Himel Bros jacket, 1st winter update

[ton312]

You obviously didn't understand what I wanted to say: If you get a new car with scratches, for example, you complain immediately and don't wait months... these defects are so obvious that even someone who is not experienced can see them. Whether and how the manufacturer would have reacted if these flaws had been reported immediately can be speculated about... (a refund within 2 weeks after receiving?) but, however, such a jacket should never have left the factory.

If memory serves (and I could be wrong) Jeo was issued a remake after the two week period for returns had passed. While I agree that it would have been better to bring this up as soon as received, I can also understand why it wouldn't be. I just don't think that makes much difference either way...but yes, absolutely. The jacket is clearly a wildly blown QC check.

 

[58panheadfan]

You can't send a product to a customer and then ask them to "find the flaws yourself". ...

That's true, but this bad stitching is so obvious that a blind person can see them!

 

[58panheadfan]

If memory serves (and I could be wrong) Jeo was issued a remake after the two week period for returns had passed. While I agree that it would have been better to bring this up as soon as received, I can also understand why it wouldn't be. I just don't think that makes much difference either way...but yes, absolutely. The jacket is clearly a wildly blown QC check.

@ton312 ... I can also understand why it wouldn't be... ??

Sorry I can't follow, if a small wobbling is overlooked, yes, but the jacket is a total disaster in terms of the seams/stich work, everyone and I mean everyone who has paid so much money for a jacket would have climbed the walls and would have immediately picked up the phone, written a complaint email and returned the jacket with the order to make a new one or get a refund.

 

[58panheadfan]

I feel like he's trying to gaslight his customers.

It's not bad construction quality you're seeing. We were never about construction quality. We are about creativity. Didn't you understand that?

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Regardless of the sh*it the manufacturer is currently spouting on IG... I've always annoyed being called "his" tribe... if then he's "my" tribe, the boy has undoubtedly a lot of experience when it comes to vintage clothing but he still sh*it his pants, as I was already wearing the "made in Japan" clothes that are so highly valued today and worn from him too.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

10% off next order is non starter and quite disappointing. For my own personal metrics, I would have felt better about 10-20% refund or something like that (similar to a factory second or b grade product). Maybe throw in a free hat too : ) Not the ideal resolution by any means, but better imo. Don't think a remake was on the table, perhaps because of the public airing, span of time, etc.. Lots of mistakes mostly from Dave, but at same time I can understand that from his POV (not saying it's totally right), he's not going to win anybody over by remaking the jacket at his cost. Honestly, how many here would then say, oh cool, he's a good guy actually, I now think better of the brand and will buy a jacket from him? It will probably cost him some people that were on the fence, but I don't think he would have changed anyone's opinion about whether the jackets are worth it or not.

 

[red devil]

I feel like he's trying to gaslight his customers.

It's not bad construction quality you're seeing. We were never about construction quality. We are about creativity. Didn't you understand that?

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So, in the end he never had the guts to do what he said. i.e.. answering in the "chosen complaint platform" and he keeps posting rubbish on Instagram.

What a small man.

@Damon141 , I am sorry it ended up like this. I do not know how I would feel in your situation, but I can only repeat that I am sorry it went like this. Last time, I suspect Himel was pushed into offering the remake by people who knew him. This time there were probably not there.

I know it is not a consolation, but this thread should act as a stark warning to anybody new to this hobby about the kind of business run by Himel.

Anybody deciding to order a Himel after seeing this thread would likely be someone buying these "bespoke" hats that come in pre-defined sizes... what an utter joke.

 

[58panheadfan]

So, in the end he never had the guts to do what he said. i.e.. answering in the "chosen complaint platform" and he keeps posting rubbish on Instagram.

What a small man.

@Damon141 , I am sorry it ended up like this. I do not know how I would feel in your situation, but I can only repeat that I am sorry it went like this. Last time, I suspect Himel was pushed into offering the remake by people who knew him. This time there were probably not there.

I know it is not a consolation, but this thread should act as a stark warning to anybody new to this hobby about the kind of business run by Himel.

Anybody deciding to order a Himel after seeing this thread would likely be someone buying these "bespoke" hats that come in pre-defined sizes... what an utter joke.

