Can someone please help me find this type of leather jacket?

[Monitor]

It's folded. You're looking at two layers of leather.

This is what raw edge looks like.

 

[Formeruser012524]

It's folded. You're looking at two layers of leather.

This is what raw edge looks like.

Alright, thank you. So... if it's really tight at 1,6 mm at that part, and pretty much normal/relaxed at 1,8 mm, not showing any tightness/resistance when moving the calipers, you think that 1 mm for the original would be the best option?

 

[Formeruser012524]

I really bought these calipers just for this purpose. Is there really no way to get a proper thickness measurement aside from guessing based on double/folded/triple layers?

 

[Monitor]

I really bought these calipers just for this purpose. Is there really no way to get a proper thickness measurement aside from guessing based on double/folded/triple layers?

If you can't find an actual exposed edge, nope. But measuring tightly doubled parts is accurate, too. It's all good, really. 0.9 mm sounds right.

Go with 1 to 1.2 mm for the repro. Believe me.

 

[Formeruser012524]

If you can't find an actual exposed edge, nope. But measuring tightly doubled parts is accurate, too. It's all good, really. 0.9 mm sounds right.

Go with 1 to 1.2 mm for the repro. Believe me.

Thank you. I was really hoping for 1,3 mm because that is what Shawn had suggested to me before for the original. On the other hand, I also have some kind of weird feeling if I go all the way down to 1,0 mm. The 1,2 mm definitely seems like a reasonable option, but would 1,3 mm really be "too much"?

Or a more important question is, how much does the type of leather influence the behavior of it on a person's body? Let's say... would 1,3 mm goatskin behave similarly to a thinner, let's say 1,0 mm steerhide, but at the same time also be more "superior" in terms of quality?

And maybe a dumb question... but if the freshly made jacket is a little stiff... would it be safe to assume it could soften up and bend more easily after longer wear?

 

[Monitor]

Thank you. I was really hoping for 1,3 mm because that is what Shawn had suggested to me before for the original. On the other hand, I also have some kind of weird feeling if I go all the way down to 1,0 mm. The 1,2 mm definitely seems like a reasonable option, but would 1,3 mm really be "too much"?

For this jacket, yeah. Well, truth be told, not if the leather was really, really soft. If 5* guarantees cloudy softness, I'd go with 1.3. But you do NOT want this jacket to hold its shape.

Or a more important question is, how much does the type of leather influence the behavior of it on a person's body? Let's say... would 1,3 mm goatskin behave similarly to a thinner, let's say 1,0 mm steerhide, but at the same time also be more "superior" in terms of quality?

Goatskin is soft and pliable. But even very thin steerhide can be stiff. It's not good to compare. Deerskin in 2+mm can behave like a soft blanket.

And maybe a dumb question... but if the freshly made jacket is a little stiff... would it be safe to assume it could soften up and bend more easily after longer wear?

At stress points, sure but it'll take you a long time to fully soften up a really stiff leather jacket & there are no guarantees it even can be done.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Goatskin is soft and pliable. But even very thin steerhide can be stiff. It's not good to compare. Deerskin in 2+mm can behave like a soft blanket.

Thank you very much. So according to this, would 1,3 mm goatskin be the absolute safest option then? The lowest risk, so to speak? I mean, if it's absolutely known to be soft and pliable, especially compared to steerhide, then this would seem like the best solution. And if so, is it possible to achieve the similar medium brown "distressed" look like in the original jacket from the series?

 

[Formeruser012524]

In addition to all the above... I'm fairly certain Monitor is right. If the "thinnest" layer I could find on the jacket is truly a double layer, and the other - what I initially thought was a double layer - is actually a quadruple layer... then it would appear that this is 1,0 mm leather thickness. I've now spent several minutes adjusting the calipers so that it's not as tight as it was before, although there is still some resistance involved, it's not nearly not as much as before, and the results are as follows...

 

[Formeruser012524]

To whom it may concern: I showed the two photos above to Shawn and he immediately concluded that what had appeared to me at first as a "double" layer is actually four layers (as was said earlier), so Monitor was spot on, quite impressive. So this jacket has 1,0 mm leather thickness. What type though? I can't be certain. Neither can Shawn. The jacket itself is quite large, but it's neither too light nor too heavy.

I'll have to come to a decision in the following days as to what leather type and thickness would be the safest choice.

I also strongly want to avoid that glossy/shiny/polished/plasticky look that some jackets have. This one's totally different, and it appears similar to the original in terms of texture.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Major update to whom it may concern:

(This thread isn't very popular to begin with, and understandably so, but I've decided to do these updates in case some people are still interested in the progress being made, or lack thereof.)

