Life with ONE great Leather Jacket vs. Life with MANY Leather Jackets

[tmitchell59]

Life is good with many leather jackets. Life is good with just one. I have many; some old, some new, one on order. Being here just feeds the want. I've gotten by in the past happily wearing one.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've never had many, but it's been over a decade since I owned just one! I've had four for years now:

G&B Civil A-2 - black goat
G&B M-422A - seal brown goat
Good Wear Dubow 27798 A-2 - russet brown horse
Wested Raiders - dark brown lamb

Just a few days ago, I bought myself a present for my upcoming big birthday, a Schott 654. I realized that I "needed" (1) a second black leather jacket, (2) a jacket made of cowhide/steerhide, and (3) a moto-style jacket. (It's not a proper moto jacket, but I don't ride and don't need those features. I wanted something with the café racer look, but lighter and simpler.) It will fit into the rotation alongside the Wested as a warmer-weather leather jacket, but black, which will match a lot more of my wardrobe than brown.

Of course, I've got several fabric jackets too... It's a disease!

 

[kampkatz]

Dr. Strange pretty much nails it for most of us multi- jacket owners. We are at disease because there would be no-ease with only 1 jacket.

 

[civilguy007]

My friend said something relevant years ago: Any man can afford one "passion." He might not be able to afford two or whatever; but definitely one. So if you're passionate about something and able to afford it, I would hardly call it an obsession. I'd say it's more like collecting art, which doesn't become an "obsession" until you go way overboard.

So I'm trying to figure out if I have gone way overboard. For the first 46 years of my life, I needed none. Then one cheap department store lambskin satisfied my need for a few more years...until it ripped. And then I tried on a Schott A-2 and the disease rapidly infected my brain. 2 years and 8 jackets later (A-2s, G1, B-3, and Moto, in Black and Brown, Horse, Goat, and Steer, military and civilian, by Schott, G&B, US Authentic, and Eastman), I came to the conclusion that all I need to complete my collection is an Aero FQHH Highwayman. It arrived on Friday, and I am happy to report that I am sober (purchase-free) for 4 days! Now I just need to complement the jacket with one more hat/cap for my headwear collection. Suggestions?

P.S. I discovered this site researching that first Schott. Now it all makes sense. I can blame FL on my obsession.

 

[nick123]

Part of it too, is that the desire of another acquisition can be nearly as fun as owning (in a weird masochistic way).

 

[Smithy]

Part of it too, is that the desire of another acquisition can be nearly as fun as owning (in a weird masochistic way).

That's bang on Nick. One of the fun parts of this hobby/obsession is the researching and choosing of what to do/pick in terms of the next one.

But I think HD has a point, you're never going to get that fantastic level of wear or patina if you have too many and can't put the hours in to seriously wear a jacket until it looks seriously worn.

Maybe the real question is how many jackets can you realistic own and still wear them enough to develop that patina which most of us love?

 

[trapp]

Part of it too, is that the desire of another acquisition can be nearly as fun as owning (in a weird masochistic way).

I myself have never really enjoyed the 'process' of choosing and buying a jacket as much as many here do. I love research and the knowledge of culture, history, leather, etc. that comes along with exploring leather jackets options and styles, and the learning from other guys on here who know more than I do has been the main pleasure of participating on the lounge. But in the end what I like most is owning and wearing a quality, well-fitting jacket - then forgetting about it and moving on with life. Whenever I put time in and money down and a jacket doesn't work, I consider it a total fail, not part of the fun.

I have other, more productive hobbies (from the standpoint of my own priorities, of course) and whenever I find myself spending hours on any aspect of accumulating more leather (as i sometimes do) I really have to question the way I've chosen to spend my time.

 

[robrinay]

I suppose I am a collector as I'm sure are many others on TFL.
I've had several collections throughout my life. As a boy I collected Brooke Bond Tea Cards- who knows where they are now? Later in life I collected mechanical watches, then fountain pens I have kept a few, and later 20th Century Design - furniture and smalls- see my Pinterest board for what I mean - I now own everything on it.

http://uk.pinterest.com/robnaylor581/ideas-for-our-house/

Finally I discovered jackets and cheerfully sold large sections of my earlier collections to fund the purchases. The theme has always been 'Is it beautiful and or useful?' I haven't got around to setting up a Pinterest board for jackets.
As I said above, I'm a collector - I collect - fortunately not obsessively, but as with any collection one jacket is never enough - by definition!

 

[Justhandguns]

In terms of leather jackets, I think I have reached my saturation point.

4x repro A-2s
1x Vanson B
1x Lewis Lightning
1x Diamond J100
1x Vietnam era G-1 in which the knits need to be replaced

I have very little desire to get more at this stage (unless I am going to win the lottery tonight). If I am going to buy more jackets, they will either be a nice M422a repro or a blue Lewis Super Sportsman.

 

[Don Tomaso]

I'ld like to chime in with another point, maybe interesting. Of course, the "getting the looks"-thing can only be achieved by frequent wearing, through all the paces, and as the number of jacket-hours per life is limited, this naturally limits the number of jacket one can have without the help of a butler. I guess it is a limit we can give, like 10 jackets or so. But this is only one part of the problem, and not the most difficult one.
For someone who is passionate about something, like cars, watches, furniture, in generell objects, it is quite natural to give them a sort of personality, to humanize them. The jacket in this case is no longer a "it", but a "her" or "him". An object that close to one self is no longer easily discarted in the drawer but it demands attention and care. A watch demands for "wrist-time", a car for "drive-time", a stereo-set for "audience-time" and a jacket for "wear-time". Objects start to get complicated personalities which actually consume the owners sources of care and attention. They become a burden. The owner gets tied to the object and that's not good.
This is the reason for me to stop at some stage (funds are the other limiting parameter of course, but that's banal) and not to achieve any more objects of the same kind. I stopped with watches because the thrill is a bit gone, I like the ones that I still have, 6 pieces of solid quality, but I'm not out for any more. Sometimes I'm tempted but never enough to cross the line. Shoes is another issue, I started buying quite a few but then stopped once the basics are covered. I already have some "cupbord queens" that rarely see the outside.. Jackets will be more of less done after the third arrives, hopefully this week.
Limitation could be the way to keep control, to keep being the master, not the servant of the things you own. This is not only time-wise, objects can become a burdon emotionally, and then it gets really complicated. ;-)

