Leather Police Jackets

[Edward]

I own a vintage Philadelphia police coat in horsehide. Gorgeous jacket, very flattering. I have been searching for quite a long time for repro of these jackets (the Philly and NYPD one) in horsehide. Is there any on the market right now?
Hi! Never took the proper time to introduce myself, since I have been only reading pages on this forum and learned way more than I could contribute. Today isn't different. But since it is my first post, the time feels right.
I have been into vintage jackets (or repro) for as long as I could afford my own and usually hunt in thrift shops and flea markets but you know. Internet is now my best chance to keep feeding the beast and each quest leads back to this place.

Taylors sell an NYPD - not sure whether the Philly is the same, but it seems you can order the NY one with Philly-crested buttons in gold or silver...

https://taylorsleatherwear.com/coll...e-leather-double-breasted-long-highway-jacket

 

[Gerald Parel]

Thanks for the answer! I checked them and it seems they don't ship outside of the US. I will email them and see what thy say.

 

[dannyk]

I own a vintage Philadelphia police coat in horsehide. Gorgeous jacket, very flattering. I have been searching for quite a long time for repro of these jackets (the Philly and NYPD one) in horsehide. Is there any on the market right now?
Hi! Never took the proper time to introduce myself, since I have been only reading pages on this forum and learned way more than I could contribute. Today isn't different. But since it is my first post, the time feels right.
I have been into vintage jackets (or repro) for as long as I could afford my own and usually hunt in thrift shops and flea markets but you know. Internet is now my best chance to keep feeding the beast and each quest leads back to this place.

Welcome man! That’s how I started I creeped here for a year or two absorbing and reading. This is the place for jackets. Others exist...but they either only care about military jackets or are complete snobs and contrarians. You will find were a very friendly bunch here and love to actually share our knowledge and help newbies. I have actually become real life friends with some of the members here. I just have to warn you, once you start you can’t stop. It becomes an addiction. So much time, money and quests. You still have time to run away! Ha

 

[Doctor Damage]

I own a vintage Philadelphia police coat in horsehide. Gorgeous jacket, very flattering. I have been searching for quite a long time for repro of these jackets (the Philly and NYPD one) in horsehide. Is there any on the market right now?

There's a police supply store in Philly which sells uniforms to the police (can't remember the name, but some internet searching should bring it up). A few years back they said they would sell me a Philly jacket (correct version with pockets, not the NYPD one) but they couldn't ship internationally, so no help for you or me. I don't know if they still can get those coats but if the Philly mounted police still wear them they they probably can. They didn't have them on their website, they were special order. If you know someone living in the US you could get them to receive the coat, then re-label and ship to you.

 

[Gerald Parel]

Welcome man! That’s how I started I creeped here for a year or two absorbing and reading. This is the place for jackets. Others exist...but they either only care about military jackets or are complete snobs and contrarians. You will find were a very friendly bunch here and love to actually share our knowledge and help newbies. I have actually become real life friends with some of the members here. I just have to warn you, once you start you can’t stop. It becomes an addiction. So much time, money and quests. You still have time to run away! Ha

Thanks! It feels good!

There's a police supply store in Philly which sells uniforms to the police (can't remember the name, but some internet searching should bring it up). A few years back they said they would sell me a Philly jacket (correct version with pockets, not the NYPD one) but they couldn't ship internationally, so no help for you or me. I don't know if they still can get those coats but if the Philly mounted police still wear them they they probably can. They didn't have them on their website, they were special order. If you know someone living in the US you could get them to receive the coat, then re-label and ship to you.

I'd definitely look into it in the next minutes!
I am not limited to the Philly one, since the NYPD is looking as gorgeous to me.
This particular 3/4 jacket style might not be as popular as I thought but I am still surprised none of the usual brands - Aero and friends - are reproducing them. The closest I got would be the Schott 650, a very nice jacket, but not built as solid as the vintage SKÄGGERAC Philly I'm wearing daily ever since I acquired it.
That being said, Taylor's Leatherwear replied they won't ship outside of the US for now but are looking into doing so next year!

