DIAMOND DAVE's/Howl Clothing CAFE RACER- REVIEW

[ButteMT61]

Freakin' Lou Ferrigno! That's a killer jacket. DD is truly cranking out a nice niche for himself here and the leather looks super!
I'm really glad to see this here as he's a swell fellow and very talented. I can't get over how good those shots look of the leather. I am really looking forward to the worn-in pics of this one (as well as Jeff's). Congrats on a great jacket!

 

[dadonn]

Thanks for the compliments; I'm definitely a fan. I had resigned myself from reading on here that there is no such thing as the perfect jacket. The more you learn, your tastes change and become more scrutinizing but this baby is perfect for me. Thanks for the feedback Butte, I appreciated the way you chimed in when I embarked on this journey back when I was in Santa Monica. If memory serves me, you still have an office there. Thanks also for the feedback Worf…I have the feeling you moved upstate but your heart is, at least in part, still back here in NYC.

It seems a lot of people have only heard of Diamond Dave's work in passing. He was kind of the dark horse in my early considerations. As I did my research I saw a beautiful J-106 (don't quote me on that but I'm not far off) he had made and a Harely AMF repro for a guy who is 6'6". It's too bad he doesn't have pics of this stuff on his website because it would have saved me a lot of time. He's a well kept secret probably because he became known as a hat guy and it obscured his jacket work. I'd love to see him pick up his business as it's criminal in my mind that he's not busier but I wouldn't look forward to him having the wait time of a Goodwear.

I don't know John Chapman's work firsthand but I know they are buddies who share resources so I'm guessing that Dave's work isn't far off the venerable Mr. Chapman.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Looks terrific, and I loved the video. Where in NY are you from?

 

[ButteMT61]

dadonn: Yes, that's all true! Wondered where you went to! JC and DD are friends and do work together. DD's hats/caps are the gold standard from what I hear and that's what I initially saw of him on VLJ. Office is still in SMO, but I rarely go there - work from the home office which saves my ass and sanity a good 3+ hours a day in traffic!
I think as DD's skills get better and his pieces show up here, he'll get a longer line, then JC will have to lower his prices :rofl:
It's really nice to see such a wide-range of makers now. When I started this whole endeavor, there was only a couple of choices that made the cut. It's also important to find guys that can make jackets in the "big lug" sizes

Looking forward to more pics as she gets worn!

 

[dadonn]

Hey Joel, I was born in Manhattan, raised a little in Manhattan but moved to the Bronx as a kid then northern New Jersey. If you ask me where I'm from, I would say Jersey but have lived in Chelsea for the last twenty years save for a stint in Miami and Los Angeles. Thanks for your compliments, coming from the denizens of this fiefdom, I really appreciate it.

 

[dadonn]

You wondered where I went Butte? I was toiling in jacket purgatory and obsessing. Actually, your input was particularly helpful because of your similar size. I remember you being 6'4" and your weight was down to 225 from around 250 which makes us pretty close. I'm the same height, probably a shade shorter and at my fighting weight, a bit heavier. I was about 250 when I made the video and it blows me away that I can tell how the fit is affected even by only a few pounds. Have you stayed svelte? By the way for the longer guys (not necessarily tall), I have found the underarm to sleeve's end to be pretty crucial. Many jackets in my size are often around 18" there and my jacket is actually close to 22" from pit to cuff.

 

[bn1966]

What can I say but wow!!! One of the best cafe racers I have seen So pleased that all your (and of course Diamond Dave's) perseverance paid off that's one jacket.

 

[reeks1]

That jacket fits you well, for what my noob opinion is worth.

 

[Peacoat]

DaDonn, that is one excellent jacket. Leather looks really nice and the fit is spot on. One of the nicest racers I have seen. Congratulations on a good score.

 

[dadonn]

Thanks again on all the compliments and I appreciate it Peacoat.

Hey Butte, I'm a DD myself and plenty would say I'm a pita to deal with.

I have to say that I was bracing for some disappointment as this process is by no means foolproof. It's difficult to know what a jacket is really going to look like in three dimensions and its rare to have a computer calibrated properly for color accuracy, saturation etc. I kind of got lucky when the original two tone didn't fit as I wasn't crazy about it and would have been disappointed as the pictures I saw (not the ones listed above of the J-110) did not accurately portray the color and the depth, texture is impossible to suss out in a picture.

