I've been wearing 501s since I was a kid - about 35 years.  They used to take ages to make a pair look worn-out (which I thought was cool back then), and that was while I was climbing trees, skateboarding, what-have-you.  Times have changed.  Now I have a desk job, and they wear out in less than a year.  The denim of two pairs has worn thin around the pockets and thighs, while the pocket liners have remained in tact.  That seems to say something about the relative quality of the materials.  I thought denim was supposed to be tough?  And unlike some of the people commenting about the risks of buying mail order, I'm talking about jeans I bought from a shop.  Like other reviewers though, I'm now faced with the daunting prospect of finding something that lives up to Levi's previously excellent legacy.