Natal Leather

[Guppy]

A few months ago, I took notice of a leather jacket listed on ebay with the brand name "US Made Co." out of Middleton, MA.

This example of their product came out on Ebay today, and I note how similar the pattern is to that of the Natal/Natel/Walter Dyer/Kerr cafe racer pattern that we're familiar with, and how similar the leather looks as well. Very thick leather, nylon diamond quilted lining, a simple design, but a tank of a jacket.

And yet another Massachussets jacket maker. What was going on in Mass. a few decades ago? There must have been a common connection between all these makers.

 

[navetsea]

that is beautiful shoulder drop, great looking neck band collar, and front facing sleeve post, but that actual sleeve width seems like my both legs might fit in one.

 

[Guppy]

that is beautiful shoulder drop, great looking neck band collar, and front facing sleeve post, but that actual sleeve width seems like my both legs might fit in one.

Good eye. I agree with you. This one would seem to have quite a "bat wing" effect to it. It looks very similar to, but not quite the same, as the Natal/Natel jackets I'm familiar with and have handled firsthand. But it still follows the same basic pattern. The proportions look a bit off to me, particularly in the sleeves been rather wide, and the body perhaps is a bit short. I still see more in common between this and the others than I see difference.

 

[Coriu]

Massachusetts has a history of leather ie...
https://peabodymuseums.com/peabody-leatherworkers-museum/history/

Just as across the border in Gloversville NY they have a history as well.

 

[Bluechel]

Good eye. I agree with you. This one would seem to have quite a "bat wing" effect to it. It looks very similar to, but not quite the same, as the Natal/Natel jackets I'm familiar with and have handled firsthand. But it still follows the same basic pattern. The proportions look a bit off to me, particularly in the sleeves been rather wide, and the body perhaps is a bit short. I still see more in common between this and the others than I see difference.

I have gone ‘way down the Natal/WD/Kerr hole (NN/WD/K) and have gathered perhaps 12 examples with a few more handled and moved on. Natal is the clear consistent winner in cut and quality IMO, with some WDs certainly being at the top with totally random consistency. Kerr and US Made are great for the low end purchase price while still having quality thicker leather but a poor fit compared to the others. WD is standalone for history etc. but has many non-USA made versions muddying up their “legacy”, while Kerr and US Made are good enough for being middle to lower level US product. Natel is great but Natal seems to be the earliest versions and my favorite. I know this is basically anecdotal but I’ve spent a lot of time/money compelled and comparing. BTW ”NN” seems to always have longer sleeves. All of this is interesting to me, and let’s face it, sometimes you can’t afford Aero, Thedi, LW, and the other cream at the upper echelon…..

 

[Guppy]

I have gone ‘way down the Natal/WD/Kerr hole (NN/WD/K) and have gathered perhaps 12 examples with a few more handled and moved on. Natal is the clear consistent winner in cut and quality IMO, with some WDs certainly being at the top with totally random consistency. Kerr and US Made are great for the low end purchase price while still having quality thicker leather but a poor fit compared to the others. WD is standalone for history etc. but has many non-USA made versions muddying up their “legacy”, while Kerr and US Made are good enough for being middle to lower level US product. Natel is great but Natal seems to be the earliest versions and my favorite. I know this is basically anecdotal but I’ve spent a lot of time/money compelled and comparing. BTW ”NN” seems to always have longer sleeves. All of this is interesting to me, and let’s face it, sometimes you can’t afford Aero, Thedi, LW, and the other cream at the upper echelon…..

Could you explain what you mean by NN?

And do you have photos of the jackets you've owned?

 

[Bluechel]

Could you explain what you mean by NN?

And do you have photos of the jackets you've owned?

Sorry, tried to establish the "shorthand" in my post: Natal/Natel. I plan on getting photos for a post soon as time permits

 

[Bad Guitarist]

A few months ago, I took notice of a leather jacket listed on ebay with the brand name "US Made Co." out of Middleton, MA.

