The Real McCoys '30s Cooper Jacket in "Black" Horsehide

[JCSD]

Brilliant fit, Jake. Congrats!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Fit pictures:

Exemplary as always Dude.
Would expect nothing less.
Will be awesomer still with your fedoras!
B

 

[Boyo]

Damn that's a good looking jacket and a better fit..

*And I'd wear the black boots with it..

 

[dudewuttheheck]

I wonder what will happen when you wear it and the natural grain tries to come through.
Will it take over and will the printed grain fade a bit as the natural grain takes over or will the printed grain stay that prominant. Also, i wonder how rain will affect the printing, humidity in the leather might change things a bit.

As weird as it is, i think that once broken in and serously worn this leather has the potential to look very interresting.
Please post some evo pics.

I would prefer to have a regular Shinki leather, but as you said, this does have potential to age in an interesting way. I have had plenty of normal shinki and a lot of jackets in general, so getting something like this is kind of fun even though it's not what I would prefer. I will be wearing this a lot and posting updates.

Fits you perfectly, literally might be the best fitting jacket you have & it's a very nice style. Classic, fancy all around.

I really love those shoulder gusset pleats they've done on the back! Such a cool & discreet way to add mobility to the jacket, without doing a full on gusset. Pointed half-belt is excellent as well. Just a really nice jacket.

However, as I've already commented in Super's Now You've Seen It All thread a few months ago when I first posted this jacket, printed leather to me isn't acceptable. This is exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to get away from, once I started my research into clothes because it's all I'd see in the malls when I was looking to buy a nice leather jacket. What I said before, why have they decided to go with this print I simply cannot understand.

Overall, if you don't mind the print, you've got yourself a really cool jacket but it breaks my heart they haven't done this in a non baked hide.

Is the leather particularly softer than the usual HH they use?

Yes! I love the shoulder gusset pleats too. Very cool detail that I had not experienced previously. As I have noted, the print is not my preference. In person, I actually don't mind it. based on the cuffs, I think it may "disappear" or at least lesson over time in high wear areas and could look interesting. Still, the real reason I bought this was the fit and the design/pattern and so far I believe it is worth it.

The fit is really great dude! No doubt about it. For the life of me though, I cannot understand the embossed grain! It is not historically accurate to anything I’ve ever seen in years of collecting vintage jackets. I just don’t get it. That process is designed to cover up flaws in inferior hides, which clearly this jacket is not made from. Just can’t wrap my brain around why that was done.

Anyway, jacket is absolutely spot on fit wise, shame they didn’t replicate this in a hide more befitting the original, which is not embossed.

Yeah for now I have to just trust RMC that this is a period detail. They said that Californian leather jackets had it more often in the 1930s, but it is not something that I can prove. I'm not sure why they did it either because the leather seems really nice otherwise. It does not seem like a cheap leather that they are using to save money. It feels like a high end leather that they decided to put a print on.

Dude - very nice fit and as always, great review and photographic work there. The first set of photos, shown on the floor & with the boots, I was almost thinking this is a greyish-brown leather, instead of a deeper brown. Your first set of fit photos at least suggests the idea of "black" however again clearly brown, and varies due to the light considerably.

I also really like the details and the "non-motorcycle" cross zip idea. Kind of takes the concept of the Aero Bootlegger and kicks it up a notch. The stiching, the fine-ness of the details, and the fit all work together to make this a briliant jacket on you. Given your dimensions, I can certainly see how the fit aspect is a tricky one indeed.

As to the leather itself, I'll quote a famous Iowa saying - "it is what it is." If it's something you like - indeed go for it. There are several other brands using "printed" or corrected leathers and they are just fine. If that's not your cup of tea there are plenty of other vendors offering un-corrected Horsehide, etc to choose from. From 10 feet back you would never notice. Up close the "grain" looks a bit like goatskin that I have owned in the past. Since it fits you so well, wear it and enjoy it, and hopefully you can post some break-in photos. It will be interesting to see how it develops as you add character and useage to this jacket.

Thank you! Yeah it is a dark brown, but in some lighting it does have a taupe or grey tinge to it. The print is not my preference and it is partly why I did not buy the jacket initially. However, now that I have it I think it could age in an interesting way. We'll see what happens I suppose! It does have a slightly goatskin look to it, but it absolutely does not feel like goatskin.