Although this is probably unexpected for those who followed the thread, especially based on things I have said several weeks ago, but I have today decided to give up on this project, for three main reasons:

1.) An exceptional expert (!) on leather jackets from this forum (who I think wishes not to be named, so I will avoid doing that), has worked with me in the past weeks to create an amazing, extremely professional, flawless drawing which I was almost ready to submit to be produced by Five*. But toward the final stages I realized I have screwed up when I provided initial details regarding certain parts... and this realization mostly came to me when I found new pictures from different angles where the back of the jacket and the sides were better visible. And since the person has already invested an enormous amount of time and effort correcting previous versions of the drawing multiple times, even starting all over in some cases, we have mutually agreed that it is not worth continuing with this further. It would only cause stress for both of us, but definitely more for him than for me. Even though I personally have also been under stress because of this project, mainly because of the desire for it to be produced as quickly as possible, which I have now learned is a mistake. I am tremendously thankful to the person in question, and I have apologized privately, as well as publicly now, for any inconveniences I have caused. There is no animosity between us, but our collaboration regarding this jacket is definitely over. We have agreed it is the best thing to do. And I also do not want to involve anyone else from this forum in helping me out, since the possibilities are high that I might cause unnecessary stress and frustrations for any particular individual who wishes to help.

2.) I already have - thanks to forum member Guppy - acquired a somewhat similar looking jacket (posted in earlier pages of the thread), and in case I manage to get one or two even more similar ones in the future, which is certainly likely, then there won't be any real need to get this one reproduced. And in the meantime I got another 90s one I love (didn't post it here). Totally different from the one in question, but still something I enjoy wearing. In other words, I have something similar, so a certain level of satisfaction is already there.

3.) The third reason is simply... hope. They say hope is the last to die. I've heard stories of people looking for a piece of clothing, nowhere to be found, for a long time, and suddenly it shows up somewhere, or something exceptionally close to it. So, who knows? I'll continue searching on various vintage outlets, and eBay as well es Etsy. Maybe at some point I'll come across something closer than I ever thought, or maybe even the very same thing.

In addition to these three reasons above for me "giving up", I'd like to add the following few things...

(a) A huge "thank you!" to everyone who helped out... first and foremost the person who worked as hell with the drawing during the past few weeks. I am deeply sorry about what happened, and it is entirely my fault for not paying close attention, and also for being stubborn. Secondly, forum member Guppy who helped me acquire a similar jacket, and third, the forum in general, for its existence, the good people posting here, basically everyone who provided helpful advice in this thread.

(b) I am not sure if there is a reason this thread should continue to exist. I'm not saying it should be deleted (although I'd have zero problems with that), but it might not be a bad idea for it to be closed for further replies. This is the decision for an administrator or moderator, not mine, so I'll leave it up to them. Personally, I'd prefer for it to be closed. I don't think there is a single person on this forum who is interested in a totally weird looking piece of clothing such as this, and secondly, fans of the TV series in question have never even noticed this jacket or found it interesting, so it shouldn't even really be associated with the show. But again, I leave that for the administrator(s)/moderator(s) to decide.

(c) Although I already offered this a while ago, but it was refused, I will try one last time, and that is, as a sign of my thankfulness, to donate just a little something via PayPal to the forum. If an administrator wants to grant me this wish, they should please send me a private message.

And that would be it, as far as I'm concerned, regarding this particular subject. I will continue lurking in the forum in the future and viewing various other threads, but I don't think there is anything more to be said in this thread right here, hence my suggestion for thread closure or even deletion (point "b" above).

Thank you for your help and patience with me.

 

[born113]

This thread must remain. It can be cited as a prime example.

 

[Formeruser012524]

This thread must remain. It can be cited as a prime example.

Fine by me. But simply closing it (not deleting) would IMO be a good thing, mainly to avoid unnecessary ridicule and/or potential inflammatory remarks directed at the thread starter - in this case me - for things turning out the way they did.

But then again, even if it does not get closed, I will not respond to any ridiculing posts/remarks.

 

[JMax]

I can’t see anyone posting ridicule. Operating in this world can take many paths (custom, new OTR, vintage, focus on certain styles, etc.) and all require time, effort, luck and whatever else to get proficient. And there always is more to learn, even for the few true experts here. Welcome to the journey. Just enjoy it.

 

[Will Zach]

Yeah, ridicule has no place in this thread. We have seen many a project not come to fruition for various reasons. We have also seen some succeed and that is always great to see. A crazy thought - have you thought about writing to the production company of the show and asking them about the jacket? Crazier things have happened, and there is a small chance they might reply.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Yeah, ridicule has no place in this thread. We have seen many a project not come to fruition for various reasons. We have also seen some succeed and that is always great to see. A crazy thought - have you thought about writing to the production company of the show and asking them about the jacket? Crazier things have happened, and there is a small chance they might reply.