This example of their product came out on Ebay today, and I note how similar the pattern is to that of the Natal/Natel/Walter Dyer/Kerr cafe racer pattern that we're familiar with, and how similar the leather looks as well. Very thick leather, nylon diamond quilted lining, a simple design, but a tank of a jacket.

And yet another Massachussets jacket maker. What was going on in Mass. a few decades ago? There must have been a common connection between all these makers.

View attachment 490799 View attachment 490800 View attachment 490801 View attachment 490802 View attachment 490803

I've wondered about these myself so I've kept Middleton Leather on my eBay watch for a while.
Thanks for the review.

As far as "What's going on in Mass?" Massachusetts was once the leather capital of the world. The leather industry employed more people in the state than any other industry as late as the 1950s.

 

[Guppy]

I've wondered about these myself so I've kept Middleton Leather on my eBay watch for a while.
Thanks for the review.

As far as "What's going on in Mass?" Massachusetts was once the leather capital of the world. It employed more people in the state than any other industry as late as the 1950s.

Ok. But everyone using the exact same patterns, the same leather, brand names differing by a single letter... It seems pretty strange.

 

[Bad Guitarist]

Good eye. I agree with you. This one would seem to have quite a "bat wing" effect to it. It looks very similar to, but not quite the same, as the Natal/Natel jackets I'm familiar with and have handled firsthand. But it still follows the same basic pattern. The proportions look a bit off to me, particularly in the sleeves been rather wide, and the body perhaps is a bit short. I still see more in common between this and the others than I see difference.

Ok. But everyone using the exact same patterns, the same leather, brand names differing by a single letter... It seems pretty strange.

Well I'm still convinced Kerr is just a rebranded Natal, and being that WD had been operating for 20+ yrs before Natal came around and only a 20 minute drive away, I've wondered if whoever ran Natal was an ex-employee of Dyer. Just a theory of course.

 

[Bluechel]

What's so cool about all of this is the "small batch" nature of some of these brands that still shines on long after the sun has set on the biz. Vanson went bankrupt and came back but many of these companies were just a handful of skilled and gifted artisans whose names we will never know. I just bought a jacket made by (according to my research) Jo Carney, who, for at least 20 years, made all sorts of custom one-of-a-kind leather jackets under the world's ugliest label "Cycle Leather Wear" in Seattle (literally a cheesy looking label). Many here have wondered about the name, but this lady apparently took care of hundreds of Police officers and others for repairs and customizing and we will never know her or properly remember what artistry she may have brought to the jackets we love (and revere). Walter Dyer, Natal/Natel, Kerr, at least two of them were guys that just had the same passion we all do, perhaps more! That's why I love TFL, because it's a place to admire and share, but also to learn and pass on knowledge and anecdotes, opinions and insights. I didn't know a damn thing when I first signed on, and I may not know much, but it's more.....and more...

 

[Leadfoot]

Alright, am I crazy or am I really seeing 7 different possible candidates for Natal clones?

Natel
Walter Dyer
Kerr
US Made
Arizona
Art's Cow Parts
MC Leathers

I'm on the fence about US Made. But the one Guppy posted sure does look like a clone.

Each one appears to have used that same leather as Natal did, or something very similar, at some point in their existence. And while the hardware and quilted lining may have been common for that era, they all seem to have used the same combo. Also, there seems to be a similarity with the labeling as well. While hardly an indicator of any commonality between the different brands, it does add an additional element to all the other variables. To me, it smacks of personal preference. As in, the person making the jackets had a preference in certain designs and materials.

And just to make things even more confusing, one just popped up on ebay recently called Doug's Leather & Bones. While the leather does not look the same as Natal, everything else about the jacket does. And it looks like a dead ringer for my Walter Dyer*.

*At one point, Walter Dyer offered a 'lightweight' version of their jacket. I think this may be what I have. It is certainly lighter. The leather has a weird, spongey feel to it, almost rubbery. But everything else about it is identical to my Natals.

