Field Leathers

[Daniel Veit]

I got a mail recently informing me that my number is up and I should provide my measurements and my wishes for my jacket.
I am going for a modified Route 66 with a dress collar and without sleeve zippers and without breast pockets. Like this one:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMmrlhuD8uW/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
Simple and clean.
But I am torn on three things still:

1) Pockets: This was discussed right above my post. Is it true that the vertical pockets (without snaps) Greg is doing, do make the jacket bulky? From the way they are constructed I find this unlikely, but I would like to hear from someone with first hand experience.

2) Back panel: Bi-Swing back or Solid one piece?
I kind of dig the looks of the bi-swing in photos but am worried that it might look bulky in real life without offering much improved range of motion.
Any pesonal experiences (and pics) welcome.

3) Kidney panel: no panel or which pattern
I don't want to have a shoulder panel on this jacket but am thinking about a kidney panel. Not cut straight like in the pic below but in a curved fashion as indicated by the red line. Any suggestions or opinions on that? Do you have pictures of this kind of pattern you particulary like or dislike?
It would be an expensive mistake to make.

Thanks everyone,
Daniel

 

[Tom71]

Here´what I think:

1) Pockets don´t make the jackets bulky. The additional fabric is negligible. If you stuff the pockets with a bulky wallet, this will - of course - be noticable. With (a lot of) wear, the outline of wallet, phone etc. may become visible on the outside. Never experienced that myself, but I saw pictures of that happening.

2) Bi-swing back will in fact make the back look less bulky, as the additional leather will folf inside the bi-swing. I f you go for one piece, you need more leather to be able to move your arms comfortable. IMO, Greg nails the back quite well, and none of my FL have/had a bi-swing.

3) Purley a question of taste. For me personally, a kidney panel is the way to go on a Kaff Racer.

 

[Daniel Veit]

@Tom71 Thanks for your helpful remarks! I also had a very useful and detailed conversation with Roman,the owner of that jacket, and I would like to share the things he experienced regarding my questions above. Maybe they are useful for some of you as well.
1) Inner pockets
According to Roman the inner pockets are making an impression outsinde when the jacket is a close fit. The picture is his showing him wearing his jacket fully closed. The outline of the pocket is visible on his left side. @Pandemic on the other hand @Tom71 mentioned that his inner pocket is not showing from the outside at all.
I am still puzzled.

2) General fit/ fit of the collar and remarks concerning the rotation of the sleeves

Roman said that the overall quality and fit of the jacket ist exellent , but that he is unhappy about pressure against his neck which is building up quite fast, so that the jacket becomes hardly weareble. He said that this might be due to his pronounced sensitivity, but nonetheless had two other hypothesis of the cause for this. Firstly the collar just might be cut a little bit to high (thats what Greg thinks too) and secondly Romand suggested that the rotation of the sleeves might be the culprit.

As can be seen in this picture the typical forward rotation might force the the back and shoulder area against the neck when the arms are relaxed (direction of the arrow). If that would be true the solution would be to rotae the sleeves accordingly. Roman suggested that this was exactly what @Marc mndt had done with ist latest jacket as can be seen below.

If anyone has a clue about these things I would be happy to get educated (by @Marc mndt and @Tom71 especially)

3) Also I wouls like to ask if the pattern in general might be the problem to some of us as @Marc mndt mentioned in this thread somewhere. Could this be ironed out by making adjustment to the existing pattern? I will get my jacked custom made (mock-up and all).

Daniel

 

[FL2021]

@Tom71 Thanks for your helpful remarks! I also had a very useful and detailed conversation with Roman,the owner of that jacket, and I would like to share the things he experienced regarding my questions above. Maybe they are useful for some of you as well.
1) Inner pockets
According to Roman the inner pockets are making an impression outsinde when the jacket is a close fit. The picture is his showing him wearing his jacket fully closed. The outline of the pocket is visible on his left side. @Pandemic on the other hand @Tom71 mentioned that his inner pocket is not showing from the outside at all.
I am still puzzled.
View attachment 450232

2) General fit/ fit of the collar and remarks concerning the rotation of the sleeves

