Scarecrow Yah Ta Hey leathers

[Arrandale]

Scarecrow Company was a garment store in Fukazawa, Tokyo. The shop owner Mr. Narusawa was the first Japanese to introduce Langlitz Leathers to Japan in the 1980s. While searching for an even better maker than Langlitz, Narusawa came across Johnson Leather in San Francisco. He introduced Yah-Ta Hey Leathers, a company which didn’t actually exist in order to hide Johnson Leather so that other Japanese companies will not make a contract with them. The Yah-Ta Hey double motorcycle jackets were significantly better than Langlitz Columbia in every aspect, but above all, the steerhide they used was much thicker. I believe it was 5.0~5.5 ounce/ square foot.
By some coincidence Alan Zaffrin, the owner of Johnson Leather stated on Fedora Lounge that he made some of the Yah-Ta Hey jackets by the request of Scarecrow Company.
I used this god given opportunity to contact him and have a custom made jacket from 7.3 ounce (=3.0 mm thick)bullhide. I knew this idea was ridiculous and would be turned down but Alan, the genius and the Michelangelo among the craftsmen answered in the affirmative.
Seeing is believing. I’ll upload the photos. My request was to have it made in the shape of Vanson Marauder jacket, add detachable mouton fur collar, add detachable 1 inch mouton fur shearling body, add thinsulate underneath the heavy nylon lining in the body and the sleeves.

 

[handymike]

Wow! What a jacket!

 

[Sharp]

Scarecrow Company was a garment store in Fukazawa, Tokyo. The shop owner Mr. Narusawa was the first Japanese to introduce Langlitz Leathers to Japan in the 1980s. While searching for an even better maker than Langlitz, Narusawa came across Johnson Leather in San Francisco. He introduced Yah-Ta Hey Leathers, a company which didn’t actually exist in order to hide Johnson Leather so that other Japanese companies will not make a contract with them. The Yah-Ta Hey double motorcycle jackets were significantly better than Langlitz Columbia in every aspect, but above all, the steerhide they used was much thicker. I believe it was 5.0~5.5 ounce/ square foot.
By some coincidence Alan Zaffrin, the owner of Johnson Leather stated on Fedora Lounge that he made some of the Yah-Ta Hey jackets by the request of Scarecrow Company.
I used this god given opportunity to contact him and have a custom made jacket from 7.3 ounce (=3.0 mm thick)bullhide. I knew this idea was ridiculous and would be turned down but Alan, the genius and the Michelangelo among the craftsmen answered in the affirmative.
Seeing is believing. I’ll upload the photos. My request was to have it made in the shape of Vanson Marauder jacket, add detachable mouton fur collar, add detachable 1 inch mouton fur shearling body, add thinsulate underneath the heavy nylon lining in the body and the sleeves.

Hot dang! Whats the weight on that bad boy?

 

[Arrandale]

Hi. I’m Arrandale. This nickname comes from Arrandale primary school which I used to attend when I was living in Great Neck, NY..
Please let me introduce Yah-Ta Hey Leathers double motorcycle jacket ‘Montana’ and a medium length coat which is actually a copy of the Langlitz Red Dog coat. Both are significantly better in every aspect than the Langlitz. The center photo is the Langlitz Red Dog coat.
The last two photos are Langlitz custom made flight jacket. What’s custom made is that it has a flap in the inside and the outside to shut out the wind. The flight jacket was made before Langlitz quit using their heavy steerhide which was 4.0 ounce/square foot. It was in the beginning of the 21st century when Langlitz was still taking direct orders from Japan. Perhaps because there was a flood of direct orders from Japan, Langlitz suddenly stopped taking direct orders from Japan and established an ‘ exclusive authorized dealers’ in Japan. Before the exclusive dealers, ordinary Langlitz Columbia was about US$800.00+shipping. Now, the price here in Japan is about $3600.00. It’s ridiculous! The only garment that I can imagine more expensive than this is President Putin’s Lolo•Piana down coat which is $13483.17.

 

[Canuck Panda]

 

[Arrandale]

Hot dang! Whats the weight on that bad boy?

The jacket will be sent out in a few days. Mr. Zaffrin sent me the photos beforehand. He says the jacket weighs 14 lbs.= 6.35 Kg.
The photo in the left is Yah-Ta Hey Leathers ‘ Tacoma’ medium length coat. It is made of 4.5~5.0 ounce steerhide and weighs 13.7 lbs.=6.28 Kg. ( the right is the same model except it’s not sewn together in the middle of the body. It’s made of long pieces of leather from the top to bottom)

 

[Arrandale]

Japanese are so bad at naming things that it even pains me. The bottom left photo is Yah-Ta Hey Leathers ‘Tacoma’ coat and the right is ‘Montana’. Mr. Narusawa, the former owner of Scarecrow Company named it, but what he did was putting names of states to sound like something from northern USA. Why can’t they name it like ‘ Goliath’ or Godzilla?

