New Lewis Leathers Offerings

[garzo]

It seems Lewis Leathers is expanding their catalogue with the launch of the 1940s label D. Lewis, which so far includes two new models, the Lumber Jacket and the Countryman Jacket. They looks like a cross between an A2 and a Lewis Corsair/Dominator, in brown or black with leather cuffs and waistband. They look quite nice but are not officially out yet. They also have a three-panel back.

It seems we are conditioned to think anything but a sing-panel back is cheap. Is this true? Or is there sometimes a good reason to have a two or three-paneled back on a jacket?

Check it out here: http://lewisleathers.com/165.html

The other interesting new offering appears to be an exclusive with UK retailer Garbstore -- the Flying Dominator. Its a modern brown lambskin A2-style jacket with knit cuffs and waistband but slash pockets instead of patch pockets and a very trim body. The only thing I don't like about this model is the three-panel back. For the modest price of £650 you'd think they'd go with a one-piece back. Isn't lambskin cheaper than cowhide? You would think so, especially in the UK, where sheeps should be a dime a dozen. At least it seemed that way when I was driving through Scotland a few years ago.
Check it out here: http://garbstore.com/product/?brandID=70&categoryID=43&brandInfo=false&productID=1871&imgVarID=2236

And came across this early review: http://blackandtannedny.wordpress.c...ewis-leathers-for-garbstore-flying-dominator/

Thoughts?

 

[Tadite]

Funny thing is that they have one of the originals from the 50's but they don't show the back and the pockets have some small differences! I do think they need to work on the photography it's difficult to get an idea of quality when the leather is overly bright and then washes out the details.

I do think that the single back is a signal that a jacket is different from the norm. It's so rare to find a store bought jacket with high quality grain leather in the first place and I've never seen one with a single back.

It's nice to see more jacket manufactures so I'm hoping they do well!

 

[Smithy]

Funny thing is that they have one of the originals from the 50's but they don't show the back and the pockets have some small differences! I do think they need to work on the photography it's difficult to get an idea of quality when the leather is overly bright and then washes out the details.

I do think that the single back is a signal that a jacket is different from the norm. It's so rare to find a store bought jacket with high quality grain leather in the first place and I've never seen one with a single back.

It's nice to see more jacket manufactures so I'm hoping they do well!

Remember that LL are reproducing one of their own designs from the 40s. LL have been around for donkeys years and made many motoring and motorcycle riding jackets, boots and associated paraphenalia pre-war. In fact they even made the white overalls which were used in motor racing and were worn by pre-war RAF fighter pilots.

I think it's suffice to say that the quality of these new offerings will be exemplary.

 

[Edward]

A multi-piece back wouldn't worry me at all. I'm not entirely sure, myself, as to why it is seen as such a supposed mark of quality; I imagine the basic design of the original A2s has a lot to do with this. Had the USAAF specified a three piece back, no doubt single-piece backs would be widely looked down on now in A2 style jackets... lol I rather like the look of the Lewis - it's refreshing to see a civilianised take on the A2 that isn't afraid to break away from the military specs. Don't get me wrong, I love a good A2, but something different is also nice for a change. It seems to me that this Lewis design is probably much closer to what the average, non-military, man in the street would have worn. Nice as it is, though, it seems like an awful lot of money for what is ultimately a fairly simple jacket, and I'd be concered as to durability of the hide (albeit accurate to British jackets of the period).

 

[JakeHolman]

I could be way off the mark but is the notion of a single piece back being better quality because there are less stress points? i.e. literally less seems held together with thread which could deteriorate. Also, I guess that a with three panels there is a larger chance of mis-matching the grain between sections which may be important for some.

 

[Edward]

Fair points.... and one piece is gonig to be harder to source than two or three to make up the size, which can push up the price... I don't think, though, that it's quite the 'magically better' option that popular wisdom would have it. [huh]

 

[Mr Badger]

I've got no problem with a multi-piece back, as long as that's the original design. I think the stigma is cos of all those years that folks were producing poor copies of existing 'single piece' jacket designs, but using two or three sections.