 

[Guppy]

Alright, am I crazy or am I really seeing 7 different possible candidates for Natal clones?

Natel
Walter Dyer
Kerr
US Made
Arizona
Art's Cow Parts
MC Leathers

View attachment 546659

View attachment 546660

View attachment 546661

View attachment 546662

View attachment 546663

View attachment 546664

View attachment 546665

I'm on the fence about US Made. But the one Guppy posted sure does look like a clone.

Each one appears to have used that same leather as Natal did, or something very similar, at some point in their existence. And while the hardware and quilted lining may have been common for that era, they all seem to have used the same combo. Also, there seems to be a similarity with the labeling as well. While hardly an indicator of any commonality between the different brands, it does add an additional element to all the other variables. To me, it smacks of personal preference. As in, the person making the jackets had a preference in certain designs and materials.

View attachment 546666

And just to make things even more confusing, one just popped up on ebay recently called Doug's Leather & Bones. While the leather does not look the same as Natal, everything else about the jacket does. And it looks like a dead ringer for my Walter Dyer*.

View attachment 546667

View attachment 546669

*At one point, Walter Dyer offered a 'lightweight' version of their jacket. I think this may be what I have. It is certainly lighter. The leather has a weird, spongey feel to it, almost rubbery. But everything else about it is identical to my Natals.

Had not heard of Art's or MC Leathers or Arizona before this. Thanks for adding to the mystery.

 

[Leadfoot]

Granted this thread is almost 9 years old but I think Monitor made mention of Arizona a while back.

Another example of one -

And a few more ACPs, just to drive the point home:

With the exception of the collar, these 2 are identical design:

 

[Bad Guitarist]

Thanks for all the pictures.
As far as the jackets being of the same style? From many decades of going to biker events since the 1980s, and checking out the leather goods available at the swap areas, I've noticed everybody jumps on whatever trend is new. For example everybody was doing Perfecto style jackets with a belt. The next year belts were out and everybody started doing side laces.
A few years later everybody was making those "speedway" jackets, you know the kind of a cafe style, but with leather patches on the arms running down from the shoulder, and angular cut reinforcements at the elbows with a bunch of vent zippers.
Everybody wanted to be able to offer whatever the next guy down the Isle was selling.
At a time when most of the shoppers were looking at nothing but price, and the US leather industry was dying around them things were very competitive amongst those selling higher end leather goods.

Alright, am I crazy or am I really seeing 7 different possible candidates for Natal clones?

Natel
Walter Dyer
Kerr
US Made
Arizona
Art's Cow Parts
MC Leathers

View attachment 546659

View attachment 546660

View attachment 546661

View attachment 546662

View attachment 546663

View attachment 546664

View attachment 546665

I'm on the fence about US Made. But the one Guppy posted sure does look like a clone.

Each one appears to have used that same leather as Natal did, or something very similar, at some point in their existence. And while the hardware and quilted lining may have been common for that era, they all seem to have used the same combo. Also, there seems to be a similarity with the labeling as well. While hardly an indicator of any commonality between the different brands, it does add an additional element to all the other variables. To me, it smacks of personal preference. As in, the person making the jackets had a preference in certain designs and materials.

View attachment 546666

And just to make things even more confusing, one just popped up on ebay recently called Doug's Leather & Bones. While the leather does not look the same as Natal, everything else about the jacket does. And it looks like a dead ringer for my Walter Dyer*.

View attachment 546667

View attachment 546669

*At one point, Walter Dyer offered a 'lightweight' version of their jacket. I think this may be what I have. It is certainly lighter. The leather has a weird, spongey feel to it, almost rubbery. But everything else about it is identical to my Natals.

 

[Bluechel]

Alright, am I crazy or am I really seeing 7 different possible candidates for Natal clones?

Natel
Walter Dyer
Kerr
US Made
Arizona
Art's Cow Parts
MC Leathers

View attachment 546659

View attachment 546660

View attachment 546661

View attachment 546662

View attachment 546663

View attachment 546664

View attachment 546665

I'm on the fence about US Made. But the one Guppy posted sure does look like a clone.

