Carhartt was founded in Detroit in 1889, when Hamilton Carhartt established Hamilton Carhartt & Company with plans to manufacture bib overalls for railroad workers. By 1910, the operation expanded into several states (South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and California) and three different countries (France, Canada, and the UK). Through WWI and WWII Carhartt produced uniforms and other essentials for US servicemen, but the stock market collapse in-between (in 1929) nearly put the company out of business.
Instead, Carhartt ideated with his two sons, Hamilton Jr. and Wylie. In 1939, the B01 Duck Double-Front Pants were born. Because Carhartt fielded complaints about current uniforms from rail workers directly, they fulfilled their needs perfectly. Durable and protective, comfortable yet functional, the B01s became the quintessential work pant, stretching across several industries and a million jobs. Nowadays, though, with workwear trending unlike ever before, pedestrian folks are wearing work pants, too. And not for extreme jobs but rather the aesthetics.
No matter whether you’ll wear them to the construction site or to the trendy restaurant around the corner, here’s our hands-on review of the revered trousers.
The Good
The weight: Compared to usual pair of trousers, even other work pants, Carhartt’s Double-Knee dungarees are hefty. Not in an iron knight suit kind of way, but to the point where you think to yourself, “OK, these are kind of heavy.” Far from flimsy, every pair is constructed from 28 pieces of 12-ounce, firm-hand, 100-percent cotton ringspun duck canvas, meaning they’re abrasion resistant, windproof, and ultra-tough.
The look: Compared to Dickies’ work pants, Carhartt’s look far more shift-ready. But, they also lend themselves to the workwear aesthetic more authentically. Straight through the legs with a roomy crotch, wide hips and a sizable seat, there’s no mistaking them for skinny- or even slim-fit. That’s good, in my opinion. Whether you’re experimenting with the workwear look or a seasoned veteran of the aesthetic, you’re sure to find something you like about the B01s — whether it be the shape, the higher waist, the look of a double-front, the carpenter loops or the open leg.
The reinforcements: Not only are there eight rivets on each pair of BO1s, but the plain, tightly-woven cotton duck canvas construction promises the pants won’t rip, fray, snag or pill. Don’t believe me? The top review on Amazon details a customer’s chainsaw accident…and how double-knee Carhartt’s saved his leg. “I was cutting trees on a hill on my property, lost my footing and the saw caught me in the leg… That could have been my knee all i got was a small cut. Just put a new chain on and it was sharp. Thank you Carhartt!” BEER_ME_in_CT writes. The saw, albeit sharp, barely made it through both layers of fabric. In fact, you can see where the second one stopped it. I wouldn’t go around testing this to see if yours can withstand a chainsaw, too, but clearly they can…at least occasionally.
