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Post Pics of Your Cafe Racer Jackets

TREEMAN

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,568
Location
USA
Not mine but really sweet!
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Horsehide-Leather-Cafe-Racer-Jacket-Large/292039282469
OH Man!!!.............That sure is one SWEET jacket !!!
 

BobJ

Practically Family
Messages
609
Location
Coos Bay, OR
Not mine, obviously, but another sweet CR. I bet that it was artificially distressed/patina-ed, and he bought it new that way. But it looks good nonetheless.

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Messages
16,842
Not mine, obviously, but another sweet CR. I bet that it was artificially distressed/patina-ed, and he bought it new that way. But it looks good nonetheless.

301b38705951f47d6fef6e444eddcdd5.jpg

It's actually an older Harley Davidson CR. I can't say that I know when exactly were these made but they're not very rare and not particularly quality.
This one does look very worn and I've never seen one with such patina...

Did these guys completely give up dressing themselves? All of the sudden there was an explosion of film actors (and the people from the television series but I don't know what their profession is called) in cafe racer with seemingly near every decent looking guy wearing a vintage CR. So they all either began by doing some serious online research and after becoming experts on vintage CR brands, scoured eBay and bought many of those Becks, Brooks, HD's, Fidelities, etc. - or someone's dressing them up.

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opiusmaximus

New in Town
Messages
22
Messages
16,842
You can see the fidelity leather tag in picture 11. I am shocked it sold for that much. Fidelity leather damn sure isn't horsehide. It's a low grade steerhide if that. The leather usually flakes off and doesn't develop a patina like that jacket. For that price you can get a langlitz on eBay.

The quality varies but yep, you're right for the most part. Though Fidelity did used to work with horsehide early in the days and those were beautiful jackets, some of the nicest looking you could buy. Later ones were a bit more questionable and this one definitely sold for far too much. Not as much as what the Colombian nutjob is asking for them but you can land a good Fidelity for like $75.
 

Guppy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,338
Location
Cleveland, OH
You can see the fidelity leather tag in picture 11. I am shocked it sold for that much. Fidelity leather damn sure isn't horsehide. It's a low grade steerhide if that. The leather usually flakes off and doesn't develop a patina like that jacket. For that price you can get a langlitz on eBay.
Agreed. That jacket is thrashed, and I bet the buyer will come to regret spending too much on something they had to have.
 
Messages
16,842
It's a VERY nice jacket! Beautiful now, and promises to get even better with time and wear.

How are you liking the stiff, heavy, "This thing was not made to be worn" cxl hh now? Is it getting comfy? Still fighting with you?

Still fighting. I hear stuff about other makers and all but I can't imagine anything being worse than this. Worse in a good way. I really like it but it's tough. Gets a bit softer when it's warm but not as soft as the black FQHH which soaks up sun and heats up. This colour doesn't seem to do that. There's seriously a HUGE difference how warm leather jackets of different colour will get. My Schott CR becomes an oven in the sunlight.
 

BobJ

Practically Family
Messages
609
Location
Coos Bay, OR
Still fighting. I hear stuff about other makers and all but I can't imagine anything being worse than this. Worse in a good way. I really like it but it's tough. Gets a bit softer when it's warm but not as soft as the black FQHH which soaks up sun and heats up. This colour doesn't seem to do that. There's seriously a HUGE difference how warm leather jackets of different colour will get. My Schott CR becomes an oven in the sunlight.

I know. I had a black dog that would just bake in the sun. I vowed I would never have another black dog for that very reason. Plus, I couldn't see where he was at night.

I have a dark seal jacket, and sometimes, on cool but sunny days, I can sit with my back to the sun and feel the warmth soaking in. Ahhh...
 

Gamma68

One Too Many
Messages
1,936
Location
Detroit, MI
Working to keep this great thread alive.

Just picked up my first full-fledged cafe racer (or racing shirt). I'm hooked.

Unlabeled but identified as a Kehoe by @ton312 and other good folks in the outerwear forum.

Supremely comfortable, lovely chocolate brown steerhide, and the leather smells wonderful.

Now I want (need) a black one...

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Messages
17,509
Location
Chicago
Another eBay failure here. A beautiful Vanson model A. Sadly it's the smallest size 42" I've ever encountered in this model which typically runs quite large!
A real shame as the hide is sublime and a lovely dark brown.
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A better fitting Bates, that's also losing ground fit wise:
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Getting a good fit out of a CR seems so much more difficult than a cross zip.
 

Fanch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,490
Location
Texas
Tony those are great pictures that illustrate how difficult and unforgiving the cafe racer design is regarding fit. Unlike other designs, with the CR there is an incredibly narrow margin of variation between a jacket that is too tight and one that is baggy and too big.

Below is a selfie of a size 42 Vanson Enfield that I didn't keep. As I recall it was a few years old and made of very heavy, stiff cowhide. Although the fit pictures probably looked OK, I think I had to exhale to get it zipped. The sleeves were too short. Also there was significant separation of the male zipper pin at the bottom with likely imminent failure. So, back it went. I have always liked the concept of the Vanson Enfield though ever since I saw HD wearing his.

VANSON ENFIELD 3.jpg VANSON ENFIELD 2.jpg

It wasn't until after I got my two Sheenes that I discovered how nice the CR design could look and fit when worn.
 

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