Real Mccoys Buco BJ21002 Style King… Patina experiences?

[Bender]

Does anybody here have one?

I like everything about this jacket… up to and including the embossed pattern on the horse hide.

However questions about how that embossing will age is what’s keeping me from pulling the trigger.

Can anybody tell me what to expect with regards to wear and patina?

I gather it’s not a painted tea-core jacket designed to age immediately.

But is the black dye applied, meaning eventually it will wear off, revealing the brown/tan leather underneath?

Or is it drum-dyed through, meaning worn bits will start to show blue/grey over time?

Or will the embossing make it so it kind of doesn’t age noticeably at all?

The embossing in question…

 

[Aloysius]

If I recall correctly @dudewuttheheck had one of the jackets with the embossed grain and moved it on because, even though historically accurate, it really sucked the life out of the leather and kept it looking the same.

 

[Marc mndt]

It's a confusing name for this jacket, when I think of the Buco Style King I think of the J-27

 

[58panheadfan]

It's a confusing name for this jacket, when I think of the Buco Style King I think of the J-27

View attachment 559059

I don't think Buco uses the terms like "Style King" or "Weather King" for just a model, it was probably more of an advertising matter, here seen for a mens J-24 and a womens J-14.

 

[Observe]

I'd avoid embossing at this price point, sucks the character out of the leather. Am I too cynical in believing that RMC may use lower quality hides for this embossing process as well? If it were cheaper, I'd entertain it.

At the risk of sounding hypocritical, I'm not completely against embossed leather on quality goods, for example, I like the scotch grain on Crockett and Jones Islay boots. Now, why they'd make a hearty country boot without a gusseted tongue is beyond me, but I digress...

 

[TartuWolf]

In my opinion embossing = faking. Similar to how mall boots have fake welts. Big no no in my book, unless we talk about cheaper leather / goods.
It's also a bit similar to how I view heavily pigmented leather - why smear pigment on leather if you like leather? It DOES make sense for riding jackets or jackets that actually need to withstand the elements, mainly making them more water-resistant.
Another similar topic is tooling (mainly in the context of belts) as in creating a repeating pattern. But that at least leaves the leather itself "natural" even if (for me) it does take away from the natural leather beauty and patterns.
Just my 5c, nothing else.

 

[Aloysius]

I'd avoid embossing at this price point, sucks the character out of the leather. Am I too cynical in believing that RMC may use lower quality hides for this embossing process as well? If it were cheaper, I'd entertain it.

I don’t think they do but I would prefer it if they did! It’s a bit of a waste of the hides.

 

[58panheadfan]

In my opinion embossing = faking. Similar to how mall boots have fake welts. Big no no in my book, unless we talk about cheaper leather / goods.
It's also a bit similar to how I view heavily pigmented leather - why smear pigment on leather if you like leather? It DOES make sense for riding jackets or jackets that actually need to withstand the elements, mainly making them more water-resistant.
Another similar topic is tooling (mainly in the context of belts) as in creating a repeating pattern. But that at least leaves the leather itself "natural" even if (for me) it does take away from the natural leather beauty and patterns.
Just my 5c, nothing else.

I had the embossed leather of another jacket from RMC (Cooper 30's Sports Jacket) in my hands and was thrilled. Absolutely top quality. Unfortunately I can't say how this leather will develop over time, but I think it will develop a beautiful patina. Incidentally, in earlier times, manufacturers often used embossed leather, although less in leather jackets than in accessories.

 

[TartuWolf]

I don't doubt that a jacket with embossed leather can be absolute top quality. I also don't see why the best quality leather can't be embossed. But I don't understand why one would do that to top quality leather. Maybe in order to use full grain leather while still avoiding all imperfections by embossing (same is achieved by sanding the top layer a bit aka top-grain leather).
On the other hand Horween seems quite fond of embossing as well :

Personally I don't see the appeal of it, but I think it would help with keeping it from wearing and keeping it looking new for longer, prevent scuffs and scratches from showing so much..

 

[Marc mndt]

I had the embossed leather of another jacket from RMC (Cooper 30's Sports Jacket) in my hands and was thrilled. Absolutely top quality. Unfortunately I can't say how this leather will develop over time, but I think it will develop a beautiful patina. Incidentally, in earlier times, manufacturers often used embossed leather, although less in leather jackets than in accessories.

