BK Durable "The Wild One" One Star Double Rider

[Mich486]

Ok I genuinely thought you had more information and I was curious.

As it stands it seems more like it’s your guess (more or less educated) and you are creating the rumour!

 

[dannyk]

Ok I genuinely thought you had more information and I was curious.

As it stands it seems more like it’s your guess (more or less educated) and you are creating the rumour!

I can’t remember the thread someone with a better memory or better at searching can find the many exchanges on this topic. Not as absurd a rumor as you may think it is. There was some decent circumstantial proof. Many pointing in that direction. Nothing proven either way. But @Carlos840 is not just saying it without any basis.

EDIT: I misspoke and said circumstantial proof. I meant to say circumstantial evidence. I’ll leave it as I wrote it; but just know I meant to say evidence.

 

[red devil]

I can’t remember the thread someone with a better memory or better at searching can find the many exchanges on this topic. Not as absurd a rumor as you may think it is. There was some decent circumstantial proof. Many pointing in that direction. Nothing proven either way. But @Carlos840 is not just saying it without any basis.

Agreed, I don't remember how it was all started,although I remember the "we moved to the UK" discussed as being an excuse to move from Euros to GBP keeping the same values, back then a substantial increase in pricing.

 

[Carlos840]

Ok I genuinely thought you had more information and I was curious.

As it stands it seems more like it’s your guess (more or less educated) and you are creating the rumour!

It's not my guess, it's what i heard from people who know more on the subject than i do.
All i am doing is trying to put the pieces together.

 

[dmoser1978]

I was looking through my old e-mails, I was contacted by a man named "Andy" from BK circa January, 2014 asking to borrow my jacket for a pattern. After some lengthy back and forth to make sure I wasn't getting scammed, I sent in my jacket and crossed my fingers that I would get it back in one piece.

I'm almost certain that the jacket that I received is literally the one pictured on their website. A couple of the differences between my original and their copy I put down to them trying to be more screen accurate. The pointy end of the epaulets is one of those differences, as well as how the belt is sewn onto the jacket.

From the various Durables I've had or looked at, it feels like the jackets were either made to order or they didn't have really stringent quality control as the brand of zipper, shape of epaulets, and other details varies from jacket to jacket.

I should try and find more information about the Durable company and see if there are any old advertisements for them in old motorcycle magazines.

 

[dannyk]

I was looking through my old e-mails, I was contacted by a man named "Andy" from BK circa January, 2014 asking to borrow my jacket for a pattern. After some lengthy back and forth to make sure I wasn't getting scammed, I sent in my jacket and crossed my fingers that I would get it back in one piece.

I'm almost certain that the jacket that I received is literally the one pictured on their website. A couple of the differences between my original and their copy I put down to them trying to be more screen accurate. The pointy end of the epaulets is one of those differences, as well as how the belt is sewn onto the jacket.

From the various Durables I've had or looked at, it feels like the jackets were either made to order or they didn't have really stringent quality control as the brand of zipper, shape of epaulets, and other details varies from jacket to jacket.

I should try and find more information about the Durable company and see if there are any old advertisements for them in old motorcycle magazines.

Durable is a hard one to find a ton of info on. Many people have gone down that road. You may have more success. There was also rumors that Schott bought out the company at some point, or made jackets for them to resell labeled as Durables. There’s no evidence for those claims either. So any info you do find...please share here as there would be plenty of interested people.

 

[Carlos840]

Durable is a hard one to find a ton of info on. Many people have gone down that road. You may have more success. There was also rumors that Schott bought out the company at some point, or made jackets for them to resell labeled as Durables. There’s no evidence for those claims either. So any info you do find...please share here as there would be plenty of interested people.

Pretty sure that before her death Gail actually commented on that and said there was no mention of Schott ever purchasing Durable in any of the Schott paper trail.

 

[dannyk]

Pretty sure that before her death Gail actually commented on that and said there was no mention of Schott ever purchasing Durable in any of the Schott paper trail.

She did. But it didn’t put the rumor mill to rest for certain quarters of the internet sleuths. But I do believe you’re correct and I recall that as well.

 

[Bfd70]

I was looking through my old e-mails, I was contacted by a man named "Andy" from BK circa January, 2014 asking to borrow my jacket for a pattern. After some lengthy back and forth to make sure I wasn't getting scammed, I sent in my jacket and crossed my fingers that I would get it back in one piece.

