Five Star Leather Jackets

[Canuck Panda]

That'd be sweet, I mean heck just skiving down Tony's leather would be fine as well.

I think this is going to open up another Pandora's Box, but can anyone source some Shinki and send it to Shawn, I mean, since we're asking, lol.

it would be a while though. i gotta shift my spendings around to make this happen faster.

 

[MrProper]

sure, if I can get some guarantee from manufacturer, always nice. But that would only be on their mistakes. What I'm talking about is laypeople who aren't trained on clothing design and tailoring making honest mistakes


BTW, my thoughts that I mentioned weren't to say that 5 Star should remake jackets on their or our mistake. I was saying I'm not sure if there's a cultural issue with how they take the orders and are just going by the book of exactly what you ordered. An example of this as Ton mentioned/recommended adjusting the sleeve dimensions because of the thickness of the leather. I don't think anyone would expect Ton to know this when ordering, especially on a new leather he hasn't handled yet. Yet Five Star should know this. Especially since they've made him several jackets. All it would take is a quick, hey, I know we've built several of these for you, but FYI, this leather is really thick and in our experience you'll need a little extra room for the sleeve bending, etc. etc.

That being said, as was also mentioned, they do a great job of transitioning the measurements in the sort of in between spaces that aren't being spec'd out. That takes real talent. So good job there.

We are freaks on these forums buying more jackets than is humanely possible to wear. Most "regular" customers probably won't reorder after spending a few hundred bucks and getting something that is hard to wear or something they didn't realize they were making a mistake by requesting something or neglecting something without realizing the full scope.

That's the ying and yang of this niche. If you get it right, you're way ahead. If you get it wrong, you were halfway or third of a way to just buying a higher end jacket instead. I'll reserve for those who cannot order off the shelf, buy used sizes, etc. of course as that's a huge advantage to trying.

I mean that 5* is a make-to-order company. They receives exact specifications and these are implemented according to the order. Even if they noticed that a measure did not fit, they would not question the order.
You have to be aware of this when you order a jacket from 5*. Of course it would be nicer otherwise, but that's not how it is. There are umpteen other providers for these requirements.

 

[ton312]

The rubber mallet was useless but the 10lb mini-sledge and a spray bottle of water really softened the sleeves up rapidly. Beating a jacket with a sledge hammer would make it softer…who knew? LOL. I actually think the water did the lions share of the work. The surface wax Shawn applies is quickly wiped off and you can see the jacket will fast patina for sure. Also a little hint of creasing which I initially thought might be impossible. I will totally beat this thing down, then hit it with some Urad.

 

[Hh121]

The rubber mallet was useless but the 10lb mini-sledge and a spray bottle of water really softened the sleeves up rapidly. Beating a jacket with a sledge hammer would make it softer…who knew? LOL. I actually think the water did the lions share of the work. The surface wax Shawn applies is quickly wiped off and you can see the jacket will fast patina for sure. Also a little hint of creasing which I initially thought might be impossible. I will totally beat this thing down, then hit it with some Urad.
View attachment 341940

Another round of Mr.Tony's treatment? Lol.....

 

[jonesy86]

Wow. When I said it couldn’t be as thick or stiff as anything I’ve had before I was very much mistaken. Makes LW’s 4oz feel like cheese paper. This is almost comically thick. And insanely stiff. I do fell like it will soften eventually but as a warning to anyone who wants to try…it will take extreme commitment. The pattern and cut are superb. Ironically one of the best jackets I have in terms of ease of movement. I’m hesitant to post fit pics b/c it’s so holding its own shape right now it’s not even funny. Will get better shots in 80-100 years when it’s a bit more broken in. It does have a pleasant aroma similar to cxl. I should also add that it creaks. It doesn’t squeak. It creaks.
View attachment 341736 View attachment 341737 View attachment 341738 View attachment 341739 View attachment 341740 View attachment 341741 View attachment 341742

80 to 100 years? I look forward to seeing it break in.

 

[TheDonEffect]

View attachment 341930
it would be a while though. i gotta shift my spendings around to make this happen faster.

So desu ne... silly of me to think others here wouldn't already been on top of it.

 

[TheDonEffect]

The rubber mallet was useless but the 10lb mini-sledge and a spray bottle of water really softened the sleeves up rapidly. Beating a jacket with a sledge hammer would make it softer…who knew? LOL. I actually think the water did the lions share of the work. The surface wax Shawn applies is quickly wiped off and you can see the jacket will fast patina for sure. Also a little hint of creasing which I initially thought might be impossible. I will totally beat this thing down, then hit it with some Urad.
View attachment 341940

It takes a certain type of man to get a beautiful new jacket, and then take a sledgehammer to it. Good work sir.

Any concerns of bleeding or anything like that if one were to just wear it say in the rain and then hop onto a car cloth seat?

 

[TheDonEffect]

sure, if I can get some guarantee from manufacturer, always nice. But that would only be on their mistakes. What I'm talking about is laypeople who aren't trained on clothing design and tailoring making honest mistakes


BTW, my thoughts that I mentioned weren't to say that 5 Star should remake jackets on their or our mistake. I was saying I'm not sure if there's a cultural issue with how they take the orders and are just going by the book of exactly what you ordered. An example of this as Ton mentioned/recommended adjusting the sleeve dimensions because of the thickness of the leather. I don't think anyone would expect Ton to know this when ordering, especially on a new leather he hasn't handled yet. Yet Five Star should know this. Especially since they've made him several jackets. All it would take is a quick, hey, I know we've built several of these for you, but FYI, this leather is really thick and in our experience you'll need a little extra room for the sleeve bending, etc. etc.

