Both are great, but this one’s 10/10. That certain Canadian lounger really is a source of treasures, as I was able to find out myself.
-
The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.
Johnson Leather Jacket
- Thread starter Jin431
- Start date
Both are great, but this one’s 10/10. That certain Canadian lounger really is a source of treasures, as I was able to find out myself.
bootsonatrain
New in Town
- Messages
- 27
I’m local and JL remade this cxl jacket and there’s still a bit of excess material in the chest. Will the folding / creasing improve over time?
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,708
Yes and No. Yes CXL will relax a bit and contour better over time. No the Barneveld pattern is a roomier pattern and it will not get to the slim level of say a M200 jacket or the KDL-72 jacket.
This is quite unfortunate but I am certain the "Barneveld Remix" design can also work on either the M200 or the KDL-72 pattern block.
Barneveld Remix Size M P2P 23"
M200 Size 42 P2P 22"
KDL-72 Size 42 P2P 21.5"
The slimmest is the KDL-72 pattern block, but it has underarm footballs, so it actually has better range of motion than the M200 imo. I like this pattern block the best, just needs a few tweaks.
I believe a KDL-72, with custom button cuffs, custom bottom band, custom wing collar, custom pocket setup, should be able to tick all your boxes.
Basically smash the Barneveld Remix design onto the KDL-72 pattern building block.
This is actually something I wanted to do myself. A Barneveld Remix 3 Mulholland Edition...
This is quite unfortunate but I am certain the "Barneveld Remix" design can also work on either the M200 or the KDL-72 pattern block.
Barneveld Remix Size M P2P 23"
M200 Size 42 P2P 22"
KDL-72 Size 42 P2P 21.5"
The slimmest is the KDL-72 pattern block, but it has underarm footballs, so it actually has better range of motion than the M200 imo. I like this pattern block the best, just needs a few tweaks.
I believe a KDL-72, with custom button cuffs, custom bottom band, custom wing collar, custom pocket setup, should be able to tick all your boxes.
Basically smash the Barneveld Remix design onto the KDL-72 pattern building block.
This is actually something I wanted to do myself. A Barneveld Remix 3 Mulholland Edition...
tuanhng614
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 112
What’s the hide on each of those jackets? The M200 pattern looks really nice as well.
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,708
Barneveld - 4oz goatskin sourced by JL, semi aniline
M200 - Overdye CXL HH
KDL-72 is heavy shrunken Nigerian goatskin sourced by me, Tusting & Burnett.
tuanhng614
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 112
It seems that you have sourced a lot of different hides by yourself. Do you always target A grade? Is B grade acceptable?
Featured products
-
Alden 403 Moc Toe Boot - Brown Chromexcel - $680 The classic "Indy" style Alden Boot in the classic Horween brown Chromexcel. -
Grant Stone Diesel Boot Dark Olive Chromexcel - #395 Goodyear welted, Horween Chromexcel, classic good looks. -
Himel Bros. - The Ross Mk. 1 Leather Jacket Classic D-pocket motorcycle/aviator style jacket.
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,708
Difficult question. I buy A, A/B, B grades. At the volume I’m buying, two to three hides at a time, there’s no difference, just price difference. But if I were to buy in bulk I’m sure I can spot the variance. One major thing about leather is consistency for the maker. But I’m getting just for one jacket at a time so it has nothing to compared to. Hope I’m making sense.
On the other hand, Shinki is getting delivered tomorrow!
Two beautiful JL’s in one weekend. Both look custom made for you. You truly embraced your moniker….The jacket…..
TheDonEffect
Practically Family
- Messages
- 623
The eagle has landed, Shinki is now at JL.
TL;DR: It's great.
So here it is, as you can tell there's a good amount of graining and character right out the box, and it seems to develop more character very quickly.
So how is the stiffness? Not very stiff, at all, look at how flexible it seems to drape. Also, note the suede side, this picture does a bit of a better job capturing the actual color, but still doesn't represent it quite as well as it is a tad darker and warmer.
Photos don't accurately capture the suede side all that well, I'm not camera smart enough to figure it out but there's definitely more of a red earthy tone to it, very pretty, whereas the photos make it looks more like CXL tan.