As I said, the future will show where the journey will go, I don't know how much influence this forum has on the reputation of a manufacturer, but now everyone can make up their own mind whether they want to buy a Himel leather jacket or not after reading this thread... we should start a poll

 

[marker2037]

You obviously didn't understand what I wanted to say: If you get a new car with scratches, for example, you complain immediately and don't wait months... these defects are so obvious that even someone who is not experienced can see them. Whether and how the manufacturer would have reacted if these flaws had been reported immediately can be speculated about... (a refund within 2 weeks after receiving?) but, however, such a jacket should never have left the factory.

Scratches are something you can put in the car yourself, just like scuffs in the leather. I think a better analogy would be "the interior piping color on the seats are a different color than what it's supposed to be. I didn't realize it at first, but after looking closer it's definitely wrong." Like the stitching, it's not something a customer would be able to manipulate on their own.

 

[red devil]

As I said, the future will show where the journey will go, I don't know how much influence this forum has on the reputation of a manufacturer, but now everyone can make up their own mind whether they want to buy a Himel leather jacket or not after reading this thread... we should start a poll

Not a bad idea lol

I know that there have been quite a few disagreements in this thread. But I am happy it has stayed civil and it is a very interesting thread with good information so far.

Edited for clarity

 

[58panheadfan]

Scratches are something you can put in the car yourself, just like scuffs in the leather. I think a better analogy would be "the interior piping color on the seats are a different color than what it's supposed to be. I didn't realize it at first, but after looking closer it's definitely wrong." Like the stitching, it's not something a customer would be able to manipulate on their own.

However, this should only be an example if the vehicle has scratches not caused by the buyer... I think the gentle reader has understood what it is about

 

[Marc mndt]

everyone and I mean everyone who has paid so much money for a jacket would have climbed the walls and would have immediately picked up the phone, written a complaint email and returned the jacket with the order to make a new one or get a refund.

Yes but what if you were told by the maker that inconsistencies are to be expected because bespoke and cotton thread. Also, you've never handled a 'bespoke' leather jacket before so there's nothing you can compare it to. No frame of reference. I can imagine how an uneducated buyer might not realize right away that his jacket is actually a total dud.

 

[58panheadfan]

Yes but what if you were told by the maker that inconsistencies are to be expected because bespoke and cotton thread. Also, you've never handled a 'bespoke' leather jacket before so there's nothing you can compare it to. No frame of reference. I can imagine how an uneducated buyer might not realize right away that his jacket is actually a total dud.

Yes and no, no with the photos that OP sent us of his jacket... even an uneducated buyer can see something is wrong here.

Just a selection of the flaws:

 

[Damon141]

Regardless of the answer you got but you should have noticed all these flaws you listed here within seconds of receiving the jacket!?

Should have but I was in denial partially, partially not wanting to be a nuisance, partially not looking at it enough because of summer weather, partially due to my inexperience in handling this level of garment.
And a big part to initial reaction to having s jacket that fit my frame, I've tried so many off the rack brands but having a 46"-47" chest circumference at a 5'9" structure, everything was too long in torso and especially sleeves.

Did I mention that I bought a basically unused Himel Kensington from the classifieds here which didn't fit, then I purchased a Lewis Leather Sportsman At a terrible time during their transition when RIP left the company and the gave them my measurements and responded with crazy numbers, so I asked for a refund which went on for weeks so I had to reverse the charge. I'm sure they are back to normal now just bad timing due to employee turnover.
Then I ordered from Thedi and we had limited time to put something together because he takes a yearly holiday and we got so far as the measurements and me asking for payment information but he responded later apologizing for not getting back to me because he didn't see my email, he asked if I still wanted him to make me a jacket, I told him yes in the future but I had a couple pending that need to arrive. Ridiculously nice guy.

So all in all these experiences and lack of knowledge and experience led to me dropping the ball, none of the companies I mentioned are particularly at fault, all circumstantial and bad timing.

This Himel on the other hand should not have passed inspection no matter how long I waited, why is the customer at fault for not knowing what they should receive?

 

[58panheadfan]

Should have but I was in denial partially, partially not wanting to be a nuisance, partially not looking at it enough because of summer weather, partially due to my inexperience in handling this level of garment.
And a big part to initial reaction to having s jacket that fit my frame, I've tried so many off the rack brands but having a 46"-47" chest circumference at a 5'9" structure, everything was too long in torso and especially sleeves.

