Five Star Leather vs Johnson Leather for Custom Jackets

[Marc mndt]

Perhaps I am just 'lucky' or more likely your average "everyman" size. Lucky with ebay searching as well.

Or maybe you're not as picky / ocd on measurements as some of us.

 

[Hh121]

So... not that simple. I mean, how will Aero and such stay in business if you can provide any of the desirable leathers and have them build it?

You say much much cheaper, 40 sq ft of Horween CXL is just about $500 retail, which in itself cost more than a completed jacket shipped to your door from 5*.

Now how much does 5* charge for producing a finished jacket minus supplying the leather only? Factor in labor, thread, lining, zippers/buttons/shipping/generate a profit/etc. $100? $200? $300?

So what leather are they using?

Again, they make a great product, but these are different businesses.

I am not comparing 5 star to Aero, which is unfair. I am only comparing with JL.

There are also other places that sell Horween CXL at different prices, and there are many hide with cheap price and looks 10 times better than your naked cowhide.

If you want quality material of lining, zipper, you need to pay extra to JL, I can't see clearly which zipper in your jacket, is it ykk? that's the zipper they normally use.

so far I don't see any advantage of building quality that JL is over 5 star. Since you can provide your own material to 5 star, I don't really see any benefits to choose JL.

Their latest HB looks great.
https://www.facebook.com/fivestarleathershop/photos/pcb.660028588206064/660028524872737

 

[Downunder G Man]

Or maybe you're not as picky / ocd on measurements as some of us.

Perhaps you are correct sir. In the last 5 years I have gone from 84 Kg (I was so for over 15 years) to 90Kg and back to 84 then the boomerang (Aussie word that you know !) back to 90 Kg.

Super bespoke "pit to pit fit" probably would not have liked that.

I should be , and indeed I am , happy with my lot jacket wise.

 

[TheDonEffect]

I am not comparing 5 star to Aero, which is unfair. I am only comparing with JL.

There are also other places that sell Horween CXL at different prices, and there are many hide with cheap price and looks 10 times better than your naked cowhide.

If you want quality material of lining, zipper, you need to pay extra to JL, I can't see clearly which zipper in your jacket, is it ykk? that's the zipper they normally use.

so far I don't see any advantage of building quality that JL is over 5 star. Since you can provide your own material to 5 star, I don't really see any benefits to choose JL.

Their latest HB looks great.
https://www.facebook.com/fivestarleathershop/photos/pcb.660028588206064/660028524872737

I chose the naked cowhide, and as you know they literally have dozens of stock leather I could have chosen from, alot of which are more "interesting" , I went with durable and pliable. But hey, you don't like it, that's fine, I don't see a need to make a heavy jacket, to each their own.

Additionally, I didn't pay anywhere near a grand for it either, but more like 2x the price or a 5*.

But I am going CXL this time, as have many with JL.

But this is besides the point, you said that you can send the leather and get it much, much cheaper, so I'm trying to ascertain what much, much cheaper means to you, and what does 5* charge to produce a jacket with leather you provide, which I think you have on hand since you are sending them leather to get this very job done. As mentioned, people regularly get custom jobs done with horween cxl at JL for about a grand minus one tragic example this far. I'm trying to compare apples to apples here, I am well aware and have already said that there are cheaper, probably even better leather than horween cxl. But, we are using this as one of the control variables for this equation, and you also bought horween leather from horween, but you're referencing other leathers so I will maintain that a price of approximately $500 is about right for CXL.

So, if it costs $500 for CXL, how much does 5* charge to provide all other materials, manufacture, and deliver a finished jacket. Also, what does it cost to send the cxl to them as well.

I suspect that at a minimum it will be $100. So now we're comparing $600 to $1000, assuming of course that it's $100. And $400 is alot cheaper, assuming again it is $100. Heck $200 is alot cheaper, but for 200-400 when I'm already paying $500 for materials for a piece I may wear for the rest of my life, yeah I'd happily spend it to get it tailored in person, get a fit jacket, not have to deal with the logistics of ordering leather, sending it, measure and design my own jacket, etc. But that's me and I understand money saved is money earned.

So again I ask, what are they charging you to have your jacket made with your leather?

 

[El Marro]

There are also other places that sell Horween CXL at different prices, and there are many hide with cheap price and looks 10 times better than your naked cowhide.

I’m sorry, but that is just a rude thing to say. That may be your opinion but there is no need to state it like that.

 

[Hh121]

I’m sorry, but that is just a rude thing to say. That may be your opinion but there is no need to state it like that.

I am not attacking Don's jacket, I only provide the fact that there are more and probably much better option out there, of course he likes his jacket and I respect that.
This is just one exaple, I am sorry, it does looks much better than the leather of his jacket.

