Bill Kelso Harleys Cafe Racer

[Damon141]

Is this one of the jackets BK has actually made, or one of the selection of vintage jacket photos that they will 'make' on request?

I'm not knocking or praising BK either way, just think this should be clarified because it could affect what you get.



I do, too… but this theory raises more questions than answers.

If Bill Kelso is the continuation of the original RMC/The Few factory, why don't they publicize that instead of this whole Greece story? Nothing wrong with Greece, but I have very little interest in the nu-RMC yet I (and perhaps others) would happily line up to buy a jacket from the NZ operation. It would be more prestigious, I would think.

I’m not sure if he has made one, I just stumbled upon it on his site. But your guess makes sense since they don’t even have a picture of the same one in their instagram. I would have to ask them but since I have something else in the works, I will ask when I’m in the market for it so I don’t bother him needlessly.


I thought about your “why don’t they advertise the New Zealand question”. Just a hunch that they are contracted out and manufacturing locations have possibly changed at times, just a guess but my guess comes from the fashion leather industry. It’s like many of the luxury brands, most don’t have their own factories but contract the work out to specialists. Take Burberry, they make products in England, China, Italy, and Scotland. So depending on the product, bag, jacket, shoes etc then they just have whichever specific factory produce it.

 

[Aloysius]

I very much doubt Kelso is a major label sized operation in that way.

 

[Damon141]

If my comment came out that way it wasn’t intended to. I kind of meant the opposite, when you are a smaller company and the owner is not the one making the jackets, it’s easier and more cost effective for you to contact the work to an experienced factory rather than purchase all the necessary equipment and hire and train staff to make your products.

Many of the old generational leather shoe, jacket, handbag workshops in places like Italy will make their own products in addition to take orders from brands and make them to their specifications.

Shop online

Shop online

www.pierotucci.com

You can actually tour the above family owned factory and if you read their website, they make their own products as well as manufacture products for other brands.

 

[Carlos840]

You guys better watch out, too much BK talk on here will get you emails from Andy threatening to sue you...
He has moles on TFL that keep him informed of what is being said and he loves to threaten people.

 

[Brettafett]

Funny to read this thread.

For what its worth, I own 2 BK A-2s (among others) and they are both keepers. Ive been around a long time and owned jackets from almost everyone in the game, and these jackets are second to none. Period.
All depends what you're after I guess.

Politics and history aside, if you want a good jacket, thats as accurate as can be, and you can be patient.... you wont be disappointed.
One thing to note, with the A-2s at least, go up one size from your chest. And go from there...

 

[Marc mndt]

I very much doubt Kelso is a major label sized operation in that way.

Mushmans, made by bk

You can actually tour the above family owned factory and if you read their website, they make their own products as well as manufacture products for other brands.

I've visited the Pierro Tucci factory a couple of times. They mainly produce for local (Florence) leather goods outlets. I bought this nice piece of luggage from their factory store.

 

[Aloysius]

Right, to clarify, I misread Damon's comment as being the other way around (that Kelso might be taking on the business model of an RL or Burberry or other major brand that subcontracts to a wide variety of manufacturers due to the volume and variety), not as referring to BK doing private label work (as a manufacture themselves.)

My question stands, though– wouldn't they get more enthusiasm from announcing that they use the RMCNZ factory?

 

[Damon141]

You guys better watch out, too much BK talk on here will get you emails from Andy threatening to sue you...
He has moles on TFL that keep him informed of what is being said and he loves to threaten people.

Don’t tell me he is one of those crazies that drags up a two year old thread to boast and ridicule members like I saw from another maker

 

[Damon141]

Mushmans, made by bk

View attachment 424589

I've visited the Pierro Tucci factory a couple of times. They mainly produce for local (Florence) leather goods outlets. I bought this nice piece of luggage from their factory store.

View attachment 424590 View attachment 424591 View attachment 424592 View attachment 424593 View attachment 424594

That’s really cool you went there, I was going to make a point to visit them if I travel to Italy one day. I was about to buy a duffel bag from them but came across a good deal on a couple Bennett Winch travel bags that I couldn’t resist.