Did I mention that I bought a basically unused Himel Kensington from the classifieds here which didn't fit, then I purchased a Lewis Leather Sportsman At a terrible time during their transition when RIP left the company and the gave them my measurements and responded with crazy numbers, so I asked for a refund which went on for weeks so I had to reverse the charge. I'm sure they are back to normal now just bad timing due to employee turnover.
Then I ordered from Thedi and we had limited time to put something together because he takes a yearly holiday and we got so far as the measurements and me asking for payment information but he responded later apologizing for not getting back to me because he didn't see my email, he asked if I still wanted him to make me a jacket, I told him yes in the future but I had a couple pending that need to arrive. Ridiculously nice guy.

So all in all these experiences and lack of knowledge and experience led to me dropping the ball, none of the companies I mentioned are particularly at fault, all circumstantial and bad timing.

This Himel on the other hand should not have passed inspection no matter how long I waited, why is the customer at fault for not knowing what they should receive?

I can understand your explanations and your frustration but nothing will change about the matter, I'm sorry for you. Only the painful and expensive experience will remain and hopefully make you pay attention to these things right from the start when making future purchases.

Also we can talk for pages in this thread about what should have been, but it won't really get you any further. Best thing is if you check things off and, if at all possible, enjoy a perfectly fitting jacket made from undeniably beautiful materials.

Edit: I also believe this thread has run out of steam... but it was always an interesting conversation and, as already stated, was conducted in a factual and fairly fair manner.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Yes, in an ideal world @Damon141 would have returned the jacket in the 2 week grace period but it's not like the he has ripped or damaged the jacket in any way. This is how it was sent to him, either Himel feels this is an acceptable representation of the quality of his brand or he doesn't. Ultimately, only he can decide that.

Personally, for the money that would have been paid for this, I don't think it should have been sent out in the first place. Or they should have sent photos and offered the options of a discount or a remake rather than try and "sneak it past" someone. That way the buyer can decide if it's worth a 10% discount or whatever and still walk away satisfied with their purchase.

Lets be honest, if this were an off the rack jacket, you would grab the next one on the rack and leave this behind.

 

[Damon141]

I can understand your explanations and your frustration but nothing will change about the matter, I'm sorry for you. Only the painful and expensive experience will remain and hopefully make you pay attention to these things right from the start when making future purchases.

Also we can talk for pages in this thread about what should have been, but it won't really get you any further. Best thing is if you check things off and, if at all possible, enjoy a perfectly fitting jacket made from undeniably beautiful materials.

Edit: I also believe this thread has run out of steam... but it was always an interesting conversation and, as already stated, was conducted in a factual and fairly fair manner.

I will definitely inspect things further from now on, also I will buy from people with a respectable reputation, there are so many.
On top of that, Mr Proper said something that was wise, tell the manufacturer what is important to you so that you can see if you can click together, something like that but it sounded good.

I think the thread will die out eventually but it being open is also important for brand awareness, people have the right to know what kind of company they are dealing with and to sink this thread abs hide it away would reward bad behavior, and obviously it's just another thread which people can choose to or not to take part in. But TFL is one of a kind for advice on these products so the public will know.

Yes, in an ideal world @Damon141 would have returned the jacket in the 2 week grace period but it's not like the he has ripped or damaged the jacket in any way. This is how it was sent to him, either Himel feels this is an acceptable representation of the quality of his brand or he doesn't. Ultimately, only he can decide that.

Personally, for the money that would have been paid for this, I don't think it should have been sent out in the first place. Or they should have sent photos and offered the options of a discount or a remake rather than try and "sneak it past" someone. That way the buyer can decide if it's worth a 10% discount or whatever and still walk away satisfied with their purchase.

Let's be honest, if this were an off the rack jacket, you would grab the next one on the rack and leave this behind.

Yeah, let's sneak this by the customer that I spoke to which told me that this was his first major jacket purchase.

His assistant even insulted me further saying basically he gave me a discount because of my financial situation, like I cried poor. I don't advertise my finances to leather jacket makers.

