Bfd70
I'll Lock Up
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Warning: This thread is likely to be meandering and long with no clear purpose.
As @jeo correctly recalled in another thread, I have on several occasions commented on other peoples pictures that the D-pocket double rider is my favorite jacket to look at. However, despite being a 25 year motorcyclist, I couldn’t help but feel the aesthetic was too “biker” for me as I am 10% biker 90% soccer dad carpool driver. Well, I must have seen one too many boss photos on TFL and insta and decided to take the plunge. No guts no glory.
Requirements for this double rider purchase were that it had to have a D pocket, and be new or lightly used. I wasn’t interested in a legit vintage. A variable strongly weighted but not required is that all things being otherwise equal I prefer otr to custom. My build tends to work for a lot of stock makers and one only needs to read a few write ups on tfl to know that custom is no guarantee of perfect fit. I prefer the ability to put a jacket right back in the box and head to the post office for a return rather than wait 8 weeks and then start the “hey the sleeves are way to short” email chain.
I considered the following options. I’ll briefly state why they were eliminated from consideration.
Aero Daytona: I think they make a good product at a fair price. Most of the ones I’ve seen lack rear gussets. Without those my experience is that vintage patterns tend to restrict movement. I would definitely need to add them. I suppose what eliminated Aero was that all of the recent pictures I’ve seen of the daytona were in vicenza. I think this leather has some very good properties but at the end of the day it doesn’t wow me. Also, i can’t recall anyone saying their blackened brown is actually showing any brown (a feature i kinda dig). I really didn’t consider the j106 because @ton312 is the only person i’ve seen post one up and our builds are really different so i just didn’t have a strong point of reference for fit.
Field Manhattan: Like so many here I love the romance suggested by the idea of the one man operation. Of course the down time to that business model is extended lead times. There is a reason I’m not in the GW line and it isn’t because i dont like his stuff.
Schott 1950s: This checks some nice boxes. Price, availability, return-ability. Cons: They don’t give measurements and I haven’t seen one picture where i thought it fit the wearer well. I hate the lining.
Elmc roadstar: Same pros as schott though the price is higher it’s not terrible. Cons they do provide numbers and they’re really off for me. To get the right chest means short sleeves and short back length. Further it just doesn’t WOW me. That’s just a thing you feel or don’t and maybe can’t explain.
Lost worlds J-23. This got the most consideration. I’ve owned two LW and while the copy is hyperbolic I think any reference to quality and durability is fairly accurate. I exchanged several emails with LW . There were 2 places i got hung up. First, they custom make from established size patterns. The smallest patterns they use they assign the size 38 to. The numbers were pretty good but potentially a little off for me. This goes back to the “hey, i got the jacket and it’s really nice but...” thing. Second, I believe they truly make an heirloom jacket in terms of durability. That’s really cool. It also means that if you live in a town where if your lucky you’ll get 16 weeks of wear (which for me can mean 10 minute drive back and forth to work) it can take years to break in. I just don’t find that fun.
Rmc J-24. Pros: Of the group it’s the one that always looked best to me. The proportions favor my build. The numbers are posted and looked perfect. It’s available and returnable. Cons: It’s really silly expensive. Honestly I think anything past the $600 mark means I have more money than sense. The way I overcame this hurdle is by recognizing that so often on Tfl jackets are not so much owned as “rented” with that in mind I figure that both the RMC and Aero would be likely be a $700 “rental fee.”
Now that I have the Rmc (For a whole day (Though in that day I got 3 compliments, two from my wife who is typically indifferent)) here are my initial impressions:
Otr fit: For me it’s just spot on. I couldn’t have spec’d it better. I went with a 40. By most accounts I am a 36. I could wear a 38 with just a tshirt if my only activity in it was posturing. To get the most use i need to fit a sweatshirt under. I also try and leaving posturing for Saturdays only.
Leather: The depth of color is amazing. It’s black as sin but somehow you look at it and wonder if it’s a really dark shade of brown. I’d name it dark roast coffee. It is surprisingly thin. This is a wear about town jacket definitely not an on the bike jacket. As that was my intention it’s not a problem and i think it will mold to my body very quickly.
Liner: Laughably thin and feels cheaply made. I’ve handled tons of schott and Vanson and their quilted liners are all better. Disappointing at the price. That said, knowing rmc’s attention to detail perhaps the weight is historically accurate.
Zippers: I’m sure these are historically accurate. They are also silly small. If this becomes a forever jacket for me I’m sure i will break the main and send it to Johnsons for a beefing up repair.