Roman said that the overall quality and fit of the jacket ist exellent , but that he is unhappy about pressure against his neck which is building up quite fast, so that the jacket becomes hardly weareble. He said that this might be due to his pronounced sensitivity, but nonetheless had two other hypothesis of the cause for this. Firstly the collar just might be cut a little bit to high (thats what Greg thinks too) and secondly Romand suggested that the rotation of the sleeves might be the culprit.
View attachment 450235
As can be seen in this picture the typical forward rotation might force the the back and shoulder area against the neck when the arms are relaxed (direction of the arrow). If that would be true the solution would be to rotae the sleeves accordingly. Roman suggested that this was exactly what @Marc mndt had done with ist latest jacket as can be seen below.
View attachment 450236

If anyone has a clue about these things I would be happy to get educated (by @Marc mndt and @Tom71 especially)

3) Also I wouls like to ask if the pattern in general might be the problem to some of us as @Marc mndt mentioned in this thread somewhere. Could this be ironed out by making adjustment to the existing pattern? I will get my jacked custom made (mock-up and all).

Daniel

Certainly not the resident expert, I would think it depends on what you're holding in the pockets, the weight of the item, and if it's pressing against the leather. My purpose for a pocket, would be the phone, and when you put the case on the phone and it happens to be the Samsung note... You're going to leave an impression... Especially if you're using the OtterBox defender. Ask Greg... What he thinks about the lower patch pockets...
The other I've noticed some of the jackets have leather lining inside like a lip or a trim on the bottom of the jacket... Does anyone know why?
Love to know on both...

 

[Marc mndt]

@Tom71 Thanks for your helpful remarks! I also had a very useful and detailed conversation with Roman,the owner of that jacket, and I would like to share the things he experienced regarding my questions above. Maybe they are useful for some of you as well.
1) Inner pockets
According to Roman the inner pockets are making an impression outsinde when the jacket is a close fit. The picture is his showing him wearing his jacket fully closed. The outline of the pocket is visible on his left side. @Pandemic on the other hand @Tom71 mentioned that his inner pocket is not showing from the outside at all.
I am still puzzled.
View attachment 450232

2) General fit/ fit of the collar and remarks concerning the rotation of the sleeves

Roman said that the overall quality and fit of the jacket ist exellent , but that he is unhappy about pressure against his neck which is building up quite fast, so that the jacket becomes hardly weareble. He said that this might be due to his pronounced sensitivity, but nonetheless had two other hypothesis of the cause for this. Firstly the collar just might be cut a little bit to high (thats what Greg thinks too) and secondly Romand suggested that the rotation of the sleeves might be the culprit.
View attachment 450235
As can be seen in this picture the typical forward rotation might force the the back and shoulder area against the neck when the arms are relaxed (direction of the arrow). If that would be true the solution would be to rotae the sleeves accordingly. Roman suggested that this was exactly what @Marc mndt had done with ist latest jacket as can be seen below.
View attachment 450236

If anyone has a clue about these things I would be happy to get educated (by @Marc mndt and @Tom71 especially)

Also I wouls like to ask if the pattern in general might be the problem to some of us as @Marc mndt mentioned in this thread somewhere. Could this be ironed out by making adjustment to the existing pattern? I will get my jacked custom made (mock-up and all).

Daniel

Yep, rotating the sleeves is exactly what I've done. It's a very tricky alteration though. Too much rotation and the jacket will become very restrictive (0 forward reach). I've tried rotating them by 1 inch which made it more comfortable to wear yet no ability to reach forward like mentioned. Therefore I went with .5 rotation for the final jacket. Turned out to be perfect, one of my most comfortable jackets.

Anyway, this is not an alteration I'd recommend without trying it out on a fit jacket first.

Also know that Greg updated all his patterns, Roman's jacket was made using the old pattern.

On the right the sleeve rotated by 1 inch. Left original pattern.

I think this shows the chest pocket showing through? Not something I personally worry about. I actually think it adds character.

