Five Star Leather Jackets

[Hobbes1]

Consider specifying the actual height of the knit portion as well.

 

[DirtyHarry]

How do you like your build and what leather did you go with? Thanks for all of the replies, I also found much clarification on their website.

 

[rockandrollrabbit]

Consider specifying the actual height of the knit portion as well.

When I eventually order an A-2 from him, you think it's necessary to specify the knits? I haven't heard complaints.

 

[handymike]

Can’t be too careful.
Five Star’s knits look like close to 4” here:

 

[rockandrollrabbit]

Damn, that's a tall knit. Though it's not an A-2 I take your point.

 

[Hobbes1]

When I eventually order an A-2 from him, you think it's necessary to specify the knits? I haven't heard complaints.

It's best practice to specify as many details as possible. This will make sure you get exactly what you want. As discussed in other 5* threads here, leaving anything to chance may result in some surprises.

 

[MrProper]

Can’t be too careful.
Five Star’s knits look like close to 4” here:
View attachment 286892

The high cuffs are new. Were requested in the VLJ for a specific model. I have the one with 7.5 cm/3" and the one I like more.

 

[rockandrollrabbit]

Having said all this, were all A-2's basically of the same knit length? I can take a reference measure of my Bronco, but I'm going to order his Dubow.

 

[Dav]

The Dubow is copied from an original, so I don't see a problem with getting the knits correct.

 

[El Marro]

The high cuffs are new. Were requested in the VLJ for a specific model. I have the one with 7.5 cm/3" and the one I like more.

Those knits look like the single ply “rib rack” knits used on the M422 and early G-1s. They are definitely not what you would expect to see on an A-2.

 

[MrProper]

Those knits look like the single ply “rib rack” knits used on the M422 and early G-1s. They are definitely not what you would expect to see on an A-2.

luckily I don't have an A-2.
Just something inspired
In any case, it doesn't hurt to specify exactly how high, how wide, how narrow it all should be.

 

[El Marro]

luckily I don't have an A-2.
Just something inspired
In any case, it doesn't hurt to specify exactly how high, how wide, how narrow it all should be.
View attachment 286911

Very true.
Knits are another thing that you can get hung up on if you choose to. Mash Japan offers a wide selection of replacement knits for restoring flight jackets, but one could absolutely use them to create a new jacket if they so desire.
http://www.mash-japan.co.jp/oversea/cgi-bin/plist-eng.cgi?cno=87&pg=1&dm=1

 

[Bahabp100]

Ok. So just received the jacket.

View attachment 286343 View attachment 286344 View attachment 286345 View attachment 286346

Initial thoughts...
Leather doesn’t have any offensive odor like other have mentioned. It’s fine.

Mouton collar I ordered was the reddish brown. It appears much more red in color than it appeared on the website. It pretty much matches the russet brown knits, it’s not what I wanted or was expecting...it honestly doesn’t look all that bad, just not what I was expecting. Not sure how I feel about it yet. Giving it some time to decide.

The leather looks nice, isn’t stiff at all. This will require zero break in. It’s very comfortable, but it does feel thin, light and honestly not very robust. Now, I have not had a goat leather before to compare it to, but I guess I was expecting something that felt a little more sturdy than this, idk.

Now, with regards to fit, shoulders feel good, as does the P2P. Sleeves came in just a bit longer than I ordered but not to bad. I can deal with it. The back length feels short. I ended up ordering 24.75” back length. It’s not. At least according to me laying it flat and measuring it. When I measure it’s 24”. This may not seem to much, but it makes the leather stop in my back about 1” higher than my waist line on my jeans and feels weird to me.

here is a pick of Shawn measuring it: at the top where I circled it, the end of the tape is going past the seam and he is folding up the jacket a bit. Which may be the problem...I measured it flat laying down on a hard surface.

View attachment 286347

Here is my measurement:

View attachment 286348
I’m not sure if this warrants a complaint or not. It’s close, but when I wear it the leather in the back does feel like it is stopping short of what my preferred fit would be. It may not be noticeable in the pics because the knits hide it, but it feels kind of odd.

so, Overall, it’s a very nice looking jacket. The fit not perfect, but pretty darn close. The colors...again, not exactly what I wanted based on the website photos, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look nice and play together well. And...it’s very comfortable. I like the jacket, I do. Just wish the back length was an inch longer and the collar color matched more closely to what it looks like on his website.

Looks like it fits great, a perfect fit

 

[ton312]

Have no real clue about military jackets, they have never been of interest to me in the least. I will say, regardless of what you order (and it has been said before) BE SPECIFIC. If you think you’ve said too much...say it again. Shawn will listen and get it right. If you let a detail slip, then you get whatever approximation seems reasonable to the guy putting it together.

 

[Seank]

Can’t be too careful.
Five Star’s knits look like close to 4” here:
View attachment 286892

Yep. That is my jacket. It is 4”

 

[Seank]

Looks like it fits great, a perfect fit

It’s not. Close, but not quite right

 

[Seank]

Have no real clue about military jackets, they have never been of interest to me in the least. I will say, regardless of what you order (and it has been said before) BE SPECIFIC. If you think you’ve said too much...say it again. Shawn will listen and get it right. If you let a detail slip, then you get whatever approximation seems reasonable to the guy putting it together.

