Order is in on my Johnson Leathers Custom Job

[Vespizzare]

I was a long time coming for this reason and that (and I think I started twenty threads on one aspect or another of this jacket). Anyway the order is in and I can't conceive of changing anything now. I'll try to post pix when I receive it; but for those who, like me, enjoy following along vicariously, this is what is on order:


1) M-120 (Basically a Lost Worlds Rigger, same pockets. My weight fluctuates with meds and I didn't want a specific waist baked in)
2) CXL over dye 3.25oz. (Black over brown, verrry attractive.)
3) Brown wool lining body (Same as forestforthetrees)
3a) Quilting in arms (I was going to get wool in the arms also, but I didn't want too make it tooo warm to wear often. Allen said corduroy would be too "catchy".)
4) Rust knit
5) Dark brown mouton permanent collar
6) Silver zipper #10 slightly exposed teeth (I like the way the leather doesn't cover the zipper and the zipper is a big visual element.)
7) Stitch with brown thread
8) Shoulders 19”
9) + ½ longer sleeve length (compared to the test jacket Allen sent that I wore and took iMac pictures that I emailed to JL)
10) + 1” longer body length
11) + 1 ½” to chest waist and bottom (size 39) (Allen, God love him, is making me a size 39. Take that Aero!!)
12) Outside bottom pockets lined with black corduroy and style like photo #8
13) Two inside pockets with snaps right side horizontal left side vertical
14) Yoke on back lines up with sleeve seam (I like the way the yoke stitch aligns with the sleeve stitch on an A1 - recapitulated here.)
15) Knits only (Allen sometimes uses leather in back and on cuffs to save the knit. In my case, however, I'd love to be around to need a replacement.

I hope we're going to have a lot of cool weather, but I don't think that's going to happen.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Good luck, sounds interesting except for the crazy thick leather which I could never wear. Pics when it arrives, please.

 

[nick123]

Righteous. The M-120 is one of the best. And I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the 3.25oz overdye. I tried a jacket on in person made from it (it's shaved down from it's heavier weight) and it was comfortable and pliable (not very heavy but still substantial). I ended up ordering a jacket in the same leather which should be here in a few days.

 

[tmitchell59]

This Johnson Leathers is in the same hide. It weighed 10 pounds boxed. I don't feel it when I wear it. The leather is very pliable and does not make a sound. I am considering Johnson for a custom jacket. They do very nice work.

 

[Peacoat]

Good luck, sounds interesting except for the crazy thick leather which I could never wear. Pics when it arrives, please.

Seb, 3.25 oz. is not a heavy hide. I have a Johnson in that hide (or maybe 3.5 oz.) for a street jacket. It is very easy to wear, and comes broken in out of the box. I feel no weight at all to the jacket. That may be because the hide is so soft and pliable. With the stiffer hides, I do feel a perceived weight, but attribute that more to the stiffness of the hide rather than the actual weight of the jacket.

 

[Fanch]

Vespizzare, congratulations and think you made a carefully thought out decision. When I reach in my closet for clothes, I always seem to pick up things that are weather appropriate and comfortable. It appears your JL jacket will fill a certain niche for you. I look forward to pictures on arrival.

 

[Vespizzare]

Vespizzare, congratulations and think you made a carefully thought out decision. When I reach in my closet for clothes, I always seem to pick up things that are weather appropriate and comfortable. It appears your JL jacket will fill a certain niche for you. I look forward to pictures on arrival.

Until I found this board, I didn't realize that a gentleman needs fourteen leather jackets.

 

[Fanch]

Until I found this board, I didn't realize that a gentleman needs fourteen leather jackets.

Plus fourteen of each and everything else we post on this forum (pants, shirts, shoes, etc.)! ound:

 

[winterland1]

Hope all goes well with your order and it fits.

 

[Vespizzare]

Hope all goes well with your order and it fits.

That's one thing I'm really not worried about. I used to think the "test jacket" was some canvas contraption. Instead it's a brand new jacket (which I'm sure many non-customizers just buy if it fits). Allen looks at pix of you wearing it and you're off to the races. Secondly Allen has said more than once that he'll error on the side of bigness. I think his exact words are "You can always make it smaller, but you can't make it bigger."

