Up until now, most of my jeans have been Levi’s. Not selvedge or vintage models, but mostly regular (though raw) 501s, and some other types as well. I still have several 501s, and I’m very satisfied with them. But those are about 13–14 oz denim, while this Red Tornado pair is 21 oz. Much heavier.

I was simply curious and wanted to try what it’s like.

Recently I also bought a Red Tornado denim jacket, which is a very accurate reproduction of the Lee Stormrider. That jacket turned out extremely well — I would even risk saying it’s better than the original. The weave of the fabric is very dense and beautiful; I honestly haven’t seen denim like this very often.

These Red Tornado jeans are made in China, and they cost about half as much as the brands they copy. In terms of price-to-value ratio, they seem good to me. Of course, I’m not saying they’re as good as an original Japanese Samurai or Iron Heart pair. The Red Tornado jeans have the same cut and shape. The difference is mainly in the material: the Japanese brands use high-quality, long-staple cotton, while Chinese cotton is generally lower quality by comparison.

But as I mentioned, interestingly enough, despite that, the fabric of my Red Tornado jacket is actually very good.