I've been waiting all summer to see if Orvis would get these back in stock. I know some of us have been talking about these so I thought I'd post them. Officer's Cavalry Twill Pants Highway Patrol Pants
The pocket flaps on the Officer Twills are almost perfect.
Dudes, some german pants of similar design (well to a non screen accurate dude) go for like 9 bucks on a surplus site, cant remember for the life of me, but they were german police/army surplus and they were good and cheap.
Did anyone actually ever buy the Orvis cav twill pants? If so, a review would be nice... judging from the pics, those pants could be the right up there with MBA and Wested as far as accuracy goes...
Yup, their expensive, but if their as good as the res of the tings I have from Orvis then their well worth it. For some reason I don't think they have pleats. Any way, I may take the plunge and get a pir this fall, if I do I'll be sure to post details.
The only problem I have with the Wested pants is that their dress pants. Or so I have been told.
J_Weaver wrote:Yup, their expensive, but if their as good as the res of the tings I have from Orvis then their well worth it. For some reason I don't think they have pleats. Any way, I may take the plunge and get a pir this fall, if I do I'll be sure to post details.
The only problem I have with the Wested pants is that their dress pants. Or so I have been told.
jeez you must have deep pockets if you are going to buy a $200 pair of pants.
I don't know if it's really that bad of a price or not. I mean, if we'll spend $300 on a jacket, $300 on a pair of boots, and 200 some odd dollars on a hat, why not a pair of pants? I would like to see a pair in person though. I don't want to spend $200 on a pair of dress pants. Maybe I'll make the trip to one of their stores in VA sometime.
But like I said, If their a pair of top quality pants that will hold up to years of field use then I'd buy a pair. But I'm not interested in dress pants.
EDIT: I just noticed that they have a store in Boston. Would one of you Boston gearheads be intersted in checking them out?
Last edited by J_Weaver on Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
J_Weaver wrote:Yup, their expensive, but if their as good as the res of the tings I have from Orvis then their well worth it. For some reason I don't think they have pleats. Any way, I may take the plunge and get a pir this fall, if I do I'll be sure to post details.
The only problem I have with the Wested pants is that their dress pants. Or so I have been told.
I've been very satisfied with Orvis merchandise myself, and I don't mind picking up the odd bit of "Gucci" kit when I can justify it. But for the weather down here in Texas I'm afraid that they'll be a bit too heavy to get any real use. I'm thinking the Wested trousers will give me better bang for the buck. But I think I wait a month or two until the temps cool down -- say October or November.
In the meantime I ordered a pair of WPG's U.S. Officer's summer khaki trousers to see if they'd make a nice alternative for temperate weather. Cotten khaki twill, plain front, on seam side pockets and flapped button closure back pockets. I'm hoping that they'll make a good period looking alternative. Indy had to have more than one pair of trousers in his closet. Besides, they were only 45 bucks.
As for the Westeds being described as dress trousers, that may be, but any well made garment will have details commonly found in dress clothing today. As long as the cav twill is durable, that's what counts.
J_Weaver wrote:
EDIT: I just noticed that they have a store in Boston. Would one of you Boston gearheads be intersted in checking them out?
Sadly, this store is right in the heart of the tourist district, in Fanueil Hall, where a local like me would be loathe to tread. Though, if I get down there, I will check them out. They also have an outlet in North Conway, NH, where I am more often than that part of Boston! If I get up there, I'll check there too.
I emailed Orvis last night and got response this morning. They said that the pants are very rugged.
Tone, you make a good point. But my concern about the Wested pants is not the style, as far as that goes their perfect. I know their great quality, but I'm concerned about the durability of the material itself. When I hear them described as dress pants it makes me think that they won't hold up in the field.
$200 is steep, but if they will last for years and take some hard use/abuse then I don't have any qualms about spending the money. That is once I figure out how to get the money.
J_Weaver wrote:
EDIT: I just noticed that they have a store in Boston. Would one of you Boston gearheads be intersted in checking them out?
Sadly, this store is right in the heart of the tourist district, in Fanueil Hall, where a local like me would be loathe to tread. Though, if I get down there, I will check them out. They also have an outlet in North Conway, NH, where I am more often than that part of Boston! If I get up there, I'll check there too.
Uh, oh, Hemingway! Next time I make it to Boston, I may have to drag you to some of those locales, like the Peabody at Harvard, and some of the other must see sites. I haven't revisited the Granary cemetery since I read Deetz's In Small Things Forgotten, and I've been dying to check out the brickwork in places like Fanueil Hall. Go hereand you'll see why! More than you ever wanted to know about bricks and mortar!
Sorry, buddy! You may just have to venture into those areas to help me find my way around!
"Dress pants" is a wide term. Cavalry twills were originally military clothing, hence the name. Rugged, yes, but not modern-day BDU-rugged. The uniforms of the time were rather "dressy" - battle gear as well as dress uniform - and a pair of cav twills goes well with Sam Browne belt or club blazer... whichever you prefer...
I'm really interested in seeing a picture-heavy review on those Orvis pants!
We all have to balance cost versus quality, screen accurary, material quality, etc.
For $200 bucks those pants had better last a long time!
But seriously, how long could a quality pant(or any item) last if one subjects it to rugged use?
I have no problem using 'close enoughs'. Close enough items are usually preferred when it comes to cost. The Orvis pants are $200 and the Wested are $85.00 USD? There should not be much choice here...
That is like paying $400.00 for close enough boots when Aldens will run you $300-350.
Why do it?
According to Orvis, their pants are made in England. I've been told that cavalry twill is pretty rare. I wonder if the material used in the Orvis and Wested pants come from the same mill? I'd love to be able to compare the two in person.
J_Weaver wrote:According to Orvis, their pants are made in England. I've been told that cavalry twill is pretty rare. I wonder if the material used in the Orvis and Wested pants come from the same mill? I'd love to be able to compare the two in person.
Now that is an interesting piece of info. A comparison is needed!
Orvis makes quality clothing....and it is sometimes over priced. I have stopped buying a lot of their stuff because I have found some alternatives that are as good and cheaper. One thing though that can't be beat is their "Rino hide" pants. They are not Indy style pants, but when going on a real adventure they are what I take. They are industructable and are only $69. I have two pairs from when I bought several pairs of Orvis pants. The others have worn out, but the Rino-hides might out last me!
MK wrote:One thing though that can't be beat is their "Rino hide" pants. They are not Indy style pants, but when going on a real adventure they are what I take. They are industructable and are only $69.