Thinking about Lost Worlds.. thoughts, experiences?

[zebedee]

I like the LW pea coat. It's really smart. I like Himel Bros.' Canuck as well, but the prices are above what I want to be paying. It's a real pity that Aero prices are up: I only worked out recently that, with HK being a free port, VAT doesn't apply. I've ordered an SB as that is within what I'll happily pay - I'm gonna wait for sales or look for used from other brands. I am reasonably pleased: my odd 'price cap' on certain things unless they involve flying have helped my finances out.

The LW pea coat is a thing of beauty, though. I would almost break my own rule

 

[JMax]

Just scored a nicely broken in suburban on ebay. Smells like it's been in a closet for a while though. Will give it a cleaning with obenaufs cleanit or maybe lexol, and then maybe conditioner of some sort. Any suggestions on a conditioner? My first time with LW HH, and it is indeed impressive.

Sweet, welcome to the Stuparty. My favorite hide. I wouldn’t put anything on the hide, it won’t do a damn thing to it. Enjoy it.

 

[cbez]

I'm close to giving up on LW. Everything has had arms too big for me, or too much shoulder room. I'm short and more cut out for the japanese market patterns.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

This thread was highly informational for me, so thought I'd contribute in here with my experience in '24 now that I ordered and received a new jacket from them. This is not a long-term review of their product, but what the interactions and transactions with the owner have been like.

I inevitably came across LW after browsing TFL and saw all kinds of mixed opinions on it. Tbh, the main negatives I saw were basically around Stuart's attitude and personality - the written content of the website, rudeness and lack of transparency. This was very telling as quality and craftsmanship were hardly brought up as an issue. To me, the content of the website is hilarious and on brand, it evokes feelings of a Lost World. I'd even say there's some truth to it - but if you feel it's too offensive for you, then fair enough.

Granted there were some legitimate grievances and don't want to dismiss them - just talking about the bulk of the negative feedback.

My initial transaction with Stuart was grabbing a used jacket to see what all the fuss was about. I found the communication over email very straightforward, to the point, and pleasant where he needs to be. ("We thank you for your interest in our esteemed...", "Thank you for your patronage") I think a lot of people interpret the conciseness over email to be rude - I don't but that's subjective. Overall, a very easy and smooth transaction. I even email him now with some random questions here and there about his jackets and he responds quickly and even during the weekend - with no pushiness or insistence to buy something from him. I never feel like my questions are ignored or missed.

As many have said, if you want to hear more from him, give him a call. Soon as I mentioned I wanted to get the Appalachian, he just got excited and went into the details of how they developed this model. He talks a good game (and more than backs it up), and you can definitely sense his passion for leather jackets.

In terms of getting the size right, it's straightforward - Height, weight, suit size. But don't take it that the convo must end there. Would say to come prepared - if you're considering purchasing an LW, I doubt it's your first jacket purchase and you potentially know where you may have fit issues. So, if you have any fitting concerns, just bring it right up and let him know. Even better if you have some measurements and can potentially send a fit pic for him to confirm whether he asks for it or not. I even dared to send him a pic of myself in a Shinki jacket and ran for cover before he bombarded me with scraps of 4oz+ Horsehide - an hour later, all I got was "We think 42L is the right size". He certainly was right.

And yes, their creations are not cheap; especially if you need length adjustments and add crown zip(s). But they're not far from what many consider to be the holy grail here - Freewheelers. And when it comes to FW, there is limited supply, no customization, I must settle for a used jacket and baby it. At that point, I'd rather just deal with LW - Stuart responds like no other business I've dealt with and he sticks to his timeline without any incommunicado bs. I got my jacket in about a month's time without any hassle. I see people waiting for over a year with some other shops which to me is ridiculous - understandably, in some cases the orders can get complicated due to sourcing raw materials, nailing a new pattern, etc... and there may be a delay or 2 but still waiting 1+ year for a jacket is nonsensical to me.

