Leather advice for a very very newbie.

[ChubbMuff]

Good Evening Gentlemen,

Like many, I have been a long time lurker on this site having discovered it whilst on the quest for vintage and custom leather. I am at a point where I want to pull the trigger on a jacket and would like input from any of you who don't sharing some of your time and wisdom. My taste is different from many of you (I am not a fan of Irvins, A2s, B-10s or pea coats) - *gasp* - and I don't ride a bike. But before you pick up the rocks to start hurling, I aint about posing or looking like I do ride a bike, fly a plane, drive a tank or spend my days leaning against Spitfires holding a spanner. I would describe my style as kind of 70's (love a boot cut jean with a wide belt and some heals) with a bit of Western and a smidge of Rocker. I like a longer style of blazer jacket, I would love to be able to wear a more Rocker/Ace Cafe style in black but old man time is tapping me on the shoulder and slapping me doses of reality with his hourglass of eternity.

So what the hell am I doing on this site?

Well, you guys seem to know more about horse hide, goat skin, russet (I now know that's a colour!), arm length (you gotta allow for the creases - they take like an inch!), styles, vintage, restoration and brands than I'll ever know. Ever. Ever ever ever, even if I opened a boutique shop selling hand sewn replica WWII era jackets made from albino Bunyip leather that I sourced after spending 10 years travelling to every specialty leather maker and doing a 6 month apprenticeship with each one.

So my question is this. My 40th is coming up an I am seriously looking at getting a custom jacket done. I love this one but it is a Japanese shop and I think brand and apart from being eye-wateringly expensive they don't seem to do above a 40. I am between a 42 and 44 in a Schott. I don't want mega thick HH because we just don't get cold enough where I live in Australia and I also don't need protection from the road. I have also read that a softer leather will sit nicer on a blazer style, so whilst I drool over the character, grain and look of your brown and cardovan (it's a colour - I learnt that here as well!) FQHH I think they would be over and above what I need. Want someone I can speak to who is actually going to be making the jacket if possible.

The jacket I luuuurve:
http://shop.mushmans.com/?pid=21068597

So please, if you could share some of your wisdom I would be eternally grateful. If not, go in peace my friend and may your days be filled with Windwards, Stockmans, Stuarts, D-Pockets, Irvins, Aeros, Lost Worlds (is that guy unique or what!), Goodwears and lucky vintage finds on ebay.

Cheese!

 

[Dav]

Aero will make you a jacket in lighter hide than FQHH if that is what you desire, why not give them a call/email, I'm sure they could accommodate your wishes.

 

[Spitfire]

Nice jacket. And welcome. I would go for Aero as well. They do great work and are very service oriented.

 

[HighandDry]

Love that jacket!

Aero would be the one to talk to or Goodwear, but I don't think either have a blazer style jacket.

 

[Graemsay]

I like the jacket you found, ChubbMuff.

I believe that Aero used to do a blazer style, so if you ask they might be able to dust off the pattern. Whilst it's not a blazer, they do a version of the Type III in leather. Someone on another forum has just ordered one.

Whilst it's not what you're looking for, they had a very tasty Ricky jacket in their secondhand section a few months back. So it's possible that there are other options not listed on the site.

Another option would be the Pegasus Safari Jacket.

I rather like this style, even if it is a bit Seventies for most here.

 

[ChubbMuff]

Thanks for the replies gents, I had feeling you would all be recommending Aero

Graemsay: those top two jackets are nice but to short for me. And I want lapels Man, sliding over the bonnet of my V8 to catch an escaping "perp" kinda lapels - know what I mean? Now that Safari Jacket...that is getting somewhere I can slip into. Are Pegasus willing to modify? Do you know much about them?

 

[ChubbMuff]

I love the yoke on this one, it's still a longer style jacket but has a western/70's feel to me.

http://shop.mushmans.com/?pid=37772719

Maybe an Aero Stewart with a bit more length, a funky yoke and a lose the top button to allow for some lapel? Can this sort of thing be done?!

 

[Dav]

Well I've just ordered a Teamster from Aero with a yoke only back, so to me that sounds like it's getting close to what you have in mind.

 

[nick123]

Find a few images of jackets having qualities you like, come up with a sketch outlining what you are looking for, and call up/email Johnson Leather. They will make you a jacket based on what you are looking for, and the horsehide they carry is a bit thinner, I believe.