I also gotta say, the underside is very nicely finished and less rustic feeling than CXL, but admittedly I don't have a ton of experience with this so I'll let more knowledgeable people chime in on that.
Speaking of CXL, here is a side by side with CXL. You'll note that CXL starts out much flatter, almost uniform, and as you crack it, as I call it, it reveals the beautiful texturing. This particular sample of CXL is more mid matte, not that matte but not that shiny as some batches can be, but the texture is still more new and not broken in yet. So you can see the different in graining between the two. Moreover, I think the bigger takeaway here is that if you like the character of CXL, you'll love this Shinki as it does not seem to lack any of the textural qualities of CXL and comes with more right out the gate.
CXL on the left.
Which brings us to stiffness, here is a sample of CXL, it really is stiff (full 3oz), it's pretty much like construction paper, very easy to stand.
Now I didn't want to cut up the Shinki, but it was immediately evident that it will not behave the same, behaves much more like textile than paper product. If CXL is thick card/construction paper, then Shinki is more heavy raw denim in terms of stiffness. A CXL jacket will absolutely stand on its own with almost no effort, I think the Shinki will need to be manipulated to stand on its own if it even does.
The hides came rolled up and wrapped, and unrolling it, it unraveled like a textile, it didn't have memory like CXL which would need a minute to flatten out. If I laid it all flat, I could probably grab one end and make waves.
Also, note the underside color in this photo.
Again, side by side with CXL on the left.
This is Masaye leather (non teacore) on the left. I was actually surpised how much character the Masaye had. For some reason, I remember it looking more flat, but side by side it really held its own. For those who know the Masaye, I feel Shinki was actually a little less stiff than even Masaye, or at least tied, meaning this is going to be very wearable right out the box.
And their new offering, Phantom Black HH (non-teacore) on the left. This Phantom black is a 2.75oz, for those who wanted a black aniline Shinki, this may be your answer, I mean they're pretty much identical, and it has more of the sheen you see on alot of the Japanese Shinki jackets. Stiffness wise, more than Shinki but alot less than CXL, much closer to Shinki than CXL.
Couple other notes. The black color is deep and rich, so it has that inky quality to it. However, it doesn't have the pronounced shine that say a Fine Creek Leather has. There is a good amount of sheen to it, more so than the CXL they had on hand which has a decent amount of shine to it, but IIRC the Japanese jackets seem to really shine. I know those makers do apply their secret sauces to these leathers. Also, some of the JDM jackets I remember feeling like it had more of a crust if you will, like a starched jacket, which probably produces more defined, sharp creases. Personally, I could do without that.
I spoke to Damon about the shine aspect and he cracked out some conditioner which actually brightened it right up, so if that's what you're after, ask for the conditioner. Stock I think is just fine and in natural lighting it's probably going to shine quite a bit, but I agreed to be the guinea pig for this anyway, lol. I think the pictures captured the sheen pretty accurately. I took the photos under a ceiling light with no flash at a little bit of an angle to not obstruct the overhead lighting. JL's lighting is not dim but it's not anywhere near daylight bright, so their jackets tend to look a little more matte in store but tend to shine a ton more outside.
Also, the smell, definitely has a fruity quality to it. I'm partial to CXL myself, perhaps it's loyalty, but the Shinki does not disappoint.
In summary, it's great. It's near impossible to find a teacore black leather that's immediately wearable and has the HH character we love about hides like CXL, yet still distinctive in its own right.
CXL does seem to give a sense of indestructableness in its armor like approach, and I think that's where its notoriety came from, people actually wearing it as motorcycle jackets. But as JL, Vanson, etc will tell you, their soft steerhide does the business in that regard, and this Shinki will absolutely do it as well.
And yes, I made my order, lol. Stock M200 with my measurements.
Finally, thank you to the almighty @Canuck Panda for making this happen.
TL;DR: It's great.
So here it is, as you can tell there's a good amount of graining and character right out the box, and it seems to develop more character very quickly.