Just a fun anecdote, but he responded to me last night and somehow mixed up my first and last name. I didn't really care, it happens sometimes. This morning, he sent me following: "P.S. apology, mistakenly yesterday referred to you by last, not first, name. Unintended."

Anyway it's just my addition to the thread - take it or leave it. I will certainly be ordering from them again.

 

[cbez]

I think Stuart has benefited over time from to put it bluntly, not being Himel.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

I think Stuart has benefited over time from to put it bluntly, not being Himel.

Agree with the overall idea, but do you mind elaborating?

 

[JMax]

This thread was highly informational for me, so thought I'd contribute in here with my experience in '24 now that I ordered and received a new jacket from them. This is not a long-term review of their product, but what the interactions and transactions with the owner have been like.

I inevitably came across LW after browsing TFL and saw all kinds of mixed opinions on it. Tbh, the main negatives I saw were basically around Stuart's attitude and personality - the written content of the website, rudeness and lack of transparency. This was very telling as quality and craftsmanship were hardly brought up as an issue. To me, the content of the website is hilarious and on brand, it evokes feelings of a Lost World. I'd even say there's some truth to it - but if you feel it's too offensive for you, then fair enough.

Granted there were some legitimate grievances and don't want to dismiss them - just talking about the bulk of the negative feedback.

My initial transaction with Stuart was grabbing a used jacket to see what all the fuss was about. I found the communication over email very straightforward, to the point, and pleasant where he needs to be. ("We thank you for your interest in our esteemed...", "Thank you for your patronage") I think a lot of people interpret the conciseness over email to be rude - I don't but that's subjective. Overall, a very easy and smooth transaction. I even email him now with some random questions here and there about his jackets and he responds quickly and even during the weekend - with no pushiness or insistence to buy something from him. I never feel like my questions are ignored or missed.

As many have said, if you want to hear more from him, give him a call. Soon as I mentioned I wanted to get the Appalachian, he just got excited and went into the details of how they developed this model. He talks a good game, and you can definitely sense his passion for leather jackets.

In terms of getting the size right, it's straightforward - Height, weight, suit size. But don't take it that the convo must end there. Would say to come prepared - if you're considering purchasing an LW, I doubt it's your first jacket purchase and you potentially know where you may have fit issues. So, if you have any fitting concerns, just bring it right up and let him know. Even better if you have some measurements and can potentially send a fit pic for him to confirm whether he asks for it or not. I even dared to send him a pic of myself in a Shinki jacket and ran for cover before he mortared my position with scraps of 4oz+ Horsehide - an hour later, all I got was "We think 42L is the right size". He certainly was right.

And yes, their creations are not cheap; especially if you need length adjustments and add crown zip(s). But they're not far from what many consider to be the holy grail here - Freewheelers. And when it comes to FW, there is limited supply, no customization, I must settle for a used jacket and baby it. At that point, I'd rather just deal with LW - Stuart responds like no other business I've dealt with and he sticks to his timeline without any incommunicado bs. I got my jacket in about a month's time without any hassle. I see people waiting for over a year with some other shops which to me is ridiculous - understandably, in some cases the orders can get complicated due to sourcing raw materials, nailing a new pattern, etc... and there may be a delay or 2 but still waiting 1+ year for a jacket is nonsensical to me.

Just a fun anecdote, but he responded to me last night and somehow mixed up my first and last name. I didn't really care, it happens sometimes. This morning, he sent me following: "P.S. apology, mistakenly yesterday referred to you by last, not first, name. Unintended."

Anyway it's just my addition to the thread - take it or leave it. I will certainly be ordering from them again.

Exactly!

 

[Aloysius]

I must admit, the Speed Demon is extremely underwhelming to me. I'm sure it's exceptionally well made, but on a purely aesthetic level, the layout makes it look like a no-name cheapo Perfecto–specifically that extremely high ticket pocket.

That said, as much as I dislike it personally, I actually wonder if it's linked to the one other brand I've seen that on, Branded Garments, which was based very close to Stu in Queens.

The Appalachian, Leathertogs, etc though are just stunning.

