Several beginner questions

[Faux59]

Hello everyone first post!

I've got several questions and thought to group them all in 1 thread.

a) I have 1 lamb skin jacket that I bought last month from a Canadian company called Ocean West. I can't seem to find any info on this company are they any good?? The shop I got it from is in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and it was the only leather they had that wasn't made in Pakistan or China (nothing against those countries I just want higher quality)
b) the lady who sold me the jacket gave me a can of spray and said to only use that and to not use any shoe care creams or conditioners on leather jackets. I'd rather use conditioners over a spray can. Is it alright to use Bick 4 or Leather Honey or even Venetian Shoe Cream on leather jackets? Leather is leather the way I look at it regardless if it's a jacket or boot

c) I've got a brown Schott P571 incoming. I like how this jacket is completely minimalistic both front and back but my only dislike is the collar has a metal button. Can you please suggest some other minimalist jackets? By that I mean no chest pockets, plain backs, and either thin or no linings. I'll likely buy a 3rd jacket (or 6th). A few contenders (altho not perfect to my
eye) are Simmons Bilt Clayton (I don't love the half belt), SB Sportsman (I don't love the horizontal leather strip over the shoulders), and Aero 59r (I don't love the metal button at the bottom of the front zipper). Schott actually has a couple models I like the look of except I want some diversity and not a bunch of cafe racers.

d) that Clayton I mentioned is probably my next buy if they're willing to make me 1 without the half belt. It's an otherwise sharp looking and for some reason I'd like to have a horse hide jacket. I searched and read another recent thread here with SB that got a little heated over their poor quality. Can anyone provide specific examples of poor QC?

Thanks for having me!

 

[Peacoat]

Can't answer all of your questions, but a few comments may be in order.

First of all, there is no need to put any conditioner on the jacket. It is new and shouldn't require anything until it starts to dry out in maybe 10 to 20 years, depending on various factors. Just no need to worry about what to put on it at this point.

Do a search for "Leather Jacket Conditioners," or various iterations of those words, or their variants (Conditioning Leather Jackets), and you will find more than you can digest. A hot topic and sometimes controversial subject on this board.

Secondly, the discussions about Simmons Bilt goes way beyond and way before any discussion about quality was ever raised. The controversy is deep seated in the genesis of the company–originally Alexander Leathers. Over the past number of years, we have been able to avoid these discussions. I hope we can keep it that way in this thread. The name has changed, and most (all?) of the original bad actors have moved on from Simmons.

The link below will give you insight into the original Alexander Leathers company.

BTW, welcome to the board and congratulations for hitting on two hot topic issues in your first post.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/aero-trial-narrative.82006/

 

[Jasonindenver]

Welcome to the forum.

I think your pattern is similar to a vast majority of members here….

We buy a decent lambskin jacket, but start wanting something a bit nicer…

Then we fall down into the rabbit hole.

First, Peacoat is spot on. You don’t need to worry about the jacket‘s conditioning for years. Lambskin is soft and porous so it does help to use a nano-coat protective spray once or twice a year if you expect to encounter rain or snow. Because it is soft, do not expect this coat to be hard wearing. After two years of regular wear, my first lambskin jacket started to look like crap over the shoulders where my briefcase strap wore through the topcoat. Be careful, however, and it will look good for 10-20 years.

Once you find something that catches your eye, you will spend bucks to have that higher quality piece. Take the experience of members here for what it is worth. Some members prize the highest quality and workmanship they can get and are willing to pay, some chase the most uniquely tanned leather on the market, others may chase historically accurate patterns. Finally, some just want a piece at the best possible, or cheapest, price.

At this point, you are on the right track to consider a custom jacket. This is where most of us end up. Look up Aero’s Sheene and Seven jackets here. They can be custom ordered without pockets, belts, buttons, etc….

Or, you can take the financially responsible position and run far, far, far away from here.

 

[Jasonindenver]

Oh yeah, and there are a few other Rolex junkies here as well.

 

[Peacoat]

If you want a minimalist jacket, the Aero Sheene may be for you. Simple uncluttered lines in the front and a two piece back make for a simple design. It comes with a chest pocket, but that may deleted from the design. I imagine the hand warmer pockets could also be eliminated, but I can't imagine why you would want to.

 

[TartuWolf]

I'll chip in as well.
A) For me the main concern in terms of conditioning the jacket is the leather finish. If it is a pigment finish (as all lower end and a lot of higher end jackets are) then there is no point in conditioning it at all as the conditioner most likely won't reach the leather anyway - it will stay on top until you wipe it or it dries out.
Conditioning makes sense only if you have a semi-aniline or fully-aniline finished jacket. Even then you should not need to do it anytime soon. Year would pass until there is a need for it.
A protective top coat (for example against rain) is another thing and those mostly come as sprays. Using those does make sense.
B ) Here I would like to mention that pocket placement (or removal of them) is one of the cheapest/easiest/most common adjustments that most jacket makers (SB, Aero for sure) are more than willing to make. So if I were you, I would find a model that I like ignoring all the pockets (get the front panel and back panel configuration right) and go with that, just ask to remove everything that can be removed. If you take this approach, then you will have a much easier time finding a perfect jacket.
C ) I'm also considering a SB jacket. There are some pros and cons going with them VS going with Aero. In terms of ethics and history then Aero is superior all the way. But SB have their upsides as well. If they send you the right size then the quality is considered to be on par with Aero. Be careful with the pricing in terms of which leather you pick. Some have a small upcharge, some have a large upcharge, making it more expensive than Aero.

 

[Faux59]

Perfect guys thanks for the info and crazy back story! I'm glad to read I can delete pockets that opens the door for a lot more options.

I'll stick with the protective spray and don't expect lamb skin to be hard wearing. I rub all my new leather boots once with Venetian and thought about doing the same with jackets.

 

[navetsea]

my first jacket is also sheepskin (without the fur), and it survives 9 years so far, mine absorbs conditioner and the color can bleed also few time it got rained on, even thin hide survives. I agree with that lady don't use colored shoe cream on jacket as it can stain funitures and your own clothes, but shoe conditioner works well on jacket as long as it can absorb it to like obenauff leather oil or mink oil, just use less and drip it on your fingers or on a sponge applicator or rag or brush or whatever don't drip it directly on the jacket as it may leave long lasting oil spots.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

Simmons Bilt Nebraska could be a minimalist jacket. This model is black goat. Has 2 chest pockets as stock OEM but they are useful for mobile phones and keys etc. The makers are very approachable and good to deal with. This is "probably" my favourite jacket in my small collection.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Very cool. I'm looking into a Simmons Bilt goatskin for myself. How has yours been holding up? Any advice?