So how is the stiffness? Not very stiff, at all, look at how flexible it seems to drape. Also, note the suede side, this picture does a bit of a better job capturing the actual color, but still doesn't represent it quite as well as it is a tad darker and warmer.
Photos don't accurately capture the suede side all that well, I'm not camera smart enough to figure it out but there's definitely more of a red earthy tone to it, very pretty, whereas the photos make it looks more like CXL tan.
I also gotta say, the underside is very nicely finished and less rustic feeling than CXL, but admittedly I don't have a ton of experience with this so I'll let more knowledgeable people chime in on that.
Speaking of CXL, here is a side by side with CXL. You'll note that CXL starts out much flatter, almost uniform, and as you crack it, as I call it, it reveals the beautiful texturing. This particular sample of CXL is more mid matte, not that matte but not that shiny as some batches can be, but the texture is still more new and not broken in yet. So you can see the different in graining between the two. Moreover, I think the bigger takeaway here is that if you like the character of CXL, you'll love this Shinki as it does not seem to lack any of the textural qualities of CXL and comes with more right out the gate.
CXL on the left.
Which brings us to stiffness, here is a sample of CXL, it really is stiff (full 3oz), it's pretty much like construction paper, very easy to stand.
Now I didn't want to cut up the Shinki, but it was immediately evident that it will not behave the same, behaves much more like textile than paper product. If CXL is thick card/construction paper, then Shinki is more heavy raw denim in terms of stiffness. A CXL jacket will absolutely stand on its own with almost no effort, I think the Shinki will need to be manipulated to stand on its own if it even does.
The hides came rolled up and wrapped, and unrolling it, it unraveled like a textile, it didn't have memory like CXL which would need a minute to flatten out. If I laid it all flat, I could probably grab one end and make waves.
Also, note the underside color in this photo.
Again, side by side with CXL on the left.
This is Masaye leather (non teacore) on the left. I was actually surpised how much character the Masaye had. For some reason, I remember it looking more flat, but side by side it really held its own. For those who know the Masaye, I feel Shinki was actually a little less stiff than even Masaye, or at least tied, meaning this is going to be very wearable right out the box.
And their new offering, Phantom Black HH (non-teacore) on the left. This Phantom black is a 2.75oz, for those who wanted a black aniline Shinki, this may be your answer, I mean they're pretty much identical, and it has more of the sheen you see on alot of the Japanese Shinki jackets. Stiffness wise, more than Shinki but alot less than CXL, much closer to Shinki than CXL.
Couple other notes. The black color is deep and rich, so it has that inky quality to it. However, it doesn't have the pronounced shine that say a Fine Creek Leather has. There is a good amount of sheen to it, more so than the CXL they had on hand which has a decent amount of shine to it, but IIRC the Japanese jackets seem to really shine. I know those makers do apply their secret sauces to these leathers. Also, some of the JDM jackets I remember feeling like it had more of a crust if you will, like a starched jacket, which probably produces more defined, sharp creases. Personally, I could do without that.
I spoke to Damon about the shine aspect and he cracked out some conditioner which actually brightened it right up, so if that's what you're after, ask for the conditioner. Stock I think is just fine and in natural lighting it's probably going to shine quite a bit, but I agreed to be the guinea pig for this anyway, lol. I think the pictures captured the sheen pretty accurately. I took the photos under a ceiling light with no flash at a little bit of an angle to not obstruct the overhead lighting. JL's lighting is not dim but it's not anywhere near daylight bright, so their jackets tend to look a little more matte in store but tend to shine a ton more outside.
Also, the smell, definitely has a fruity quality to it. I'm partial to CXL myself, perhaps it's loyalty, but the Shinki does not disappoint.
In summary, it's great. It's near impossible to find a teacore black leather that's immediately wearable and has the HH character we love about hides like CXL, yet still distinctive in its own right.
CXL does seem to give a sense of indestructableness in its armor like approach, and I think that's where its notoriety came from, people actually wearing it as motorcycle jackets. But as JL, Vanson, etc will tell you, their soft steerhide does the business in that regard, and this Shinki will absolutely do it as well.
