Schott's 660 Cafe Racer & Schott's 662 Cow hide fitted jacket sizes

[Lord Flashheart]

Hello all,

I've been planning on buying myself another leather jacket and was hoping to purchase one from Aeroleather however I cannot justify to myself spending around $900aud on ANOTHER jacket and my wife would put it.

I have had a look on the Schotts site and spotted a couple which look pretty hot, they are the 660 Cafe Racer and the 662 Cow hide motorcyle jackets. I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of these jackets and what their sizes are like? I'm 6'3, generally a 42 chest and a 38 in the trousers. I'm just a wee but concerned that, with bike jackets naturally being s bit neat, I wont be able to sip the thing up in poor weather.

Any advice is appreciated

regards

Flashy

 

[Hammer Down]

Both are cool lookin' biker jackets, but I assume you know they ain't fer ridin'. Too thin. They're a far cry from your Aero . . . that is, if you have FQHH.

Also, the 662's back is a mystery. Schott's website doesn't show it, and there aren't any pics of it online, at least as near as I can tell. I looked a few months ago. If I were you, I'd want to know what the back of a jacket looked like before I had one shipped from the Northeastern side of North America to the South Western tip of Australia.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Hi HD, thanks for the response.

Yep,I'm aware that they are not designed for riding and I'm happy with that as I will never own a motorcycle. I dont know a vast amount about Schotts, Are their products good quality?
I'm a wee bit concerned that the 662 back is not displayed on the website but I see that it has a Bi-swing back so I assume that it will be the same "pleated with draw clip" design as other jackets with the same feature?
And just to be exact, Victoria is at the South Eastern tip of Australia

Regards

Flashy

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hello all,

I've been planning on buying myself another leather jacket and was hoping to purchase one from Aeroleather however I cannot justify to myself spending around $900aud on ANOTHER jacket and my wife would put it.

I have had a look on the Schotts site and spotted a couple which look pretty hot, they are the 660 Cafe Racer and the 662 Cow hide motorcyle jackets. I'm wondering if anyone can comment on the quality of these jackets and what their sizes are like? I'm 6'3, generally a 42 chest and a 38 in the trousers. I'm just a wee but concerned that, with bike jackets naturally being s bit neat, I wont be able to sip the thing up in poor weather.

Any advice is appreciated

regards

Flashy

The 662 is a half-belt back. Gail will send you a photo if you ask her at Schott. The top piece of leather which is usually the largest in a half-belt and usually cut from one-piece is, in the 662 made up of 4 pieces so it's a bit fiddly but looks ok.

It will not fit you. The size large is for a person of our size (I'm an inch shorter but also a 42) but the shoulder width is just 18.5 inches. I need 22 inches. It's not a jacket for taller or larger men, I fear. I was going to get one but have now bought an Insurrection made cafe racer.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Is it the PLU-3 you have gone for and if so how is the fit and feel? Is it a motorcycle jacket or just the style of one?

Regards

Flashy

 

[Hammer Down]

Yes, I am 6"0 and 210 pounds. I'm fairly muscular with big arms and shoulders. I had a 46 and the chest was a hair too big but the arms were very short. That was a 641. Generally, Schott's arms are fairly short, even for non-riding. As for the quality, I find Schott can be very good in some models, and not so great in others. Not sure why. The 641 did not fit me, but it had OUTSTANDING quality. Top notch. The 654 and 585 did not have nearly the quality. I would venture to guess that the thicker the leather, the better the quality. Why? Because Schott knows that people will ride motorcycles with the thicker leather. Their lives will depend on the quality. This is just a guess, though. I have no idea why the seams, stitching, and basic design was so much more superior on the 641.

I am not a huge fan of the 660, but that would be the one for you, judging by your height. Be sure to email Gail and ask her the length of the arms. Everything else on the jacket should probably fit you. Don't gamble: email Gail before ordering. It will simplify your life. There's nothing worse than paying for return shipping from Down Under when you don't have to.

As for custom fitting a Schott, it ups the price considerably. You will be close to the price of an Aero if you do that. I personally think the Lengendary Black Stallion by Schott is one of Schott's finest jackets, but then again, you can't custom fit one without getting into price trouble. For your height, I would bite the bullet and just go for a custom jacket if the arms on standard models are too short.

There are some very fine leather tailors in Australia. Ask around. I am a big proponent of locally made, custom tailored jackets where the maker can see you, speak with you, and measure you. If the tailor works out of his/her home, and is not a big fancy name, the price will be quite reasonable. Ask around at the biggest motorcycle shops. I personally really like Deus ex Machina. Send 'em an email and see if they can recommend a quality leather tailor in Aussieland within an hour or two drive from where you live. Here's the email: http://www.deus.com.au/gallery/.

If the Schott arms don't fit, and you can't find a local tailor, then Aero or Lost Worlds might be the way to go, after all. For a man of your height and build, leather jackets can be a challenge "off the rack." Just be grateful you are so tall. It's cool. Chicks dig it and you can see over heads in movie theaters. Plus you can reach extra far in a bar brawl if need be. The difference between having "Schott length" arms and yours could be the difference between punching the guy who picked that fight when you were minding your own business, or getting punched by him

 

[Seb Lucas]

Is it the PLU-3 you have gone for and if so how is the fit and feel? Is it a motorcycle jacket or just the style of one?

Regards

Flashy

It hasn't arrived yet - will be here in about 7 days. It's their copy of a Brimaco pattern which for me is the classic cafe racer look and nice and long (I don't like short jackets) at 28 inches. It's in 3oz black cowhide. It's meant for riding but I don't ride and it will work well as a utility jacket.

There are one or two leather jacket makers left in Aust and they make a limited range, not to mentioned that Mars (the best one in Melbourne) has now changed owners and largely gone down market. I'd go with an American company myself having bought many Aust made jacket in years gone by. Johnson Leathers in San Fran has made me two jackets that great - custom and quick and affordable.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

HD - Thanks for the advice re Schotts and the varing quality of their jackets. Im sure its a probably a good thing that the best quality is in their jackets designed for use on a bike rather than for us biker wannabe's. I've also had a look at the lost world jackets but they seem to have a fairly poor reputation on this website. I looked at Aero aswell but they are a bit out of my price range however if I have no luck on the internet I might nip sown to Gala when I'm next home (I am a Scots expat living in Oz).
As for the bar brawl angle, I had enough fighing when I was in the army, I might leave that to the young blades to sort outopcorn:!
Seb - I would appreciate it if you give me your thoughts on the Brimaco jacket Seb and maybe a picture or two? I've had a look on the site but I'm not sure which one you have gone for.
I went into Mars Leathers the other day but was very disapointed with the range available, it looks like they are inporting from SE Asia and the quality is pretty poor. It is frustrating not being able to find a decent leather jacket that fits over here. I'm quite surprised as there are plenty of Aussies who are a similar size and build as myself yet most of the jackets I see here appear to be designed for jockeys!

regards

Flashy