Each one appears to have used that same leather as Natal did, or something very similar, at some point in their existence. And while the hardware and quilted lining may have been common for that era, they all seem to have used the same combo. Also, there seems to be a similarity with the labeling as well. While hardly an indicator of any commonality between the different brands, it does add an additional element to all the other variables. To me, it smacks of personal preference. As in, the person making the jackets had a preference in certain designs and materials.

View attachment 546666

And just to make things even more confusing, one just popped up on ebay recently called Doug's Leather & Bones. While the leather does not look the same as Natal, everything else about the jacket does. And it looks like a dead ringer for my Walter Dyer*.

View attachment 546667

View attachment 546669

*At one point, Walter Dyer offered a 'lightweight' version of their jacket. I think this may be what I have. It is certainly lighter. The leather has a weird, spongey feel to it, almost rubbery. But everything else about it is identical to my Natals.

Well done!! Your sleuthing is impressive!! Who is in charge at the top of this ongoing mystery? I’m calling 60 minutes. Only kinds kidding…..

 

[Bluechel]

The main unifier is the thick, heavy leather. It’s awesome and clunky at the same time. If you get a good one though….

 

[Monitor]

Granted this thread is almost 9 years old but I think Monitor made mention of Arizona a while back.

Another example of one -

View attachment 546670
View attachment 546671

And a few more ACPs, just to drive the point home:

View attachment 546672

View attachment 546673

With the exception of the collar, these 2 are identical design:

View attachment 546674

Wow, I thought someone just replaced the WD/Natal tag on the Arizona that I had but apparently it's real.

U.S. Made Co. was different. I had two of their jackets and they felt a bit higher grade than Natal/Arizona/WD and Kerr. Slight deviations from the regular pattern, too.

This is all very interesting, to be honest as all of these jackets are IMO very, very cool.

 

[Leadfoot]

Thanks for all the pictures.
As far as the jackets being of the same style? From many decades of going to biker events since the 1980s, and checking out the leather goods available at the swap areas, I've noticed everybody jumps on whatever trend is new. For example everybody was doing Perfecto style jackets with a belt. The next year belts were out and everybody started doing side laces.
A few years later everybody was making those "speedway" jackets, you know the kind of a cafe style, but with leather patches on the arms running down from the shoulder, and angular cut reinforcements at the elbows with a bunch of vent zippers.
Everybody wanted to be able to offer whatever the next guy down the Isle was selling.
At a time when most of the shoppers were looking at nothing but price, and the US leather industry was dying around them things were very competitive amongst those selling higher end leather goods.

I appreciate the insight. Since the Natal/Natel connection seems to be a given, this may be a case of my subconscious wanting to find a way to connect all these brands together. It's just surprising to me that there isn't some variation between them: different hardware, different lining, alternate pocket layout, etc.

Wow, I thought someone just replaced the WD/Natal tag on the Arizona that I had but apparently it's real.

I think this still could very well be a possibility, at least with some of these labels. The more I look at that Doug's Leather & Bones jacket, it is possible that they may have been a retailer selling a Walter Dyer jacket with their label on it instead. Today this would be called a collaboration: Walter Dyer X Doug's Leather & Bones. Back then is was common practice to use the vendor's label rather than manufacturer's label on the jacket. Those old Shields/Score jackets come to mind. I've seen loads of Shields jackets with the retailers label on it instead.

This one just screams Walter Dyer to me:

 

[Bad Guitarist]

Wow, I thought someone just replaced the WD/Natal tag on the Arizona that I had but apparently it's real.

U.S. Made Co. was different. I had two of their jackets and they felt a bit higher grade than Natal/Arizona/WD and Kerr. Slight deviations from the regular pattern, too.

This is all very interesting, to be honest as all of these jackets are IMO very, very cool.

Damn, I just passed on a US Made jacket online. Didn't know what to expect quality wise.