And yes, I made my order, lol. Stock M200 with my measurements.
Finally, thank you to the almighty @Canuck Panda for making this happen.
Great, I will be sending the measurements to JL and discussing the design.
And of course I too want to convey my thanks to the leather master @Canuck Panda for his efforts
And of course I too want to convey my thanks to the leather master @Canuck Panda for his efforts
tuanhng614
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 112
Just your review on the leather itself is such a rich info dump. I love it!
Can’t wait to see the end product.
I’m in touch with JL on how to get my measurement across until I can make it to the shop around November.
Canuck Panda
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,708
Thanks to the Don for all the photos.
Yes, the Japanese makers can customize their Shinki. There are three shine levels, the ones at JL is the middle one. The Japanese can also custom an oil top finish on top of the three different top coat shine levels. This can easily be done at home with a coat of conditioner. The RMC Buco goes one step further and over dyes the flesh side with rusty brown dye so the tea core looks more aged. We unfortunately can't get the customized levels the Japanese get unless we order the batch quantity they do. And they do that so when their jackets hangs inside the stores they don't compete with each other directly/negatively, every one is just so slightly different.
The biggest advantage of Shinki Teacore is Shinki Teacore. It is also it's biggest disadvantage. If you are looking for blacked out leather this is not it. It would probably be the new Phantom black JL has becasue the Masaye I have is more like deep charcoal peaking through black, and the Shinki teacore is teacore.
Some people like stiff jackets. Shinki is not, but it's also not floppy soft. Very wearable from new yet still have heft.
I would still say if you can fit into a Japanese Shinki jacket go for it. I do this whenever I get a chance. But Japanese jackets are harder and more expensive to find and their patterns are on the slimmer side. This makes bringing Shinki to JL makes sense. American sized jackets using Shinki.
Anyways, I think I brought in enough for 5 jackets. I am doing a G-1, and there is 3 spots left. Everyone pays what I paid. Let's just call it $300 (7.50*40sf). I will post a thread in the Classified. This is very clean cutting high grade leather and given the 5 jacket batch I think JL should be able to make it work for all 5 jackets.
I will also give Damon my Shinki contact. This could be a back up source when Horween or his European horsehide deliveries have issues. All great hides, just different finishing styles.
Thanks to Don again for all the photos. Photo 4 and 7 best captured what Shinki teacore is all about. I have different shine level Shinkis but they all behave the same. Much like CXL may vary from batch to batch but the behavior is very unique to CXL.
Yes, the Japanese makers can customize their Shinki. There are three shine levels, the ones at JL is the middle one. The Japanese can also custom an oil top finish on top of the three different top coat shine levels. This can easily be done at home with a coat of conditioner. The RMC Buco goes one step further and over dyes the flesh side with rusty brown dye so the tea core looks more aged. We unfortunately can't get the customized levels the Japanese get unless we order the batch quantity they do. And they do that so when their jackets hangs inside the stores they don't compete with each other directly/negatively, every one is just so slightly different.
The biggest advantage of Shinki Teacore is Shinki Teacore. It is also it's biggest disadvantage. If you are looking for blacked out leather this is not it. It would probably be the new Phantom black JL has becasue the Masaye I have is more like deep charcoal peaking through black, and the Shinki teacore is teacore.
Some people like stiff jackets. Shinki is not, but it's also not floppy soft. Very wearable from new yet still have heft.
I would still say if you can fit into a Japanese Shinki jacket go for it. I do this whenever I get a chance. But Japanese jackets are harder and more expensive to find and their patterns are on the slimmer side. This makes bringing Shinki to JL makes sense. American sized jackets using Shinki.
Anyways, I think I brought in enough for 5 jackets. I am doing a G-1, and there is 3 spots left. Everyone pays what I paid. Let's just call it $300 (7.50*40sf). I will post a thread in the Classified. This is very clean cutting high grade leather and given the 5 jacket batch I think JL should be able to make it work for all 5 jackets.
I will also give Damon my Shinki contact. This could be a back up source when Horween or his European horsehide deliveries have issues. All great hides, just different finishing styles.
