Leather Olympics - Your Top 3

[mendelboaz]

Mendelboaz!!!!! I hate this post!!! I've been working with Alan from JL on a jacket made in the 4.25 cxl overdye. Your post makes me want to scrap it and get the 641HH!!! Just when I thought I had it all figured out you go and do this..

Sorry man.. What ya gonna do?

The CXL overdye is supposed to be very nice! What style are you going with?

 

[Plumbline]

Winter ....

Eastman ANJ-4






Non-Winter :

Alexanders "Adventurer" custom build .. Horween Brown Warhawk





Bike :

Alexanders "Detroit" in Horween Bison





In Non-Leather :

Schott 1980's 740N Naval Peacoat ... one of the finest coats ever produced IMHO !!!

 

[pawineguy]

In no particular order:

Vanson Model B Deluxe - Thurston's improvements made this such a great riding jacket for us taller guys, and moves right into casual use when required.



Aero Sonoma Cafe Racer in tumbled brown FQHH - mine is only a week and a half away now, and can't wait to see how it looks in person. When a hide is particularly nice, I prefer it on a simple jacket which focuses more on the leather.



Aero Bootlegger - I have to reuse a pic previously posted, because it's a great shot and he pulls it off so well... thanks HoosierDaddy. I could never (IMO) pull off a Perfecto, but the simplified design of the bootlegger makes this a jacket with much wider appeal. It may be my next order.

 

[nick123]

Mendelboaz!!!!! I hate this post!!! I've been working with Alan from JL on a jacket made in the 4.25 cxl overdye. Your post makes me want to scrap it and get the 641HH!!! Just when I thought I had it all figured out you go and do this..

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the overdye leather. Color aside, the steerhide is substantial (in a good way) and is of very good quality. I prefer it to horse.

 

[oneterrifichog]

Hmmm top 3? They constantly change that's the problem. So in no particular order here are the 3 I think I like the most:

The Lost Worlds Trojan:

The Lost Worlds J-23 in Brown Horsehide, (former Bike):

The Lost Worlds B-2 (New Favorite Just Arrived)

Really Like this B-2

 

[Edward]

Aero Bootlegger - I have to reuse a pic previously posted, because it's a great shot and he pulls it off so well... thanks HoosierDaddy. I could never (IMO) pull off a Perfecto, but the simplified design of the bootlegger makes this a jacket with much wider appeal. It may be my next order.

Do it! It's a great jacket. When I ordered mine, I had no idea just how much wear I'd get out of it, or just how flexible a style it is. Mine has been worn possibly more than any of my other jackets.

The Lost Worlds B-2 (New Favorite Just Arrived)

This is nice. I love the B2 as a design; I've long wished Aero would take it on. There's only, to my knowledge, Buzz Rickson and Lost Worlds doing it much - I suppose it doesn't have the glamour of having been worn during wartime. Your looks much nicer than other LW versions I've seen - it's the lighter coloured collar, I think. Enjoy!

 

[Sloan1874]

B2 looks fantastic, you'd never feel the cold with that collar.

 

[Damo]

Sorry man.. What ya gonna do?

The CXL overdye is supposed to be very nice! What style are you going with?

I'm sticking with JL. I'll shelf the 641hh till next year.

I received a sample of the cxl overdye and it's great. Very rich dark brown, 4.25 ounce, soft and supple. It's funny, I find myself carrying the sample around in my pocket and often scrunching it my hand and also smelling it. I may have a problem. I'm going for a cafe racer style. M-200 base, adding snaps on collar, zippers on outside bottom pockets and to the sleeves. Also adding side buckles. The hardware will be brass. I really like the brass with the dark drown colour. And I think I may add a little length to it. I want it to sit at or just below my belt line.

 

[Damo]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the overdye leather. Color aside, the steerhide is substantial (in a good way) and is of very good quality. I prefer it to horse.

Nick, I got a sample and I really like it and love the colour. I can't compare it to horsehide cause I've never seen or touched it but really who cares... I know what I like and me really likes the cxl overdye!!!

 

[pawineguy]

Do it! It's a great jacket. When I ordered mine, I had no idea just how much wear I'd get out of it, or just how flexible a style it is. Mine has been worn possibly more than any of my other jackets.

Well, I ordered the new Thurston / Aero CrossZip which I should receive in the next few hours instead, but it's of a similar, belt less design. Pretty excited.

 

[nick123]

Nick, I got a sample and I really like it and love the colour. I can't compare it to horsehide cause I've never seen or touched it but really who cares... I know what I like and me really likes the cxl overdye!!!

It's good stuff. Horween chromexcel, same as Aero. I have it in the shaved down 3.25oz, which is considerably thinner, but I wouldn't be put off by the 4oz. The steer is quite comfortable. It's easier to move in out of the box (more supple than FQHH, doesn't have the cardboard feel), but it will probably take quite a bit longer to fully break in than the horse. Good news is you don't feel like you're fighting it in the process.
I've worn it several times in short increments over the course of six months or so (a few minutes each day to start the break in process, as it's too warm to wear here in CA at this moment), and so far there's no dramatic color loss. Just a few minute areas where it scratched against a wall. It will be some time before the brown begins to show, unless I do some hard physical activity in it.