@dudewutthehecks how does the leather feel, how is its temper?
I'm curious because I once had a billfold made from printed leather like this, but that was really hard to the touch.

It is not as stiff as most Shinki that I am used to. However, it's not super soft either. It does not feel as stiff as actual goatskin that I have had (which felt super stiff.) It feels a little thinner than the standard Freewheelers Shinki and it has a slightly oily feel to it. It also does not really have the classic Shinki shine that I am used to and not as shiny as the goatskin I have had. Sort of a medium-stiff temper. Overall pretty easy for me to wear. It is stiff to the touch, but it isn't difficult to bend. It feels stiffer to the touch than regular Shinki, but is easier to bend. Still, it is also still stiffer than some of the other horsehides I have tried. It's not as flexible feeling as the Badalassi that I have had either, but similar stiffness.

IMO this is by far your best-fitting jacket. The length is perfect for this type of jacket and your height.

Thanks! I agree. Fits my height and body type so well.

That is tight, dude! Congratulations on another stunner. I don't mind the corrected grain, if it's good enough for RMC then it must be of good stock. That is so awesome to get off the rack sizing that beats a MTO fit in terms of getting to the near perfect fit we all try to achieve

The leather does feel very high quality from what I can tell. It certainly does not feel like cheap leather that they embossed.

The other thing I want to point out is that in person, the embossing looks pretty good. what I mean by that is that it looks almost like actual goatskin combined with Russian calf. The grain is smaller than the goatskin I have experienced. It looks better than most grained shoe leathers at least.

Exemplary as always Dude.
Would expect nothing less.
Will be awesomer still with your fedoras!
B

Yes I agree. I will be wearing it with my fedoras too and I have a new one on the way that should look great with this.

 

[tmitchell59]

I wanted to ask you or @tmitchell59 if you guys have ever seen a proof of RMC's claim of "...printing of other hide patterns which was frequently seen on leather jackets made in the west coast of America at the time" because I've never heard of this being a thing until I dunno, 70's.

I don't believe this happened frequently. I have seen vintage jackets with a similar effect, but quite rare. Pigskin was used back in the day and it is fairly rare to find. I assume this ladies jacket is pigskin, but it is not labeled as such. I do have a Glover catalog that list pigskin jackets in the late 30s, but they were not in California.

 

[Marc mndt]

I don't believe this happened frequently. I have seen vintage jackets with a similar effect, but quite rare. Pigskin was used back in the day and it is fairly rare to find. I assume this ladies jacket is pigskin, but it is not labeled as such. I do have a Glover catalog that list pigskin jackets in the late 30s, but they were not in California.


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This is definitely not printed. This looks like peccary leather from wild pigs. Still used today to make gloves, because the leather is very supple.

 

[Monitor]

Yeah, triangle shaped follicles are a dead giveaway it's pigskin. Gotta say, not a particularly attractive hide...

 

[jeo]

@dudewuttheheck although you've had plenty of jackets that fit really well, (and some that you could have said were perfect) this one is in fact absolutely perfect in every way. Looks perfect open. Looks perfect zipped. No leather bunching up in the shoulders or in the back...well done man! As long as you can move around in it and layer at the very least a thin sweater, I would say it can't get better than this.

And the printed leather is very interesting. As long as you like it, doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. Most people won't notice it anyway. I also wonder how it will develop and how it will react to moisture..?

 

[58panheadfan]

Very nice jacket with interesting details.The jacket fits you perfectly in this style. I personally like the printed leather, it's something different and stands out from the crowd. The color is also interesting and unique. Enjoy wearing this beauty

 

[AeroFan_07]

FWIW - these must indeed be popular as all sizes are sold out at Standard & Strange...

 

[navetsea]

congrats Dude, its your best fitting jacket.

leather looks like micro quilt pattern, might look interesting when some fading happened, you might see dots of lighter brown here and there on wear areas, instead of just a spot of brown.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

@dudewuttheheck although you've had plenty of jackets that fit really well, (and some that you could have said were perfect) this one is in fact absolutely perfect in every way. Looks perfect open. Looks perfect zipped. No leather bunching up in the shoulders or in the back...well done man! As long as you can move around in it and layer at the very least a thin sweater, I would say it can't get better than this.