Thank you for your input. I've had contacts with people involved on the series, writers of certain episodes and even the prop master, but they cannot help with this issue. There is also a museum / preservation collection where tons, I mean really huge amounts of stuff from the series, including clothes, have been stored, but this piece isn't there. And the actor (who is active on Twitter) does not reply to a single person asking him anything about his acting roles in any movie or series. I assume he just doesn't wish to be bothered, and that's fine. The wardrobe apartment however, regards with that particular season and episode, I have not been able to contact.

 

[Formeruser012524]

I can’t see anyone posting ridicule. Operating in this world can take many paths (custom, new OTR, vintage, focus on certain styles, etc.) and all require time, effort, luck and whatever else to get proficient. And there always is more to learn, even for the few true experts here. Welcome to the journey. Just enjoy it.

I appreciate that.

And no doubt, the person who did my drawing is, indeed, a true expert. The drawing itself is flawless in terms of depicting a jacket, down to the tiniest detail. It's my fault for falsely saying "yes, do this, and yeah just do that too", etc. when asked about certain things, just because I wanted it finished as quickly as possible. Like I said, another lesson in life: no need to rush when there's no need.

My biggest mistake though, was in not looking up more angles of the jacket sooner enough in the episode. That's precisely what ruined the project in the end, me discovering those particular screenshots too late, where the back and the sides are better visible. At that point, we both agreed that it was way too much work to fix it, especially considering that the person already "repaired" the drawing multiple times prior to that.

Technically I could submit this drawing along with a lengthy text explanation to FiveStar as to what exactly should be "different" from the drawing, including specific measurements for the things I do not interpret as screen accurate. But then again, I concluded that this would severely over complicate things for the maker, in this case FiveStar, which is why I decided to leave it the hell alone.

 

[Yamahana]

I’ve dropped in and visited/watched this thread as it has developed and I’d have to say this is the most impressive thread I’ve ever read here!
First off just the sheer passion you’ve had in pursuing this project I’ve not seen as equal to.
Second and most importantly the good guys here who have made a sincere and valiant effort trying to help you realize the end results I’ve also not seen an equal to. Especially since this particular type of jacket would not be one most here on the Lounge would pursue. But that did not hinder them in the least bit in trying to help out.
So a genuine tip of my hat and salute to you Zangy and the rest of the good guy crew here in this thread.

 

[Formeruser012524]

I’ve dropped in and visited/watched this thread as it has developed and I’d have to say this is the most impressive thread I’ve ever read here!
First off just the sheer passion you’ve had in pursuing this project I’ve not seen as equal to.
Second and most importantly the good guys here who have made a sincere and valiant effort trying to help you realize the end results I’ve also not seen an equal to. Especially since this particular type of jacket would not be one most here on the Lounge would pursue. But that did not hinder them in the least bit in trying to help out.
So a genuine tip of my hat and salute to you Zangy and the rest of the good guy crew here in this thread.

Oh man, thanks for the kind words but I don't think I deserve any respect here whatsoever. Primarily because I pissed off the person in question who worked on my drawing, apparently so badly that even though I apologized profusely in three separate very lengthy messages explaining that this is entirely my fault and that I do not blame him for anything, he did not reply back. I even told him details about my private life that even some of my closest relatives do not know. I wished he could accept at least 50% of my apology so that there is no animosity between us. I never apologized to someone in this manner in my entire life. So the whole thing pretty much ruined my entire weekend, I feel like crap, but I guess both him and I learned a lesson, hopefully, for the future. I certainly did.

Now I am being privately advised (outside this forum) by people who looked at the drawing that I should go ahead and use it and submit to someone for creation, be it FiveStar or anyone else who is competent. They believe the screen accuracy issue I am concerned about could be easily explained in an additional text-page with arrows/circles and measurements included, and it would turn out fantastic. So yeah... after all the feeling like crap thing, this is now something that was thrown at me and I am at a total loss what to do. Hence, my earlier suggestion for the thread to be closed and/or deleted might not have been the wrong choice, even though most people are against it.

Any advice you, or another expert could give me?

Dammit. :/

 

[red devil]

Why not go for it? You have the drawing, and you can send the extra info. You will never be guaranteed 100% accuracy, so don't expect it. But you will end up with a jacket very close to what you want.

You seem to be overthinking everything, so getting your feet wet with a first custom order might just be what you need.

 

[Formeruser012524]

Why not go for it? You have the drawing, and you can send the extra info. You will never be guaranteed 100% accuracy, so don't expect it. But you will end up with a jacket very close to what you want.

You seem to be overthinking everything, so getting your feet wet with a first custom order might just be what you need.

I mean... I paid for the drawing without any regrets (even though the person did not require any payment), so why let it go to waste. Your point is indeed a very valid point.

Oh geez. What to do.

But I believe you see now, about what I mentioned earlier, why I thought it might have been a good idea to close the thread, lol.