 

[Tom71]

@Tom71 Thanks for your helpful remarks! I also had a very useful and detailed conversation with Roman,the owner of that jacket, and I would like to share the things he experienced regarding my questions above. Maybe they are useful for some of you as well.
1) Inner pockets
According to Roman the inner pockets are making an impression outsinde when the jacket is a close fit. The picture is his showing him wearing his jacket fully closed. The outline of the pocket is visible on his left side. @Pandemic on the other hand @Tom71 mentioned that his inner pocket is not showing from the outside at all.
I am still puzzled.
View attachment 450232

2) General fit/ fit of the collar and remarks concerning the rotation of the sleeves

Roman said that the overall quality and fit of the jacket ist exellent , but that he is unhappy about pressure against his neck which is building up quite fast, so that the jacket becomes hardly weareble. He said that this might be due to his pronounced sensitivity, but nonetheless had two other hypothesis of the cause for this. Firstly the collar just might be cut a little bit to high (thats what Greg thinks too) and secondly Romand suggested that the rotation of the sleeves might be the culprit.
View attachment 450235
As can be seen in this picture the typical forward rotation might force the the back and shoulder area against the neck when the arms are relaxed (direction of the arrow). If that would be true the solution would be to rotae the sleeves accordingly. Roman suggested that this was exactly what @Marc mndt had done with ist latest jacket as can be seen below.
View attachment 450236

If anyone has a clue about these things I would be happy to get educated (by @Marc mndt and @Tom71 especially)

3) Also I wouls like to ask if the pattern in general might be the problem to some of us as @Marc mndt mentioned in this thread somewhere. Could this be ironed out by making adjustment to the existing pattern? I will get my jacked custom made (mock-up and all).

Daniel

The phenomenon you describe is frequently associated with Aero jackets. Greg apparently did not completely iron out this trademark when he started.

In my first two jackets, I didn’t really notice much pressure on the neck, but when standing very erect, the chest section is somewhat binding. All in all, the design seems to work best in a crouched “bike” position. This is not an issue when wearing the jacket open, and my latest FL doesn’t have that issue at all.

I am quite sure that you can work this out with a fit-jacket. Greg is very able to adapt patterns in a communicative process.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Greg could add a different pattern building block like the Ridley / Hooche Hauler pattern block. It would solve everything listed above. Neck and sleeve.
Greg's neck:

Hoochie Neck (I think it's the same as Ridley)

The Hooche is same cut as most "good pattern" American brands, like Langliz/Johnson/some Vanson...etc. Lewis is the same, 7" wide at the back of the neck for the MK1 jacket. The collar also has a little curve to give even more comfort.
But the neck thing is only evident when I put my hands in my pockets and pulling the jacket front down on the back of the neck. Not a major deal breaker. Most of my Aeros/SB are made with much thicker leather and I can wear them all day with the smaller neck hole. It'd be nice if the update is across the board, but it really isn't as bad as some calls it.
I don't have a problem with Greg's sleeves. I can see why he did what he did. The Aero sleeves has a tendency to lose a bit of length on the inside of the elbow with the creases. So Greg tried to improve that by rotating a bit forwards. Not necessary imo, either will work ok. The rotated forward actually gives a bit more room for mobility in the back shoulder, at the expense of crease at the back of the tricep area.
The pocket imprint problem I’ve never encountered. Even on skin tight fits. These are not mall leather. Respectable horsehides will crease, but not show cold erected nipples.

Anyone got the deerskin yet? What is it like? I cannot wait for my deerskin one.

 

[Marc mndt]

Anyone got the deerskin yet? What is it like? I cannot wait for my deerskin one.

Some time ago he sent me pics of some swatches he got.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Some time ago he sent me pics of some swatches he got.

View attachment 450492 View attachment 450493 View attachment 450494 View attachment 450495

The swatch looks like clean hides. But it's difficult to tell what the big hide looks like. A lot of the game hide has a lot of scars and holes. That's why my SB Kokkolan was spot corrected (printed) and painted over with. The FW deer vest I have is quite clean, and has an aniline type finish (when I scratch it nothing peels off). I am not sure if it's corrected or not. Honestly sometimes its nice to see one small scar hidden somewhere to know that the leather is not corrected.

The light brown one looks promising. Even in the photo a small strip shows some variations. I dig that, it will patina well.

It's only been four months since I paid for my queue. The long wait could be a double edge sword. But the light brown deer swatch looks very promising.

 

[ton312]

^Looks almost identical to 5 Star goat to me. Particularly this Chocolate milk:

This color gives me nightmares and acetone induced PTSD.