 

[Blackadder]

Do it! It's a great jacket. When I ordered mine, I had no idea just how much wear I'd get out of it, or just how flexible a style it is. Mine has been worn possibly more than any of my other jackets.



This is nice. I love the B2 as a design; I've long wished Aero would take it on. There's only, to my knowledge, Buzz Rickson and Lost Worlds doing it much - I suppose it doesn't have the glamour of having been worn during wartime. Your looks much nicer than other LW versions I've seen - it's the lighter coloured collar, I think. Enjoy!

There is also the Few B-2
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/MODEL_13_14.html
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/img/model_13_14/AN13-011-01.jpg
For some reason the photos on their website are not showing on my computer.
http://www.thefewmfg.com/details.cgi?no=AN14-011&name=LEATHER_FLIGHTJACKET_

 

[Edward]

Well, I ordered the new Thurston / Aero CrossZip which I should receive in the next few hours instead, but it's of a similar, belt less design. Pretty excited.

Enjoy - look forward to seeing photos. I think I saw a prototype of that at Aero in July... reminds me a bit of the one johnny Depp wore in Cry Baby, way back when. Very pared down Perfecto style, except his did have the front half-belt. Just handwarmers, though - no ticket pocket no chest pocket. A really simple, clean look that works really well. I could be tempted by one of these, maybe in goat, but the J106 comes first....

There is also the Few B-2
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/MODEL_13_14.html
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/img/model_13_14/AN13-011-01.jpg
For some reason the photos on their website are not showing on my computer.
http://www.thefewmfg.com/details.cgi?no=AN14-011&name=LEATHER_FLIGHTJACKET_

Nor for me either... They do some gorgeous stuff, though. Hadn't realised - looking at the first of your links - they they do civilian repros too. Some really nice stuff there that we just don't see here. I especially love the look of this one:

Reminds me vaguely of the jacket Jude Law wore in Sky Captain.

 

[Sloan1874]

All so lovely, but all so, so expensive.

 

[Stand By]

[QUOTEReminds me vaguely of the jacket Jude Law wore in Sky Captain.[/QUOTE]

Man, not thought about that film for sooo long since I watched it in the cinema when it was released … I wonder if it's still as bad as I remember???

 

[Blackadder]

Yes, they do make some very lovely civilian jackets as well. It is their Precision line. I was looking to bid on a used "The Wild One" a while back but it went up to over 130,000 yen and I gave up. Kind of regret that because that was the old horsehide hand dye brown model which they stopped making. The hand dye produce a very nice contrast.
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/img/2009_10_catalog/image12.jpg

The new one is steerhide.

 

[Edward]

All so lovely, but all so, so expensive.

Ain't that the truth!

Man, not thought about that film for sooo long since I watched it in the cinema when it was released … I wonder if it's still as bad as I remember???

I missed it in the cinema, and caught it on DVD. Personally I loved it, but I think it helped that the alternative timeline didn't bother me (e.g. the AVG having been active in 37/38). I imaginr if you hated it then, though, it won't have "improved"...

Yes, they do make some very lovely civilian jackets as well. It is their Precision line. I was looking to bid on a used "The Wild One" a while back but it went up to over 130,000 yen and I gave up. Kind of regret that because that was the old horsehide hand dye brown model which they stopped making. The hand dye produce a very nice contrast.
http://wriver.com/gorilla/goods/few/img/2009_10_catalog/image12.jpg

The new one is steerhide.

Yeah, scary money. I suppose they have a collectability factor that could arguably balance that out in the right location, but still.... That's been the great thing about Ken's creative renaissance at Aero - he's producing a lot of new designs, civilian stuff, of a level that hasn't bee nseen outside Japan for some time. Aero are just a bit easier on the pocket, though! I'd love to see a variation of something vaguely like the sheepskin I posted above, based on the Thunder Bay. A sort of Bootlegger Bay, so to speak.... I'd love to get to Japan sometime to get to see this stuff in person; be nice to look even if I can't afford.

 

[Sloan1874]

I'd love to get to Japan sometime to get to see this stuff in person; be nice to look even if I can't afford.

Same here. The Yen has come back down against the pound, but it's the taxes etc that force back up to unfeasible levels. If I make it there, I'll take a spare suitcase, that's for sure.

 

[bretron]

#3 Aero Dustbowl (modified front)

#2 GW Monarch A2 / NorShor NS1 (itsa tie)

#1 BK Aeronaut A1 (my next jacket )

 

[mendelboaz]

Dustbowl fits you to a tee! Wonderful! What are those engineers, MP Toe (no celastic) Wesco Boss?