We’re just hitting full time leather jacket season here. I’m going to live in this for a bit and then update.
As @jeo correctly recalled in another thread, I have on several occasions commented on other peoples pictures that the D-pocket double rider is my favorite jacket to look at. However, despite being a 25 year motorcyclist, I couldn’t help but feel the aesthetic was too “biker” for me as I am 10% biker 90% soccer dad carpool driver. Well, I must have seen one too many boss photos on TFL and insta and decided to take the plunge. No guts no glory.
Requirements for this double rider purchase were that it had to have a D pocket, and be new or lightly used. I wasn’t interested in a legit vintage. A variable strongly weighted but not required is that all things being otherwise equal I prefer otr to custom. My build tends to work for a lot of stock makers and one only needs to read a few write ups on tfl to know that custom is no guarantee of perfect fit. I prefer the ability to put a jacket right back in the box and head to the post office for a return rather than wait 8 weeks and then start the “hey the sleeves are way to short” email chain.
I considered the following options. I’ll briefly state why they were eliminated from consideration.
Aero Daytona: I think they make a good product at a fair price. Most of the ones I’ve seen lack rear gussets. Without those my experience is that vintage patterns tend to restrict movement. I would definitely need to add them. I suppose what eliminated Aero was that all of the recent pictures I’ve seen of the daytona were in vicenza. I think this leather has some very good properties but at the end of the day it doesn’t wow me. Also, i can’t recall anyone saying their blackened brown is actually showing any brown (a feature i kinda dig). I really didn’t consider the j106 because @ton312 is the only person i’ve seen post one up and our builds are really different so i just didn’t have a strong point of reference for fit.
Field Manhattan: Like so many here I love the romance suggested by the idea of the one man operation. Of course the down time to that business model is extended lead times. There is a reason I’m not in the GW line and it isn’t because i dont like his stuff.
Schott 1950s: This checks some nice boxes. Price, availability, return-ability. Cons: They don’t give measurements and I haven’t seen one picture where i thought it fit the wearer well. I hate the lining.
Elmc roadstar: Same pros as schott though the price is higher it’s not terrible. Cons they do provide numbers and they’re really off for me. To get the right chest means short sleeves and short back length. Further it just doesn’t WOW me. That’s just a thing you feel or don’t and maybe can’t explain.
Lost worlds J-23. This got the most consideration. I’ve owned two LW and while the copy is hyperbolic I think any reference to quality and durability is fairly accurate. I exchanged several emails with LW . There were 2 places i got hung up. First, they custom make from established size patterns. The smallest patterns they use they assign the size 38 to. The numbers were pretty good but potentially a little off for me. This goes back to the “hey, i got the jacket and it’s really nice but...” thing. Second, I believe they truly make an heirloom jacket in terms of durability. That’s really cool. It also means that if you live in a town where if your lucky you’ll get 16 weeks of wear (which for me can mean 10 minute drive back and forth to work) it can take years to break in. I just don’t find that fun.
Rmc J-24. Pros: Of the group it’s the one that always looked best to me. The proportions favor my build. The numbers are posted and looked perfect. It’s available and returnable. Cons: It’s really silly expensive. Honestly I think anything past the $600 mark means I have more money than sense. The way I overcame this hurdle is by recognizing that so often on Tfl jackets are not so much owned as “rented” with that in mind I figure that both the RMC and Aero would be likely be a $700 “rental fee.”
Now that I have the Rmc (For a whole day (Though in that day I got 3 compliments, two from my wife who is typically indifferent)) here are my initial impressions:
Otr fit: For me it’s just spot on. I couldn’t have spec’d it better. I went with a 40. By most accounts I am a 36. I could wear a 38 with just a tshirt if my only activity in it was posturing. To get the most use i need to fit a sweatshirt under. I also try and leaving posturing for Saturdays only.
Leather: The depth of color is amazing. It’s black as sin but somehow you look at it and wonder if it’s a really dark shade of brown. I’d name it dark roast coffee. It is surprisingly thin. This is a wear about town jacket definitely not an on the bike jacket. As that was my intention it’s not a problem and i think it will mold to my body very quickly.
Liner: Laughably thin and feels cheaply made. I’ve handled tons of schott and Vanson and their quilted liners are all better. Disappointing at the price. That said, knowing rmc’s attention to detail perhaps the weight is historically accurate.
Zippers: I’m sure these are historically accurate. They are also silly small. If this becomes a forever jacket for me I’m sure i will break the main and send it to Johnsons for a beefing up repair.
We’re just hitting full time leather jacket season here. I’m going to live in this for a bit and then update.
