Samurai Jeans | The "Musashibo Benkei" 25oz. Selvedge Jeans

One of the reasons we love Samurai as a brand is that with each special release model comes an equally epic story behind the Jeans. The latest S3000VX25oz-MB Jeans, feature Samurai's heavyweight 25oz. denim fabric, dedicated to an equally heavyweight warrior from Japan. We could not pass up on entertaining you guys with this one.

Musashibo Benkei or "Benkei" was a historically revered warrior monk who lived and died at the end of the Heian period in Japan. At the age of seventeen, Benkei was already an imposing 2 meters tall and possessed near superhuman strength. In his earlier days, Benkei joined a Buddhist monastery but due to his sheer recklessness and as a result of constantly being in trouble with his superiors, he eventually quit and ended up venturing into the woods in search of solitude. Following his departure, Benkei joined a band of bandit warrior monks known as Yamabushi. Members donned a black cap as a sign of group recognition and artwork of Benkei often depict him donning this small piece of headwear.

After establishing a small one-man monastery in the nearby mountains, Benkei would roam the streets of Kyoto and on the Gojo bridge challenge passing Samurai to duels every night in a personal quest to deprive them of their swords. Eventually amassing 999 swords, Benkei was on a mission to obtain his final 1000th sword. One fateful night, Benkei came across a small and frail looking Samurai, Minamoto no Yoshitsune who was wearing a gilded sword on his waist. Immediately challenging Yoshitsune, the duel was more than unequal but the outcome was unexpected. After an epic clash of swords, Yoshitsune emerged the victor and Benkei vowed eternal loyalty to him as a result.

Through victory and defeat, betrayals and feuds the two remained the closest of allies until the bitter end when they were encircled by the enemy at the castle of Takadachi. In the final battle, Benkei was pierced by a hail of arrows but was said to have remained upright and protecting his master even after he had been killed.

Cut in Samurai's S3000 silhouette, this is the widest cut that they offer with a generously spacious top block and straight leg.

Check fabric pocket bags featuring custom "Benkei the Blue Demon" artwork are a nice touch.

The painted arcuates are a staple of Samurai's S3000VX 大戦 (Taisen) "War" models. Paying homage to Levis Jeans during the Second World War, cotton threading was heavily rationed and thus as a temporary solution, all jeans at this time had the famous arcuates painted on rather than stitched.

However on the front side and unique to this model, the fifth coin pocket features selvedge detailing with Samurai's stitched arcuates.