, I might splash out for some DT Fire Hose britches. But plastic pants? Nope.

Looks like all their stuff is nylon, too. I don't really get it. Maybe construction or carpentry, someplace where you're not dealing with grinding, welding, chemicals, etc.?
 
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Ryan

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dr_clyde said:
I’m very amused sometimes at how much we chest thump and shout USA when it comes to tools, but are more than happy to pay the sweat shops for blue jeans.

Small companies producing high quality, domestic products costs more, therefore the pants cost more.

Is $200 a lot for pants? Maybe. It is maybe 4x a pair of Levi’s. But I’d be willing to bet they are much better pants, and they are made with American hands. I also see $2-3-400 boots when the wal-mart boot is $50 and no one makes a fuss. Different markets.

It is a luxury good, for sure. Not intended for the guy that shops at the thrift store for his pants. Doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it to some buyers.
Click to expand...

100% agree. These pants aren't for me obviously, but that doesn't mean they aren't for somebody. Perspective is a hard thing to grasp sometimes I think.
 
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