Another MC jacket inbound

[Guppy]

I picked this up on a Goodwill auction listing tonight.

It looks very similar to my first serious motorcycle jacket, which I lost at a bar in 2012, and have been kicking myself for losing ever since. I knew that jacket very well, and the only difference I note with this one is the zipper pulls look different to me -- mine were YKK with rawhide lace run through the pulls. All other details seen in the photos here are just about identical to what I had.

Mine was made by a local company here in Cleveland called The Real Deal, had very thick naked cowhide leather and after owning it for about 10 years was just starting to show some nice creases in the arms and a bit of brown undertone coming through under the dye. I never thought to weigh it, but it was HEAVY, and when I'd take it off and hand it to someone to hang up, they'd invariably comment on the weight, to the effect of "This thing is heavy, it must weigh ten pounds!" and often their arm would dip in surprise due to the excessive weight. This one says it weighs 6 lbs, which could be in the ballpark of what mine weighed.

After I lost it, the first thing I did was went back to TRD to see if they could provide me with a replacement, but they had changed their style a bit, and the leather they were using was not the same as in my original jacket, so I wasn't satisfied with what they were able to offer me. I've spent the last four years in search of its equal, and having owned some very nice jackets by Vanson, Aero, Langlitz, Cal Leather, and Natal, I am happy with them, but yet am **still** looking for something **exactly** like what I had.

I'm sure to most people this seems like folly, but I'm sure readers here can appreciate the quest that I've been on to reclaim what I lost.

This one might be the closest I've seen yet. It appears from the photos to be made from a thick leather, and the grain in the close ups looks about like what I remember mine looking like. The pattern is indistinguishable from identical to what I remember my jacket looking like. The auction listing didn't have photos showing the lining, so I won't know if that's identical until I see it, but mine had a single inside map pocket on the left side, and a zip out lining, with a slit in the removable lining that allowed access to the pocket in the jacket.

Mine was a size 42, and had started to fit a bit tightly at the waist (I needed to loosen the side laces). This one is a 40, so it may not fit me, but for the price I was willing to take a chance. If it doesn't fit, I'm confident I can sell it for at least what I paid.

For a perfecto-style diagonal zip leather jacket, there is a huge amount of variation between different manufacturers, and I'm hoping to learn something from the more experienced and knowledgeable forum members. Oddly, although I'd seen jackets like the one I had many times before I bought mine, after I lost mine they seemed to become very rare. It seems that the combination of side laces, full belt, long kidney panel, and brass hardware is just not a common one.

Now that I have photos of a jacket that looks more or less exactly like the one I had, I'm curious about the kidney panel in the back. This one is quite a bit longer/wider than the kidney panel. I've heard this style called a "long back" but I don't know if that's proper terminology or not.

On mine, the leather was double-thick, and stiff -- almost like saddle or shoe leather or a baseball glove. Anyone who's handled a Langlitz Columbia knows the feel, but unlike the Langlitz, mine did not have the s-shaped stitching visible on the outside, but looked exactly like the one in the photos I've attached here, including the solid belt loops and full belt.

To me, this wider kidney panel always looked "correct" to me, and I've never liked the narrower style panel that's typical of a true Schott Perfecto. I've seen this longer style from All State, but in a markedly inferior leather to my TRD jacket.

Anyhow, the auction listing says that the maker for this jacket is unknown, and I'm not sure if I'll find a tag anywhere inside it or not, but I'm hoping I'll get lucky and be able to ID the maker. In case I don't, but am otherwise happy with the jacket other than size, I'm curious if anyone can narrow down who the maker might be, so I can keep looking for one in the right size. Failing that, if anyone knows anything about this "long back" kidney panel variant, when it originated, who originated it, etc.

Thanks all!

 

[ProteinNerd]

Hope it fits!

 

[Guppy]

Hope it fits!

I'm crossing my fingers... sometimes MC jackets like this are sized up a bit, so I might get lucky.

 

[tmitchell59]

Good to have something lost come back. I've sold two Jackets back to where I bought them. Just sent one out. Guys just missed them. I don't know if those are the YKK your jacket had? the heavy hide looks like what you were describing. Looks well made with substantial leather. Hope it is what your lost hide.

 

[Guppy]

Good to have something lost come back. I've sold two Jackets back to where I bought them. Just sent one out. Guys just missed them. I don't know if those are the YKK your jacket had? the heavy hide looks like what you were describing. Looks well made with substantial leather. Hope it is what your lost hide.

I know it's not my lost jacket, but I'm hoping it's a near twin. I'd be beside myself if my old jacket came back to me somehow. The zipper pulls on this one are definitely different, and we will see about the interior, but it looks promising.

 

[TREEMAN]

I was never a fan of the long kidney panel....it's hard to tell from photo's if a leather is thick or not. The fact that it has no label is a red flag, could be Pakistani stuff. Good luck!!

 

[ton312]

Looks like an Orchard jacket by Branded Garments to me. Can't remember if they stamp the stamps Branded tho...Good luck with it!

 

[Doctor Damage]

Looks like an Orchard jacket by Branded Garments to me. Can't remember if they stamp the stamps Branded tho...Good luck with it!

Looks that way too. If it is by Branded they will have a leather patch with the logo embossed on it.

I really like the grain leather... I'm not a big fan of smooth leather surfaces, even on shoes.

 

[Guppy]

Looks like an Orchard jacket by Branded Garments to me. Can't remember if they stamp the stamps Branded tho...Good luck with it!

Hmm, it could be... I had a Branded jacket in a different style, and it was very thick leather, very stiff, and needed a lot of work to break in.