I'm almost certain that the jacket that I received is literally the one pictured on their website. A couple of the differences between my original and their copy I put down to them trying to be more screen accurate. The pointy end of the epaulets is one of those differences, as well as how the belt is sewn onto the jacket.

From the various Durables I've had or looked at, it feels like the jackets were either made to order or they didn't have really stringent quality control as the brand of zipper, shape of epaulets, and other details varies from jacket to jacket.

I should try and find more information about the Durable company and see if there are any old advertisements for them in old motorcycle magazines.

This is a really good point. There is no reason to think QC was particularly good back then. It was before tfl made it easy to obsess over details.

 

[Mich486]

It's not my guess, it's what i heard from people who know more on the subject than i do.
All i am doing is trying to put the pieces together.

I know from reading on vintageleather jackets that 5* made (or at least people there are 99% sure) AVI jackets. But I never read anything about the BK-Pakistan connection. Hence why I was asking you why you suggested 5*/pakistan as a possible place for BK manufacturing. As I said, owning both a 5* and a BK and looking at the 2 jackets one next to the other they look like they come from 2 different places to me. Different thread thickness, different stitch holes, different way of joining the lining to the leather. Am I certain? Of course not. Plenty of other leather shops as well in Pakistan but so are other countries.

The only thing I remember reading was that white label appearing on both 5* and BK but then the same is on RMC so that theory turned out to be BS.

Clearly I haven’t read all of the internet so I might just have missed the thread/article whatever you are talking about. If you find it please I’ll be very interested in reading it.

If BK then will ever disclose the address of his factory we can all stop out guessing game The jackets are shipped out of Greece for sure.

 

[red devil]

I know from reading on vintageleather jackets that 5* made (or at least people there are 99% sure) AVI jackets. But I never read anything about the BK-Pakistan connection. Hence why I was asking you why you suggested 5*/pakistan as a possible place for BK manufacturing. As I said, owning both a 5* and a BK and looking at the 2 jackets one next to the other they look like they come from 2 different places to me. Different thread thickness, different stitch holes, different way of joining the lining to the leather. Am I certain? Of course not. Plenty of other leather shops as well in Pakistan but so are other countries.

The only thing I remember reading was that white label appearing on both 5* and BK but then the same is on RMC so that theory turned out to be BS.

Clearly I haven’t read all of the internet so I might just have missed the thread/article whatever you are talking about. If you find it please I’ll be very interested in reading it.

If BK then will ever disclose the address of his factory we can all stop out guessing game The jackets are shipped out of Greece for sure.

Would be nice to know where their factory is, even better to visit it

 

[PolarMoon]

Durable is a hard one to find a ton of info on. Many people have gone down that road. You may have more success. There was also rumors that Schott bought out the company at some point, or made jackets for them to resell labeled as Durables. There’s no evidence for those claims either. So any info you do find...please share here as there would be plenty of interested people.

*dramatic song*
*soothing documentary narrator voice*

Durable... that name has been echoed throughout many circles in the leather jacket community. Word has it that it was a company who did leather jackets in the early-to-mid 20th century... but how trustable are the legends, rumors and speculations?

Many tried to go after its trails but they were met with the utmost nothing. How could a simple manufacturer be lost on time? Scarse are the records that mention their name - they appear to be found only in certain jackets tags with no more than that. Where were they located? Who worked there? Have they done the Wild One jacket?! Did Schott buy them?!

Like tears in the rain... the answers seem to be forgotten - all that we have now are theories.

I suppose there is a tragic irony in all of this... for a company whose name was Durable, its existence was... nondurable.

*credits roll*

 

[Justhandguns]

Leather jackets made in China are certainly not as cheap as in Pakistan because they also have to source the leathers outside of China. I bought a Chinese made Trucker style leather jacket (unfortunately a bit too large for me because I thought it was Asian sizing, but in fact they have already corrected it for Western markets) and it is pretty well made. I will sell it when the pandemic is gone. As for BK, unless their 'UK owner' completely overhauls their original production house in Greece, there is little chance that they are made in South Asia.

 

[Doctor Damage]

*dramatic song*
*soothing documentary narrator voice*

Durable... that name has been echoed throughout many circles in the leather jacket community. Word has it that it was a company who did leather jackets in the early-to-mid 20th century... but how trustable are the legends, rumors and speculations?

