Sfjam Noris Double Weave
Atama Double Weave
Weave comparisons:
The pearl weave looks like a fluffier single weave. Where the single weave has two strands of loose cotton visible, the pearl weave seems to have those strands more compacted and they look like small cotton balls. I guess this is where the pearl name/ analogy comes from. The weave feels light and it is thinner than my other weaves.
The single weave is just a bit heavier than the pearl and it feels more dense.
The “hybrid” weaves are very interesting, because they try to combine the various aspects of the other weaves. The MKimono and Atama Mundial #7 weaves look identical to me. I would describe them as either a stiffer single or a very light double. The reason for calling it a stiffer single is that in comparison to a regular single, the strands on these two hybrids are much more formed. They are straight and don’t look loose. The comparison to a double is from them having two strands come through, but the double strands are much thicker.
The Keiko weave is different again and I would call this a 1.5 weave, because it has the look of a single (two loose strands), but instead of 2 strands it has 3.
Gold weave is completely different than the ones mentioned above and follows a different pattern. The gold weave looks like a bunch of small rectangles. From what I read, the gold weave was a compromise between the single and the double. It is supposed to be more durable than the single and breathe better and be lighter than the double. The gold weaves that I have come across are always very soft to the touch, but have a nice thickness and weight to them.
Double weaves are the thickest kimonos you will come across. They are really stiff and almost feel like cardboard, especially if you hang dry them. They are the thickest kimonos as well, so most people don’t like to train in them, especially during hot weather. I don’t mind thick kimonos and will train in my double during this summer and report back.
I trained in my double multiple times in 95 degree weather without AC and I was fine. I feels heavier but, to me, it didn’t feel any hotter.
Cuts:
I know that lately there has been a move toward the one piece top by the manufacturers. The thinking behind this is that a one piece top will be more tear resistant, because it is made out of one piece of fabric, compared to the traditional way (Judo gi) which has, usually, 3 pieces.
The 3 pieces are as follows: left side, right side (which are joined at the back) and a skirt. In Judo gis the back seam is covered by a piece of fabric and its stitched down (also called Setsugi stitching).
From what I have seen on forums, people, for some odd reason, want to buy kimonos without the seam on the back. There is not a specific reason why, most of the time, although some people with back problems have complained about the seam feeling uncomfortable.
I have two things to say about this issue. First, from personal experience, I own 3 kimonos with a seam on the back, I never noticed that seam. Second, you shouldn’t be flat on your back in jiu-jitsu anyways, so that seam should never present a problem.
The question is, why bother with the multi piece construction (seam) anyways? From my experience, and I will have pictures to prove it, the multi piece kimonos have more of a tailored fit. This is great for people that are skinny or athletic. Usually, the shoulders/ chest area is wider than the waist area, so a tailored kimono, one that gets smaller around the waist, is better, in my opinion.
I think that a multi piece kimono is a bit more work and material intensive, so most companies started making the single piece top.
My biggest problem with the single piece top is that it is a bit sloppy for my body type. The collar usually closes wherever the manufacturer decided to fold the cloth over. The illustration in the picture shows it better.
In this picture, MKimonos, you can see where the collar closes. It is right where the fabric was folded over.
Here is a picture of my Padilla and Sons Gold Weave
The Keiko, as you can see, is a bit weird, It is hard to lay flat on the floor with the side seams overlapping, because it doesn't really line up. The spots underneath the armpits are narrower (pinched) compared to the rest of the kimono.
This is the Atama Double Weave flat
Just kidding.