LL owner Derek Harris is a friend of my best man, who's got nothing but good words for the guy, which is unusual and comforting, although I'm never likely to be in a position to spend £650 on a jacket!

Looking at the repro Countryman, I notice that LL must've changed the collar style over time, as the original pictured has a lovely pointed scimitar shape, very much like my old Militus leather jacket, which (I'm guessing) must be more of a late-1940s to early-1950s style. The 'sport' shirt collars from this period would support the idea... I like a touch of scallop in me collars!

 

[garzo]

Edward, I tend to agree with you but I can't help consider the price factor in all of this. If using a three-panel back is indeed much cheaper, why is the new Flying Dominator, which is made of lambskin, selling for more than the regular Dominator, which has a one-piece back and is made of cowhide?

Maybe it's because it's a limited exclusive with that retailer? It's not offered on the Lewis Leathers website.

I agree with you too that it's a very nice jacket. I liked it right away when I saw it and would love to have it myself, three-panel back and all. But that price is a deal breaker for me. I love Lewis Leathers and own an original-style Dominator that is probably my favorite all-time jacket, and while it cost a small fortune, I think it's worth every penny. But when I look at the Flying Dominator, it just doesn't seem that it should be more expensive than an original-style Dominator. Of course it probably has to do with quantity and exclusivity and all that. Who knows, maybe LL will be offering a similar model next year for a 100 quid less.

Obviously LL prices are high, but considering the pound in the UK buys about as much as the euro does in Germany, it's not impossible to comprehend. When I buy a UK-made jacket I realize I'm paying for fair wages, overhead costs and somewhere in there even a contribution to the NHS, which is fair enough. Sure, Aero jackets cost less, and I've owned a few Aeros, but I find my Dominator to be a real keeper. I treasure it and it's a big reason why I would always consider getting another Lewis jacket.

For whatever reason I've always ended up selling my Aeros -- never got as attached to them as I have to my Lewis. I bought all my Aeros directly from Scotland, but if I were to buy an Aero from a German distributor, whether an A-2 or a Highwayman, it would cost me around EUR 800 -- more than the price of any Lewis jacket bought directly from the UK!

OK, I admit, I usually settled for Aero's less refined Sale items that went for around half the price of their top of the line products, but nevertheless, prices are relative. Just the fluctuating currency rates alone can add or subtract anywhere from $50 to $100 to or from any purchase depending on the whims of the market.

Anyway, I'm excited to see any new product from Lewis. And as far as their customer service goes, I can say only good things from personal experience.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Forget about A2s for a second. they weren't the first jackets with flaped hip pockets

Forget about A2s for a second. they weren't the first jackets with flapped hip pockets. I just don't get why everyone compares every model to an A2?[huh]

The pockets do have some differences to the originals. The backs of the original jackets, I can confirm, are generally 3 piece.

This one that used to belong to me isn't a D. Lewis jacket, but it is British and from the 1920s or 1930s. Note the 3-piece back and mismatched finish on the panels.

I was downstairs at Lewis Leathers not too long ago, and there are at least 20 examples of D. Lewis and probable D. Lewis jackets in this "Countryman" style. Along with all the other original 20s to 70s jackets in the Lewis collection. They are almost always, like much of the British leather of the era, in very lightweight hides and therefore quite bad condition.

The current Lewis offerings have got the knits and zippers perfect. If you're one for modern production jackets (I'm not, i prefer the originals) they are a good investment.

Funny thing is that they have one of the originals from the 50's but they don't show the back and the pockets have some small differences! I do think they need to work on the photography it's difficult to get an idea of quality when the leather is overly bright and then washes out the details.

I do think that the single back is a signal that a jacket is different from the norm. It's so rare to find a store bought jacket with high quality grain leather in the first place and I've never seen one with a single back.

It's nice to see more jacket manufactures so I'm hoping they do well!

 

[Spitfire]

In fact they even made the white overalls which were used in motor racing and were worn by pre-war RAF fighter pilots.

...and I wish they would start producing them again!

 

[Smithy]

...and I wish they would start producing them again!

