# L. L. Bean Classic Pennies



## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Photos in the Spring 2010 LLB "Men" catalog show a penny loafer that does not appear to be made of plastic. Models with both leather and rubber soles are offered for the same price of $99. A search here found threads from a few years ago with posts reporting that LLB pennies were sourced from both Sebago and (probably) Bass at different times. Does anyone have experience with the 2010 model LLB Classic Penny or know who makes it? Thanks.


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## my19 (Nov 11, 2009)

I checked with LLB. Those are made in El Salvador and the customer service rep said they were full-grain leather. But she didn't seem to know what "corrected grain" was. El Salvador means made-by-Bass, doesn't it? I see Bass has an identical looking model, with an MSRP of $99.


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## raincoat (Oct 31, 2009)

I think my19 is right, it looks like Bass.

Here's the LL Bean in canyon:










Here's the Bass Larson (couldn't find it in tan leather):










Here's the Bass Logan in tan:










I think the LL Bean is a Bass Larson with the option of tan (canyon) leather.


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## Danny (Mar 24, 2005)

Well you can see the heel kicker is different and the shape of the leather around the side of the vamp is different too...so maybe not precisely a Larson.


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## raincoat (Oct 31, 2009)

Danny said:


> Well you can see the heel kicker is different and the shape of the leather around the side of the vamp is different too...so maybe not precisely a Larson.


Yeah I guess I wasn't looking very closely. Not precisely a Larson. Hmmm. . . Still think it's Bass though. My weejuns are made in El Salvador. Don't know where Sebagos are made.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

I believe Sebagos are made in the Dominican Republic. I have the Cayman IIs and while they were a nice shoe for the $35 I paid for them, they are not worth the $190 BB charges for them. My thought would be the same about the Bass, but $99 isn't bad, and I doubt those are a model you could find at an outlet.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

Gentlemen: Your informed and thoughtful replies are confirming my suspicion that the LLB pennies are, indeed, made by Bass. I recently bought a pair each of Bass Logan (El Salvador) and Brunell (Brazil) "Weejuns" that are shiny, corrected grain disappointments. I also bit the bullet for some Ralph Lauren Turins and a pair of AE's. I looked at the LLB's with the hope that there was something of reasonable quality between the two price points. It seems these are not. Thank you all.


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

I'm pretty certain the Bean penny loafers are not made by Bass because the shape of the rear counter is quite different (although the front end of the shoe looks similar). Definitely not Sebago either.

I would like to point out, for those who fret and worry about "corrected grain", that the Bass, BB/Sebagao, and Bean penny loafers in the "tan" colour are actually really nice. The colour is a bit light in shade, but they could probably be antiqued well. The leather is actually completely the opposite of the shiny black and burgundy colours. So don't overlook these shoes in tan.


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## raincoat (Oct 31, 2009)

Doctor Damage said:


> . . .don't overlook these shoes in tan.


I think the leather looks great for the price. I don't like the contrasting white stitching though. Looks too casual. Almost as casual as a boat shoe (not quite). One shoe that caught my eye today while comparing the bean shoes with others is the Sebago Sherman. Rubber soles though. . . Certainly casual, but I think the black stitching is more attractive than the white found on bean's and bass's etc. in tan. Here's a picture:


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## nyclawyer (Feb 26, 2008)

I'm having trouble finding some decent penny loafers and came across these LL Bean ones. Looking to spend under $150, but the problem I'm having seems to be echoed in these forums that most of the sub-$150 pennies are plastic-looking.

Anyway, the LL Bean web site says "full-grain" -- does anyone own these? They look pretty decent in the picture.

I was originally looking for brown, but maybe I'll go for the Cordovan color, the Brown ones look too casual.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't, but I will suggest the Bass Gilman. Bass carries two models that are not corrected grain, the Gilman being the more affordable. I love mine for what they are (in fact, I'm wearing them today) - https://www.zappos.com/bass-gilman.


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## AdamsSutherland (Jan 22, 2008)

I have that pair of Logan's and I'm a big fan of the color. It's your run-of-the-mill weejun, just not in CG.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

I've always thought the tan Logan is still CG just not the shiny brush-off CG. Instead it's more like the waxy CG that Bean Bluchers have. Is it really not CG at all? In either case, it's a fine shoe for what it is. The only thing I won't wear is that shiny stuff.


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## nyclawyer (Feb 26, 2008)

Coleman said:


> I don't, but I will suggest the Bass Gilman. Bass carries two models that are not corrected grain, the Gilman being the more affordable. I love mine for what they are (in fact, I'm wearing them today) - https://www.zappos.com/bass-gilman.


I've read very good things about the Gilman here and would buy those, but unfortunately they're completely sold out in the brown ones in my size (10D or 10.5D) apparently everywhere on the internet.


