BK price increases again?

[andyfalzon]

Carlos, Eastman are European but are not "fashion", unless you saw them at the Milano fashion show and I missed them.

Let's stop with the belts please.

 

[Sloan1874]

Off-topic: has anyone actually ventured into ELMC territory yet?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Christ, not the belt thing again...

Having come into this ten pages along the line, I fail to see what all the fuss is about. BK's Westfall, at £700, is still £124 cheaper than ELMC's equivalent Californian jacket. Their USN jackets are £100 cheaper. And all of these are half the price of the buttery-soft fashion jackets I saw in Liberty yesterday. The leather jacket industry isn't a charitable institution, guys. If the makers aren't allowed to make a profit, they won't make jackets. I've no idea what BK's/Eastman's/Aero's margins are, but I imagine they are pretty slender.

That's not the point. It's the tactics used. The braggadocio attitude that has always accompanied any attempt at reply or explanation about anything BK by BK. Creates a suspicion of how far this position would extend concerning any customer's possible disagreeable circumstances that might occur with their product...outstanding as it may be.
HD

 

[pipvh]

That's not the point. It's the tactics used. The braggadocio attitude that has always accompanied any attempt at reply or explanation about anything BK by BK. Creates a suspicion of how far this position would extend concerning any customer's possible disagreeable circumstances that might occur with their product...outstanding as it may be.
HD

Were you planning on buying a BK jacket, then, HD?

 

[Carlos840]

Carlos, Eastman are European but are not "fashion", unless you saw them at the Milano fashion show and I missed them.

Let's stop with the belts please.

Your ability to always be right is astonishing...

 

[zhz]

My friend got one of their roadmaster, looks great.

Off-topic: has anyone actually ventured into ELMC territory yet?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Were you planning on buying a BK jacket, then, HD?

When their A2 came out I took a close look. The BK shawl collar civi jacket looked very intriguing..but then there are other things to consider especially when ordering on line.
HD

 

[Dickie Teenie]

I must have missed all the complaints about actual jacket quality and BK's lack of customer service in addressing said complaints. I might not have ordered from them.. If they existed.

 

[Foster]

I was strongly considering a BK A2 jacket around a year ago. I never reached the point of ordering, or even contacting them to discuss options. The price point for their house A2 was very appealing, but I have found that when it comes to A2 jackets I prefer them to be more authentic copies of the original contracts, and of course those cost more than the house model.

I think their A2 jackets are good quality, but when visiting the UK last summer I visited the Eastman stall at a show, and picked up an Eastman A2 instead. I was there, the price was in my range, and there were no shipping and customs charges to pay. I was able to see the jacket's hide and try it on, whereas the BK I could only see in images online.

Speaking of online images, evidently BK posts many photos on Facebook. This is a good thing, but I am one of those who is not on Facebook, and when I am wanting to look at leather jackets I go to the website to have a look. Had I been on Facebook, the BK photos might have been more influential. But if a picture is worth 1000 words, then handling a jacket in the flesh was worth 1000 photos.

I think the BK jackets have merit, and the price increase is likely justified. I think the bulk of the complaints on this forum toward BK are not on account of the jackets, but are on account of their marketing approach and attitude. That in itself can make the difference for some.

 

[Plumbline]

Have to say I have nothing but praise for the quality of my BK M-422

Easilly on a par if not better than equiv. jackets (M-422) I have owned from Aero ( pattern was not great and REALLY small made) and Eastman ( knits went baggy after 3 months)

Competition is a good thing I think and the more quality jacket manufacturers ... and make no mistake BK ARE a quality jacket manufacturer in my opinion ( having actually owned and worn their product ,, rather than just read the online reports)

Their price point is also quite favourable against their competition .... so what's to complain about ????

Keep up the good work chaps .....

 

[Monitor]

Your ability to always be right is astonishing...

He is right.

Classically styled motorcycle jackets are all the rage in European fashion right now, you'll find dozens of piss poor, paper thin imitations of D-pockets and Perfectos in literally every mall brand store that deals in fashion clothes, often for the kind of money that'd get you a brand new Aero or LW, and yes, not a single one of these comes with a full belt! It just doesn't exist. Hell, I'm willing to bet that if you stick a belt in one of these jackets, the loops would fall apart after two days of wear. But then again, none of these jackets are meant to be used on a motorcycle. Or at all, for that matter, but that's another story.

Eastman is selling a proper motorcycle jacket, meant for riding. Their jacket's supposed to be worn with a belt.

But yeah, got a chance to take a closer look at Roadstar from Eastman and personally, it was the nicest and most authentic D-pocket I've ever seen, from leather to fit. Says on the site that the leather on it's 2.5 oz but it didn't seem substantially thinner than any other horsehide I've handled. Was always hoping to one day own this jacket but it just costs too much, though...