They redid some pairs a few years back. I have photos of them Søren and they are beautiful, complete with the original Aviakit label.

I was tempted but they weren't cheap. Also I thought one really needs to be reenacting or classic car racing to pull it off!

 

[Spitfire]

You are probably right, Tim. A bit of gardeningwork would not be enough
So one just has to buy an old sportscar and start racing.

 

[Smithy]

You are probably right, Tim. A bit of gardeningwork would not be enough
So one just has to buy an old sportscar and start racing.

That's the thing to do!

They are actually pretty popular with the vintage and classic race fellows - obviously they were being worn for motor car racing first of all. They were initially issued only to aerobactic team members and then the Auxiliary chaps started wearing them.

They do look smart, very Bentley Boys ;-)

 

[Speedster]

Looks like LL is thinking about putting the white suit into production again sometime in the future.
This from the RAF Forum: http://www.network54.com/Forum/180748/thread/1278452932/Prestige+Suit+Remakes

 

[Edward]

I've got no problem with a multi-piece back, as long as that's the original design. I think the stigma is cos of all those years that folks were producing poor copies of existing 'single piece' jacket designs, but using two or three sections.[/quotes]

That's about the size of it. It's the equivalent of the three-bolt neck getting the blame for 70s era Strats being of questionable quality... I agree with you, the Lewis stuff always looks great. Nice to see them tackle a design from this earlier period, too - so much of what they reproduce looks very Sixties to my eye - it's nice, but not my thing. For the most part, though, they're just out of my reach financially; I can justify £500 on a jacket I'll have for the duration, like my Bootlegger, but much more than that and... [huh]

Forget about A2s for a second. they weren't the first jackets with flapped hip pockets. I just don't get why everyone compares every model to an A2?[huh]

I think in this case it's an obvious comparator, though, due to the branding - the 'Flying Dominator' - brown jacket, shirt style collar.... it's inevitable it'll pull the A2 comparisons, despite being based on a completely different vintage design.

The pockets do have some differences to the originals. The backs of the original jackets, I can confirm, are generally 3 piece.

This one that used to belong to me isn't a D. Lewis jacket, but it is British and from the 1920s or 1930s. Note the 3-piece back and mismatched finish on the panels.

I was downstairs at Lewis Leathers not too long ago, and there are at least 20 examples of D. Lewis and probable D. Lewis jackets in this "Countryman" style. Along with all the other original 20s to 70s jackets in the Lewis collection. They are almost always, like much of the British leather of the era, in very lightweight hides and therefore quite bad condition.

The current Lewis offerings have got the knits and zippers perfect. If you're one for modern production jackets (I'm not, i prefer the originals) they are a good investment.

Lewis do seem to be one case where the originals are cheaper to buy than the repros, and will no doubt maintain a higher proportion of purchase price on resale. The newer ones are more likely to be of use to me due to sizing, though.... At half the price and in goat, the Flying Dominator would be tempting to me: I do like the A2, but it is so ubiquitous, it's nice to see something different too. £650 is out of my reach (even if I had it, I couldn't justify it, tbh), and I'd be concerned about durability of lambskin. Nice jacket, though. I actually really like the mismatched nature of the original non-Lewis in your picture.

 

[garzo]

I think in this case it's an obvious comparator, though, due to the branding - the 'Flying Dominator' - brown jacket, shirt style collar.... it's inevitable it'll pull the A2 comparisons, despite being based on a completely different vintage design.

Actually, while the other two D. Lewis jackets are based on vintage designs, I'm pretty sure the Garbstore Flying Dominator is an all-new modern design, but obviously based on the classic A-2.

 

[Stearmen]

Multi Panel

At least as far as racing motorcycles are concerned, one peace backs are considered better because no seem to come unraveled as you slide down the asphalt! I believe, there are sanctioning bodies that will not allow multi panel backs on racing leathers. Still, a one peace Irvin would look just plane wrong.

 

[macguzzi]

not the best quality of leather with any Lewis jackets of any age, seen some of the new motorcycle jackets pretty thin and not as good as other manufacturers. Save your money these jackets are not cheap the high price does not mean quality.