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## Coleman (Mar 18, 2009)

^Wow, yeah, trying to add it to my cart from Bass's website in any size is coming back out of stock. I hope they aren't discontinuing it, but it doesn't look promising.


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## Wes Bourne (Nov 12, 2009)

Coleman said:


> I've always thought the tan Logan is still CG just not the shiny brush-off CG. Instead it's more like the waxy CG that Bean Bluchers have. Is it really not CG at all? In either case, it's a fine shoe for what it is. The only thing I won't wear is that shiny stuff.





Coleman said:


> I don't, but I will suggest the Bass Gilman. Bass carries two models that are not corrected grain, the Gilman being the more affordable. I love mine for what they are (in fact, I'm wearing them today) -


Tan Logan is unlined, most def. full grain, not cg. Gilman in Brown and Black are lined, also full grain; however, soles are PU, not leather as on the Logan...


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## RedBluff (Dec 22, 2009)

I have these on my watch list. They look new.
They don't come up often in my size.
JMHO, but getting these for under $40.00 would be a great deal in my book.


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## TDI GUY (Oct 26, 2008)

Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has first hand experience with the current LL Bean Classic Penny Loafers. I'm curious if these are a viable alternative to the current Bass beefroll loafer and its plasticky finish.


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## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

Anythings better than those awful plastic weejuns. Loafers that are hard and can't breath? Great idea!


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## Dr.Watson (Sep 25, 2008)

I would suggest heading to your local shore repair shop. Often these are filled with lightly used penny loafers. You may find something, you may not- but it is worth a shot.


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## dwebber18 (Jun 5, 2008)

Agreed, there are usually lots of good choices at shoe repair stores. Also, check ebay, you are almost gauranteed to find a pair of new or very lightly used loafers for a great price. I got some very very lightly used(no creases, no heel wear, no insole wear) AE loafers for $15 so deals are out there.


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## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

*OP Update*

The original post derived from my shopping around brands that I had formerly trusted to see what was available. I looked at Bass, LLB, Dexter, etc., and found that the names were the same but the quality had moved, really or metaphorically, to Inner China. H. Trask, which is not often mentioned in these fora, sources from Latin America and seems able (or willing) to maintain a higher level of quality, at least in the pennies I saw. A trial pair of Bass Weejuns went on to the thrift store, and I finally bought both Trasks and AE's.


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## hobscrk777 (Oct 16, 2009)

Coleman said:


> I don't, but I will suggest the Bass Gilman. Bass carries two models that are not corrected grain, the Gilman being the more affordable. I love mine for what they are (in fact, I'm wearing them today) - https://www.zappos.com/bass-gilman.


What's the other non-corrected grain model?


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## Cardinals5 (Jun 16, 2009)

hobscrk777 said:


> What's the other non-corrected grain model?


The Made-in-USA, handsewn Jeffrey model ($299)








https://bassshoes.harborghb.com/cat...fm/collection/Weejuns/group/bassmens/start/13

There's also the Mark McNairy for Bass Weejun collection - here's the basic loafer ($300)


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## Helvetia (Apr 8, 2008)

The pic of the LLB in canyon looks exactly like the Marmocs I'm wearing today made in Brazil.


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## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

Has anyone tried that Jeffery model Bass? Is it worth it at that price? Or am I better off with AE? I love the stacked heel and rougher leather, but I wonder if it would be disappointing in person. Does anyone know what kind of last it's on?


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## MHF (Feb 26, 2009)

TDI GUY said:


> Resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has first hand experience with the current LL Bean Classic Penny Loafers. I'm curious if these are a viable alternative to the current Bass beefroll loafer and its plasticky finish.


The pair that I bought two years ago looks exactly like the current offering, although I can't say for sure that they haven't changed since then. I believe, though, that mine were described as full-grain on the website. For what it's worth, mine are a bit plasticky.


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

Another option that always gets overlooked is the Alden Cape Cod full-strap penny loafer. You won't find these on sale but the quality leads the true mocassin category.

https://img202.imageshack.us/i/yasunutsimg600x45012602.jpg/


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## hobscrk777 (Oct 16, 2009)

Cardinals5 said:


> The Made-in-USA, handsewn Jeffrey model ($299)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That actually looks really good, although I think it's way overpriced. That's getting up into the AE and Alden price range, and isn't too far below some even higher tier shoemakers. If I'm going to spend that much, I'd probably fork over the extra dough to get Alden/BB or C&J.


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

That Jeffrey penny loafer looks a lot like the old Alden Cape Cod beefroll penny loafer (below) which they don't make anymore for some reason.

https://img508.imageshack.us/i/pakopakonyan8kobastorei.jpg/


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