Five Star Leather Jackets

[ton312]

The only difference between a 5Star or a Schott / Vanson is that I cannot return the 5star when it doesn't work out

Disagree. The quality of materials is also worlds apart. Leather, lining material, (some) zippers. I think it's time people stop lying to themselves and just admit that 5 Star is what it's always claimed to be, a budget jacket. And as such, you get absolutely nothing more than that.

 

[Bluechel]

Disagree. The quality of materials is also worlds apart. Leather, lining material, (some) zippers. I think it's time people stop lying to themselves and just admit that 5 Star is what it's always claimed to be, a budget jacket. And as such, you get absolutely nothing more than that.

AND....as recently stated, no longer budget priced. Whoops.

 

[ton312]

AND....as recently stated, no longer budget priced. Whoops.

This is true too. $400 is pushing 5 Star beyond what they can deliver. Custom made to measure or not. The material value alone simply is not there.
I’m afraid there’s a lot of people trying hard to convince themselves of otherwise. Which brings me back to a tried and true meme:

 

[58panheadfan]

I don't hold the stuff made in Japan in high regard personally. The materials are nice, but some of the very worst pattern and design runs rampant in Japanese repro's. really horrible, disproportioned junk. Japanes makers are not tier 1 for me.
I have yet to see a single 5 Star approach the very worst jacket produced by Schott or Vanson...I mean no offense to your jackets and I'm glad you are happy with them but IMO, they are far inferior to both those makers and can only have favorable comparisons to mall jacket brands like Kenneth Cole, Marc Jacobs, etc. I know this because I ran through numerous hides and materials with 5 Star. The cowhide used by 5 Star is essentially purse leather, it also appears printed and again, no offense intended, I can see that clear as day in both your jackets (just like I could in mine). The horsehide is thin, inconstant in terms of thickness and feels overall really weak. I have covered the failings of 5 Star's pattern making in the past, no need to repeat.

I am somewhat surprised to hear your thoughts given the diversity of your collection and what you've owned. It is not intended to be a disparaging comment about 5 Star but the jackets have an undeniable air of cheapness and flatness that is absolutely inescapable and plainly obvious. I tried to convince myself of otherwise...but facts is facts, and that's why there isn't a single 5 Star left in my closet. I feel fortunate to have been able to sell the tbh.

I definitely understand your point of view and also think you can give an objective assessment of the 5Star leather jackets based on your experience. As I said, I am quite happy with my two jackets from 5Star even if the steerhide is embossed. Regarding your assessment of the made in Japan leather jackets, I can also follow you when it comes to patterns. When it comes to leather quality, for me the leather from Shinki and Nitta Tannery are the ultimate. But that is also a matter of taste and personal preferences such as veg-tan vs. chromexcel etc. Am I correct in assuming that you have never owned a shinki or nitta leather jacket? I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but rather as a horizon for drawing comparisons.

 

[Bluechel]

I watched a Langlitz Columbia Leather jacket AND leather pants go today on ebay for under $400...and some may say "but I like the custom fit" but if the leather is mall leather jacket quality you've got a serious disconnect. You're being fooled into thinking you're "having it all" when you're actually caught in a losing compromise, where BOTH aspects are falling short...with the final hammer blow being PRICE. Youch.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I watched a Langlitz Columbia Leather jacket AND leather pants go today on ebay for under $400...and some may say "but I like the custom fit" but if the leather is mall leather jacket quality you've got a serious disconnect. You're being fooled into thinking you're "having it all" when you're actually caught in a losing compromise, where BOTH aspects are falling short...with the final hammer blow being PRICE. Youch.

I hope you bought it. Or post these deals in the buy threads next time please. Langlitz is still made in US using US made materials (this is the key). And they cost more than 1600 last time I checked. If the 400 dollar jacket is a bit big, I will spend 350 to get it tailored, and I would still end up on top...

 

[ton312]

I definitely understand your point of view and also think you can give an objective assessment of the 5Star leather jackets based on your experience. As I said, I am quite happy with my two jackets from 5Star even if the steerhide is embossed. Regarding your assessment of the made in Japan leather jackets, I can also follow you when it comes to patterns. When it comes to leather quality, for me the leather from Shinki and Nitta Tannery are the ultimate. But that is also a matter of taste and personal preferences such as veg-tan vs. chromexcel etc. Am I correct in assuming that you have never owned a shinki or nitta leather jacket? I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but rather as a horizon for drawing comparisons.

