Five Star Leather Jackets

[TheDonEffect]

Yeah my interest in super heavy stiff leathers has passed. Shawn' CHL was part of the reason. It was WAY too much. I like thick leather. Thick leather, interestingly enough, need not neccessarily be all that heavy and certainly not all that stiff. CXL is probably the last leather I'd pick for a jacket now, which is a huge shift for me. But after amassing a decent number of vintage original pieces, CXL leaves much to be desired. I do still believe it's a beautiful hide, but it is a far cry from my favorite.

You POS influenced me to get me CXL/CHL, you need to take responsibility for your influence, lol jk.

Lets not get crazy, I still love CXL leather, yeah it's a pain because it's stiff but to me, and this is just me, I love the character of CXL leather. I like how imperfect it is, just has a ton of character. If someone made a jacket that looked like cxl but wore like lamb, I'd be broke. But no such leather exists, because the structure of the cxl lends to the look, if it draped it would've have the same look. Shinki and Badalassi are beautiful and have qualities in their own right, but they don't have that rugged handsomeness cxl has, just my opinion. Just like how stretch denim doesn't have the same weave texture, or at least it can't maintain it.

Therefore I'll always have a cxl jacket, and plan to keep mine forever in hopes one day to get it broken in to the point it feels like a second skin. But having experienced everything I have, I now have much more appreciation and desire for "boring" leathers.

 

[ton312]

You POS influenced me to get me CXL/CHL, you need to take responsibility for your influence, lol jk.

Lets not get crazy, I still love CXL leather, yeah it's a pain because it's stiff but to me, and this is just me, I love the character of CXL leather. I like how imperfect it is, just has a ton of character. If someone made a jacket that looked like cxl but wore like lamb, I'd be broke. But no such leather exists, because the structure of the cxl lends to the look, if it draped it would've have the same look. Shinki and Badalassi are beautiful and have qualities in their own right, but they don't have that rugged handsomeness cxl has, just my opinion. Just like how stretch denim doesn't have the same weave texture, or at least it can't maintain it.

Therefore I'll always have a cxl jacket, and plan to keep mine forever in hopes one day to get it broken in to the point it feels like a second skin. But having experienced everything I have, I now have much more appreciation and desire for "boring" leathers.

Actually, if you want the pleasure of CXL without the pain, you can get that with Bainbridge from TB:

 

[Canuck Panda]

@Hobbes1 your post #4740 pretty much sums up my 5star experience as well. Except I never took the plunge with the regular steer.

My first few jackets with Shawn were all goatskins. And I continue to wear them. I prefer the thicker ones over the thin ones but the thin ones held up well to my surprise.

The CHL's were not so great. I haven't wrote the final chapter on them yet. They survived my last purge out of curiosity, but they might not survive this coming purge.

So now the question is how is the horsehide?

 

[Canuck Panda]

You POS influenced me to get me CXL/CHL, you need to take responsibility for your influence, lol jk.

Lets not get crazy, I still love CXL leather, yeah it's a pain because it's stiff but to me, and this is just me, I love the character of CXL leather. I like how imperfect it is, just has a ton of character. If someone made a jacket that looked like cxl but wore like lamb, I'd be broke. But no such leather exists, because the structure of the cxl lends to the look, if it draped it would've have the same look. Shinki and Badalassi are beautiful and have qualities in their own right, but they don't have that rugged handsomeness cxl has, just my opinion. Just like how stretch denim doesn't have the same weave texture, or at least it can't maintain it.

Therefore I'll always have a cxl jacket, and plan to keep mine forever in hopes one day to get it broken in to the point it feels like a second skin. But having experienced everything I have, I now have much more appreciation and desire for "boring" leathers.

If you don't mind "scrotum grains" there are tumbled CXL. It would still have pull up, but softer out of the box. The trade off or plus are the heavy grains from day one. But CXL jackets turns that way down the road no matter what.

 

[born113]

So now the question is how is the horsehide?

Judging by the photo, it is thin leather.

 

[ton312]

@Hobbes1 your post #4740 pretty much sums up my 5star experience as well. Except I never took the plunge with the regular steer.

My first few jackets with Shawn were all goatskins. And I continue to wear them. I prefer the thicker ones over the thin ones but the thin ones held up well to my surprise.

The CHL's were not so great. I haven't wrote the final chapter on them yet. They survived my last purge out of curiosity, but they might not survive this coming purge.

So now the question is how is the horsehide?

I’m dying to know as well. Should have stock again before March. I’m eager to see some real life pics from Hobbes.

 

[ton312]

View attachment 401659
Judging by the photo, it is thin leather.

To me that looks grainier than my steer but not too much thinner, if at all. The pull-up/distressed brown looked a little better. Stretch marks, varied grain.

 

[Canuck Panda]

View attachment 401659
Judging by the photo, it is thin leather.

Shawn told me 1.2mm, which is probably the top end of the spectrum. To be fair, all horsehide out there, even the super hyped (and expensive) ones are all thin, under 1.2mm. The only thicker ones (4oz+) I have experienced are from Horween and whoever LW uses for his horsehide.

