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Yes, the Vanson competition weight cowhide breaks in very nicely. While very stiff at first, over a year or so, it becomes soft and pliable--a very nice leather. Another poster called his well broken in Vanson an "old softie." While mine hasn't reached that stage yet, it is very comfortable to wear and is certainly thick enough to give good protection in the event of an involuntary dismount.
As to the squeak, I found a good solution. Someone on this board suggested putting talcum powder on the stitches. I did it a little differently on my Johnson jacket made of the extremely tough cowhide. I got an old toothbrush and used it to put Pecard on the stitches and down into the stitch holes. Only did it on the sleeves as that was the only place the jacket was squeaking. Squeak gone. Took about 20 minutes.
If you don't have access to Pecard, any good quality conditioner of that consistency (light wheel bearing grease) should do the job. There are a couple of German conditioners of that consistency that I have used to good effect. Passier Lederbalsam comes to mind. My wife probably picked up the German conditioners at our local English tack store.
My theory is that the thick, tough hides are often the ones that squeak the most where the thread rubs against the hide. But it doesn't happen on all of the thick hides. Seems I have heard comments about the Lost World jackets being squeaky, and they are mostly the thickest hides Stuart can find. So, those of you with Lost Worlds, and who want to rid your jacket of the squeak, now you know how to do it.
Damo: Yes, unfortunately my Schott naked cowhide Cafe Racer did shrink a bit when exposed to a light misting rain on the motorcycle. I noticed it more in the sleeves. Before, they were a perfect length. Now they are almost too short.
The Schott is the jacket I mostly pack on trips away from home when I know I probably won't be wearing a jacket all of the time on the motor. It is the lightest weight of my MC jackets, so it takes up less room in the saddle bag. By contrast, my heavy Johnson Leathers jacket would take up most of the saddle bag, if it would even fit in it. As a result of being worn on so many trips, the Schott has developed an excellent patina. For this reason I am reluctant to treat it with a conditioner in an attempt to make it more water resistant. I hate to destroy years of developed character in exchange for some water resistance. The way I deal with the problem of water absorbency is to wear a rain jacket over the Schott if there is more than a slight probability of rain. On my trips, if it is cool enough for a leather jacket, it is also cool enough for a rain jacket over the leather.
The Schott liner does add good warmth to the jacket. I usually leave mine rolled up in a small space in a saddle bag so it is available if the weather turns colder while on the trip. I will start out the morning with a vest under the jacket that can be removed as the day warms. In the late afternoon with dropping temps, the process is reversed, with the liner being worn if necessary.
So, the Schott is a versatile MC jacket that has the one drawback of absorbing water in the rain. It is my trip jacket with the work around of wearing a rain jacket over it if rain is probable. P.C.