 

[Edward]

If my Taylor's is anything liked representative of their quality, I can certainly vouch for them. I bought what I believe to be the Chicago model on eBay a couple of years ago quite by accident. (My watch list was full, so I put a stupidly low bid on it - like price of a curry type bid - and I won it.) What I received is really impressive. Great, hefty jacket - lacking in the latest D30 armour pockets and that sort of thing, but otherwise certainly hefty enough to be a 'real' bike jacket, not just 'for looks'. I'd definitely give some consideration to a NYPD model if they start shipping to the UK.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I am not limited to the Philly one, since the NYPD is looking as gorgeous to me.
This particular 3/4 jacket style might not be as popular as I thought but I am still surprised none of the usual brands - Aero and friends - are reproducing them. The closest I got would be the Schott 650, a very nice jacket, but not built as solid as the vintage SKÄGGERAC Philly I'm wearing daily ever since I acquired it.
That being said, Taylor's Leatherwear replied they won't ship outside of the US for now but are looking into doing so next year!

Gibson & Barnes did an NYPD coat for a while but the sizing was tentlike, like all their stuff in their later years. I'm sure it was well made although the leather in photos appeared to be more of a flight jacket leather. Branded Leathers in Brooklyn made NYPD coats until recently and to my eye they looked better in terms of details/shape and they were made of a super-heavy steerhide, but Branded seems to have disappeared. You will sometimes see used ones from those brands on ebay, etc.

If my Taylor's is anything liked representative of their quality, I can certainly vouch for them. I bought what I believe to be the Chicago model on eBay a couple of years ago quite by accident. (My watch list was full, so I put a stupidly low bid on it - like price of a curry type bid - and I won it.) What I received is really impressive. Great, hefty jacket - lacking in the latest D30 armour pockets and that sort of thing, but otherwise certainly hefty enough to be a 'real' bike jacket, not just 'for looks'. I'd definitely give some consideration to a NYPD model if they start shipping to the UK.

What's funny is the Chicago jackets were worn by all 'branches' not just motorcycle police. Foot and car patrols all wore them too. For a few decades they were the universal jacket worn by Chicago police. Nowadays from photos it appears they've pretty much gone to synthetic jackets like every other force.

 

[Edward]

What's funny is the Chicago jackets were worn by all 'branches' not just motorcycle police. Foot and car patrols all wore them too. For a few decades they were the universal jacket worn by Chicago police. Nowadays from photos it appears they've pretty much gone to synthetic jackets like every other force.

I suppose that makes sense from pov of a heavy-duty, hard-wearing jacket.... leather being good as a wind-breaker might have helped in the Windy City! Uniformity would surely have helped in terms of keeping cost down with bulk orders too? I well understand the shift to cheaper synthetics, but it's just not quite the same.... Funnily enough, I always have this romantic memory of Matt Dillon wearing a Chicago-style leather police jacket in the video to Fairytale of New York (He's the NYPD officer who throws Shane Magowan into the drunk tank at the start of the song). Watching it back ,though, it does look far more likely to have been a nylon jacket.... Memory plays tricks...

 

[Cornelius]

What's funny is the Chicago jackets were worn by all 'branches' not just motorcycle police. Foot and car patrols all wore them too. For a few decades they were the universal jacket worn by Chicago police. Nowadays from photos it appears they've pretty much gone to synthetic jackets like every other force.

Yes definitely, all the cops around Chicago wore these in cold weather when I was growing up. In the depths of winter it would be paired with a kind of trapper hat like this 1971 officer on the right:

Weirdly, those front pockets are only for show, totally fake. But the jackets have a ridiculous number of interior pockets - maybe 8? - some of odd sizes obviously meant for very specific items [e.g., a ticket book?]. Used ones could always be found at a northside punk shop called "The Alley," always with the CHICAGO POLICE left shoulder patch cut in half horizontally, so that only the top half - CHICAGO - remained.

Generally, since the huge influx of government cash US urban police & fire departments received after 9/11, the everyday uniform style has gone much more "tactical" - all the cops wearing ballistic vests covered in MOLLE strips over their uniform shirt, the underlayers being adjusted for the weather.