My expectation for Shawn's horsehide is to match whatever Aero uses for their house leather, aka Jerky, Battered horse...etc. I am guessing it's more Aero's battered horse because it's suppose to have slight pull up? I still think it's probably easiest and safest to just copy Horween vermont or Aero Jerky which are just paint over leather. But pull up is what the customers are asking for and let see if Shawn can deliver on this one. March it is!

 

[Marc mndt]

View attachment 401659
Judging by the photo, it is thin leather.

Grain looks nice though

 

[Marc mndt]

To be fair, all horsehide out there, even the super hyped (and expensive) ones are all thin, under 1.2mm.

Which super hyped and expensive leathers are you referring to?

The hh thedi uses is pretty substantial. Definitely thicker than 1.2mm

 

[Hh121]

Which super hyped and expensive leathers are you referring to?

The hh thedi uses is pretty substantial. Definitely thicker than 1.2mm

View attachment 401721 View attachment 401722 View attachment 401723

Normally the thickness of wrist gusset can not represent the thickness of entire jacket, how much that jacket weighs?

 

[Hobbes1]

@Hobbes1 your post #4740 pretty much sums up my 5star experience as well. Except I never took the plunge with the regular steer.

My first few jackets with Shawn were all goatskins. And I continue to wear them. I prefer the thicker ones over the thin ones but the thin ones held up well to my surprise.

The CHL's were not so great. I haven't wrote the final chapter on them yet. They survived my last purge out of curiosity, but they might not survive this coming purge.

So now the question is how is the horsehide?

I’m dying to know as well. Should have stock again before March. I’m eager to see some real life pics from Hobbes.

DHL update says coming in to Miami customs by way of London. 2/18 is predicted delivery date. I'm hoping they surprise me with sooner
Shawn says 1.2mm HH thickness which is close to the Premium Goat, IIRC.

 

[Marc mndt]

Normally the thickness of wrist gusset can not represent the thickness of entire jacket, how much that jacket weighs?

almost 3kg (6.38 lbs according to Google )

 

[Canuck Panda]

Which super hyped and expensive leathers are you referring to?

The hh thedi uses is pretty substantial. Definitely thicker than 1.2mm

View attachment 401721 View attachment 401722 View attachment 401723

I don't know what horsehide Thedi uses because I don't have one, and until he publishes prices on his web page I tend to end up with other brands before getting a brand new one from him. Nothing against Thedi, I dig his work, but so far I've only bought his brand used because I don't know what he charges, openly, not through email or PM. But if I were to guess, Thedi gets his horsehide from the Victoria group, which is also known as Vicenza, Liberty, and possibly even Victory, Norshor just calls it horsehide. Although I will never know (Victory) for sure unless it comes back down to earth and priced accordingly. And don't get me started on Shinkis which starts from too expensive to ridiculous expensive. I am crapping on expensive, but not for seriousness, more for personal entertainment. I look at them all the time. Without the expensive hyped jackets there will be no desire for me to be in this hobby, and the whole leather jacket eco system would not work without the top tier uber hyped expensive stuff. But part of the job description of being the top dog(s) is to get ridiculed by people like me, also part of the fun of the hobby. Why shit on the middle or bottom tier when the top tier is for easy picking. Just joking, or not, it's friday and I am still stuck at my desk.

 

[Hh121]

almost 3kg (6.38 lbs according to Google )

View attachment 401727

That's healthy weight for cross zip, much heavier than Schott who claims their leather is 3oz.

 

[Marc mndt]

But if I were to guess, Thedi gets his horsehide from the Victoria group, which is also known as Vicenza, Liberty, and possibly even Victory, Norshor just calls it horsehide.

I really don't know where Thedi sources their hh (two on the right). But I do know that it looks and feels nothing like Aero's Vicenza (left). Different grain, different sheen, different temper.

 

[TheDonEffect]

Actually, if you want the pleasure of CXL without the pain, you can get that with Bainbridge from TB:
View attachment 401653

I have been looking at that leather and was wondering the stiffness on them. I imagine though to gain that character and texture, there's gotta be some stiffness, like a, hmm, crispiness/starchiness to the leather? So like it's soft but it still retains a structure vs just draping like a towel.

 

[TheDonEffect]

If you don't mind "scrotum grains" there are tumbled CXL. It would still have pull up, but softer out of the box. The trade off or plus are the heavy grains from day one. But CXL jackets turns that way down the road no matter what.

Lol I hope I didn't add scrotum grains to our lexicon, lol. Actually, JL has a milled CXL thats also skived too that I was planning to use for a jacket. It is softer than cxl, but still not soft soft. They also have a tumbled version too, but it's still stiff.

 

[Canuck Panda]

@TheDonEffect If milled CXL didn't work for you there is no way the CHL would have. I hear you now. This is a tough one. I want to say a skived down 2 oz milled cxl but I am not sure if that is possible. In theory it should work. Good to know JL has the milled ones. Cuts down the break in period and no arm rashes.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Just got a message from Shawn that my revised order are in production now.
So it appears that stock pattern with small changes still gets the fast turn around time. Anybody here still getting full custom / new bespoke patterns?