 

[Carlos840]

I am not attacking Don's jacket, I only provide the fact that there are more and probably much better option out there, of course he likes his jacket and I respect that.
This is just one exaple, I am sorry, it does looks much better than the leather of his jacket. View attachment 283801

All i'm seeing is out of focus leather, what am i missing?

 

[TheDonEffect]

I am not attacking Don's jacket, I only provide the fact that there are more and probably much better option out there, of course he likes his jacket and I respect that.
This is just one exaple, I am sorry, it does looks much better than the leather of his jacket. View attachment 283801

That is indeed nice! I think I mentioned I am having a second jacket made with CXL just to scratch an itch these forums created for me, so hopefully my second jacket will be to your liking.

And I like my basic 3oz naked cowhide, it's thick and supple, I respect everyone's entitled to their opinion, no offense taken, you could say that I have a thick skin...

But again, my apparent poor materials choice is besides the point of this discussion. What will it cost for 5* to make you a jacket with leather you provide?

 

[Hh121]

That is indeed nice! I think I mentioned I am having a second jacket made with CXL just to scratch an itch these forums created for me, so hopefully my second jacket will be to your liking.

And I like my basic 3oz naked cowhide, it's thick and supple, I respect everyone's entitled to their opinion, no offense taken, you could say that I have a thick skin...

But again, my apparent poor materials choice is besides the point of this discussion. What will it cost for 5* to make you a jacket with leather you provide?

Thank you, I will send you DM.

 

[TheDonEffect]

No need for DM but feel free to do so, I think for the sake of this objective discussion it would be great info to share to help others decide for themselves.

 

[Hh121]

All i'm seeing is out of focus leather, what am i missing?

Is this one better?

 

[TheDonEffect]

Ok out of respect to Hh121, I won't share verbatim the information that was shared with me via DM, the only information I think I can share is shipping leather to Pakistan will run 170.

So $500 for horween, $170 for shipping it to Pakistan, and using my earlier conservative estimate of $100 for 5* to take my provided leather and produce a completed jacket and ship it back to me, net total is $770. Again, assuming $100 is the price for remaining materials, labor, and delivery.

While $200 is alot of money, I think when you're already spending over 700, I think most will agree this is not much much cheaper.

 

[Seb Lucas]

But again, my apparent poor materials choice is besides the point of this discussion. What will it cost for 5* to make you a jacket with leather you provide?

The labour costs for a jacket in Pakistan is likely to be around $20.

 

[TheDonEffect]

The labour costs for a jacket in Pakistan is likely to be around $20.

No doubt, but I was guesstimating $100 for the remaining materials, labor, shipping, and profit. Shipping is probably the biggest input in that equation, otherwise I'd estimate alot less.

 

[Hh121]

Ok out of respect to Hh121, I won't share verbatim the information that was shared with me via DM, the only information I think I can share is shipping leather to Pakistan will run 170.

So $500 for horween, $170 for shipping it to Pakistan, and using my earlier conservative estimate of $100 for 5* to take my provided leather and produce a completed jacket and ship it back to me, net total is $770. Again, assuming $100 is the price for remaining materials, labor, and delivery.

While $200 is alot of money, I think when you're already spending over 700, I think most will agree this is not much much cheaper.

You are absolutely not wrong about that, that's why I wouldn't order the premier run hide to five star.( At least in first time)
I am trying to argue the base price of JL is too high (only compare to 5 star), I think is from $600? As I mentioned in our conversation, there are many great hide with cheap price. The total price of 5star (use non-Horween hide) is still much cheaper than JL (naked cowhide and other regular hide).

 

[Seb Lucas]

If I were sending leather, I'd be sending hardware and lining too.

 

[Marc mndt]

How can shipping be $170?

I just checked a few parcel carriers. Shipping up to 5kg from the Netherlands to Pakistan costs €32.

Maybe shipping from the US to Pakistan will be a bit more. But 5 times more?

 

[Hh121]

How can shipping be $170?

I just checked a few parcel carriers. Shipping up to 5kg from the Netherlands to Pakistan costs €32.

Maybe shipping from the US to Pakistan will be a bit more. But 5 times more?

$170 is a estimate number it also includes imported tax.

 

[Mich486]

Shipping fully insured internationally gets very expensive very soon. I also think leather can be folded only to a certain extent so it’s the weight that matters but also the size of the box. I recently paid way more than €32 just to ship a 7kg box across Europe.

 

[El Marro]

Shipping fully insured internationally gets very expensive very soon. I also think leather can be folded only to a certain extent so it’s the weight that matters but also the size of the box. I recently paid way more than €32 just to ship a 7kg box across Europe.

That’s a really good point. When I received my leather from Horween it was shipped to me inside of a heavy cardboard cylinder, much like one would use to ship a large poster. I have had the unfortunate experience of purchasing leather jackets that were folded into too small a box and to this day still have crease marks across the back. These marks do not go away and for that reason I would be very careful when it came to shipping leather to be used on a new jacket.