Schott offering 20% off until 6/30

[ron521]

Many of the members here own or at least admire Schott garments, so may be interested to know that Schott is offering a 20% discount anything costing $100 or more until the end of June.
The promotional code is "Thanks09". Shipping is free in the continental U.S.

If you've been thinking about a particular Schott garment, now might be the right time.

 

[Sharpe]

I've been thinking about one of their cafe racers...

Do they have a nice fit? I've been considering which sort of cafe racer to get - vanson, schott, etc...though I don't ride a motorcycle and fit is most important (and durability)

 

[JLStorm]

I dont own a cafe racer style schott, but I do own a very nice naked leather bomber jacket from them. The leather is supple and thick yet only 3oz leather and the quality is excellent. That said, for what Schott charges (especially for larger sizes) you are better off getting a custom made Aero. A custom aero cut and made specifically for you will be of made by more experienced artist which you may or may not notice, but I can assure you that you will notice that Aero uses better quality and thicker leather. I love my Schott, but hands down, Aero used better materials, has better workmanship generally cost the same or less.

Just my opinion and worth every penny you paid for it.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

SToRMy opinion

i must concur with storm comparing aero and schott as i've had both, and many schotts

schott is a decent standard-quality u.s. made jacket that, unfortunately, is sold at premium prices on their website...from my understanding schott uses the same 'unite' u.s. union factory to make their jackets as does leathercoatsetc.com for their mil jackets, and i believe uswings.com (please correct anyone if i have it wrong)

the point being that schott quality is the same level of quality seen in uswings and leathercoatsetc...there are at times small defects, as in any mass produced jacket, but more often there are small things such as threads not tied off and such...and older schott jackets i've had, while showing NO signs of wear on the leather or liner, had nevertheless started becoming misshapen from normal use (pockets shifting off to one side or the other, causing lumps in the outer jacket, strange folds, etc.)

schott, even at 20percent off is totally overpriced...a while back i paid $359 for their g-1/a-2 '184sm' from a reseller, the actually jacket goes for $468 on the schott website...it was nice, but the cut was standard mass produced, and there were a number of threads sticking out several inches, not tied off...i liked it, but not worth paying over $300 maX!

aero has been explained beautifully by 'storm', and beyond that, they custom size the jacket at what i believe is no extra cost

if you are going to get a schott, i'd search around on the net for the model, and you'll find reseller companies that are selling them for better than 20percent off...

 

[ron521]

I purchased my first Schott, a 184, in 1993, and have worn it a lot since then. As the leather broke in, it certainly did develop creases and folds, thats part of the "character" of any leather jacket, and the reason they become more comfortable over time.
Didn't find any threads not tied off in that one or any that I've purchased since then (over the years have purchased a 618, a 118, and just today, received a 141 which I ordered). Pockets have not shifted on any of my Schotts, although this did happen on a Banana Republic jacket I owned.
All are beautiful, well made garments which I'm proud to wear.
I took my 618 to work to show another motorcyclist, and his eyes popped as he felt the thick steerhide, examined the manner in which the arms were articulated allowing freedom of motion, and the massive zippers. He commented on how superior the 618 was to his own jacket (I don't know the brand).
An Aero may possibly be even better, I'm in no position to compare, never having even seen an Aero, much less tried one on.
However I am completely satisfied with the quality, durability and value received from my Schotts thus far.

 

[JLStorm]

I purchased my first Schott, a 184, in 1993, and have worn it a lot since then. As the leather broke in, it certainly did develop creases and folds, thats part of the "character" of any leather jacket, and the reason they become more comfortable over time.
Didn't find any threads not tied off in that one or any that I've purchased since then (over the years have purchased a 618, a 118, and just today, received a 141 which I ordered). Pockets have not shifted on any of my Schotts, although this did happen on a Banana Republic jacket I owned.
All are beautiful, well made garments which I'm proud to wear.
I took my 618 to work to show another motorcyclist, and his eyes popped as he felt the thick steerhide, examined the manner in which the arms were articulated allowing freedom of motion, and the massive zippers. He commented on how superior the 618 was to his own jacket (I don't know the brand).
An Aero may possibly be even better, I'm in no position to compare, never having even seen an Aero, much less tried one on.
However I am completely satisfied with the quality, durability and value received from my Schotts thus far.

Aero steerhide is almost twice the weight of Schott, but Schott is plenty protective for riding and there is much less break in time. I think the big difference would be whether or not the owner fits well into stock sizes or not. If you can fit into an off the shelf size, Schott is a great brand if you want to buy American and dont mind paying the money. If you require custom tailoring Schott charges a serious premium.

