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Finds and Deals - Leather Jacket Edition

tmitchell59

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
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Illinois
ton312

ton312

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17,558
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Chicago
tmitchell59 said:
This has me thinking Excelled.
Click to expand...
Nailed it. Same liner and tag as my HB.
D5F10CF7-9E3F-408B-8C3E-260D10E22A55.jpeg
 
JMax

JMax

Messages
10,673
Leigh H said:
That's a 50's Cal with the red logo label and conmar zippers, they've dated it as 80s. You don't see many with epaulets, i'm not sure i like them with. Also looks like the shoulders show some damage/cracking because of the epaulets.
Click to expand...
Yep. Tho I dig the epaulettes on the early jackets. Add in the replacement main zip. And boom, awesome jacket chilling on Etsy.
 
ton312

ton312

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17,558
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Chicago
3.14nche said:
What do you think about this one?
I have no clue how expensive vintage pieces are, is it worth the 350€ ?

View attachment 406674
Click to expand...
Personally, I am not a fan of these vintage German biker jackets. To me, they are feminine looking. The price is WAY too high IMO. This is not a golden age maker worth note (Monarch, Herc, Windward, etc. ) so separating $400 for something like this is completely out of whack.
 
Monitor

Monitor

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16,921
3.14nche said:
What do you think about this one?
I have no clue how expensive vintage pieces are, is it worth the 350€ ?

View attachment 406674
Click to expand...

You can find these German made motorcycle jackets for a much cheaper but otherwise, when it comes to quality, these are as good as any US made jackets and IMO, in general, much nicer and more fun in cut and appearance; Just that not being touted as a pinnacle of manly ruggedness, they don't hold their value so well as their simple cousins abroad.

You can tell, however, by the intricate styling that considerably more attention has been invested into this jacket than, say, your average Buco or Perfecto. Matter of taste, I suppose, but the intention of the maker for their customers to leave their store well dressed, rather than, well, simply dressed, is obvious.
 
C

Claybertrand

One Too Many
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1,548
tmitchell59 said:
This has me thinking Excelled.
Click to expand...
ton312 said:
Nailed it. Same liner and tag as my HB.
View attachment 406663
Click to expand...
tmitchell59 said:
Yep.
Click to expand...

Sick minds think alike. I contacted the seller about the back length and was told it was 24". My message back was,

"Too short for me. Cool jacket though. You don't usually see the scallop rear yoke AND epaulettes on the same jacket. I suspect it might be an old Excelled. Best of luck with your sale."

Excelled seemed to follow the ingenious marketing lead of Fidelity by shrewdly omitting their name from any labels sewn into their jackets during this period. And THAT is what made them the HUGELY POPULAR brand they are today.
 
C

Claybertrand

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ton312 said:
I think there might be a bit more to it than that :p
View attachment 406683
VS
View attachment 406685
Click to expand...

I find the German epaulettes so very UN-GERMAN........

German design is notoriously pretty NO FRILLish..... Cars, clothes, architecture all seem to be sorta Classy Conservative.

Years ago, I had a 1991 Lexus SC 400 coupe. When it got older, I got a 1999 E430 Mercedes sedan and it was night and day. Not that they both weren't great cars...... Just that the Mercedes seriously felt like I was going backwards with how the dash instruments were etc. The Lexus that was 8-9 years older had WAY a more advanced instrument panel and the whole design felt a lot more fancy than the Mercedes design. It was actually pretty surprising how basic the Mercedes was. The Lexus was a lot more flashy and techy it seemed to me even as a much older car.

So I look at these jackets, and I get that perhaps its a remnant of old military jackets or something (which is odd being that Germans are not huge Militaria wearers) but the epaulettes-----these almost gaudy, woven, sometimes multi color epaulettes look like they came off the shoulders of a Marching Band Leader or something. Not my particular taste in these types of jackets. They kinda remind me of Michael Jackson with some over the top phony 18th century Non Nation specific military garb only more low key (I suppose EVERYTHING is more low key than the pictured King of Pop outfit).
1646331837834.png


I'm not trying to be harsh or judgmental about German jackets. My main point is that the woven epaulettes on a motorcycle jacket just seem to be oddly out of place for a German garment of any kind.