 

[red devil]

Scarecrow Company was a garment store in Fukazawa, Tokyo. The shop owner Mr. Narusawa was the first Japanese to introduce Langlitz Leathers to Japan in the 1980s. While searching for an even better maker than Langlitz, Narusawa came across Johnson Leather in San Francisco. He introduced Yah-Ta Hey Leathers, a company which didn’t actually exist in order to hide Johnson Leather so that other Japanese companies will not make a contract with them. The Yah-Ta Hey double motorcycle jackets were significantly better than Langlitz Columbia in every aspect, but above all, the steerhide they used was much thicker. I believe it was 5.0~5.5 ounce/ square foot.
By some coincidence Alan Zaffrin, the owner of Johnson Leather stated on Fedora Lounge that he made some of the Yah-Ta Hey jackets by the request of Scarecrow Company.
I used this god given opportunity to contact him and have a custom made jacket from 7.3 ounce (=3.0 mm thick)bullhide. I knew this idea was ridiculous and would be turned down but Alan, the genius and the Michelangelo among the craftsmen answered in the affirmative.
Seeing is believing. I’ll upload the photos. My request was to have it made in the shape of Vanson Marauder jacket, add detachable mouton fur collar, add detachable 1 inch mouton fur shearling body, add thinsulate underneath the heavy nylon lining in the body and the sleeves.

REally love how it turned out!

 

[PeterRocco]

Just Love how they came out!

 

[Arrandale]

Hi, I’m Arrandale. I’m now quite enthusiastic about old fashioned old school type heavy leather mountain boots. The 1st 3 photos are ‘ Pulse 7000G which an adventurer Naomi Uemura wore when he succeeded in solo-climbing Mt. McKinley. He never came down though.
The last 2 photos are Kamoshika Sporting made heavy boots called ‘ Chomolungma’. It was actually used for climbing the Everest though they didn’t succeed.

 

[Will Zach]

Calling @Hh121 ....

 

[Marc mndt]

Calling @Hh121 ....

He's aware lol

(comments on JL's Instagram post)

 

[Arrandale]

The photo of leather jacket which is in fashion in Tokyo. It’s made in Okayama prefecture. The

 

[Will Zach]

He's aware lol

(comments on JL's Instagram post)

View attachment 412863

Lol. I am wondering if JL took up this 7-oz hide because it was softer than Hh's 6-oz CXL and easier to sew.

 

[Arrandale]

The guy wearing sunglasses calls himself Zia but it’s definitely not his real name because he is a Japanese. The leather jacket is called 「Time is On leather jacket 」. The leather is thin as the skin of your eyelids. Zia says it a crime tanning cowhide, which explanation is wrong grammatically. It should be ‘ Crome tanned cowhide’

 

[Arrandale]

Lol. I am wondering if JL took up this 7-oz hide because it was softer than Hh's 6-oz CXL and easier to sew.

Perhaps you’re right.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Hi @Arrandale
You have some very bad ass jackets and boots!
Interesting facts about your Chomolungma boots. According to Wiki, the commando sole (lugs) was invented because the his friends had died trying to conquer the mountain with inadequate footwear. It was very sad but also gave birth to the Commando sole we have today.

Can't wait to see what else is in your closet!

 

[TheDonEffect]

He's aware lol

(comments on JL's Instagram post)

View attachment 412863

A rational question, asked by a rational person, lol.

 

[JMax]

It’s a legit question.

 

[Arrandale]

Thank you for a very interesting story about rug soles. Yes, I have badass jackets and boots. Most of my cheap jackets are made in Pakistan. They sell them under the brand name Lyugoo. It’s not that bad though. Because the leather is thin like toilet papers it’s light. My heavy mountain boots are heavy as an anvil. Especially the Chomolungma is 1.8 Kg =4.0 pounds per one boot, and total of 8.0 pounds makes you a Hercules.
As for the Time is On shop in Shibuya, I instinctively dislike the kind of guys wearing sunglasses. The Zia leather jacket is quite expensive. It’s 249000 yen=US$2035.00. I didn’t buy it though. If it was $ 20.00 I might have. The leather is so thin like the skin of your eyelids. But Japan made leather jackets tend to have thin leather. Especially the Real McCoy’s jackets.
If you want a rugged good jacket then buy American made jackets. They’re worth the price.
By the way, Johnson Leather is exceptional. The owner, Mr. Alan Zaffrin is the most flexible, versatile craftsman I can ever think of. He never fails to solve the unreasonably difficult problems the customer requests.