Many tried to go after its trails but they were met with the utmost nothing. How could a simple manufacturer be lost on time? Scarse are the records that mention their name - they appear to be found only in certain jackets tags with no more than that. Where were they located? Who worked there? Have they done the Wild One jacket?! Did Schott buy them?!

Like tears in the rain... the answers seem to be forgotten - all that we have now are theories.

I suppose there is a tragic irony in all of this... for a company whose name was Durable, its existence was... nondurable.

*credits roll*

...and if Brando hadn't been wearing one in that movie nobody would be talking about Durable today, it would be just another mostly forgotten moto jacket brand from decades past, like dozens of others.

 

[dannyk]

...and if Brando hadn't been wearing one in that movie nobody would be talking about Durable today, it would be just another mostly forgotten moto jacket brand from decades past, like dozens of others.

So very true. Every brand has slight differences. Different angle on the stars. Longer belt. Different epaulets. Brass or nickel hardware etc...or in the case of Durable the zips on the top of the sleeve. But there was never anything so incredible about Durables to make them so collectible. Nothing so beautiful about them to separate them from the 50 other companies making perfecto styles. Would I love to own one? Sure! Would I pay more than what the going rate for any other perfecto style of that era? Nope.

 

[Blackadder]

So very true. Every brand has slight differences. Different angle on the stars. Longer belt. Different epaulets. Brass or nickel hardware etc...or in the case of Durable the zips on the top of the sleeve. But there was never anything so incredible about Durables to make them so collectible. Nothing so beautiful about them to separate them from the 50 other companies making perfecto styles. Would I love to own one? Sure! Would I pay more than what the going rate for any other perfecto style of that era? Nope.

Agree that there are many different variation of the Perfecto style and Durable is not the most eye catching one. I like the Indian Ranger more. Having said that, I am sure there are difference in quality as well. I have a Grais and a Rich Sher and the Rich Sher is much better in terms of quality than the Grais.

 

[dannyk]

Agree that there are many different variation of the Perfecto style and Durable is not the most eye catching one. I like the Indian Ranger more. Having said that, I am sure there are difference in quality as well. I have a Grais and a Rich Sher and the Rich Sher is much better in terms of quality than the Grais.

Oh yeah that’s definitely one of the variables I meant. I’ve never seen a durable in person so no comment on them; but Rich Sher are fantastic. I’ve drooled over many of their jackets not just the perfectos. They do something right for sure.

 

[red devil]

Leather jackets made in China are certainly not as cheap as in Pakistan because they also have to source the leathers outside of China. I bought a Chinese made Trucker style leather jacket (unfortunately a bit too large for me because I thought it was Asian sizing, but in fact they have already corrected it for Western markets) and it is pretty well made. I will sell it when the pandemic is gone. As for BK, unless their 'UK owner' completely overhauls their original production house in Greece, there is little chance that they are made in South Asia.

Interesting... why don't they source local leathers? Not many tanneries?

That's the thing we don't know if they have production facilities in Greece

 

[Justhandguns]

Interesting... why don't they source local leathers? Not many tanneries?

That's the thing we don't know if they have production facilities in Greece

I think they do have some tanneries in China, but I guess imports from India and Pakistan are still cheaper. and they also buy up quite a bit of hides from Europe as well for higher-end stuffs. Apparently, China's buying power was to blame for the price hike of many makers (that we always mention here) a few years back.

As for BK, I believe they were indeed based in Greece before the acquisition. When I bought a jacket from them when they started up, the custom clearance didn't charge me for any tax, so I presume it was sent within the EU.

 

[tmitchell59]

..and if Brando hadn't been wearing one in that movie nobody would be talking about Durable today, it would be just another mostly forgotten moto jacket brand from decades past, like dozens of others.

I've had the same thoughts probably like many others. Lot of post-war motorcycle jackets produced in the 1950s. I'm not sure how Durable stands out other than the Wild Ones connection. I never handled one so I may need correcting.

Durable was a Canadian based company. They made all manner of leather outerwear with the Durable label. I have a cafe racer, just saw a civilian A2, other styles show up. No one is after those that I know of. They don't look like anything our of the ordinary for the 1950s. The American market was certainly pursued with use of Talon zippers pulls on the right side, the red quilt lining popular in the 50s.