Impulse buy - Vanson Octagon B Deluxe

[tropicalbob]

PA that particular jacket has long intrigued me and look forward to seeing what arrives and how it fits.

Ditto.

 

[navetsea]

Congratulations - great looking jacket and I love the color.
Here's a pic of my Hailwood -

View attachment 33914

wow that is real cool, nice collar to

 

[dan_t]

Love it Pawnieguy!
I'm not familiar with this model, are those small shoulder gussets on the rear?
The shoulders do seem to be 'squared off', is that just this photo & would you expect them to soften & fit your natural shape with wear?

 

[nick123]

When I saw that jacket listed on eBay, I liked it too. That's a hard one to resist.

 

[jacketjunkie]

dan_t, from my experience Vansons pattern are quite good, better than most for a matter of fact, so I wouldn't worry about badly constructed shoulders. They tend to run a bit big, though, from my experience.

 

[IXL]

I own a Model B and a House Deluxe Model B. The shoulders are indeed a bit squared but will soften a bit. After wearing one of these jackets for several years though, I do believe that the shoulder construction will always be a bit sharp compared to many other designs, but much less than the "80s throwback" look of the jacket when new.

I'm just waiting foe PW to get this jacket, decide to flip it after a brief while, and sell it to me for a good deal. It's a good plan unless, of course, he decides to actually keep the darn thing!

 

[Edward]

Looks nice, but it'd be much better without the lacing. Never did care for side-lacing. Definitely impressed by what I've seen of Vanson's manufacture, though. If I was looking for a cafe racer, they'd be in contention.

 

[IXL]

Edward, if you are referring to any variation of he Model B, none features lacing. Some also lack the side belts.

 

[pawineguy]

Love it Pawnieguy!
I'm not familiar with this model, are those small shoulder gussets on the rear?
The shoulders do seem to be 'squared off', is that just this photo & would you expect them to soften & fit your natural shape with wear?

The gussets are actually much bigger than they appear, they give a lot of freedom of movement. I'll get better shots of them up when the jacket arrives tomorrow.

I agree with the other answers as far as the shoulders go, they definitely are square but will round out as the leather looses some of its stiffness. I think the initial look is partly because of the design and partly due to stiff leather.

 

[pawineguy]

I own a Model B and a House Deluxe Model B. The shoulders are indeed a bit squared but will soften a bit. After wearing one of these jackets for several years though, I do believe that the shoulder construction will always be a bit sharp compared to many other designs, but much less than the "80s throwback" look of the jacket when new.

I'm just waiting foe PW to get this jacket, decide to flip it after a brief while, and sell it to me for a good deal. It's a good plan unless, of course, he decides to actually keep the darn thing!

At least let me try it on first before you make an offer!

 

[Surferbruce]

I've drooled over the eBay pictures recently too. Love the Octagon color. I have a black PLU-3 (Comet) that is great, but I'm psyched to see some fit pics. The Model B looks to have higher armholes than the comet and with the gussets it should fit really nice. I've put my Vanson through the ringer and back breaking it in and the stuff is darn near invincible it seems...great score.

 

[IXL]

At least let me try it on first before you make an offer!

Well, okay, but try not to get it dirty, would'ya.........

 

[Sockeye]

PA, would you say the collar sits like the aero board racer?

 

[pawineguy]

PA, would you say the collar sits like the aero board racer?

Yes, very similar.

 

[pawineguy]

I've drooled over the eBay pictures recently too. Love the Octagon color. I have a black PLU-3 (Comet) that is great, but I'm psyched to see some fit pics. The Model B looks to have higher armholes than the comet and with the gussets it should fit really nice. I've put my Vanson through the ringer and back breaking it in and the stuff is darn near invincible it seems...great score.

Your Vanson PLU-3 is a fantastic jacket and really fits you well.

I think the first fit pictures that I post will be a little bit underwhelming, as I could probably squeeze into a 40 in this jacket, but since I will need to layer under it I went with a 42 for a slightly more relaxed fit. I believe it will take a little breaking in and molding to my body for it to start really looking good. Regardless, I'll post the pics tomorrow so everyone can at least see the color and how it fits in general, as well as a review of the leather, construction, etc...

 

[Edward]

Edward, if you are referring to any variation of he Model B, none features lacing. Some also lack the side belts.

No, it's more the like of the Thunderbird or the Dominator I'd be looking into. Maybe the Dominator as it has that more 'British' style to it that is less close to my Schott 618. I really like the Hardcore and the Highwayman, but both have the side-lacing. Maybe if I could order one without that....

Vanson are attractive price-wise in the UK; can usually find one new for GBP500, which compares favourably to a lot of the competition. That's the sort of money you'll often see new Schotts at.

 

[pawineguy]

Jacket arrived safely this morning, thanks Carrie. The Octagon is definitely softer than the black comp weight jacket I owned, and will be easier to break in. Which actually means it is still stiffer than almost any other jacket I've owned. The pictures up on Thurston's eBay page are the most accurate to date. I will try to capture the color also, but I can tell you that the orange is not pronounced at all, as other owners have noted. Much more brown / tan. The jacket is sewn in a light brown thread that is contrasting but doesn't stand out much because of all the colors that you can find in this jacket. It's the usual Vanson quality, built like a tank, straight stitching, big zips and that solid feel that I really don't get from any other jacket. (Even ones that are the same thickness just don't have the same feel because of Vanson's heavy waxing and top coat application)

A few quick pictures until I have time later to put up some fit pics. The bottom picture is a close up of the grain on the darkest panel on the jacket. It has some serious color variation across the jacket.

 

[Sockeye]

Beautiful color variation! Really an outstanding addition. I look forward to your comments on the fit!

 

[Fanch]

Chris, it is a fantastic looking jacket! How does it fit and feel compared say to your Sheene?

 

[pawineguy]

Chris, it is a fantastic looking jacket! How does it fit and feel compared say to your Sheene?

I'd say the leather is of approximately the same weight, it was just confirmed that the Octagon is right around 3.0 oz. The Vincenza is softer and more flexible than Octagon.

The B Deluxe is a much straighter fit from top to bottom, with only a small amount of taper. The Vanson is a tall rectangle, with the squared off shoulders and a little bit of flair at the waist. If you didn't measure it you would think that it was almost the same dimension all the way from the chest to the waist.