No I have owned and handled a handful, an older real McCoy, a very brief encounter with a GW, and my Regius built repro is some garden variety black Shinki. I like it, it's a nicer midweight option compared to Aero's Vic or ELMC's HH. I don't have a particularly "favorite" leather other than the old HH used on Windward and Herc jackets, which in my mind makes everything produced today feel very cheap by comparison, save a couple good batches of Vansons comp weight and some decent CXL. I think Herman Oak steer is very nice too. Nicer than the Shinki on my jacket and a bit more substantial.

 

[58panheadfan]

By the way, I find this thread, like others in this forum, excellent for beginners to get their own idea of 5Star in this case. This information is worth its weight in gold, I would have been happy if I had received such information when I was starting out and that too for free. We @ton312 and many more have spent a lot of money to learn what we know today about leather jackets and sometimes opinions or personal preferences differ

 

[Bluechel]

I hope you bought it. Or post these deals in the buy threads next time please. Langlitz is still made in US using US made materials (this is the key). And they cost more than 1600 last time I checked. If the 400 dollar jacket is a bit big, I will spend 350 to get it tailored, and I would still end up on top...

I underbid. Like an idiot.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I underbid. Like an idiot.

I do that a lot. Plenty of fish in the sea.

 

[ton312]

By the way, I find this thread, like others in this forum, excellent for beginners to get their own idea of 5Star in this case. This information is worth its weight in gold, I would have been happy if I had received such information when I was starting out and that too for free. We @ton312 and many more have spent a lot of money to learn what we know today about leather jackets and sometimes opinions or personal preferences differ

Wholly agree and I hope I have not offended you and I appreciate that we can have discourse without getting personal. I hold myself accountable, as I was an early adopter of this brand and had hoped they would satisfy me and show improvement over the years. personally, I have not really seen that.

 

[Bluechel]

I do that a lot. Plenty of fish in the sea.

Yes! But there's always that ONE that got away...................

 

[58panheadfan]

Wholly agree and I hope I have not offended you and I appreciate that we can have discourse without getting personal. I hold myself accountable, as I was an early adopter of this brand and had hoped they would satisfy me and show improvement over the years. personally, I have not really seen that.

Not at all, I find it refreshing to exchange opinions, even if they don't correspond. That's the icing on the cake as long as it doesn't go below the belt, which is not the case here at all. You expressed your opinion honestly and qualifiedly regarding your experience with the 5Star leather jackets. The interested buyer now is able to make up his own mind as to whether he wants to take the “risk” of buying a 5star leather jacket or not. But one thing is certain: you have to do your homework conscientiously and in a time-consuming manner, otherwise it will definitely fail. By the way, this doesn't just apply to 5Star, it applies to all custom made orders... many examples in this forum bear witness to this.

Sometimes I feel like the custom order leather jackets are a bigger evil than OTR jackets, lol.

 

[MadCat]

Does 5star offer to remake a jacket if all requests weren’t met?

 

[Canuck Panda]

I remember there was one time he remade a jacket for free. It was a big deal because I never seen that happen before or since. If you read far back enough you’ll see it’s mostly deal on the next one.

 

[TartuWolf]

Does 5star offer to remake a jacket if all requests weren’t met?

I got offer a 50% discount on a remake when some of my specs were not met.

 

[MrProper]

Does 5star offer to remake a jacket if all requests weren’t met?

Only with a lot of negotiating. Standard is that you get 50% off the next jacket. They will redo it if you notice it before shipping and insist.

 

[konadog]

My FiveStar type III trucker in whiskey horsehide arrived today. It's a really well-made jacket with a very good hide. I'm annoyed with myself for giving them the wrong sleeve length. With a longer-sleeved shirt like the Iron Heart I'm wearing in the photos, the short sleeves of the jacket really show. It's not so bad with a t-shirt though. I used the measurements from my Lewis Leathers Corsair (save the incorrect sleeve length) and I'm generally happy with the fit. I assume the shoulders will soften with breaking in. Here are some fit photos:

 

[cbez]

I love sleeves like that I like having my hands free. Don't want leather on my palm or the edge of the cuffs pushing into my wrist all day.

 

[Fonzie]

That one looks really good! @konadog