 

[FL2021]

^Looks almost identical to 5 Star goat to me. Particularly this Chocolate milk:
View attachment 450516
This color gives me nightmares and acetone induced PTSD.

That's Funny... going to use it ...nice line

 

[Marc mndt]

The swatch looks like clean hides. But it's difficult to tell what the big hide looks like.

I remember some time ago @Carlos840 explaining that he doesn't ask for swatches anymore because it's useless, no two hides are the same. By now I've come to the same conclusion. I've handled several of Thedi's Bruciato hh or buffalo jackets, a couple of Greg's Shinki jackets and a bunch of his swatches. The variance in graininess, color, temper and the way the leather creases is huge. This semi aniline Shinki doesn't even look like it's the same leather :

 

[Canuck Panda]

I never ask for swatches either. If I can find a photo with them that would be enough for me to judge the color.

The grain can only be known if the maker post full high definition shots of the leather hide. Greg post the cutting videos on Instagram but I have not seen him cut a deerskin jacket yet. So the wait continues.

Like this, I would know this leather is gonna be grainy. So less gamble if I were to go with this, but it looks to be pigment so that is trade off:

Or like this, I would know this leather is gonna be smooth. More gamble, but it looks to be aniline so I could hit the jackpot once it breaks in:

Then there is the temperment of the leather. That I will have to put my faith into the maker as there is no way to know this without touching the whole hide, physically.

Greg is one man shop plus Sam. I doubt they have the man power to take high def photos of incoming hides. So the Instagram making video will do for now.

 

[Robbie79]

I was talking to Greg today and he told me that he decided not to offer deer anymore because the first batch wasn'Tt to the same standard of the sample he got. Therefore he will focus on Shinki HH for now.

 

[Robbie79]

Moreover Greg is planning to release 15 new styles in early 2023. Price range for these will be approx. 1200-1400 GBP depending on how complex the style is.

 

[Canuck Panda]

That is very unfortunate! No deer no honey...

I have a spot on the waiting list. I was in line for a thick deer Peter's jacket. Now the no deer news just blew that up for me. The 15 new styles could be a silver lining. But another increase in price just pounded me back to the confused / some what disappointed angry zone.

I will wait and see...

 

[Robbie79]

That is very unfortunate! No deer no honey...

I have a spot on the waiting list. I was in line for a thick deer Peter's jacket. Now the no deer news just blew that up for me. The 15 new styles could be a silver lining. But another increase in price just pounded me back to the confused / some what disappointed angry zone.

I will wait and see...

Yes, that's true but maybe he has some deerskin left for your Peter's jacket as he obviously confirmed your order. Maybe you are lucky - fingers crossed! Yes, I was also a bit astonished about his price increase since these are prices for standard patterns which will be available in the future but patterns like the LaBrea style (made of pony Shinki) is already in a range of 1600 GBP incl. shipping (plus 25% tax and duty for shipping to Germany in my case).

 

[BlueSteel]

After waiting the requisite time, I am pleased to say that Greg is currently working on my bespoke Michigan in blue shinki HH (inspired by/copied from @Tom71 ).

So far the process has been a pleasure, and the extra 100 pounds to get the toile sent to me was well worth it - couple tweaks, including different arm lengths (I have one slightly dropped shoulder), were made possible through this option.

Now I'm eagerly awaiting the finished product!!!

(BTW, I'm pretty pleased that the wait time resulted in a favorable exchange rate shift for me...so the price for 3/4 of the jacket was paid with an exchange rate that was 15% better for me than back when I paid the 300 deposit! Good things come to those who wait, I guess?)

 

[willyto]

Colour me not surprised at all to be honest as I already said before.

[...]

Greg Field also promised a deerskin that’s better than the Freewheeler one. I have a Freewheeler deerskin vest and it’s aniline, uncorrected grain, 3.5oz feel. So I bought into Gregs claim but his queue is long.

And there’s LW. I still have that on my wish list. Keep bumping it back because of his high prices. But he also offers game hides like deer.

[...]

That's a bold claim to make "better than Freewheelers one" when they have been using it for years an years even before they were called Freewheelers and were named Bootleggers.

 

[Caber]

Received mine about 3-4 weeks ago. It is absolutely amazing. You are going to love yours I bet