Five Star Leather Jackets

[unhatted]

@unhatted, Schott let me know they finished the work on my jacket early. I should have it back next week and can take measurements/measuring tape photos of the coin pocket.

That’s very kind but I think the ship has sailed. I did very clearly ask for it to be larger and differently positioned and sent them images of a 516 laid out flat for reference so fingers crossed.

it also occurs to me that since I’m a tiny human, the coin pocket of anything above say a 38 may look disproportionately big, assuming the proportions scale up on everything - no idea if they do or not!

 

[Griemersma]

I also sanded a few of them to see what they might look like with some wear:

Here are Seal Goat, Steerhide and Horsehide. It is interesting to me that, though not identical, they wear to relatively similar colors, even though they look very different on the back:

Someone theorized that most of Shawn's hides start out as russet and are then topcoated with other colors. That might explain this....

Here are Mid-Brown Horse and Crystal Brown Goat. These two are very similar in color, but very different in texture:

 

[Damon141]

The original Admiral Byrd jacket did not (and would not) feature this level novice stitching. To be fair, NONE of my jackets from the 40's and 50's show that degree of error. It's quite obviously an "oops" not a design element ot attempt at authentcity. The military jackets were produced under entirely different circumstances. There is no comparison to the two that bears any relevance whatsoever. It's just an 'f up. Plain and simple.

Back when these were made Americans at their peak of talented craftsmanship and builders of basically everything. Before outsourcing ruined everything

 

[rcdcr]

I got some leather samples from Shawn and thought I'd post some pictures here for reference. I asked him for an assortment of different browns. Here are some of them.

Indoors, window light:

View attachment 415178

View attachment 415183

Outdoors, slightly overcast:

View attachment 415184

View attachment 415186

Russets. Left to right, Goat, HH, Steer:

View attachment 415189

Seal Hides:

View attachment 415191

View attachment 415192

The russet goat actually looks a little bit more red than pics earlier in the thread. Is this a new version, maybe?

 

[Aloysius]

Someone theorized that most of Shawn's hides start out as russet and are then topcoated with other colors. That might explain this....

This is period correct for A-2s, which might be why he chose this.

 

[ton312]

I also sanded a few of them to see what they might look like with some wear:

Here are Seal Goat, Steerhide and Horsehide. It is interesting to me that, though not identical, they wear to relatively similar colors, even though they look very different on the back:

View attachment 415197

View attachment 415198

Someone theorized that most of Shawn's hides start out as russet and are then topcoated with other colors. That might explain this....

Here are Mid-Brown Horse and Crystal Brown Goat. These two are very similar in color, but very different in texture:

View attachment 415200

Argh that crystal goat is pretty!!

 

[Griemersma]

Argh that crystal goat is pretty!!

Yes! I think it might be the same as the “Dubow” goat that he uses for his A-2’s. It seems to be one that would gain character and show wear a bit more quickly than the others, in a potentially good way.

The other one that surprised me was the undistressed seal buffalo hide. It is a rich, deep brown—slightly lighter than the other seal offerings, but with some depth. It looks almost aniline, but I don’t know for sure. Definitely a very “rustic” leather with all the grain variation, but a beautiful color, in my opinion.

 

[Aloysius]

Yes! I think it might be the same as the “Dubow” goat that he uses for his A-2’s. It seems to be one that would gain character and show wear a bit more quickly than the others, in a potentially good way.

The other one that surprised me was the undistressed seal buffalo hide. It is a rich, deep brown—slightly lighter than the other seal offerings, but with some depth. It looks almost aniline, but I don’t know for sure. Definitely a very “rustic” leather with all the grain variation, but a beautiful color, in my opinion.

Not all of his A-2s, specifically the Dubow model. It was the first great Five Star leather, so to say. He managed to get it to behave and look just like the original goat hides used in Dubow A-2s.

There is an interesting background to this, I think. IIRC the goat that was used in some A-2 contracts was imported from British India, so it may well be that Shawn and his tannery are using the same species of goat and tanning process that was used in the same region during WWII.

 

[TheDonEffect]

My goodness, the HH offerings look great!

 

[MrProper]

Daylight without sun. A few snowflakes have mixed in.

 

[Yamahana]

I was thinking about going with Conic goat but the Crystal brown looks really good. Anyone have one made up with the Crystal brown?

 

[Damon141]

Cognac is kind of boring. If you look a few pages back you will see my photos. I’ll probably end up dyeing it to give it a little more depth.
I’d like to see a natural leather from then like that Japanese company Tenjin Works.

Here is mine. But when I think of cognac, I think of something along the lines of this. So I’m going to try some Saphir cognac or cordovan cream

 

[MrProper]

Cognac is kind of boring.

There is certainly more exciting than the cognac colored leather. Black, seal and some brown are good. Russet goat has far too much top coat on it.

 

[Damon141]

Yours somehow looks better. Maybe the natural outdoor light. I like the color of your new one, if you look closely you can see some variation, maybe from the top coat.

If you get the fit right 5star can’t be beat at these prices. If your photos were on a Selfedge or Rivetandhide page, they would be asking 2 to 3 thousand.
Freewheelers jackets have some extra details like multiple French seams and the underarm gussets for mobility. But Fine Creek, Flat Head, Fountainhead, Y’2, Addict are ridiculously overpriced for a better quality leather. It’s fun how many brand new ones pop up on eBay or grailed.

 

[Hh121]

@MrProper That looks perfect! Did you specify the shoulder slope? What's the measurement from half belt to hem?

 

[MrProper]

@MrProper That looks perfect! Did you specify the shoulder slope? What's the measurement from half belt to hem?

Thanks
This time I have given very few specifications. Just said, one exact copy of Ton's jacket but with my measurements. For type of shoulders and armholes, I did not specify this time (the shoulder width, of course, I did).
Distance from waistband to lower edge halfbelt are 18 cm. Is one to two cm too high to be exactly at the waist. There I have measured myself.

 

[Hh121]

Thanks
This time I have given very few specifications. Just said, one exact copy of Ton's jacket but with my measurements. For type of shoulders and armholes, I did not specify this time (the shoulder width, of course, I did).
Distance from waistband to lower edge halfbelt are 18 cm. Is one to two cm too high to be exactly at the waist. There I have measured myself.

Thanks, it looks good anyway! How is the movement?

 

[Yamahana]

There is certainly more exciting than the cognac colored leather. Black, seal and some brown are good. Russet goat has far too much top coat on it. View attachment 415387

@MrProper, @Canuck Panda have either of you have had one made in the Crystal brown goat? I’m looking to have a goatskin made. Thanks

 

[Gr8Lakes]

Yours somehow looks better. Maybe the natural outdoor light. I like the color of your new one, if you look closely you can see some variation, maybe from the top coat.

If you get the fit right 5star can’t be beat at these prices. If your photos were on a Selfedge or Rivetandhide page, they would be asking 2 to 3 thousand.
Freewheelers jackets have some extra details like multiple French seams and the underarm gussets for mobility. But Fine Creek, Flat Head, Fountainhead, Y’2, Addict are ridiculously overpriced for a better quality leather. It’s fun how many brand new ones pop up on eBay or grailed.

Funny you mentioned the marketing potential of a @MrProper fit. Obviously somebody shares your opinion. I stumbled across this eBay listing last night. The front and rear pictures aren’t even of the same J-24 style jacket. But that fit!

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[Aloysius]

I think the front is his Aero Ridley, the back is his Five Star cafe racer.