 

[Seb Lucas]

Seb, 3.25 oz. is not a heavy hide. I have a Johnson in that hide (or maybe 3.5 oz.) for a street jacket. It is very easy to wear, and comes broken in out of the box. I feel no weight at all to the jacket. That may be because the hide is so soft and pliable. With the stiffer hides, I do feel a perceived weight, but attribute that more to the stiffness of the hide rather than the actual weight of the jacket.

It's probably down to personal taste. I have a half belt in soft 3oz cow by Johnson and that's generally too heavy for me. I think I'll sell it. Over the years i have worked out that anything over 2.5oz is too much for me.

 

[Vespizzare]

It's probably down to personal taste. I have a half belt in soft 3oz cow by Johnson and that's generally too heavy for me. I think I'll sell it. Over the years i have worked out that anything over 2.5oz is too much for me.

If I can horn in, I have a JL M200 in the 3.5oz finished cowhide that he uses for the SFPD. I'm no Tarzan, but I never found it hard to wear. Weight was a consideration on this project, given the wool lining, so it was agreed that shaven CXL would fill the bill. I was 9/16 of an inch from going with black naked cowhide, but I couldn't resist the CLX with a rich brown mouton collar. I was a little leery about the rust knits, which I like with brown, but Allen said he's made jackets with that combo and it worked so I went with his rec.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I should clarify - I am six feet two and fairly strong. When I say it is too heavy I don't mean I can't carry it. I simply mean I don't like the feel of it. I also don't like the feel of thick tweed but I love tweed. I like lighter weight clothing. It's all about the comfort. I don't like thick jumpers/sweaters either... Anyway, back to the original topic.

 

[pak]

The weight of leather is quite a bit heavier than other fabrics, this quality alone make the leather garments wear differently and is the source of a lot of the questions about fit, I believe. I run hot/cold on leather. I love the look and quality but tire of the sheer weight and end up getting rid of the leather in favor a lighter fabric. Currently my go to is a sledgehammer jacket by Outback trading

 

[Vespizzare]

For some reason, when Allen sent the first hide samples, the only CXL he put in was the 4.5 oz stuff they like in Japan for some reason. I looked at it and said "No way, Jose." It seemed like cardboard and I finally understood what they meant about a jacket standing on its own. But when I was bending it back and forth to see the underneath color emerge, it became very pliable. So I guess you could break it in, but it would be heavy going (pun intended). BTW, when I say weight I'm not referring to avoirdupois either. I mean leather thickness. Once you put in on, it doesn't seem heavy in any case. I have a Vanson in their thinner leather, but with armor, and it weighs a ton (7.5 lbs) to carry around.

 

[pak]

Correction, Jackhammer in oilskin

 

[nick123]

I'm really interested to see how this hide wears in the long run.

 

[Vespizzare]

I'm really interested to see how this hide wears in the long run.

If you're talking about the black over brown CXL, I was talking to Allen about the underneath color sort of coming through with wear and he reported that he'd just seen a jacket he'd made a year ago with this hide. It seemed to be pretty much exactly as it was. In other words, not brown showing through in heavily worn areas and changing the perceived color, etc.

 

[nick123]

If you're talking about the black over brown CXL, I was talking to Allen about the underneath color sort of coming through with wear and he reported that he'd just seen a jacket he'd made a year ago with this hide. It seemed to be pretty much exactly as it was. In other words, not brown showing through in heavily worn areas and changing the perceived color, etc.

Thanks. It would be nice to see some examples of how it looks say ten years down the road, but I took a chance on it and I'm fully expecting it to look badass.

 

[tmitchell59]

If you're talking about the black over brown CXL, I was talking to Allen about the underneath color sort of coming through with wear and he reported that he'd just seen a jacket he'd made a year ago with this hide. It seemed to be pretty much exactly as it was. In other words, not brown showing through in heavily worn areas and changing the perceived color, etc.

The Johnson Jacket I posted on the first page is CLX over dye heavy steerhide. I bought it used, but it a few years old. It is starting to show some brown on the arm bottoms. It has a nice sheen. This jacket is marked a 42 but easily a 44/46. Very nice jacket. They know what they are doing. I'm also looking forward to your results. I keep hearing how they will work with you on a custom and I have a couple in mind.

Terry