Good Wear Leather Modoc question

[Dr H]

I've just put an order in for one of these and I'll liaise with John over the coming months to settle on the specifications.

I prefer lighter weight jackets (I'm not a fan of heavy steer or heavy horsehide) and generally prefer a well pebbled goat or lighter weight horsehide that will show some wear. I'd prefer a darker jacket (not black, not oil pull) so it's likely to be a very dark russet or a seal.

I don't like tartan (or strong thread contrasts), so it'll be a more subdued lining.

Does anybody have any experience with this jacket to offer advice on colour/hide combinations?

Thanks

 

[Seb Lucas]

That's beautiful. Is it his 1950's Californian? Really has the vibe of a vintage jacket, which not all the repro people can do. It's partly in the collar. I don't have one but I nearly ordered one just as you say - dark, lighter leather. I'd do a light HH myself. I do like a tartan lining but only a cotton one. But a nice rayon or a brown cotton drill would be perfect too. My only comment would be to get it a little longer than the one john is wearing. I'd prefer the look of it an inch or so longer.

 

[AdeeC]

Can't offer much other than impressed. I say, young and lean go shorter. Older and broader go longer.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hmm - you may be right but I'm tall and very lean. Always find that short jacket just makes me look like I'm wearing the jacket of an organ grinder's monkey.

 

[ProteinNerd]

I'm just over 6 months ahead of you in the queue then

I love this jacket!

 

[Dr H]

I'm just over 6 months ahead of you in the queue then

I love this jacket!

Which hide are you going for PN?

 

[Dr H]

Can't offer much other than impressed. I say, young and lean go shorter. Older and broader go longer.

Thanks for the advice ADC. I'm generally the same dimensions as John Chapman, although a little shorter in the arm (he's also 6', I'm 5'9", so this particular jacket would have worked for me).

I'll take the advice and go a little longer in the torso.

 

[Dr H]

That's beautiful. Is it his 1950's Californian? Really has the vibe of a vintage jacket, which not all the repro people can do. It's partly in the collar. I don't have one but I nearly ordered one just as you say - dark, lighter leather. I'd do a light HH myself. I do like a tartan lining but only a cotton one. But a nice rayon or a brown cotton drill would be perfect too. My only comment would be to get it a little longer than the one john is wearing. I'd prefer the look of it an inch or so longer.

Thanks Seb - I'll look into lighter weight horsehides. I have a rayon lining in my M-442, but I like the idea of a cotton drill, or a herringbone cotton twill liner if it's available.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Which hide are you going for PN?

I'm trying not to think about it too much as I've still got a significant wait ahead of me and don't want to drive myself crazy chopping and changing my mind on all the details. The plan is to go as classic as possible.

Shinki HH definitely
Most likely Seal (I've got an Aero premier half belt in Black so no need to double up)
Probably a tartan lining.

Basically the one John is wearing in the picture you posted is what I think of when I think of a Californian so thats pretty much what I want.

 

[handymike]

If I didn't already have my Imperial, I'd get one of these!
The Shinki is the bomb!
I love the Dark Seal.

 

[Dr H]

I'm trying not to think about it too much as I've still got a significant wait ahead of me and don't want to drive myself crazy chopping and changing my mind on all the details. The plan is to go as classic as possible.

Shinki HH definitely
Most likely Seal (I've got an Aero premier half belt in Black so no need to double up)
Probably a tartan lining.

Basically the one John is wearing in the picture you posted is what I think of when I think of a Californian so thats pretty much what I want.

I agree with all those observations - that image is a classic style and, aside from the tartan, I'll probably go down the same route in a seal.

I'm not really that familiar with Shinki horsehide, roughly what weight is it?

 

[devilish]

Shinki is fairly heavy but not Aero FQHH heavy. It also softens fairly quickly. I think your best bet might be Italian veg tanned HH. John can get one that is really nice and the seal is a lovely color. I think I would go with a light colored or red rayon lining for a little contrast. However I would have an inch or two of leather around the back inside edge to prevent the dreaded lining sag.

