Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
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Born in Oakland
Made in Scotland
Sold in Oakland (S.S.)
Made in Scotland
Sold in Oakland (S.S.)
The comparison I keep drawing to is Thedi. They both have a similar ethos to their companies, but with Thedi you are getting a style that is more uniquely Thedi, and as far as I know he's making the jackets or is intimately involved with the process.
OP's Himel jacket is an East Coast Peter's. Or an aviator leathertog with a fan back. Very interesting design actually. I am quite certain a shop like San Fran's Peter's existed on the East Coast during that time period. And they most likely made the exact/similar jacket as OP's Himel. But the quantity is so scarce (like the Peter's) that no one know they existed.
I've read that Dave Himel was in the old jackets trade before he started the HB brand. Only he would know what went through his hands. Easier now with smartphones and built in cameras. But it wasn't long ago we were still taking photos with film, then big digital cameras.
The vintage off white deer/elk was a nice touch. Elevates the whole thing.Yep, actually, he did a deep dive video on the Chevalier, the model I purchased, where he discusses the origins of the jacket. You're correct. Mainly, he added the expansion gusset / 'western' back (which I like a lot). The Chevalier takes cues from the Leathertogs jacket and the Buco J31, RMC makes a J31 repro, and Freewheelers also makes their Centinela, which is a badass jacket. I was looking for those before deciding on the Langlitz repro model (Comstock), since it was cheaper than all of those options, and customizable. As you know from my review, that didn't materialize, but the Chevalier is a really similar model. It is streamlined in a way that I really like, but it is as expensive as any other option.
I don't agree with the pair beats ace analogy for leather jackets overall, but I do agree that technically, returns start to diminish around 1.2-1.5k.Pair beats Ace.
The overall ROI on leather jackets starts to diminish around the $1.2k mark.
Why, could you elaborate?I'd also take my $250 Vanson over two Schotts.
What if I told you there was a jacket that was equivalent to your Vanson in terms of pattern comfort, and it was made in premium leather like Badalssi/Shinki, for under $1.5K. Would you consider to add it to the line up next to your Bodie?I don't agree with the pair beats ace analogy for leather jackets overall, but I do agree that technically, returns start to diminish around 1.2-1.5k.
It depends on the jacket. I'd rather have my Freewheelers Bodie than 4 $1k jackets, and it only cost me $2k. I'd also take my $250 Vanson over two Schotts. When we're talking about something like that, it's much more subjective.
It's quite a common practice actually for companies to buy the brand rights of no longer in business companies in order to use them for their current product offering. Think RMC and Buco, GW and California Sportwear. Or the Volkswagen Group and Bugatti, SAIC Motor and MG.
(Modern Bugatti cars are not design copies of original Bugatti cars, just like Simmons jackets are not copies of Simmons Oakland designs)
It depends on the jacket. I'd rather have my Freewheelers Bodie than 4 $1k jackets, and it only cost me $2k. I'd also take my $250 Vanson over two Schotts. When we're talking about something like that, it's much more subjective.
Spoken like a true San Fran native. I say the same about just everything new (2000 and newer) in Vancouver too. Haha.Standard and Strange caters to hipsters who pose as socially conscious locals, mostly from SF or silicon valley, who like to loudly complain about gentrification, that they caused. I hope S&S didn't stock Simmons because it says Oakland on the label, but they honestly probably did.
Standard and Strange caters to hipsters who pose as socially conscious locals, mostly from SF or silicon valley, who like to loudly complain about gentrification, that they caused. I hope S&S didn't stock Simmons because it says Oakland on the label, but they honestly probably did.
Field?What if I told you there was a jacket that was equivalent to your Vanson in terms of pattern comfort, and it was made in premium leather like Badalssi/Shinki, for under $1.5K. Would you consider to add it to the line up next to your Bodie?
I am also searching for this jacket. Haha.
Field?
Well he said he's searching for it...He's posing a hypothetical.
However, he is looking for "terms of pattern comfort" and I'm afraid at least the old patterns from FL can't keep up with Vanson on these points at the moment. Maybe the new patterns are better.Well he said he's searching for it...
Furthermore, why is it, would you say, that many TFL members happily & with an equal amount of love, own Freewheelers, RMC's, FLC's, Vansons AND Schotts, holding them in equal merit?
Same way, some day you will get a hold of a good Schott that will make you realize a good Schott is the reason why aforementioned members, alongside many other people, have these absolutely stunning jackets hanging on the same rack, between the best vintage pieces & the absolute top shelf of Japanese repros.
Spoken like a true San Fran native. I say the same about just everything new (2000 and newer) in Vancouver too. Haha.
On a related note I do find it genuinely hilarious that S&S is obsessed with politics, gives interviews that seem to suggest they see themselves as more of a political movement than a store, go on about "conscious" consumption, etc… then are the main overseas stockists for Simmons Bilt.
I understand that many people think there's no point emphasizing SB's criminal origins any longer, but even if you don't, I think there's a lot of humor to be had in the fact that a store that has turned "ethics" into a marketing buzzword has that partnership, hahaha.
I’d say the Schott is the winner in this comparison !I'm one of those people . I enjoy my FW every bit as much as I enjoy my Schott.
Not that it matters but since we're comparing prices: the Schott was less than 1/10th of the price of the FW, literally (both were bought second hand).
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Ross Langlitz passed. when I visited Langlitz about 2002 Ross's son-in-law dave was running the shop. The cutting and sewer work in the back of the display room.Yes, true on all counts. Even if Himel is considered the artist or the master in this case, I don't think he's ever been the actual cutter or sewer, more a creative director type, who has analyzed the patterns and identified some styles and hides to offer via his brand. So it's more his entire team is the group of artists at his shop, remaking modified or repro versions of masterpieces (while giving tier 3 service due to there being no 'dealer' middleman, as you work directly with the 'director').
I work as a lead artist in my career, too, but if I treated a client like I was treated, I would certainly hear about it from my boss. David did apologize on the phone, but there wasn't really much done about it, and the relationship did even seem to degrade further from there, so there wasn't any real course correction besides the fact that I got my jacket a couple weeks later.
Most jackets we drool over these days are reproductions, so I can't really fault him on that aspect of his business. Even esteemed joints like RMC are strictly repros of golden era masterpieces. Fashion houses like Dior Homme, Junya Watanabe, etc. all directly take influence from those, too, and just remix them. Even a heritage brand like Lewis Leathers, as much as I love their designs, is basically run by new owners who have the rights to the name and all the old patterns, not by the family or original designers themselves.
Is Aero still run by its original owners? I think Langlitz and Schott might be. Such heritage brands are probably the closest thing you can get to the product being made by the masters, when it comes to leather jackets, anyway.