Thanks to Don again for all the photos. Photo 4 and 7 best captured what Shinki teacore is all about. I have different shine level Shinkis but they all behave the same. Much like CXL may vary from batch to batch but the behavior is very unique to CXL.
TheDonEffect
Practically Family
- Messages
- 623
Thanks again Canuck for making this happen!
Some additional points, I didn't inspect every last hide, but the ones I did pretty much look like the ones in the pictures, very consistent but still characterful. Really great supplier, did not feel like we got seconds or anything like that.
So much so that Damon seems to be impressed with the leather and is now working to get this stocked, so looks like this may be an option moving forward. With Canuck's generousity, may be an opportunity to get in at cost with this batch because it would be bad form to bring your own leather if they offer it in store.
Thanks again Canuck, you are a wealth of knowledge, thanks for articulating the shine apect. JL has the conditioner that does the trick, Damon did a small sample for me and it shined it right up. I don't care about the shine/gloss more than I liked how it made the black look blacker, lol, like a high end designer purse, so if you're looking for that top coat shine akin to the JDM jackets, ask for the conditioner. He did advise though it does wear off (no surprise), but it literally took all of a few seconds to apply it and a few minutes for it to cure. And it doesn't rub off or leave a residue for any wondering, didn't feel any different than rubbing CXL or anything.
And I'll reiterate, for those wanting a dyed through option, that Phantom black may be it, seeing it side by side really highlighted that aspect, and even the Masaye.
Some additional points, I didn't inspect every last hide, but the ones I did pretty much look like the ones in the pictures, very consistent but still characterful. Really great supplier, did not feel like we got seconds or anything like that.
So much so that Damon seems to be impressed with the leather and is now working to get this stocked, so looks like this may be an option moving forward. With Canuck's generousity, may be an opportunity to get in at cost with this batch because it would be bad form to bring your own leather if they offer it in store.
Thanks again Canuck, you are a wealth of knowledge, thanks for articulating the shine apect. JL has the conditioner that does the trick, Damon did a small sample for me and it shined it right up. I don't care about the shine/gloss more than I liked how it made the black look blacker, lol, like a high end designer purse, so if you're looking for that top coat shine akin to the JDM jackets, ask for the conditioner. He did advise though it does wear off (no surprise), but it literally took all of a few seconds to apply it and a few minutes for it to cure. And it doesn't rub off or leave a residue for any wondering, didn't feel any different than rubbing CXL or anything.
And I'll reiterate, for those wanting a dyed through option, that Phantom black may be it, seeing it side by side really highlighted that aspect, and even the Masaye.
So, @Canuck Panda do we pay you for the leather? and how do we do that? Through the classifieds thread? And will there be enough hide from your imported shinki for a car-coat type which, according to Damon requires about 47 sqft?
newtojackets
Practically Family
- Messages
- 977
Could anyone share some information about this jacket. I bought it used and the seller said it was a Johnson.
I’m curious about the era, leather type etc.
Thanks!
I’m curious about the era, leather type etc.
Thanks!
Alan@JohnsonLeather
Vendor
- Messages
- 105
- Location
- San Francisco
This is one of the labels we used for a few shops in the bay area from 1990 through 2000.
The leather is a 3.5oz. naked cowhide.
The leather is a 3.5oz. naked cowhide.
newtojackets
Practically Family
- Messages
- 977
Thanks!
Bluechel
Practically Family
- Messages
- 993
Score.
Hey all
Just ordered my second custom made jacket (first one was a 5star halfbelt) from Johnson.
I went with a custom cafe racer, mix of their n-200/cr-76 in brown Horween cxl 3.25oz.
Will post back when I get it, with pictures.
Ordering process was smooth with Damon. He responds quickly!
Just ordered my second custom made jacket (first one was a 5star halfbelt) from Johnson.
I went with a custom cafe racer, mix of their n-200/cr-76 in brown Horween cxl 3.25oz.
Will post back when I get it, with pictures.
Ordering process was smooth with Damon. He responds quickly!
tuanhng614
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 112
Does this jacket belong to anyone with the latest Shinki batch sent to JL?
