Custom Thedi Buffalo Cafe Racer - fit advice needed

TartuWolf · May 2, 2024

I wear my jackets zipped up 90% of the time so this wouldn't bother me much. Put your thumbs in your front pockets and rock it like a badass.
But more importantly - holy cow that leather, it is STUNNING!
One thing you could do is ask Theodoros directly to hear what he thinks about the unzipped back issue.

Mainspring said:
View attachment 610844

bigmanbigtruck · May 2, 2024

Yeah, echo the point on contacting Theodoros and getting his opinion.
It's also upto how you wear your jacket; I wear it unzipped majority of the time unless it gets really windy here and things start flapping around. Personally, the tenting when open looks very strange and I wouldn't be happy if that were me.

I also have an ELMC J100 which imo, is more faithful to the original than RMC's and don't have the tenting on that either. Unfortunately don't have a side pic, but this is a shot from behind with the zip open and you can see the back is flat

Maybe it's deliberately constructed for functionality of riding, i.e. supporting the rider when leaning forward. But idk looking at Thedi Jackets, while artfully constructed, I don't get the vibe that their offerings are for serious riders - I could be wrong.

Mainspring · May 2, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
Yeah, echo the point on contacting Theodoros and getting his opinion.
It's also upto how you wear your jacket; I wear it unzipped majority of the time unless it gets really windy here and things start flapping around. Personally, the tenting when open looks very strange and I wouldn't be happy if that were me.

I also have an ELMC J100 which imo, is more faithful to the original than RMC's and don't have the tenting on that either. Unfortunately don't have a side pic, but this is a shot from behind with the zip open and you can see the back is flat
View attachment 611076

Maybe it's deliberately constructed for functionality of riding, i.e. supporting the rider when leaning forward. But idk looking at Thedi Jackets, while artfully constructed, I don't get the vibe that their offerings are for serious riders - I could be wrong.

Thank you. I went on the Thedi website and used their contact form to link to a video I recorded of myself demonstrating the fit. The jacket just wants to "shoot up" to my neck.

Your jacket looks great from the back while unzipped. What's odd is that I have an Aero Board Racer that has almost the same chest and shoulder measurement, and it fits perfectly unzipped. I can't pinpoint what the culprit is on this Thedi.

bigmanbigtruck · May 3, 2024

Good luck, I hope they sort you out and correct this issue - it definitely looks like an issue to me.

Marc mndt · May 3, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
But idk looking at Thedi Jackets, while artfully constructed, I don't get the vibe that their offerings are for serious riders - I could be wrong.

Theodoros wears them on the motorcycle. Back in the 70s he needed a jacket for riding but there weren't any serious jackets available in Greece so he made one for himself. A couple of friends wanted a jacket as well and one thing lead to another.

Marc mndt · May 3, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
But unzipped, this would bother me. I have a RMC J100 that’s new and didn’t see this degree of tenting.

bigmanbigtruck said:
I also have an ELMC J100 which imo, is more faithful to the original than RMC's and don't have the tenting on that either.

bigmanbigtruck said:
Personally, the tenting when open looks very strange and I wouldn't be happy if that were me.

You'd better not get an original then

bigmanbigtruck · May 3, 2024

Marc mndt said:
Theodoros wears them on the motorcycle. Back in the 70s he needed a jacket for riding but there weren't any serious jackets available in Greece so he made one for himself. A couple of friends wanted a jacket as well and one thing lead to another.

View attachment 611108

Gotcha… the pics on his website did not give that vibe at all. He and the other model (presumably one of this employees) look like they’re in a fashion shoot. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to insult his jackets or brand - they usually look impressive when people post them here. Just don’t see them much in the context of their prowess for riding - unlike vansons let’s say. Maybe he should start showing those front and center rather than having to go thru his socials.

Marc mndt said:
You'd better not get an original then

View attachment 611116 View attachment 611117 View attachment 611115

Haha tbh that’s good advice. I didn’t mean to say RMC and ELMC are the authorities on J100s or that they’re more real than the real thing - I know they’re not. But I would certainly prefer the jacket not tenting vs tenting. Maybe that’s a stupid thing to look for, but hey just my preference.

