Any Reviews of Legendary USA?

[Lando]

I was looking at the website for Legendary USA (http://www.legendaryusa.com) and wanted to know if anyone here had had any dealings with them. They carry some Schotts as well as their own brand so it looks legit but you can never tell. Any word on their quality, leather or horsehide? Thanks.


Lando

 

[HoosierDaddy]

They are legit. My main riding leather is a Schott HH '30s "Retro" (no longer offered)purchased from them. Keep an eye out for their sale and eBay listings. That's where I got mine at considerable savings.
Legendary USA's classic remakes(made by Schott) are of better quality than regular Schott jackets. Their HH isn't as super heavy as Aero or LW...but probably more in line with most vintage jackets weightwise.
HD

 

[erikb02809]

I know my story seems to be the exception, but I had nothing but bad experiences concerning the quality of their product when I bought their Trojan model two years ago. Misaligned/incomplete stitching, stitches coming undone, etc. This was a surprise to me. I've got $150 jackets bought at Wilson's in the mall that were better constructed and held up better than the Schott-manufactured one I got from Legendary USA for over $600. The quality of the horsehide was pretty nice though.

With my disgust with the Trojan, I'm actually looking to get a Perfecto style biker jacket for the riding season this year, but am having a hard time justifying making another purchase of a Schott-manufactured jacket, (Schott's overall history and reputation aside).

 

[jac]

I'm very happy with my fqhhs from Legendary. At 4 ounces, you won't find thicker (I've looked!)
I got excellent service, and the employees are eager to please.
Given their comprehensive guarantee/warranty, it surprises me to hear any complaints. They also have customer reviews of their products on the website.
Schott also has coverage to original owners, as well as a feedback/blog/forum, and they encourage returns for any sane reason.

I honestly haven't had anything that comes close. What I've heard about LW (hides, quality, customer service) puts me off.
Wilson haven't made solid products in years. I got one of their rare steerhides in '84.

Other than Legendary, I would suggest Aero and Langlitz.

In fact, I'd love to get one of their Trojans, but they don't offer them anymore! Anyone got a 44?

 

[erikb02809]

Well, basically, they wouldn't give me a new jacket when things started unraveling after a week, because I had already taken the tags off. Which I wouldn't have done if I knew my $600 + jacket was going to start unraveling on me. I sent it back to them for repair, and they crudely repaired a spot where stitching was coming undone on the lining by entering through the inside chest pocket. However, they didn't sew the inside of the pocket back up all the way, or securely! I sent them an email expressing my disappointment, and never got a response. Since then, there's been more unraveling. I figured to hell with it, sewed some patches on it, and continue to be amazed when something else comes undone on the jacket. Something tells me if they weren't responsive before I sewed patches on it, they won't exactly be helping me out now.

Meanwhile, the Wilson "Open Road" motorcycle jacket I bought as a junior in highschool in 1997 has been through hell with me, and easily looks like it could last another 12 years of near-daily wear. To be fair, the Open Road was a Wilson's premium model and cost twice what Wilson's normal Perfecto rip offs cost, but still only half what a Schott in Steerhide or Cowhide will cost you. Nevermind horsehide.

But again, I have to admit, it does seem my story is the exception. Plenty of people with more expertise than me with buying , collecting, and wearing all styles of leather jackets have had plenty of positive experiences with them. If I had to do it over again though, I would have have spent a little more and gotten an Aero, or maybe something custom from Mangoli Clothiers.

 

[jac]

Hey Erik, it was the fact that I had suddenly become too broad for my Open Road that sent me on a quest for something comparable! Only after inspecting their more recent offerings (OK, maybe later '80s) did I decide to try to learn something about hides. I did NOT want a Chinese chickenskin jacket...
What a wealth of mis & dis- information I discovered out there!

I always expect unravelling of nylon and poly linings. Given that you must break in the horsehide, I expect the lesser materials to suffer.
When I inquired about this afterwards, they offered to resolve the problem, but I'm handy with a needle. Plus, I had already bonded w/my jacket!

It takes awhile to discern what is a ripoff vs. reasonable with horsehide. Still a lot of purveyors are way over the top for just cowhide, I agree. Right now, everybody is having sales to get 'in the black', so this is a good time for the buyer.

I figured with what I paid, I was getting a break on a damned nice shell, and the lining was a bonus that kept me plenty warm. Besides, with what I put jackets through, I expect hard wear. I don't think those of us who buy horsehide for it's full functioning properties much care about a few raggedy threads here & there.

 

[erikb02809]

Hi Jac,

I agree with you. And I definitely have no complaints on their horsehide. I think I'm kinda ruined for life now when it comes to other hides, after owning one horsehide jacket. And I agree, over time, it would be freakish for the stitching on quilted linings not to come undone here and there. For me, I guess the problem was a 3 parter.

1. That it started unraveling so soon.
2. That they did a half-assed job-repairing it.
3. That they were unresponsive when I politely wrote to them expressing my disappointment.

