Great looking jacket. Will definitely have to hit Greg up for an order!Hi fellow Loungers,
When I saw Greg's fist posts here, following his history and chatted with him throught WhattsApp I got the feeling that I really want to give a start-up business / talented and very polite/friendly/responsive person like he is as chance and taking the "gamble"! He was open to modify his D-pocket version to my desired jacket which is also positive. When taking my body measurements he was also very precise and when creating the "heart-shaped" D-pocket design he first of all sent me pics of first attempts which IMO were already perfect be he wanted to do it 110%. During making of my jacket he provided me with 20-30 pictures to see the progress.
Finally I received the jacket today and it exceeds my expectations and it's definitely worth its money! Stitching is very narrow and precise (more precisely and narrow compared to Aero or SB - I would say in the same "league" as Thedi). The navy blue Shinki smells intoxicating and better than Freewheeler's Shinki. When comparing it with other Shinki HH's it smells very similar to Himel's oil tanned Shinki. From leather touch it feels buttery soft and is comparable to Freewheeler's Shinki HH (similar to my Caboose). Leather doesn't really need any break-in. Heaviness is similar to Freewheelers. For me personally the Shinki is my favorite one as it feels softer/more pliable than Himel's Shinki with the same smell. You can already see that after wearing it it will get a lot of character.
Lining and stitching I chose wine red which I think is a very good contrast to the Navy blue. Hardware is nickel Talon - feels better than the standard Talon zippers Aero use.
All in all it couldn't get any better IMO and from workmanship and leather point of view this jacket in en par with my three favorite leather jacket makers Freewheelers (of course Freewheelers do use two stitching lines sometimes and thicker blanket lining - not sure if it's better), Thedi and Lost Worlds (even if the leather is not comparable). If I would buy another Shinki leather jacket I would definitely contact Greg again. Also from pricing point of view the price-quality ratio is very good IMO....you can get more than two jackets for a Freewheelers, Himel and 1.5 for a Thedi.
Here are pics - the blue colour is difficult to capture:
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@red devil Thank you! I changed the stitching colour, hardware colour, sleeves and studs above the sleeves and Shinki instead of Calf as Calf was not really an option for me like Mushmans / Electric Leather offer.It looks good in blue! I see you went for different sleeves compared the the original ELS/Mushman
What else did you change?
Thanks. Here you go - I took the photo when jacket was open that's why it rather looks roomy on this pic:Can you add a pic of the back when worn?
It looks great!
@red devil Thank you! I changed the stitching colour, hardware colour, sleeves and studs above the sleeves and Shinki instead of Calf as Calf was not really an option for me like Mushmans / Electric Leather offer.
Yes, I was aware that Badalassi is an option but I was really digging Greg's Shinki HH, especially the navy blue Shinki HH and comparing approx. 2500€ (including duty and import tax) with approx 1100€ the decision was easy. Moreover I definitely wanted to give a young, talented and very friendly/responsive Artisan an opportunity to show his skills and flexibility to modify patterns and he exceeded my expectations. You can't go wrong with Greg IMO.Red on blue is a very nice combination, always worked
The ELS 70s style jackets come in Calf because it has the right balance of firmness and flexibility for these intricate designs. And they are Shinki... that is correct Shinki calf.
The Mushman collaboration comes in quite a few options, it is essentially made to order and Mushman offers other leathers such as Badalassi (not sure what their whole range of hide is)
Since pleasant anticipation is know to be the best kind of delight I think/hope the long waiting time is no issue for you. Yes, red Badalassi with blue stitching would indeed look crazy cool Then we could make a side-by-side comparison of both jacketsYeah, customs and shipping are a real killer and you have to factor the current shipping being slower than usual (I still haven't had my ELS jacket sent).
Picking one up directly from there is actually not far off about €1300, but that is not an option at the moment. I am thinking a red badalassi version of this jacket with blue stitching would be very cool
@navetsea Thank you for your positive feedback. The flap actually gives only access to the small D-pocket since there's no opening to the big D-pocket.great color play, red over blue reminds me of some jeans and olive zip is a nice contrast, and the fit is perfect, interesting pocket design too, is the flap give quick access to the big D pocket too or just to the smaller pocket?
Since pleasant anticipation is know to be the best kind of delight I think/hope the long waiting time is no issue for you. Yes, red Badalassi with blue stitching would indeed look crazy cool Then we could make a side-by-side comparison of both jackets