 

[cbez]

Agree with the overall idea, but do you mind elaborating?

The stuff people took issue with seems more like quirky old grandpa in comparison.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

I must admit, the Speed Demon is extremely underwhelming to me. I'm sure it's exceptionally well made, but on a purely aesthetic level, the layout makes it look like a no-name cheapo Perfecto–specifically that extremely high ticket pocket.

It's simple... when you got enough coin for an LW, you need a deeper coin pocket to go with it

That's an interesting theory RE: Branded garments though

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

I must admit, the Speed Demon is extremely underwhelming to me. I'm sure it's exceptionally well made, but on a purely aesthetic level, the layout makes it look like a no-name cheapo Perfecto–specifically that extremely high ticket pocket.

That said, as much as I dislike it personally, I actually wonder if it's linked to the one other brand I've seen that on, Branded Garments, which was based very close to Stu in Queens.

FWIW, I asked the man himself. He responds 15 mins later.... he just loves to talk jackets. I don't know any other vendor in this space with this kind of responsiveness.

I think a Montgomery Ward catalog one as the catalogs sold these widely. They were all very similar but ours isn’t exactly the Brando as the details varied slightly from one mfg to the next but the majority exhibit the same DNA. The 50s varieties are much more uniform and mass market than the 40s’ and are still essentially the generic m/c jkt today

 

[Aloysius]

FWIW, I asked the man himself. He responds 15 mins later.... he just loves to talk jackets. I don't know any other vendor in this space with this kind of responsiveness.

Interesting! The Montgomery Wards I've seen have had a lower ticket pocket, but I've never doubted he has a historical basis for where it is. I just don't like it for proportion reasons. (Much like how I don't like most motorcycle cross-zips that have no belt, waistband, or belt loops–ends up making for a lot of negative space.)

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Interesting! The Montgomery Wards I've seen have had a lower ticket pocket, but I've never doubted he has a historical basis for where it is. I just don't like it for proportion reasons. (Much like how I don't like most motorcycle cross-zips that have no belt, waistband, or belt loops–ends up making for a lot of negative space.)

Oh I see. I thought your initial comment was about the high pocket making it look like a cheap perfecto clone. There are so many variations on this design, at some point I guess they just wanted to find something different that set them apart.

 

[Aloysius]

Oh I see. I thought your initial comment was about the high pocket making it look like a cheap perfecto clone.

I think it does, due to an uncanny valley effect, but it doesn’t actively look cheap like the Fine Creek Leon does.

 

[red devil]

This thread was highly informational for me, so thought I'd contribute in here with my experience in '24 now that I ordered and received a new jacket from them. This is not a long-term review of their product, but what the interactions and transactions with the owner have been like.

I inevitably came across LW after browsing TFL and saw all kinds of mixed opinions on it. Tbh, the main negatives I saw were basically around Stuart's attitude and personality - the written content of the website, rudeness and lack of transparency. This was very telling as quality and craftsmanship were hardly brought up as an issue. To me, the content of the website is hilarious and on brand, it evokes feelings of a Lost World. I'd even say there's some truth to it - but if you feel it's too offensive for you, then fair enough.

Granted there were some legitimate grievances and don't want to dismiss them - just talking about the bulk of the negative feedback.

My initial transaction with Stuart was grabbing a used jacket to see what all the fuss was about. I found the communication over email very straightforward, to the point, and pleasant where he needs to be. ("We thank you for your interest in our esteemed...", "Thank you for your patronage") I think a lot of people interpret the conciseness over email to be rude - I don't but that's subjective. Overall, a very easy and smooth transaction. I even email him now with some random questions here and there about his jackets and he responds quickly and even during the weekend - with no pushiness or insistence to buy something from him. I never feel like my questions are ignored or missed.

As many have said, if you want to hear more from him, give him a call. Soon as I mentioned I wanted to get the Appalachian, he just got excited and went into the details of how they developed this model. He talks a good game, and you can definitely sense his passion for leather jackets.