And the printed leather is very interesting. As long as you like it, doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. Most people won't notice it anyway. I also wonder how it will develop and how it will react to moisture..?

Yeah I think this is my best fitting leather jacket yet. I don't love the leather, but I don't dislike it in person as much as I was expecting. I am at least interested to see how it develops over time.

Very nice jacket with interesting details.The jacket fits you perfectly in this style. I personally like the printed leather, it's something different and stands out from the crowd. The color is also interesting and unique. Enjoy wearing this beauty

Yeah I'm interested to see how it ages. Could end up looking great, but we'll have to see. I am indeed thrilled with how it fits.

FWIW - these must indeed be popular as all sizes are sold out at Standard & Strange...

Yeah and I had to special order this one. The crazy thing is that people on Instagram seem to love the grain. I don't even love it haha.

 

[TheDonEffect]

OP, that's a sweet jacket, and spot on fit too! The leather goods to me, but I guess people like more lack of uniformity that a finished texture has. How long do you think you keep this one before moving on? lol.

 

[Benny Holiday]

For that fit and pattern, I too could live with that leather. My monitor shows the different colour effect of changes in the lighting. You never disappoint, Dude. Congrats!

 

[tmitchell59]

It is a beautiful jacket. I've owned several of their jackets and lusted for others. I am intrigued by the patterning of the leather as seen on West Coast jackets. Maybe it is difficult to see/recognize when 80 + years old. Jackets from the bay area certainly had a look.

This jacket is from the late 30s San Francisco.

Is this the "patterning" ?

 

[dudewuttheheck]

congrats Dude, its your best fitting jacket.

leather looks like micro quilt pattern, might look interesting when some fading happened, you might see dots of lighter brown here and there on wear areas, instead of just a spot of brown.

Thanks. I agree that it fits best. Yeah I think it could end up aging quite nicely. Maybe it won't, but we'll see how it goes.

OP, that's a sweet jacket, and spot on fit too! The leather goods to me, but I guess people like more lack of uniformity that a finished texture has. How long do you think you keep this one before moving on? lol.

Tnaks! Haha hopefully I never have to move it on. Everything I've sold in the past few years has been sold due to fit.

For that fit and pattern, I too could live with that leather. My monitor shows the different colour effect of changes in the lighting. You never disappoint, Dude. Congrats!

Haha yeah that's exactly my thought. I can put up with the leather for this design and fit.

 

[MrProper]

It was all written
Best fit. thumbs up

 

[Entropic Thunder]

Looks to me like they’re replicating “Russian reindeer” leather, perhaps the most expensive leather in the world. It was leather tanned in 1786 or thereabouts, and then sunken on a merchant vessel. The leather was covered over with silt and remarkably preserved when divers unearthed in from the shipwreck in the 80s. It’s used only extremely pricey shoes, wallets, watch straps and other small leather goods because of its price, as it’s severely limited. It has a very distinct crosshatch grain, from whatever tanning process they used in Russia in the 1700s, long since lost to history.

It’s often replicated, but usually the cross hatch grain pattern is a bit too pronounced. Still I think it’s pretty cool.

More info
https://shoegazing.com/2016/05/05/the-picture-the-russian-reindeer-leather-from-1786/

 

[Tom71]

Just echoeing the obvious: Great jacket and perfect fit!

You clearly have an extravagant collection going, Jake. I believe the printed leather is a worthy addition. It will be an eye-opener to see it age.

As a "postscript" to the advertized color: When Belstaff was still british owned, they would sell their flagship jackets ("Panther" and "Gangster") in what they called "Vintage Black" and "Blackbrown". The former being a dark brown, the later a mid-brown. Only lately they included a color that I would call "black". Needless to say, quality, look and appeal has massively deteriorated since the early days.

 

[willyto]

I love it and I think the fit is the best on all your jackets. These jackets must be worn short and snug or they don't look as cool as they should in my opinion.

Contrary to most people here I do like the leather patterm and yes it does remind of crosshatch grain leather that imitates the Russian Reindeer mentioned above. A few shoe brands sell that kind of leather too although it's obviously not the original which I believe only Cleverley has access to.

Once it has adapted to your body and broken in I think it will look amazing. Please wear it straight for a few weeks/a month to see how it wears!