Thoughts on Schott quality?

[westportrich]

Let's face it, Schott is clearly one of the most recognizable brands in the leather jacket game. I remember being in high-school and all the motorheads had the brown fur collar jobs A-2? G-1? and others the Perfecto style, etc. I gotta admit they looked pretty cool but as an underclassman I resisted the urge to get one cause I didn't want to get beat up...Well that's a long story haha. Anyway, what do you think of this brand? How bout fit as well? Any/all comments welcome!

 

[Monitor]

There's been plenty of talk about the quality of Schott gear on TFL already. More than enough.

I'll revise my previous stance, though - I must've been lucky all these years to see only the best from Schott and I strongly believed they're as good as anything else on the market but I have recently handled two Schott Perfecto jackets that were... Well, pretty bad so right now I'm not really sure what to make of them.

But in any case, a good Schott really is as good as anything out there, I can tell you that much.

 

[Wdawg]

I'm a fan. First proper leather jacket I bought was a vintage Schott 141. I really liked it: Great leather, great construction, aged beautifully.

 

[dubpynchon]

My issue with Schott is the fit, they seem to be optimised for a beer belly. That and the oversized zippers. The leather though on my 118 which is around two years old is really good. If I was buying a new motorcycle jacket these days it would definitely be a Vanson, especially their X150 or Z150 or whatever it's called leather.

 

[belfastboy]

I have a Schott A2 in naked cow. The leather is great quality as is the workmanship. And yes it is a roomy jacket. The fit is nothing like the more accurate or authentic flght jackets I own.

 

[Carlos840]

I own three Schotts, one 644 from 2013, one 602 from the 70s and one Legendary USA trojan made by Schott in 2006.
The 644 was my first leather jacket.

IMO they are a middle of the road leather jacket. The stitching is usually pretty sloppy compared to other brands.
A bit worst than what you would expect from mid range brands like Aero or Vanson. Far behind high end brands like Real McCoy, Freewheelers or Lewis Leathers.
All three of my Schott jackets have between 3 and 5 obvious stitching mistakes/imperfections, of all the brands i own they are the one with the most mistakes per jacket.

The leather is ok, once again not as nice as what other brands have to offer, like CXL or Comp Weight Vanson leather, or Shinki, but not bad either, just nothing special.
I have Deluxe Steer, Vintage Steer and Horse and i have to say my favourite is the horsehide. Saying that, i have read that the current horse is pretty much vinyl and very underwhelming.

The fit is troublesome if you have an athletic body type, most Schott jackets have a wide bottom hem, they are not designed to fit V shaped people.

I think they made sens when they were sold for under $500 (i got my 644 for $450 in 2013!), you got a strong jacket that was hard wearing for a good deal.
Now that they raised their prices to around $800 i don't think they make sens anymore, you can find a better jacket for your money.

All that to say they aren't bad jackets, but they aren't great either.
If you find a good deal on one that fits you, great, but don't expect something incredible.

 

[Guppy]

Schott quality...

Quality means a lot of different things, from design to materials to craftsmanship and more.

As well, the company is close to 100 years old, and obviously quality is going to vary over different eras, and from one line to the next.

I've handled more than a few Schott jackets, but it's still such a tiny sampling that to call my opinion anything but anecdotal and underinformed would be a lie. But for what it's worth, from my personal experience, some have been outstanding, while others were disappointing. But on the whole, I like them OK. I find that the Perfecto jackets, what they're best known for, at least the ones that I've handled personally felt thin compared to the leather I've handled from other makers that I like. I don't know that it's inadequately thin, and I'm not making that claim, but I do have a preference for heavy leather on my motorcycle gear. For a lighter-weight option that isn't necessarily going to be used to ride in, I don't think there's anything wrong with a Schott Perfecto. And it could be I just have had bad luck with finding a Schott motorcycle jacket made from heavy stuff. Their leather ages extremely well, and you wouldn't really believe it from what they look like new, what they can turn into given a few years of regular, honest wear.

From a craftsmanship standpoint, I find that they're pretty well made, if not as obsessive about details. They're clearly mass produced, not made to order, and that's to be expected. I find that on many older used Schott jackets, the linings tend to develop loose threads, particularly the quilted nylon linings. But they do seem to hold up for many years before that starts to become a problem. I don't care for the polyester shag pile removable linings that they use in some of their jackets, it doesn't feel nice against the skin to me, and they are hard to keep clean. Wool or shearling is good though.

It's been a while, but some years ago Schott raised their prices up considerably. Back when you could get a Schott jacket for around $400, I think the value proposition was very good to outstanding. Now that they're running around $800-1000, I don't think they're as good value, not compared to what else is at that price point. Schott does not compare well against makers like Vanson, Aero, Thedi, which are in or around that range. Granted some Thedi and Aero models are upward of $1200-1300, but then some of Schott's special edition jackets are too. Most of Schott's jackets are off-the-rack, so you don't get the customization possible through Thedi, Aero, Vanson, either.