 

[IXL]

That's not the point. It's the tactics used. The braggadocio attitude that has always accompanied any attempt at reply or explanation about anything BK by BK. Creates a suspicion of how far this position would extend concerning any customer's possible disagreeable circumstances that might occur with their product...outstanding as it may be.
HD

Exactly! This gentleman gets it!! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[devilish]

Worf, I just ordered a pair of their M-43 Service Boots and received them in under a week. Although I did wonder at first because they didn't send any shipping notice or tracking info. The boots just showed up in the mail one day. Hopefully you get your issue solved soon. I wonder if they shipped without notice like they did to me and now the item is lost?

I don't know about these cats. I ordered a B-10 Bomber Cap from these guys almost a month ago. Paid PayPal and haven't heard a peep from em. I emailed em on Monday still no word. This stuff's supposed to be "on hand" so I don't know what the hold up is. I'll give em till next month then I'm going to the PayPal.. then the authorities. I already lived through one bait and wait since getting into leather jackets, I'll not abide another.

Worf

Anyways, back to the original topic of the thread. Even though personally I have no real problem with a business pricing their product how they see fit and then customers choosing to buy or not. I have to say that the rhetoric that comes from the various BK reps gets a little tiresome. No one is right all the time but they seem to never want to concede anything to anyone and will argue in endless circles with a myriad of justifications to avoid having to just say 'you know what, you're right on that'.

 

[RailRoad]

I don't know about these cats. I ordered a B-10 Bomber Cap from these guys almost a month ago. Paid PayPal and haven't heard a peep from em. I emailed em on Monday still no word. This stuff's supposed to be "on hand" so I don't know what the hold up is. I'll give em till next month then I'm going to the PayPal.. then the authorities. I already lived through one bait and wait since getting into leather jackets, I'll not abide another.

Worf

I've ordered twice from them. There won't be a third. The last time I had to get ebay on their butt and finally received what I'd ordered.

 

[Otter]

You mean it is not a price rise, just a temporary currency readjustment?

 

[hpalapdog]

Has Kelso been bought by the same bloke who owns Alexander ?

 

[Superfluous]

Off-topic: has anyone actually ventured into ELMC territory yet?

I have a Californian on order.

 

[Worf]

Has Kelso been bought by the same bloke who owns Alexander ?

I was wondering the same exact thing... but didn't want to raise a ruckus.

Worf

 

[Edward]

I think all that BK have said about ownership changes is that they have been bought out by a "UK investor", the implication (unless I'm reading something that's not there) seems increasingly to be that they don't want to annonuce who they are. Which is, of course, their right. I suppose if they feel it's worth raising as a business strategy later on they will. [huh]

Surely Eastman are not European?!

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Eastman is selling a proper motorcycle jacket, meant for riding. Their jacket's supposed to be worn with a belt.

The qualification on the argument seems fair enough. Crossed wires, I think - way back when the statement was originally made, it gave the apprance of suggesting that any jacket not sold with a belt wasn't intended to be worn with one. But hey..... the internet....

But yeah, got a chance to take a closer look at Roadstar from Eastman and personally, it was the nicest and most authentic D-pocket I've ever seen, from leather to fit. Says on the site that the leather on it's 2.5 oz but it didn't seem substantially thinner than any other horsehide I've handled. Was always hoping to one day own this jacket but it just costs too much, though...

Beautiful jackets. I have a very early one which has a couple of different details - pillion pockets (which I don't believe have been a feature since ELC reintroduced the model a few years ago), and a quilted nylon lining. Chunkier zips, too. Lovely jacket. Lighter horse than the Aero FQHH, but still with a fair level of heft - assuming you didn't object to the lack of armour, I can totally see it being grand on the back of a bike. Mine came without a belt; I bought used, but I suspect that this is how it came new, certainly pre-ELMC at least it's the only way I've seen ELC advertise them. I'm currently debating whether to keep or sell this one.... it's beautiful, but (much like the Aero MC jacket) it's definitely a neat one round the waist. Grand over the shoulders, but not for a pot belly. I may keep it as I need to lose a couple of stone anyway, then reassess, or I may sell it on and replace with an Aero J106 later on (I've got a beautiful Johnson steer D pocket in a very 50s style currently, and I'm tempted to go for the Aero in black but with shiny brass rather than the chrome I have on the other two). Tough decision, as I know if the ELC goes, the ELMC are just nudging into a price bracket above my comfort zone.

 

[Otter]

Edward, you old Father Ted fan you!