I believe the leather jacket is still considered appropriate uniform though, as you'll see the motorcycle cops wearing them.

 

[Cornelius]

This thread got me wondering why it was that you could always find these leather jackets at 'The Alley' [paging @Bfd70]. Turns out, their website has the story.

 

[tmitchell59]

Appalachian Tanned and Tailored. One black with stretch side inserts, one Brown with laced side inserts

 

[Doctor Damage]

Weirdly, those front pockets are only for show, totally fake.

That's so someone can't grab them and pull the wearer off balance, as you could with normal functioning pockets.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Yes definitely, all the cops around Chicago wore these in cold weather when I was growing up.

And they were for decades corcectly dark blue, not black as the modern ones are.

 

[thor]

I grew up in Brooklyn and during the 1970’s & 80’s I remember seeing New York’s Finest wearing their leather jackets.

 

[Kubatu]

View attachment 288685
I grew up in Brooklyn and during the 1970’s & 80’s I remember seeing New York’s Finest wearing their leather jackets.

I just decided to purchase one of those recently. I may end up needing to return it because of sizing issues, but I am hoping it will fit. Miklos Sas is the maker. They made early NYPD leather jackets, most commonly found in the shorter RMP style, but I have also seen the 3/4 length peacoat style leather jackets used by the highway patrol / mounted units with their labels on them.

So I have a question for some of the people who may be more familiar with police jacket makers here, in my searching for police styles, I have come across a number of jackets made in the USA by "X's Crew". By X, I mean I have seen examples such as "Dean's Crew", "Pauline's Crew", "Mae's Crew", and so on. I have seen them in a variety of styles, always with police detailing. Does anyone know what the source of these are? The brief googling I have done suggests some connection to Taylor's, just by the search results, but I have not researched it that much at all.

Here is an example:

 

[Gerald Parel]

I think I was watching that one on Ebay. Curious to have your review on it.

 

[Doctor Damage]

So I have a question for some of the people who may be more familiar with police jacket makers here, in my searching for police styles, I have come across a number of jackets made in the USA by "X's Crew". By X, I mean I have seen examples such as "Dean's Crew", "Pauline's Crew", "Mae's Crew", and so on. I have seen them in a variety of styles, always with police detailing. Does anyone know what the source of these are? The brief googling I have done suggests some connection to Taylor's, just by the search results, but I have not researched it that much at all.

Those were all made by Taylors, when they still made their jackets in the USA. The "Dean's Crew" and "Pauline's Crew" thing is a reference to the individual production teams in the factory as far as I can tell. It's not a brand name or a separate company. It's all Taylors.

 

[Gerald Parel]

Just got lucky and coped another Skaggerac Philadelphia police coat this time in pristine condition. Leather looking more cowhide than Horsehide though.

 

[JMax]

I just decided to purchase one of those recently. I may end up needing to return it because of sizing issues, but I am hoping it will fit. Miklos Sas is the maker. They made early NYPD leather jackets, most commonly found in the shorter RMP style, but I have also seen the 3/4 length peacoat style leather jackets used by the highway patrol / mounted units with their labels on them.

So I have a question for some of the people who may be more familiar with police jacket makers here, in my searching for police styles, I have come across a number of jackets made in the USA by "X's Crew". By X, I mean I have seen examples such as "Dean's Crew", "Pauline's Crew", "Mae's Crew", and so on. I have seen them in a variety of styles, always with police detailing. Does anyone know what the source of these are? The brief googling I have done suggests some connection to Taylor's, just by the search results, but I have not researched it that much at all.

Here is an example:

I briefly owned a Miklos Sas NYPD. Very nice jackets. One of the better makers of jackets for NY police. Unfortunately it arrived with an unmentionable odor, so back it went. Too bad too bc it fit very well. Not as long as most NYPD jackets I have handled. Tough finding them in good condition too.

 

[Cornelius]

Have never handled one of these in the flesh myself, but FYI this surplus catalog now has a batch of Illinois State Trooper leather jackets available.