There was also an issue prior to the stitching thing with the belt hole grommets not clamping the cotton backing down to the leather belt. They exchanged belts with me, and the other belt was fine. I was happy with that.


Since then though, I've had the stitching on the inside of the right sleeve come undone, and also the stitching that holds the tags with the snaps on at the end of each sleeve. When you look at the stitching on one of the snaps, you can see where basically whomever was using the sewing machine messed up and started sewing before the snap-tab, and stopped before he got to the end. Where the other one looks like it was sewn properly, but is still slightly coming loose somehow.

It's a great looking jacket, and the hide is great. But I definitely feel like I got the jacket-equivalent of a car that came off the assembly line on a Friday. In a less expensive jacket, or a jacket that has been around the block a few times, I would not consider the flaws to be a big deal. But for a $600 brand new jacket, it really bothered me.

So, it's not so much the few raggedy threads here and there. Its that I consider the raggedy threads on a barely worn jacket unacceptable given the amount of money paid for it. I bought it for a motorcycling jacket. Not a fashion thing. It's the principle that I paid a substantial sum for a jacket, made in America, where the person who was doing the sewing did an inferior job to what someone working on a jacket assembly line for chump change in China could get right.

 

[jac]

Excellent response and thanks for going into detail Erik.
Yes, horsehide 'ruined' me too!
Lando, I still recommend Legendary.

 

[regius]

hey guys, something to say about Legendary USA



guys, im new here, and, don't be surprised, I AM FROM CHINA!~
anyways, first off, i own six American made biker jackets, and i hate assembly lined Made in China 'lambskin' 'sheepskin' chickenshit jackets that scharmed out of sweat shops over here the past few years. and hey, the skinny Chinese lads here also seem to be catching up on the Brando style leather jacket, but i'd puke whenever i see these bad immitations, fashionised immitations appear in front of me. I say, Schott really needs to open a store here to show them, just show them, what the word leather means.


ok, about legendaryusa, I wrote several positive comments on their products, under two different HH they offer, the stallion, and the black horse. one comment i wrote was "i'm hungry but im happy" haha. so, it's easy to infer that i was satisfied with my stallion back then, however, i did notice that compared with my previous black horse, the stitchings on the stallion does seem to be off here and there, they say it's because the D pocket is more difficult to sew, but hey, what has the lapel stitching got to do with the D pocket. and, considering the bad stitching ERIK has experienced, it'd ruin everybody's life if in case the whole D pocket came off, or at least the coin pocket came off. This is the only reason I now hesitate to buy a D pocket jacket from a questionable company, 'cause once something goes wrong, it goes wrong in the big way.


the service lady at legendary is roxanne, i think, i call her Rox, appeared to be eager tohelp and friendly, as i always ask trivial and detailed questions. they also seem to have this policy of sending you a jacket for free, for a preview, and trust you that you will return it.....maybe not.

if anyone can upload some photos of them wearing the stallion, or, ERIK, the wrongs of your stallion, i'd love to see them.

 

[Chi-Town Co]

Do the Legendary horsehide jackets have the same added felt lining issue that Schott horsehide jackets have?

 

[roadking04]

I just ordered a pair of motorcycle chaps from them the other day. They said it should be about ten days. When I recieve them I will add my $0.02.

 

[1087]

No, the Legendary jackets does not have the felt lining.

 

[tommygun]

I have the black enforcer, and just received my wild stallion HH buco design. There may (and i'm sure are) better jackets out there, but I have never seen them. The legendary jackets are my 2 fav,s hands down!

 

[injunjack]

No, the Legendary jackets does not have the felt lining.

my legendary black horse has, but it's more than 2 years old. I think they changed that a while ago.

 

[1087]

I was referring to the Wild Stallion and the Trojan jackets.
I have a Trojan since 2005 and does not have felt lining ( awesome jacket).

 

[regius]

i just spoke with Herman from Legendary, as well as with Gail, Schott has stopped putting the felt fusible lining since 2009. the fusible lining was meant to even out the uneveness of the horsehides from italy, but due to customer request, they stopped it, but this wn't affect the quality. tommygun, can you post a pic of your wild stallion, and how heavy is it? what's your size?

 

[tommygun]

I,m a 42. the jacket fits perfect on me. I,m headed to work, but i'll try to post a pic tonight. I was a little cautious about all I hear about the horsehide stiffness, but honestly I don't really notice it! I have worn it everyday that i've had it, can't seam to take it off. I also have a couple schotts, love them too, but not like the wild stallion. Awesome jacket IMO.

 

[tommygun]

regius, i'll try again in the morning, i guess i'm to much of a dumb A$$ to figure out how to add a pic!

 

[regius]

lol, no worrie man, take your time, i'll post soe of my black horse too, nobody has ever mentioned this one!!

 

[regius]

how to upload pic ????????
from my harddrive.