Schott does offer a wider range of designs, from aviator and motorcycle to casual civilian and fashion jackets, and they tend to vary their offerings more from year to year, whereas you can call Vanson, Thedi, or Aero up and have them make you whatever you want, whenever you want.

I think that when they put their best foot forward, and really put the effort into it, a Schott jacket can be every bit as good as the best from the abovementioned competitors. My Context CX113 collaboration would be an example of their best. Your average run of the mill Schott isn't really in the same league.

 

[Monitor]

@Carlos840 you gotta make the definition of what makes a mid or high end brand clearer, 'cause if it's the stitching and the attention to detail, then Belstaff and Matchless are the best leather jacket makers in the world and by far. But I agree Schott is, for the most part, middle of the road maker. Just that sometimes they'll do something so amazing that any attempt to classify them will be nullified. Ditto for Vanson.

In any case, I know this is entirely subjective but of all the jackets that I've had, this Schott has go to be one of the finest I've ever held. Kind of like an X-wing of leather jackets.

 

[Dphillip]

I’ve owned 4 Schott’s over the years and I’d say the quality is good. My favorite is 641hh CR which I tried on and purchased from their NYC store. I had no intention of buying this jacket but after trying it on I was totally hooked. The fit and look was spot on. At first it was like wearing a cardboard jacket it was so damn stiff and shiny but after constant wear it’s broken in nicely and the shine has diminished. So, I’m a fan however, an Aero is now the object of my desire.

 

[ton312]

Quality is directly related to the attributes you assign value to. If those attributes are met or exceeded then the item is high quality. If it does not then it is not. In my opinion high price does not always equal high quality. But it certainly can.

Is Schott high quality? Yes, of course it is. What are your parameters? Durability, hide, customer service? Are there “better” options? For some yes, for others no.

I could argue that a 45 year old Wilson’s leather (Bermans) jacket is also a high quality item. Many would argue against it but if it meets a set of parameters and stands the test of time and use....then high quality arguments become saturated with opinion.

 

[GregO]

I’ll be brief. And probably a bit harsh. I’ve had four different Schott jackets. Still own one.

Middle of the road for their leather quality for the most part. Mostly underwhelming. But I’ve seen some real gems.

Fit on a bunch of their stuff is not good if you have an athletic body type. Very boxy. Not flattering at all except if you have the dad bod.

Some exceptions. I have one of their varsity jackets (wool body, goat sleeves), and its a truly great piece. I never would have tried it except I was in their store in NYC and tried it on. Ticked all the right boxes. Great fit. Great quality. Excellent stitching. Trim. Flattering.

With so many options out there at a similar price point that exhibit more consistent leather quality, better detail work, better stitching, and most importantly, better fit, I don’t look at Schott anymore except when I walk by their store and stop in. And I’ve been in there at least a dozen times, only pulled out my wallet once.

But, in terms of history and important historical makers of leather jackets in the US, Schott is right up there. I respect the history of the company immensely.

 

[nick123]

I've owned a few vintage pieces. If you want to know the truth, some of it has been attributed to the name; meaning it's been time-tested as a durable brand. I suppose many of my purchases have been do to having prior knowledge that "this is a good brand that will hold up". A CHP version and a well-worn 618. Both from the 70s-early 80s maybe. A little too used to get super elated over, but nice jackets.

But equally I think they have a nice and unique aesthetic with their assymetrical moto jacket that is uniquely Schott. Prices for new are kind of silly given the huge secondhand market. But they have so many styles out there I often search Schotts on the bay. Still call it "Scott" rather than the proper "Shot", lol.

 

[Superfluous]

As Ton correctly observed, the elements of quality are wildly subjective and varied; therefore, one's evaluation of Schott jackets is largely dependent on what attributes he/she emphasizes in relationship to quality. Schott makes a solid, durable jacket. If that is what you mean by quality, Schott fits the bill as well as any jacket. That said, Schott's seam construction, stitching, and other details are not on a par with certain other top flight jackets. Therefore, if you exalt these factors, Schott may fall short in terms of quality. IMHO, Schott is a mid-tier jacket -- considerably better than mall jackets, but not in the same league as the top tier brands discussed here. At $500, Schott represents a good value. In contrast, certain of Scott's recently released collaboration jackets, that cost in excess of $1,000, are harder to justify price wise.

 

[Guppy]

This is on eBay right now, and not my style, but kinda awesome.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I've bought and sold leather jackets for 35years. The Schotts I've seen and owned up until 3 years ago were as well made as the boutique jobs I have owned - Aero and Johnson Leathers and locally, the great bike gear maker (now defunct), Mars Leathers.