I'd be interested to hear how they came to be commonplace.
 
ton312

ton312

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17,558
Location
Chicago
Claybertrand said:
I find the German epaulettes so very UN-GERMAN........

German design is notoriously pretty NO FRILLish..... Cars, clothes, architecture all seem to be sorta Classy Conservative.

Years ago, I had a 1991 Lexus SC 400 coupe. When it got older, I got a 1999 E430 Mercedes sedan and it was night and day. Not that they both weren't great cars...... Just that the Mercedes seriously felt like I was going backwards with how the dash instruments were etc. The Lexus that was 8-9 years older had WAY a more advanced instrument panel and the whole design felt a lot more fancy than the Mercedes design. It was actually pretty surprising how basic the Mercedes was. The Lexus was a lot more flashy and techy it seemed to me even as a much older car.

So I look at these jackets, and I get that perhaps its a remnant of old military jackets or something (which is odd being that Germans are not huge Militaria wearers) but the epaulettes-----these almost gaudy, woven, sometimes multi color epaulettes look like they came off the shoulders of a Marching Band Leader or something. Not my particular taste in these types of jackets. They kinda remind me of Michael Jackson with some over the top phony 18th century Non Nation specific military garb only more low key (I suppose EVERYTHING is more low key than the pictured King of Pop outfit).
View attachment 406701

I'm not trying to be harsh or judgmental about German jackets. My main point is that the woven epaulettes on a motorcycle jacket just seem to be oddly out of place for a German garment of any kind.

I'd be interested to hear how they came to be commonplace.
Click to expand...
Yes the epaulettes and shoulder elbow padding are not my cup of tea, but the backs of these jackets, often with an elastic piece across the kidney panel area, is where the wheels really come off:
1646332567710.png

There are some exceptions but I think it's very hard if not impossible to arque against the fact that the very best of vintage leather was, much like Bruce Springsteen, born in the USA. This is not me being a super patriot, I just have not seen very many leather jackets from 1930-1960 that I find appealing from outside the US (one exception being the thunder bay styles from Canada).
 
Marc mndt

Marc mndt

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A

Al 916

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GB
ton312 said:
Yes the epaulettes and shoulder elbow padding are not my cup of tea, but the backs of these jackets, often with an elastic piece across the kidney panel area, is where the wheels really come off:
View attachment 406708
There are some exceptions but I think it's very hard if not impossible to arque against the fact that the very best of vintage leather was, much like Bruce Springsteen, born in the USA. This is not me being a super patriot, I just have not seen very many leather jackets from 1930-1960 that I find appealing from outside the US (one exception being the thunder bay styles from Canada).
Click to expand...


Although.. (sorry could not refuse your lead Ton..)

A Harro back looks like this..

s-l16004.jpeg
 
C

Claybertrand

One Too Many
Messages
1,548
ton312 said:
Yes the epaulettes and shoulder elbow padding are not my cup of tea, but the backs of these jackets, often with an elastic piece across the kidney panel area, is where the wheels really come off:
View attachment 406708
There are some exceptions but I think it's very hard if not impossible to arque against the fact that the very best of vintage leather was, much like Bruce Springsteen, born in the USA. This is not me being a super patriot, I just have not seen very many leather jackets from 1930-1960 that I find appealing from outside the US (one exception being the thunder bay styles from Canada).
Click to expand...

I have to agree with most of this. Always exceptions though like the Harros........

NOT quite German (though it's their language) but the Vanek jackets (from Anton and Englebert) are Austrian jackets that I tend to really like when I see them. They are pretty rare and no longer being made. Also apparently not German is the Finsport (a Finnish Jacket??)that Monitor posted today. That looks like a cool jacket. I can't speak to the hide weight or quality but it LOOKS cool.

So from time to time, a European made jacket will catch my eye. I prefer mostly the American vintage jackets though. I don't know if its patriotic bias or just what my eye likes but I'd like to think its the latter.
 

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