Truth be told, he called me on my cell phone in June telling me he was following up on an information request, I emailed them several months earlier asking them for info and must have given my cell #.
Anyway it was June, middle of a hot Florida summer and obviously caught off guard by his personal phone call, I told him that it was an expensive purchase and I'd have to think about it. Keep in mind this guys a salesman, self proclaimed vintage clothes dealer, so he said something of the sorts that he could give me a discount (because I think I mentioned that the Pinecrest was $2,200 on his site) if I chose steerhide, so all in all I paid $2,300 for the jacket because I wasn't Concerned with having this leather or that, I had already ordered and put deposits on 2 Fields Leather jackets which were made from Shinki so Variety is the spice of life.

So basically his follow up or his assistant's was to tell me how poor I was and that I should be so grateful to even have the opportunity for a discount Himel bros jacket.

Some nerve!!!


If they were nice about it, i would have possibly paid the leather cost though I shouldn't have to, not my mistake

 

[MrProper]

Should have but I was in denial partially, partially not wanting to be a nuisance, partially not looking at it enough because of summer weather, partially due to my inexperience in handling this level of garment.
And a big part to initial reaction to having s jacket that fit my frame, I've tried so many off the rack brands but having a 46"-47" chest circumference at a 5'9" structure, everything was too long in torso and especially sleeves.

Did I mention that I bought a basically unused Himel Kensington from the classifieds here which didn't fit, then I purchased a Lewis Leather Sportsman At a terrible time during their transition when RIP left the company and the gave them my measurements and responded with crazy numbers, so I asked for a refund which went on for weeks so I had to reverse the charge. I'm sure they are back to normal now just bad timing due to employee turnover.
Then I ordered from Thedi and we had limited time to put something together because he takes a yearly holiday and we got so far as the measurements and me asking for payment information but he responded later apologizing for not getting back to me because he didn't see my email, he asked if I still wanted him to make me a jacket, I told him yes in the future but I had a couple pending that need to arrive. Ridiculously nice guy.

So all in all these experiences and lack of knowledge and experience led to me dropping the ball, none of the companies I mentioned are particularly at fault, all circumstantial and bad timing.

This Himel on the other hand should not have passed inspection no matter how long I waited, why is the customer at fault for not knowing what they should receive?

I'm sorry for you. Very annoying.
Anyone here in the forum who has an Instagram account could of course post these pictures as a cautionary tale and link Himel to them. However, I doubt that this will change anything.

If it was my jacket, I would probably sell it. But since you have very specific measurements, it probably won't be that easy.
But since the jacket fits you really well, I would wear it and not baby it until the seams are no longer noticeable. Or you can go over the seams with a dark pencil. They seem to be made of cotton.

If the jacket has been worn for a few years, it will still look cool.

 

[Damon141]

I'm sorry for you. Very annoying.
Anyone here in the forum who has an Instagram account could of course post these pictures as a cautionary tale and link Himel to them. However, I doubt that this will change anything.

If it was my jacket, I would probably sell it. But since you have very specific measurements, it probably won't be that easy.
But since the jacket fits you really well, I would wear it and not baby it until the seams are no longer noticeable. Or you can go over the seams with a dark pencil. They seem to be made of cotton.

If the jacket has been worn for a few years, it will still look cool.

you remind me if his recent video which explained how to dye light thread dark.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp8MXcOAhkZ/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cp8LAFmA-An/?hl=en


Coincidence?

 

[TheDonEffect]

OP, as Mr Proper mentioned, you could try to sell it, maybe a Himel fan will buy it since they got a good example or two and having a flawed one may add character to the collection, lol.

Yeah, as I said before, end of the day you still got a jacket that looks good on you, and before knowing all this you were happy with. Sometimes it's best to not know how a sausage is made, I tend to be a very forgiving person by nature, but this Himel topic I suppose conjures up alot of past conversations where people took a somewhat smug/enlightened position regarding stitch count, design originality, essentially spreading the word of Himel, so seeing another thread like this, and seeing Himel's response, well here we are 12 pages later.

 

[Monitor]

Maker dropping a jacket so half-assed that it wouldn't pass Zara's child labor sweatshop QC? It happens. When it comes to Himel, God knows it happens.

But (dis)missing that one single & only opportunity to become an absolute legend, a champion & a hero by writting off a $150 worth of leather, few meters of thread and a couple of zippers, remaking the jacket for the customer you deliberately tried to scam, with one "sorry" thrown into the mix, all that in front of literally the only audience that you can ever expect will give you money?

How freaking dumb do you have to be?