 

[davyjones007]

Very nice. That is a great find. Reminds me of Fox Creeks Classic Motorcycle I, except for the lack of venting.

 

[Guppy]

I'm sure he's talking about questionable quality here...

I've had some leather items from Pakistan... A pair of pants that I like for motorcycle riding, I consider a good buy.

They're not high end by any means, and are pretty hit or miss, but some of it isn't bad, especially for the price.

Of course some of what comes from there is terrible, built to a price point, not to last.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Of course some of what comes from there is terrible, built to a price point, not to last.

And that's the point: they'll make it good, or they'll make it crappy, depending on what the client wants them to do.

Taylors Leatherwear, which probably makes more leather police jackets than anyone for the U.S. market, gets their stuff from Pakistan now. From what I see it's clear they've required high quality output from the manufacturers and they're getting it.

 

[ton312]

And that's the point: they'll make it good, or they'll make it crappy, depending on what the client wants them to do.

Taylors Leatherwear, which probably makes more leather police jackets than anyone for the U.S. market, gets their stuff from Pakistan now. From what I see it's clear they've required high quality output from the manufacturers and they're getting it.

You're exactly right and I think the same can be said for leather stuff made in Korea.

 

[Guppy]

Very nice. That is a great find. Reminds me of Fox Creeks Classic Motorcycle I, except for the lack of venting.

I know people speak highly of Fox Creek, and I have nothing bad to say about them and have never had any experience with their goods, but I just don't like the way they do the venting on their classic model jackets. It just ruins the look for me. I'm sure it must be practical, but it's just completely wrong for the look of the jacket.

A few years ago when I was looking for a replacement for my TRD jacket, I asked them about doing a custom one for me without the vents, and with plain snaps that don't have their logo on them, and they told me they don't do custom orders. I ended up going with Hillside USA, and they did a fine job with my requirements.

 

[davyjones007]

I know people speak highly of Fox Creek, and I have nothing bad to say about them and have never had any experience with their goods, but I just don't like the way they do the venting on their classic model jackets. It just ruins the look for me. I'm sure it must be practical, but it's just completely wrong for the look of the jacket.

A few years ago when I was looking for a replacement for my TRD jacket, I asked them about doing a custom one for me without the vents, and with plain snaps that don't have their logo on them, and they told me they don't do custom orders. I ended up going with Hillside USA, and they did a fine job with my requirements.

I have one of their vest and a pair of chaps. Great work and feel. The leather is amazing. I do agree with you on the venting. I dont mind the back, but I am not a fan of sleeve venting. I had a HD jacket with it and the cold found its way in everytime. May be if you ride behind a big windshield or fairing, it is less noticeable. But on a Streetbob I felt it for sure.

 

[Guppy]

Well, the jacket's just arrived. I've tried it on, and it fits very well. It's snug and form fitting, like I remember my old TRD feeling.

There are two inside pockets, one open and one zipped. My old jacket only had a (wearer's) left-side pocket with an open top slot; these two are both "pistol" style pockets with a vertical slot.

There's a zipper inside for a lining, but the lining is missing. The lining is a typical black nylon, nothing special there. There's no tag identifying a maker.

The snaps on the jacket all still are shiny and polished, which makes me question whether they're real brass or anodized aluminum. The teeth on the zipper (which is a YKK #10 with an odd pull) are dull with tarnish, so my guess is that the snaps should be the same if they were really solid brass. My old jacket's zipper and snaps had developed an aged look over time, which I prefer, but I wouldn't think much could be done about that.

The leather is not as thick as my old jacket, but is of decent quality and reasonably thick. Just not super heavy like my old jacket was. Still, this is the closest I've seen yet to the pattern of my original jacket.

I'd still like to know who made it, but I don't know that there's any way to say at this point for sure. I'd say best guess it's a better than average to good quality mall jacket. I'd consider it a keeper, but I'm tempted to seek out a high end maker who could copy it exactly in an even better leather.

I have some photos that I'll be uploading soon as I can get them off my phone.

 

[Guppy]

The only tag inside the jacket that I can find, apart from the size tag at the collar, which just says "40":
"WHEN DRY CLEANING IS NECESSARY SEND TO A SPECIAL LEATHER CLEANER ONLY"

YKK #10 main zipper with non-standard pull.


Zipped up all the way. On my old jacket, the collars met in the middle like a dress shirt buttoned all the way to the top, but here there's a gap of about 2 inches or so, and the lapel doesn't quite lay smooth as it should.

Some fit pics taken with the aid of a mirror and a selfie stick:








More to come.

 

[Guppy]

Left-side inside "pistol" pocket has a zipper. There's a zipperless pocket just like it on the right side.



I know, I should have tucked in my shirt.


I notice in these photos that the brass hardware looks silver, but it's just the lighting making them look bright.

 

[TREEMAN]

Looks good Guppy, although it's hard to tell the length with your shirt un-tucked. The other pic looks like it comes rite to the belt line..........The camera angle makes it appear short.

 

[Guppy]

Looks good Guppy, although it's hard to tell the length with your shirt un-tucked. The other pic looks like it comes rite to the belt line..........The camera angle makes it appear short.

I'll have to go back and take some additional pics. The lens distortion on the front camera of my phone makes it really hard to take a decent selfie even with the stick. I think the fit overall is just about right. It's snug and I can't layer under it, but for a size 40 on a 42 model, I couldn't have expected otherwise. My old jacket, I could layer a sweatshirt and a flannel over a t-shirt, but this one not so much.