I also handled the Cooper and I agree the leather is top quality.

The embossing on this cossack looks pretty cool.

 

[58panheadfan]

I think in the case of RMC it has nothing to do with the quality of the leather and more to do with the authenticity and originality. The owner of RMC has an incredible collection of original jackets and I assume that RMC simply copied an (embossed) original from his archive.

 

[Tom71]

My C&J Islay boots are embossed (as rightly "observed" by @Observe ). Leather holds up for ten years now, despite regular wear in foul conditions.

Embossing is not coating, so unless you dislike the look, I don´t quite get why one would doubt the quality of the leather.

 

[El Marro]

Embossing is one thing, my issue with this jacket is the pattern. it appears to have little or no taper from the chest down which creates a boxy unflattering look.
I think you should consider something like the Schott 689H
https://www.schottnyc.com/products/mens-horsehide-racer.htm

 

[jeo]

Previous year models don’t have the embossed leather. I’d look to find one of these used from Japan, they pop up fairly often. Buying second hand is the way to go anyway.

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/k1112504273?conversionType=search_suggest_buyee_top

 

[Canuck Panda]

I am also not against embossed hides. The term sounds bad but they don't have to look uniform either, they just look pebbly. I am quite certain the chrome tanned Shinki used on my RC vest is also embossed. It works well on the thinner horsehides, gives it a firmer hand feeling for chrome tanning. Like Scotch grain. Very durable stuff. I would expect it to stay black and black for long long time, and I think that was the intention behind it, no aging, stay new looking as long as possible.

But I am also against the pattern of the said Buco jacket. Cash grab. It's just a plain scooter jacket with a dress collar. Most of your money would go towards paying for the brand and not the actual product.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

If I recall correctly @dudewuttheheck had one of the jackets with the embossed grain and moved it on because, even though historically accurate, it really sucked the life out of the leather and kept it looking the same.

Yeah I was very much not a fan of that leather. I had the Cooper 30s sports jacket. If they ever remade that jacket without the printing, I'd buy it.

Very boring leather to me.

 

[Bender]

Embossing is one thing, my issue with this jacket is the pattern. it appears to have little or no taper from the chest down which creates a boxy unflattering look.
I think you should consider something like the Schott 689H
https://www.schottnyc.com/products/mens-horsehide-racer.htm

Oh no, now you guys have me questioning the pattern, lol…

I think its kind of chill, like an every day leather jacket for a guy who doesn’t want to be all “leather jacket guy”, you know?

Probably the wrong forum to get a lot of people behind that sentiment, ha ha.

I’m just not huge on the Motörhead look everyday… it’s not really my vibe. I ride, but I have a waxed canvas armored jacket for that. I want something from a really nice maker that will be every day grab and go.

As far as fit goes, does it look boxy on the model?

To my eyes, it seems to drape well and looks sharp… even the dude from Standard & Strange, who seems to make a lot of things look boxy, appears to get a good fit.

That said, the expert eyes of this forum might be seeing something in these photos that I am not. I am still amateurish enough with jackets that something will look supple and drapey to me in pics and then show up stiff as a board in real life… 2 out of 3 Aero purchases (and returns) have been because of that…

 

[Jasonissm]

This model is repro of a later Buco right? The design is not my cup of tea personally but it looks like it fits okay on those two models. Just looks like a basic mall jacket to me honestly, especially for Real McCoy prices I would prefer one of their flagship models which have a pattern which is more flattering for the physique.

 

[El Marro]

I completely understand the desire for a chill leather jacket that goes with everything and doesn’t stand out. I just think that this jacket falls short of the mark, especially for how much it costs.
It doesn’t look bad in the photos you posted but it does look boxy to me. The 689H I posted does have a real moto vibe but check out some of the other straight zip jackets that Schott offers. Something in their naked cowhide would have a nice drape right out of the box.

 

[Observe]

I think the pattern looks fine and I get that you want something that flies more under the radar. Going off the measurements on the S&S site, I don't see anything awry. Maybe someone else here is familiar with some similar options to suggest for you?