After buying Aero I would never buy Schott again, but thats mostly because I have gotten spoiled buy being able to customize every detail for relatively little or no charge. There is nothing wrong with Schott. As mentioned I love my schott 184SM, but I couldnt imagine paying that kind of money for off the shelf ever again with what I get from Aero for the same price. Schott is especially cost prohibitive for larger sizes. I wear a size 52 in the chest, but a smaller size in the waist. I have a stock size 52 Schott and the price is more than my highly customized Aero I just ordered to fit my taste in style and body measurements exactly.

 

[ron521]

I suppose I am, to a certain extent, comparing apples to oranges, as most people buying Aero seem to opt for horsehide, and my Schott's are all cowhide or steerhide.

I agree that, for horsehide, there isn't much difference in the price, Aero may even be cheaper, depending on the current exchange rate.

If I were going to buy a horsehide jacket, I would likely buy an Aero, based on all the positive reviews of other satisfied Aero customers.

I was looking at the Aero Cafe Racer in steerhide, which comes to nearly $600, and comparing to the Schott 141 which I recently purchased for $360 using their 20% off sale. Even without the sale, the Schott cafe racer in cowhide or steerhide (141 and 641, respectively), sells for about $450.

For an "off the rack" fit in leathers other than horsehide, Schott does appear to have a pretty competitive deal, perhaps an advantage of "mass production" as opposed to "custom fitting".

Ron

 

[Jacket Man]

I have purchased three new Schott leather jackets in the past year, including a Brando style jacket several years ago. I received very good deals on all of them. No issues that I can see and I get compliments "every time" I go out with'em. It's to a point now that I expect people to take notice and ask me where I purchased them. Love the idea that they are made here and I'm extremely proud of the fact that I'm helping out with the cause. I'm also a detail person and I feel they are very well made and are at a price point I feel comfortable with. It's fun telling people they are USA made. I remember sitting at a bar with a guy that was wearing a $2,800 designer jacket he purchased from a high end store in the Detroit suburbs. A group passed by to chat and told me how they loved the 141 Cafe and completely ignored his wonderfully Italian tailored piece of leather. I had to console the guy the rest of the night telling him that they probably didn't know a thing about expensive leather jackets made in lands far away....other than that Schott makes a pretty good looking handcrafted leather garment.

 

[JLStorm]

I suppose I am, to a certain extent, comparing apples to oranges, as most people buying Aero seem to opt for horsehide, and my Schott's are all cowhide or steerhide.

I agree that, for horsehide, there isn't much difference in the price, Aero may even be cheaper, depending on the current exchange rate.

If I were going to buy a horsehide jacket, I would likely buy an Aero, based on all the positive reviews of other satisfied Aero customers.

I was looking at the Aero Cafe Racer in steerhide, which comes to nearly $600, and comparing to the Schott 141 which I recently purchased for $360 using their 20% off sale. Even without the sale, the Schott cafe racer in cowhide or steerhide (141 and 641, respectively), sells for about $450.

For an "off the rack" fit in leathers other than horsehide, Schott does appear to have a pretty competitive deal, perhaps an advantage of "mass production" as opposed to "custom fitting".

Ron

Yes, it is a somewhat Apples to Oranges comparison. Nonetheless, they are two companies marketing similar looking items. Schott is either having a sale (without their 20% off coupon), or finally setting their prices more appropriately. Still, for my size jacket in a 141 its $552.00. I dont know why Aero does not charge extra for larger sizes or thicker leathers, but thats where it starts to become more of a 1:1 comparison on price. For instance right now their 257S, which is a great looking coat, costs $802.00 in my size, a year ago it was $990.00. I need shorter sleeves, less body and big shoulders, plus I wanted horsehide overlays an enlarged collar, and different cuffs and waist. With everything I got from Aero, the Schott would have been priced around $1800 - $2000 (Schott charges a VERY hefty premium for pattern changes). With Aero I got the complete custom created and cut to my specs for $800.00.

So yes, off the shelf for smaller and regular sizes Schott is now cheaper than Aero (especially with the exchange rate starting to move again). But over a size 46, or with custom work, the numbers start to move much more in Aero's favor. While I love buying American, I dont love it as much as buying a jacket that is a one off for me and me alone.

Also it depends on several other factors. If you want it to be comfortable right off of the rack, you want to be able to send it in for repairs without the expense of over-seas shipping, and you dont want the hassle of time zone challenges, Schott is the way to go.

So, Im not saying dont buy a Schott, by all means, its a great jacket and better than any mall coat you could get for similar or more money. Im just saying that it is important to realize what else is available for a similar price before making the decision.

EDIT: Between Schott and Vanson, I like most of the Schott styles more, but I have heard (and not seen for myself) that Vanson uses leather that is quite a bit stiffer and more heavy than Schott.