I saw another thread on an AL jacket that sounds like there were a bunch of hiccups and I feel for the guy, given that shipping alone is probably a minimum of fifty bucks.

 

[wanz]

Excellent looking jacket(s)! I can also say that my experience with Diamond Dave was an absolute pleasure and his work is top notch.

 

[simonc]

You rock Dave! What a beauty.

 

[DiamondDave]

Sorry Gents.... No longer allowed to respond. Apparently MY BAD.

DD

 

[Jeff M]

Understood.
Ironic. Here you are making great jackets but not flooding the forums with marketing.
Thanks for that, BTW. Both the jackets and avoiding a "scorched earth" marketing strategy.

Keep doing what you are doing. Your jackets and satisfied customers speak volumes.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Sorry Gents.... No longer allowed to respond. Apparently MY BAD.

DD

This is getting off topic, but I'll leave it here for a bit.

Dave,

You, and all traditional merchants, are allowed to respond and share photographs of your work in the Merchants area, with updates biweekly, for free. Access to our main content areas is special, and for Sponsoring Affiliates. As I said in my email to you earlier today, we have literally spent thousands and thousands of dollars out of our pockets to run the Lounge, and for ten years, we have essentially subsidized merchants by allowing them to have free advertising.

At our current traffic and growth levels, that is unsustainable, and frankly I am mystified that anybody would begrudge us for trying to sustain the Lounge, while continuing to provide a quality experience for the millions of people who visit the site each year. While not a perfect solution, the affiliates and members are generally pleased with the outcome, and for the first time in ten years, the Lounge is beginning to support itself.

If a merchant is unwilling to support the Lounge, he can still freely post in the Merchants area. If a merchant is incapable or unwilling to understand why we are attempting to make the Lounge sustainable long-term for our members...well, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[DiamondDave]

This is getting off topic, but I'll leave it here for a bit.

Dave,

You, and all traditional merchants, are allowed to respond and share photographs of your work in the Merchants area, with updates biweekly, for free. Access to our main content areas is special, and for Sponsoring Affiliates. As I said in my email to you earlier today, we have literally spent thousands and thousands of dollars out of our pockets to run the Lounge, and for ten years, we have essentially subsidized merchants by allowing them to have free advertising.

At our current traffic and growth levels, that is unsustainable, and frankly I am mystified that anybody would begrudge us for trying to sustain the Lounge, while continuing to provide a quality experience for the millions of people who visit the site each year. While not a perfect solution, the affiliates and members are generally pleased with the outcome, and for the first time in ten years, the Lounge is beginning to support itself.

If a merchant is unwilling to support the Lounge, he can still freely post in the Merchants area. If a merchant is incapable or unwilling to understand why we are attempting to make the Lounge sustainable long-term for our members...well, I don't know what to tell you.

One mans "unwilling to support the lounge", is another mans "held over a barrel".

Sorry to say the thousands spent for the Lounge was your decision, not mine...the fact that you did all of this and left it out for free was again your choice to make and not mine.

All seems a trifle petty when I am not allowed, as a proud maker, to answer direct questions from potential clientele, on a "free" forum.

Btw, I had no desire to take this public, as evidenced by my indirect criticism, but again that choice was yours.

I believe that I have had my fill of this inane treatment and as such ask that you...

Please consider me resigned.

DD

 

[ButteMT61]

I'm certainly going to be Marie Antoinette fodder here for saying this but I'm kinda surprised that DD is getting the water board here when so many others have stomped all over this joint pimping goods.
Dunno, maybe there's more to it and I'm not privvy, so no ill intent here. But as a guy who should pay property taxes on TFL, I feel a bit confused here Nathan.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Wow..sure hate to see you go DD.
HD

 

[Nathan Flowers]

No ill intent, and no ill will intended toward Dave, or any other vendors who aren't Sponsoring Affiliates. All merchants are more than welcome to send and receive PMs, and post twice monthly in the Merchants forum. This is exactly what we require of any merchant, whether they be a cap maker, a dress maker, or a watch dealer. All are treated the same. If a merchant wants to post new pictures of beautiful new caps, or jackets, then they are absolutely free to do so twice a month in the Merchants area. The content areas such as Hats, The Powder Room, and Outerwear-- they are limited to sponsoring affiliates.

If you do see a vendor pimping their goods outside of the Merchants area, then please let us know.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Out of curiosity..what is the charge for a Sponsoring Affiliate..?
HD