 

[Plumbline]

My Schott 141 is as good as any cafe racer I’ve owned. It’s 5 years old and haven’t had a newer Schott so can’t comment.

My older Schott “highwayman” with the snap in tartan liner was the finest highwayman jacket I’ve ever owned (even comparing against Aero, Vanson and Sam Walker .... do nice in fact someone decided they liked it so much they had to have it for themselves (the thieving bar stewards) from the back of my chair in the Ace Cafe.

The leather is a bit plain but the construction has always been pretty consistent and robust. Decent sized zips and nice features like removable liners are a huge plus.

 

[Downunder G Man]

Schott ? I LOVE them and I have several in the burgeoning collection. All of my Schott jackets still owned are black

Schott 641HH Horsehide Café racer
Schott 689H Collared Horsehide café racer
Schott 441PP Steerhide collared zip out liner
Schott 140 steerhide peacoat (very occasional winter use only here in Australia !)

Schott 671 "Easy Rider" steerhide (now recently sold)
Schott 654 Casual Café racer steerhide in Black Cherry (sold to a good mate who PESTERED me to sell it to him)

I also have Eastman jackets, newish and very old, and all of the Schott variants are as good as Eastman quality

I have also had both Mars leathers and Walden Miller AUSTRALIAN made jackets and they are just as good as the others !

 

[Edward]

Of course, it's all enormously subjective. My personal experience and opinion is that Schott make a very decent leather jacket. Qualitatively, I'd regard them as middle market. A step up from the unbranded stuff you see everywhere, mostly in consistency. When it was possible to buy a new Schott in the UK for GBP400 (at a time when the equivalent Aero was £600), I felt they were priced about right. There's no doubt that there are plenty of makers producing jackets just as good in the same style: there's definitely a smidge of paying for intangibles like "heritage" and "brand history" (which may or may not be valuable to the individual, though they make no difference to the actual jacket you buy). I have certainly handled many jackets every bit as good as Schott on all levels which cost much less. Very much less sometimes; I've owned at least two Perfecto types over the years that were at least as good as my 618, and cost half of what it did used. To be fair often part of the difference is that some of these were not made in the US, and so benefited from lower labour costs than Schott have. Again, some folks will prefer to pay more for the 'Made in USA' for plenty of legitimate reasons. With the pound at a historic low over the last approaching three years, the price of a Schott in the UK has, well, shot up dramatically, to the point where I wouldn't consider them worth the money. Certainly wouldn't pay Aero money for one. These days most places I see with Schott in the UK are selling them for about the same price as a Vanson, which I would personally regard as a superior piece - YMMV, naturally. Vanson don't have as high a profile in the UK. I only see them for sale via actual motorcycle places, rather than the fashion market that Schott has. That sort of thing definitely can affect the price here in the UK.

On the other hand, I got a good used deal on a 618 some years ago, and it's fine - if I wasn't particularly into leather jackets, I'd be more than happy with it as compared to the others I've owned. There's nothing wrong with it per se, it's just not on the same level as the Johnson, Aero, Eastman jackets I've owned and handled. It's one I'd be happy to take somewhere I wouldn't the others; were it stolen I'd be upset, but I don't have the investment in it (financially or emotionally) that I do in my Aeros. It's not irreplaceable.

Ironically, I ended up buying my Schott as an alternative to an Aero MC jacket that I got used but which was just too tight for me on the bottom (the Schott fits nicely because of its boxy cut). There's just no comparison between the two, though - the Aero is just a vastly better made jacket - which, again, cost more new.

Bottom line? I'd buy new from my preferred brands; SChott certainly are nice, but personally I see them as something to pick up on a good, used deal if I find a nice example.

This is on eBay right now, and not my style, but kinda awesome.

Very much a modern take on a Rocker jacket; many did decorate them heavily back in the day, but the heavy level of decoration you see among the revivalists wasn't so much the norm as people now perceive. (Funny thing, I'm grand with studs and such, but I've never cared for badges (pins) on my leathers.) Interesting, though, to see such an American jacket given that very British treatment: back in the Ace's heyday, it was all Mascots, Goldtop, Lewis/Aviakit..... the American jackets seem to have seeped in in part via the crossover between Rockers and the Rockabillies, but that's another story!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

How's the quality of their nylon military reproductions? For instance, their MA-1s etc?

 

[dannyk]

I’ve actually found their construction and attention so detail to be much better on their non leather products. I’ve owned jeans, and sweaters and what not from them. Of course you can always find “better” but better comes with a cost. You know a Dehen sweater which are great can be 100-200 dollars more than a Schott sweater. Is it that much better in quality? Maybe. But outside of leather jackets, their clothing for the price actually is pretty fantastic. I know that’s not the point but it can only be said so many times that they are what they are. Solid, nice jackets but nothing special. But watch their site and look for sales on their other items and I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.