I did also notice that you and OP have the same thing with the collar moving off the neck when zipped.

Tbh your Buco looks in very good condition - did you have to do any restoration work? I noticed yours is steerhide.

Anyways, it’s good u shared those pics here with us. I think OP did what he needed to do to reach out to Thedi and see if anything can be done. If he ends up accepting it and enjoying his new jacket, that’s a good outcome too.

Marc mndt · May 3, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
He and the other model (presumably one of this employees)

That's his son in law.

bigmanbigtruck said:
But I would certainly prefer the jacket not tenting vs tenting. Maybe that’s a stupid thing to look for, but hey just my preference.

Me too. I personally prefer the look (and feel) of this HD 'one pocket' Sportster which has an hourglass shape, a more relaxed sleeve pitch and as a result no tenting.

I showed the original Buco to prove my point that it's not an issue, It's a feature.

bigmanbigtruck said:
Tbh your Buco looks in very good condition - did you have to do any restoration work? I noticed yours is steerhide.

I bought it like this, it didn't need any restoration. The unlined mid '50s J-100s are horsehide but the later ones are all steerhide.

dudewuttheheck · May 3, 2024

Marc mndt said:
You'd better not get an original then

View attachment 611116 View attachment 611117 View attachment 611115

Interesting. My J22 does the same thing when unzipped. It's to a lesser degree due to the taper, but still similar.

It still looks a bit worse on the OP' jacket to me though. I think the jacket does look a little big throughout the body in my opinion.

bigmanbigtruck · May 3, 2024

Marc mndt said:
I showed the original Buco to prove my point that it's not an issue, It's a feature.

Yeah, based on what you showed that looks like a feature meant especially for riding.

Since you mentioned sleeve pitch, is that something straightforward to alter to mitigate it? Or that would impractical/not enough at this point?

Marc mndt · May 3, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
Since you mentioned sleeve pitch, is that something straightforward to alter to mitigate it? Or that would impractical/not enough at this point?

I don't think it's possible to neatly alter the sleeve pitch of a leather jacket after it has been made. It'll be next to impossible to stitch through the same holes.

Even if it would be possible, there's nothing wrong with this jacket. It doesn't need fixing.

Mainspring · May 4, 2024

To his credit, Theodoros responded quickly to the clip I sent him and he identified the issue. I'll paste his suggestion below. I think he means I should wet the back of the jacket in the shoulders/neck area, then sit and use my extended knee to "push" a curve into the center of the shoulder/neck area by pulling the jacket back onto my extended knee? I'd like to hear the group's interpretation of his suggestion. Thanks everyone who has chimed in so far.

Hi. I agree that it doesn't look good on the back of the jacket,
but dear you shouldn't order a jacket that has a full back panel.
Without misunderstanding and since my English is bad, I will explain
what exactly is going on.
The peculiarity of your body at the point of the shoulders has a
curvature and your neck leans slightly forward. So the pattern needs a
seam at the point of the shoulders to give the corresponding curvature
exactly where the problem is. Here we have a straight panel that doesn't
fit your body so that creates the problem. I hope I gave you to understand.
I have a trick to offer you.
With a sprayer of one liter of water, spray the point back to the height
of the shoulders quite a bit and after it is moistened put it on your
knees while sitting in a chair and give them a cavity by pressing the
jacket up and down by dragging it on them, with enough intensity, until
there is a curve at this point and wear it. It will surely nestle better
in your body.
I cant do anything else.

bigmanbigtruck · May 4, 2024

Mainspring said:
To his credit, Theodoros responded quickly to the clip I sent him and he identified the issue. I'll paste his suggestion below. I think he means I should wet the back of the jacket in the shoulders/neck area, then sit and use my extended knee to "push" a curve into the center of the shoulder/neck area by pulling the jacket back onto my extended knee? I'd like to hear the group's interpretation of his suggestion. Thanks everyone who has chimed in so far.