I don’t know man. I’m really trying to like my jacket but I don’t think he got mine right. It’s my opinion vs his, but When I measure my jacket the back is 24”. I ordered 24.75”. The sleeves are 25.5”, I ordered 25.25”, the P2P. Measures 21”, in ordered 21.5”.
And the collar color doesn’t look anything like what it looked like in the Pre pictures I received,!its an entirely different color... also the circumference is to small, cuts off blood flow to my head when zipped up. Aesthetically, besides the collar I love it, but it needs a remake. The sizing just isn’t correct.
Now, I asked him about all of this. He claims the measurements are 100% accurate based on measurements I gave him (They’re not, at least according to my tape measure and how I measured it) and he sent me a picture of the mock up and said he sent me measurement pictures before he shipped it for my review (he did..however the first set he sent also showed the P2P at 21” it wasn’t until I questioned the measurement that He sent me a second pic showing 21.5.”) I really don’t get it, I can’t even stretch the jacket enough to get to 21.5” when I measure it. His pics also showed the sleeves longer than I ordered at 25.5 which is what I also get when I measure it...but I was letting that slide because It’s only a .25” difference. Not sure why we get these differences, I know how to measure and I assume he is doing it correct as well, I don’t think anything malicious is going on...

He also claims that the collar color is the same reddish brown he always uses...but the pictures of mine doesn’t look like anything else I’ve seen...so again, IDK. His webpage photos are not a good representation of this collar, that is for sure.

I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I’m struggling with it because I know how to measure a jacket, maybe there is some difference in the way we measure? IDK.
I doubt I can convince him that this did not come out right because he seems adamant that it is 100% accurate. I’m also not trying to slam him here...he has been great at answering email and staying in contact. Bottom line is that I just am not happy with the fit or collar and we need to resolve it.

He has offered me either a 20% refund if I can live with the jacket, or a 50% cost to make a new one addressing my concerns.
Since the current jacket just ain’t right and I don’t want to “live with it” A 20% refund doesn’t get me a jacket With a collar I like and that fits the way I originally intended...so my only option it seems is to pay again for a rebuild. Having mixed feelings about this because my first just doesn’t seem accurate despite his custom mock up or the pics he sent me...(At least to me) but that’s the way I am probably going. Chalk this first one up to a learning experience.

 

[VolkswagenNerd]

This is mine that’s on its way. When I first received the photo I was not happy as I was not expecting a knit that tall. I decided to have him ship the jacket out anyway because the overall dimensions seem to be correct. Although after reading seank’s post above I can’t be sure. If it doesn't work proportionally I’ll see what Shawn is willing to do about it. I’m really annoyed because the AN6552 that was on his site when I ordered had shorter knits. Sean has since replaced the photos with what I assume is Seank’s jacket.

 

[ton312]

I don’t know man. I’m really trying to like my jacket but I don’t think he got mine right. It’s my opinion vs his, but When I measure my jacket the back is 24”. I ordered 24.75”. The sleeves are 25.5”, I ordered 25.25”, the P2P. Measures 21”, in ordered 21.5”.
And the collar color doesn’t look anything like what it looked like in the Pre pictures I received,!its an entirely different color... also the circumference is to small, cuts off blood flow to my head when zipped up. Aesthetically, besides the collar I love it, but it needs a remake. The sizing just isn’t correct.
Now, I asked him about all of this. He claims the measurements are 100% accurate based on measurements I gave him (They’re not, at least according to my tape measure and how I measured it) and he sent me a picture of the mock up and said he sent me measurement pictures before he shipped it for my review (he did..however the first set he sent also showed the P2P at 21” it wasn’t until I questioned the measurement that He sent me a second pic showing 21.5.”) I really don’t get it, I can’t even stretch the jacket enough to get to 21.5” when I measure it. His pics also showed the sleeves longer than I ordered at 25.5 which is what I also get when I measure it...but I was letting that slide because It’s only a .25” difference. Not sure why we get these differences, I know how to measure and I assume he is doing it correct as well, I don’t think anything malicious is going on...

He also claims that the collar color is the same reddish brown he always uses...but the pictures of mine doesn’t look like anything else I’ve seen...so again, IDK. His webpage photos are not a good representation of this collar, that is for sure.

I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I’m struggling with it because I know how to measure a jacket, maybe there is some difference in the way we measure? IDK.
I doubt I can convince him that this did not come out right because he seems adamant that it is 100% accurate. I’m also not trying to slam him here...he has been great at answering email and staying in contact. Bottom line is that I just am not happy with the fit or collar and we need to resolve it.

He has offered me either a 20% refund if I can live with the jacket, or a 50% cost to make a new one addressing my concerns.
Since the current jacket just ain’t right and I don’t want to “live with it” A 20% refund doesn’t get me a jacket With a collar I like and that fits the way I originally intended...so my only option it seems is to pay again for a rebuild. Having mixed feelings about this because my first just doesn’t seem accurate despite his custom mock up or the pics he sent me...(At least to me) but that’s the way I am probably going. Chalk this first one up to a learning experience.

I think .5” is within tolerance for measurements. Same way any other company treats a range of acceptable leeway. With that said I have had 4 jackets made exactly to the numbers I asked for. I don’t know what I’m doing differently. I do make a multi page PDF with loads of pics and details. I leave no detail untouched. Right down to the seams. How they are sewn, sometimes where they are placed.
Colors are harder to quantify. Looking at pics online, it’s tough to get a really solid idea about the true reality. FWIW I think your jacket looks great but I don’t know what you had envisioned.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

No way would I want a knit waistband that tall. Strange