 

[ButteMT61]

Here's what I'd add.
Dark seal Shinki. It's fantastic for what you want.
Ask JC to do the cuffs lined in leather as opposed to the lining coming all the way down.
add a tinge of added dimension to sleeves and body. Shinki seems to have tightened up in length on mine and I think one other. Nothing awful (for me at least) but other than that, I got the fairly subdued lining that JC shows on the site. I owe some followup pics here, so maybe I can get that going this week.
I love my jackets, but this is the one I use 75% of the time or more. It's also the lightest weight, so that helps.

 

[Carlos840]

Without the pleats in the back it's pretty much the same jacekt as the ELMC californian! Worth having a look at it if you want to avoid waiting a million years...
Very nice jacket though.

 

[Sloan1874]

I've personally never experienced the shinki shrink, but the Dust Bowl I have that is made from it is one of my favourite jackets. I would say it comes very close in weight to the Italian HHs, too: my A-2 is made from the leather JC uses for his, and I found no difference in the heft of the pair.

 

[ButteMT61]

I got wet a couple times. Not drenched, but a little wet. I'm sure it was a tad of length loss as the lining did drop slightly. JC fixed it free well over a year.5 after I bought it. That's the kind of guy he is. I think as a hide (not having any of this new Italian stuff that's all the rage) the Shinki HH is just about as perfect an all-around hide as one could want. But like others said, don't over-think it. Simple is the key to this line of jackets, and it sounds like you have what you want in mind. Don't mess with a good thing.

 

[Dr H]

Simple is the key to this line of jackets, and it sounds like you have what you want in mind. Don't mess with a good thing.

Good advice Scott.

Thanks for input everybody.

Carlos, it's a good plan, but I'm in no great hurry and if I had the ELC I'd only hanker after the GW.

I have a goat LVC Menlo that's going nowhere, so HH would make most sense.

I'm going to look at a darker brown or seal (not a really dark seal) Shinki and a Vincenza to see which is the most flexible and lower weight.

An inch or two around the back inside edge (thanks devilish), leather lined cuffs (Scott).
Slightly longer torso.
A lighter coloured Rayon or twill.

Plenty to discuss with JC in due course.
Cheers

 

[handymike]

I think leather lined cuffs are standard for the Modoc.
The olive lining that Butte has is a thin wool, and looks great with the darker browns. It's what I have!

 

[ButteMT61]

I think leather lined cuffs are standard for the Modoc.
The olive lining that Butte has is a thin wool, and looks great with the darker browns. It's what I have!

Thanks Mike! Good to know about the cuffs. It's so much better than having liner IMHO. And yes, the lining is great, subtle, and very robust. I can also wear it in fairly warm weather too. Doesn't itch with just a T-shirt. Over two years and no wear showing on it.

This is also the first jacket I didn't use Pecards on. I usually treat my leather lightly (sans the FQHH HBD) twice a year. I use Vaseline now based on JC's info, and I can say that I love how the Shinki responds to it. I worry about the collars in HH jackets as looking at vintage items, you see lots of rot in that area - esp the part where it bends over. Assuming it's from the acids and salts from sweat, I clean and lightly condition that more depending on how much I wear it and how often it's collarless shirt.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Without the pleats in the back it's pretty much the same jacekt as the ELMC californian! Worth having a look at it if you want to avoid waiting a million years...
Very nice jacket though.

It is very similar to the ELMC, which I love btw. The big difference is this will be custom made to my measurements, not an off the rack fit. I'm not in a hurry, so I'm happy to wait.

As for the Shinki vs Vicenza Italian Vegetable Hide, both are very very similar and both really nice.

Comparing my two jackets in these two hides, I'd say Shinki has more grain (at least at the start) and is a little bit (but noticeably) lighter and thinner but there isn't a huge difference between them. I dont think you wouldn't really notice the weight difference if you didn't have the two to compare directly but it is there.