Hi. I agree that it doesn't look good on the back of the jacket,
but dear you shouldn't order a jacket that has a full back panel.
Without misunderstanding and since my English is bad, I will explain
what exactly is going on.
The peculiarity of your body at the point of the shoulders has a
curvature and your neck leans slightly forward. So the pattern needs a
seam at the point of the shoulders to give the corresponding curvature
exactly where the problem is. Here we have a straight panel that doesn't
fit your body so that creates the problem. I hope I gave you to understand.
I have a trick to offer you.
With a sprayer of one liter of water, spray the point back to the height
of the shoulders quite a bit and after it is moistened put it on your
knees while sitting in a chair and give them a cavity by pressing the
jacket up and down by dragging it on them, with enough intensity, until
there is a curve at this point and wear it. It will surely nestle better
in your body.
I cant do anything else.

It sounds like he's asking you to "add" a yoke that you see on the backs of a lot of jackets.
If you go back upto my previous pic, it's that horizontal seam that runs across my upper back which helps add some curvature.
I believe you have the idea.

Honestly I think the best approach is, without spraying the water, just taking a quick recording of what you intend to do and asking for his feedback rather than have us interpret it. He sounds like a nice enough guy, and can advise you further.

It's unfortunate the posture/alignment issue wasn't accounted for when initially creating the jacket.

Mainspring · May 4, 2024

bigmanbigtruck said:
It sounds like he's asking you to "add" a yoke that you see on the backs of a lot of jackets.
If you go back upto my previous pic, it's that horizontal seam that runs across my upper back which helps add some curvature.
I believe you have the idea.

Honestly I think the best approach is, without spraying the water, just taking a quick recording of what you intend to do and asking for his feedback rather than have us interpret it. He sounds like a nice enough guy, and can advise you further.

It's unfortunate the posture/alignment issue wasn't accounted for when initially creating the jacket.

Thank you. After posting this, I had the idea to respond in Greek and to attach a photo of what I think he's saying. Hopefully it'll help. Appreciate your help!

bigmanbigtruck · May 4, 2024

Mainspring said:
Thank you. After posting this, I had the idea to respond in Greek and to attach a photo of what I think he's saying. Hopefully it'll help. Appreciate your help!

Best of luck, hope it works out
Still a great looking jacket + leather after all is said and done

jeo · May 5, 2024

Marc mndt said:
I showed the original Buco to prove my point that it's not an issue, It's a feature.

It’s not a feature, that’s just how that particular jacket fits on you. Maybe that size + your body type…not sure but my original hh Buco J-100 doesn’t do that and I’ve also tried on the steerhide version and it didn’t tent out like that.

dudewuttheheck said:
Interesting. My J22 does the same thing when unzipped. It's to a lesser degree due to the taper, but still similar.

Interesting indeed, both my J-22’s don’t do tent out like that when unzipped, they sit very flat on the back.

dudewuttheheck · May 5, 2024

jeo said:
It’s not a feature, that’s just how that particular jacket fits on you. Maybe that size + your body type…not sure but my original hh Buco J-100 doesn’t do that and I’ve also tried on the steerhide version and it didn’t tent out like that.

Interesting indeed, both my J-22’s don’t do tent out like that when unzipped, they sit very flat on the back.

To clarify, mine is to a very small degree and isn't anywhere near the level of Marc's or the OP's. It's very minor.

bigmanbigtruck · May 5, 2024

After seeing Theodoros's response, it sounds obvious what's happened - guess that's what happens when an expert chimes in lol

jeo · May 5, 2024

dudewuttheheck said:
To clarify, mine is to a very small degree and isn't anywhere near the level of Marc's or the OP's. It's very minor.

I’d be interested to see since both mine don’t do that so I’m very curious now haha

dudewuttheheck · May 5, 2024

jeo said:
I’d be interested to see since both mine don’t do that so I’m very curious now haha

You can see it here just slightly. Like I said, it's very slight and this isn't the best angle.

Custom Thedi Buffalo Cafe Racer - fit advice needed

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