 

[nick123]

If you go to their website, you won't find many (stock) choices. But click on the "custom gallery" and you will see the extent of their custom jobs. Pretty intense.

P.S. I'm about as new as it gets as well. But I too have picked up valuable information by lurking this forum. It can be difficult/intimidating starting out.

 

[ButteMT61]

I love the yoke on this one, it's still a longer style jacket but has a western/70's feel to me.http://shop.mushmans.com/?pid=37772719 Maybe an Aero Stewart with a bit more length, a funky yoke and a lose the top button to allow for some lapel? Can this sort of thing be done?!

Hard to say, but in the end, the yoke's on you lol

 

[ChubbMuff]

Well I've just ordered a Teamster from Aero with a yoke only back, so to me that sounds like it's getting close to what you have in mind.

I will keep a look out for it if you post some pics. I really like Aeros but find they can look a little bulky, I like a more fitted look (to hide my alluring hint of gut). For example I love the look of the front of the Hercules but it looks too boxy in the body. I also love the Goodwear Arcadia, it's like shorter Hercules but a bit too short. But the 70's/Western style sings to my soul Dav so I gotta go with what makes the old heart happy.

It can be difficult/intimidating starting out.

I hear ya Man so thanks for being such a sport. Some of those custom leathers are freaky - thanks for the tip.

Hard to say, but in the end, the yoke's on you lol

Dude! Your comedic talents are so wasted on this forum!! :eusa_clap

 

[ButteMT61]

I think Aero would make something like that. But, in lieu of an expensive custom from Aero, LW, etc., you might want to scope out eBay for a while...tons and tons of classic coats up there daily. And yeah, sorry for the bad joke

 

[ChubbMuff]

I think Aero would make something like that. But, in lieu of an expensive custom from Aero, LW, etc., you might want to scope out eBay for a while...tons and tons of classic coats up there daily.

I have fired an email off to Aero so we shall see what they say. I have been scoping eBay for a long while now but it's really hard to know what the quality is like on these styles of jacket. So much of the stuff seems really nasty it can be hard to tell if the stitching, leather etc is really nice. The jackets most of you guys covet are very timeless and hence I suppose there is always the market for top notch quality stuff year in year out. Because what I want is much more fashion oriented, a lot of what was made is just crap. But the on the other hand all the really really cool stuff (East West, Gandalf etc) is just super expensive and as rare as hen's teeth.

And yeah, sorry for the bad joke

Don't apologise! My posts are full of bad jokes - I was kinda half applauding your humour. I have an 18 month old son so all Dad Jokes are greatly appreciated.

 

[JanSolo]

Here's one that's similar in style, manufactured by The FEW (Real McCoys):

A very sleek and stylish jacket with a yoke that I like much better than the yoke on the jacket you posted. The FEW make excellent stuff. It's pricy though but being in Australia shipping charges wouldn't break your neck...

 

[JanSolo]

BTW: Sizes go up to 46!!

http://www.c-king.jp/fewhome/fewhome.html

 

[Edward]

Honestly, if it's a Seventies style leather blazer you're after, unless you're very determined on a specific pattern, I would suggest you hunt eBay and elsewhere for vintage. Original Seventies jackets seem to still be reasonably plentiful, and as they've not yet quite developed the same vintage cachet as forties and fifties, they'll be much cheaper.

 

[Graemsay]

Graemsay: those top two jackets are nice but to short for me. And I want lapels Man, sliding over the bonnet of my V8 to catch an escaping "perp" kinda lapels - know what I mean? Now that Safari Jacket...that is getting somewhere I can slip into. Are Pegasus willing to modify? Do you know much about them?

A few people have Pegasus jackets round here, and the proprietor posts from time-to-time. They look nice in the pictures, but I haven't seen one in the flesh.

No idea if they do custom work. Drop them a line and ask.

 

[John in Covina]

Does Thurlow still make jackets? I recall them having some classic cafe racer type jackets.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Honestly, if it's a Seventies style leather blazer you're after, unless you're very determined on a specific pattern, I would suggest you hunt eBay and elsewhere for vintage. Original Seventies jackets seem to still be reasonably plentiful, and as they've not yet quite developed the same vintage cachet as forties and fifties, they'll be much cheaper.

Problem with 1970's jackets is that of the dozens I have seen and handled, very few are well made and the leather is often pretty thin or fragile.

I have to say that Pegesus blazer look spretty cool. It also looks like a hunting jacket from a much earlier time.