In terms of getting the size right, it's straightforward - Height, weight, suit size. But don't take it that the convo must end there. Would say to come prepared - if you're considering purchasing an LW, I doubt it's your first jacket purchase and you potentially know where you may have fit issues. So, if you have any fitting concerns, just bring it right up and let him know. Even better if you have some measurements and can potentially send a fit pic for him to confirm whether he asks for it or not. I even dared to send him a pic of myself in a Shinki jacket and ran for cover before he bombarded me with scraps of 4oz+ Horsehide - an hour later, all I got was "We think 42L is the right size". He certainly was right.

And yes, their creations are not cheap; especially if you need length adjustments and add crown zip(s). But they're not far from what many consider to be the holy grail here - Freewheelers. And when it comes to FW, there is limited supply, no customization, I must settle for a used jacket and baby it. At that point, I'd rather just deal with LW - Stuart responds like no other business I've dealt with and he sticks to his timeline without any incommunicado bs. I got my jacket in about a month's time without any hassle. I see people waiting for over a year with some other shops which to me is ridiculous - understandably, in some cases the orders can get complicated due to sourcing raw materials, nailing a new pattern, etc... and there may be a delay or 2 but still waiting 1+ year for a jacket is nonsensical to me.

Just a fun anecdote, but he responded to me last night and somehow mixed up my first and last name. I didn't really care, it happens sometimes. This morning, he sent me following: "P.S. apology, mistakenly yesterday referred to you by last, not first, name. Unintended."

Anyway it's just my addition to the thread - take it or leave it. I will certainly be ordering from them again.

Thanks for this review

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Thanks for this review

for sure... great work deserves to be recognized

 

[Grayland]

I'm a huge fan of the LW Pea Coat as well. I am a bit worried as the sleeves on many of the LW's seem to be pretty wide - a LW Ryder was my first leather jacket purchase. I did purchase (off eBay from Stu) a cloth Pea Coat made of some military cotton material that he claims is fire-retardant and waterproof. It's certainly waterproof; I've no intention of testing the fire-retardant part. He sent me an offer (as I was watching the item). I didn't jump on the offer and it expired. I reached out to see if he'd agree to the same offer and he was very courteous. The jacket is fantastic. It isn't lined, so it's pretty much a waterproof windbreaker. Really like it.

 

[red devil]

Agreed, it is great in all sorts of materials and colours

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

I'm a huge fan of the LW Pea Coat as well. I am a bit worried as the sleeves on many of the LW's seem to be pretty wide - a LW Ryder was my first leather jacket purchase. I did purchase (off eBay from Stu) a cloth Pea Coat made of some military cotton material that he claims is fire-retardant and waterproof. It's certainly waterproof; I've no intention of testing the fire-retardant part. He sent me an offer (as I was watching the item). I didn't jump on the offer and it expired. I reached out to see if he'd agree to the same offer and he was very courteous. The jacket is fantastic. It isn't lined, so it's pretty much a waterproof windbreaker. Really like it.
View attachment 619170

ah this is his sage sateen cotton - I like the look of it too. I recently found out the waterproofing is quarpel which is a durable finish... should last you a good while. They don't mess around with the textile offerings either lol

Hope you're enjoying the peacoat!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I'm a huge fan of the LW Pea Coat as well. I am a bit worried as the sleeves on many of the LW's seem to be pretty wide - a LW Ryder was my first leather jacket purchase. I did purchase (off eBay from Stu) a cloth Pea Coat made of some military cotton material that he claims is fire-retardant and waterproof. It's certainly waterproof; I've no intention of testing the fire-retardant part. He sent me an offer (as I was watching the item). I didn't jump on the offer and it expired. I reached out to see if he'd agree to the same offer and he was very courteous. The jacket is fantastic. It isn't lined, so it's pretty much a waterproof windbreaker. Really like it.
View attachment 619170

Love LW’s take on this classic.
Different color, different material….same cool as the originals.
Hard to beat the Pea Coat collar and lapels.
Would love to see the back.
B