Hi - I used to wear Levi’s but they became virulently anti-gun. I switched to Ariat branded jeans because that was what I had available locally. But I keep getting tears in the knees (playing with the kids, I guess), happens way more often than it should.  

Can anyone recommend some reasonably-priced jeans, from a company that doesn’t hate us, that hold up to ordinary wear and tear?

This may help

Carharrt or Wrangler.

I’ve had really good luck with these.

I durability tested them against Duluth and others and they are indestructible, and made in America with American cotton. 10/10. My first pair I beat the shit out of are 3 years old and look incredible

https://www.round-house.com

Here's a thread to check out:  Jeans

I wear Round-House  Made in the USA, numerous choices, well made, what's not to love?

Wrangler is now woke.

I’ve been wearing Wranglers. But every pair is a different size, even within the same fit/style/color. I get 36x32. One pair is tight in the waist, on is right on. One is as short as waders, another drag under the heel.

So either try them on and buy the specific pair that fits, or buy 3 of the same thing and return the ones that don’t fit.

My Carhartt jeans from last summer absolutely suck compared to my Carhartt jeans from ten years ago. My latest Wranglers are comfortable but they aren't going to hold up I'm afraid.

I've been wearing the same two pair of Lucky Brand jeans for the past 9 years with zero issues.

I have become a fan of the Duluth Trading Jeans.

I wear Wrangler. Cheap, comfortable jeans.

I like Lee jeans. There's an outlet at the mall and they're not bad for the price

Im dropping so much weight tho they're starting to not fit me

Brave Star
The Unbranded Brand

I thought Carhartt had gone lib too.

I am not a chick, so while I naturally appreciate this, it does not answer the purpose of the thread!

For jeans, I like Gustin

They sell selvedge denim jeans- the fabric is woven on the old looms, mostly from the U.S., and Japan, with a few from Italy. The denim has more character than the modern mass-produced fabric woven on high-speed looms. The #7 “The Regular”, and “The 1968” are both good starting points- the denim is from Cone Mills, USA. Use their guide for measuring/size selection. The Stock store might have sizes that will fit, and you won’t need to wait until a campaign ends. Their business model is crowdfunding- after they receive a certain number of orders, they sew up a batch.

After I picked up a couple of pairs of Gustin selvedge denim jeans and started wearing them, I donated over a dozen pairs of my Levi’s, Wranglers, and Lee jeans to charity. Gustins are very comfortable, even after only one washing. No obnoxious advertising/emblems on their jeans, only a leather patch on the right side rear under the belt, like all of the other common mass-produced jeans. I only kept a couple pairs of the mass-produced jeans for yard work, working on my car, etc.

Gustin’s quality assurance has suffered a little in the past few years, but I’m still a fan. I received one pair of 17 oz Japanese denim jeans which had one of the front pockets stitched wrong, but decided to just mend it myself. If there’s a problem with something, let them know, but according to one arfcommer, their customer service wasn’t very good, until he threatened to go “scorched earth”.

ETA: See the other current thread, https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/wat-are-cool-jeans-these-days/174-2182954/