 

[Jim Flynn]

I have to say I have had a leather jacket of one type or another in my wardrobe since I was 18. Back then it was a fashion item of flimsy quality. Since then there have been a few heavier jackets some of which have gone in the charity bag as I have 'grown'. As I ride a motorbike I have gone through leathers every few years for the same reason. Now I just have one two piece set of leathers and two other leather Ducati branded jackets I like to wear. Recently I have added a Eastman A2 and a vintage Schott Perfecto 618 to the wardrobe purely for wearing pleasure, although I will probably use the Perfecto occasionally on the bike despite the lack of protection. I do have a hankering for a Luftwaffe jacket though and maybe an Indiana Jones replica too! Thinking aboit it I probably have seven leather jackets at the moment. Time for one or two to find new homes I think.

 

[Bunyip]

That's a really great thought provoker.... one vs many. Sort of like what the catholic said to the fundamentalist Morman or dare I say it the Muslim.
When I was 18 I saved up and bought a harley jacket, when they were made in AMerica. It was a shade small from the start, but in a small town harley dealership, they used to get one shipment a year, and there was no online buying to be had. I thought I had hit the jackpot. I would love to be like Fonzie or Kevin Arnold with his Jets jacket. Sadly( or maybe not) the more I investigated this jacket malarkey, the more options of not just style or cut, but a variety of leathers, linings, purpose built jackets for mc, flying, getting laid etc just keep on coming up....
It's become a genuine hobby or passion, a bloody expensive one I might add. I could never have imagined spending over a grand on a jacket, on line, without trying it on etc...but, that's the way it is.
I'm hoping that in a couple of months I will be able to relax and be happy enough with my small collection for a little while, because I've developed a pretty serious boot problem along the way....
But to answer the original question, I would love to have a singular go to casual leather jacket that works with everything, and another one for my motorcycle...I must say though. I really enjoy the research, and dream building of the jacket game. The more I learn, the more I want, the more jackets I flip for half what I paid, and the circle of life continues....great question, great food for thought.

 

[CBI]

I like to have both options (and do). Nothing beats a jacket with 60 years of real wear but its nice to have newer jackets that one doesn't need to worry about. That said, leather jackets only do it for rme when they have that well-worn look. Pristine, new, no interest!

 

[nick123]

My question is, if one wore his/her jacket frequently (say 5/7 days of the week, all day), would the jacket still hold up for 75 years? I'm guessing most of the WWII jackets were used heavily for a brief time, then sat in a closet for decades, which is why they've held up. I know that's a generalization, but as a whole, is it safe to assume one jacket will last with heavy wear (Fonzie) for a lifetime? Obviously there will be lining or knit replacements, but will the leather hold up?

 

[tropicalbob]

You're right about the jackets sitting in closets for years. My dad had one he'd won in a card game on a troop ship coming back from the Pacific. It hung in the closet and developed some sort of mildew problem. Plus, I think a lot of guys just can't leave something alone and have to mess with it. They paint dumb sayings on them, rip out liners, and eventually throw them out.

 

[CBI]

I think it goes without saying that wearing old jackets has to be done with care. its going to depend on the individual jacket. I own some original A-2's and M422's from WW2 that are in terrific shape and I have no problem wearing them. I would not wear them to do yard work or out in the rain, etc. Maybe the best option of all is an original OLD jacket with great patina that has been completely refurbished: old leather, new knits, new lining, new zipper, etc. These are guilt free for me as they look and ARE the part but they are not "mint" examples that should be preserved.

 

[FarWalker]

It'd be nice if some of the one-jacket guys out there could post some pics.... Or post links if the pics are elsewhere on the lounge.

 

[handymike]

I'll bite!
Here's my ONE:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?78755-My-new-Goodwear-quot-Imperial-quot/page6

 

[Smithy]

My question is, if one wore his/her jacket frequently (say 5/7 days of the week, all day), would the jacket still hold up for 75 years? I'm guessing most of the WWII jackets were used heavily for a brief time, then sat in a closet for decades, which is why they've held up. I know that's a generalization, but as a whole, is it safe to assume one jacket will last with heavy wear (Fonzie) for a lifetime? Obviously there will be lining or knit replacements, but will the leather hold up?

One of the reasons why so many wartime A-2s look so bloody good is because they were worn constantly, both on the ground and in the air. They were rubbed up against cockpit and aircraft sides, twisted and pressed by parachute and/or cockpit harnesses, they were snagged on switches and catches, were tossed on the floor, or over chairs or draped over a coat hook.

One of the things which I think is different is that, now paying so much for good repros, people tend to baby them having shelled out so much moolah for the things. Whereas to get that excellent patina you really have to wear the sh!t out of the thing and not worry too much about it.

And I think that there is a tendency to do this not just with milspec repros but a lot of high end leather.

TBH I'm fairly horrific with my leather jackets and they seem to look so much the better for it.

 

[Aether]

I agree Smithy.

I suppose it's natural to be protective of such an expensive item as top-notch leather jacket. Personally, other than liking the style, I buy quality leathers (and jeans, boots etc ) so I can wear them hard and they'll last. And inevitably because of the quality materials, they end up looking great too!