That being said, as was also mentioned, they do a great job of transitioning the measurements in the sort of in between spaces that aren't being spec'd out. That takes real talent. So good job there.

We are freaks on these forums buying more jackets than is humanely possible to wear. Most "regular" customers probably won't reorder after spending a few hundred bucks and getting something that is hard to wear or something they didn't realize they were making a mistake by requesting something or neglecting something without realizing the full scope.

That's the ying and yang of this niche. If you get it right, you're way ahead. If you get it wrong, you were halfway or third of a way to just buying a higher end jacket instead. I'll reserve for those who cannot order off the shelf, buy used sizes, etc. of course as that's a huge advantage to trying.

Yeah, but it could also be a gift and a curse. Many makers make suggestions on what they feel may be better, but then it doesn't actually translate, and then they need own it, while others like 5* will make it as you ordered it and then fill in the blanks as necessary.

I ran into this getting suits made, some places if you spec slim, they will absolutely tattoo it on you, other places you need to go through 5 fittings before they realize you actually want it that slim. I think for visible, accessible makers, they will air on the side of caution because you can always cut away more but can't add back more, whereas others that don't have a reasonable return policy will just adhere to your measurements and call it a day. Both have pros and cons.

It really seems like 5* is getting the fits right, and with better understanding comes better result. Me personally, I have no intention of wearing a 5oz jacket, so getting something in the 2-3 oz range, I think Shawn has it down. I don't have the body type that can rock a truly trim and tailored fit anyway, need room for things to move, so with one of these new jackets that come out, the more confident I feel in ordering from him.

That brown CXL is something to behold.

Does anyone know if he can skive it down?

 

[ton312]

It takes a certain type of man to get a beautiful new jacket, and then take a sledgehammer to it. Good work sir.

Any concerns of bleeding or anything like that if one were to just wear it say in the rain and then hop onto a car cloth seat?

No it definitely won’t bleed. The color does only seem to be very much at surface but it almost evaporated to a tan color when properly abused. I soaked the sleeves and no bleed through at all.

 

[ton312]

Does anyone know if he can skive it down?

I’m going to ask. 5oz is too much. I get a kick out of it but it’s really just too much for me personally as well.

 

[Hh121]

Can't help but try mine, love it!

 

[Canuck Panda]

I just googled 10 lb mini sledge…. Gulp…. I was only gonna use a rubber mallet but maybe I should also pick up a new hammer when I go get some 2x4s for backing…

 

[Hh121]

I am offering a free break-in service! Just mail it to me!

 

[TheDonEffect]

No it definitely won’t bleed. The color does only seem to be very much at surface but it almost evaporated to a tan color when properly abused. I soaked the sleeves and no bleed through at all.

What about the wax? Just want to see if there's any sort of residue. And keep us posted if he's able to skive it down to more human levels, lol.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

What about the wax? Just want to see if there's any sort of residue. And keep us posted if he's able to skive it down to more human levels, lol.

I wonder if this is a byproduct of all of us asking him to "send me your thickest cut" LOL.

I remember when I got my FQHH CXL Sheene, I was like OMG, this thing will never stop standing up by itself. It eventually wore down with a lot of effort. But then I was sort of tainted as to what a leather jacket should be. When I first got my Shinki Field Leathers, I was kind of like, ehhh, really, kind of thin for the money. But then now I hold that as the standard because I realize I don't need a suit of armor (don't ride, don't live in cold weather). So I guess we evolve. Probably explains why I've mostly bought and sold around 30 jackets in less than a year. Still in search of what I want LOL. But I'm definitely skewing more midweight now.

 

[TheDonEffect]

I wonder if this is a byproduct of all of us asking him to "send me your thickest cut" LOL.

I remember when I got my FQHH CXL Sheene, I was like OMG, this thing will never stop standing up by itself. It eventually wore down with a lot of effort. But then I was sort of tainted as to what a leather jacket should be. When I first got my Shinki Field Leathers, I was kind of like, ehhh, really, kind of thin for the money. But then now I hold that as the standard because I realize I don't need a suit of armor (don't ride, don't live in cold weather). So I guess we evolve. Probably explains why I've mostly bought and sold around 30 jackets in less than a year. Still in search of what I want LOL. But I'm definitely skewing more midweight now.

Yeah, at the end of the day clothes need to look and feel good. I briefly dabbled into denim and man now I won't buy jeans without stretch. What good is armor of you can't move?

 

[ton312]

What about the wax? Just want to see if there's any sort of residue. And keep us posted if he's able to skive it down to more human levels, lol.

The wax literally just wiped off or is absorbed into the hide. Very thin surface level wax. As far as movement goes, it’s actually damn near as good as my Vanson in terms of arm movement. The only thing I could’ve done better is the sleeve width and length. I went just a bit too narrow and too long and with leather like this there is absolutely no room for error.

 

[ton312]

I am offering a free break-in service! Just mail it to me!

I’m tempted to do that as I’d like your thoughts comparing this hide to your CXL! I’m going to give it Hell this weekend and see how it emerges on Sunday. I’ve got half a mind to chain it to the back of my truck and drag it up and down the Edens expressway. LOL.

 

[Wardo1974]

DHL messaged me this morning to say they are holding my jacket hostage until I pay their usurious $73 brokerage fee. An FYI for buyers - I will seek to never use their service again.

 

[ton312]

The 5.5 oz can be skived. My next black jacket wil be 3.5-4oz.