Here is where they say they had produced for other designers.

 

[John Lever]

Hi,
Bill Kelso jackets are made in the old Real McCoy's New Zealand factory in Christchurch. See the screenshot.
Enter in browser: dnb.com, then appears: dun&bradstreet, in their search field enter:
THE REAL MCCOY'S NEW ZEALAND LIMITED.
There you find the link to the Bill Kelso website
View attachment 424456

As far as I am aware.....RMNZ closed and removed all the machines off shore to fulfill existing contracts.
Why would BK go to NZ ? it has been completely isolated for 2 years

 

[Marc mndt]

As far as I am aware.....RMNZ closed and removed all the machines off shore to fulfill existing contracts.
Why would BK go to NZ ? it has been completely isolated for 2 years

Maybe RMNZ is still registered in New Zealand but they've moved production abroad (Greece? lol).

 

[Aloysius]

As far as I am aware.....RMNZ closed and removed all the machines off shore to fulfill existing contracts.
Why would BK go to NZ ? it has been completely isolated for 2 years

Exactly. This theory is very, very weird.

 

[Carlos840]

Don’t tell me he is one of those crazies that drags up a two year old thread to boast and ridicule members like I saw from another maker

I choose to remain silent without my lawyer in the room, i have had enough BS emails from Andy.

 

[handymike]

...and why "appropriate" photos from Lightning Magazine instead of photographing factory made jackets?

 

[Canuck Panda]

What is Bill Kelso Mfg, RMC NZ, Satchel Paige and others alike...etc. all belong to the same owner. A big(ger) Japanese? trading company that operate out of all of its world wide locations depending on branding? So I'm with the theory that the BK is part of a group that operates more like RRL/Burberry than say Aero.

None of this matter much right now. Still waiting for my Peters. From the numbers, it does looks "right" in ratio for the repro version. I've also seen pics of the first samples on facebook but can't find it anymore. The mystery deepens... Hope I at least get the "Peter's" repro label like how BK does the rest of the repros.

Peter's Aviator size 44
------------------------
pit to pit 23.5
shoulders 20
back 24.5
sleeve 25.75

 

[Harris HTM]

Having spent 26 years in Greece, 20 of them in Athens, I can verify that:

(a) if the jackets were made in NZ, they would be advertised so; in Greece, everything that is made outside of Greece, especially in fancy lands as NZ, is considered luxury and is advertised so.
(b) in the historical center of Athens, were Platon's Dubow (BK spinoff) are made - according to their website- there are numerous small leather workshops with amazing craftsmen; my own uncle in the 90's was having a workshop there sewing leather shoes and wallets for famous Italian fashion brands.

 

[Damon141]

One random picture had a tag that said “made in EU”. Without digging around to check their laws I would guess that different countries in Europe have their own laws regarding labeling the place of manufacture, and what percentage has to be actually made in the country.
I know here in the USA it is pretty loosely regulated because the old shoe and boot company Allen Edmonds sends its leather tops to be sewn together in the Dominican Republic then sent back to the USA to be attached to the outsole. Still labeled made in the USA.

Some of our European members would probably know the answer regarding labeling in their respective countries.

 

[Mich486]

The mystery deepens though my gut feeling is that the RMNZ theory is bs. Sorry just doesn’t make any sense.

Those online databases can be hit or miss.

 

[Damon141]

Marc is in the Netherlands, is obviously into good clothing and accessories, and seems to have more than average travel experience, he probably knows how clothing is typically labeled in the EU, whether they have to label the origin

 

[Marc mndt]

Marc is in the Netherlands, is obviously into good clothing and accessories, and seems to have more than average travel experience, he probably knows how clothing is typically labeled in the EU, whether they have to label the origin

Clothing needs to come with a label that states what it is made of. It doesn't need to state where it was made.

Custom made garments don't have to carry a label at all.