Unexpected windfall $

[dadonn]

Hey Boyo,

I'm here in the city and went down to Self-Edge to check out the Himel stuff. I'm about 6'4" about 235 now and tried on a size 46 in the Himel Racer, the Heron as well as a Real McCoy J-100 I saw down at Blue and Green in Soho. They just started carrying a 46 in the McCoy but my arm did not fit all the way into the sleeve; it was a very small 46. Both the Heron and the Himel racer I tried (I assume it was the Kensington but can't say for certain) were way small for me as well albeit a bit bigger than the Real McCoy. On paper, I'm a 48l but even the sleeves were way short. Given that horsehide is going to shrink up in body and sleeve, it's worth having an expert around. I emailed Himel Bros and Dave Himel (I think it's Dave) was great about getting back to me in a timely manner but seemed preoccupied. He didn't address my apprehension on getting a good fit or questions. From what I understand, he's a one man band so I'm stating this as fact but not wanting to be critical. His work is beautiful. He offered to send a cotton mock up in a size 50 with a deposit and would tailor as I saw fit but personally, I don't want to bring my jacket to a tailor and relay instructions for 2k plus. It would be nice if Self-Edge had someone who is knowledgable on the product and could measure someone up but that's wishful thinking.

Being a fairly difficult fit, for my money, I'd go to the source and get measured up whether that's a trip to Toronto to see Dave Himel, Johnson Leathers in San Francisco (where you could get a few jackets for the same coin although I think you'd have to source the horsehide), Insurrection in Seattle (and a three hour drive to Langlitz in Portland) and if I'm going to gamble with ordering a jacket remotely, I'd likely do a modified J-100 through Diamond Dave.

Regards,

D

PS- Congrats to fellow Long Islander Chris Weidman if you follow MMA.

 

[handymike]

Hey there Dadonn,
I tried on a 38 and 40 Heron at Self Edge on the Lower East Side and agree. The fit was off for me too....If you're going to drop the $1700 for a Heron- Go through Himel Bros and get it done right! It'll be a better fit and less $$ than through Self Edge.
Plus then you have color and liner options.

 

[dadonn]

Hey there Dadonn,
I tried on a 38 and 40 Heron at Self Edge on the Lower East Side and agree. The fit was off for me too....If you're going to drop the $1700 for a Heron- Go through Himel Bros and get it done right! It'll be a better fit and less $$ than through Self Edge.
Plus then you have color and liner options.

Exactly my point especially given the windfall aspect of it. I would go to Toronto if I wanted the Himel Bros jacket. Even emailing with Dave Himel himself was pointless. I'm sure he's busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest and has no idea if I'm serious or just a tire kicker. In my experience with bespoke clothing it's not uncommon to have to go back a couple of times to insure the right fit. A leather blazer I had made years ago required three trips to the tailor and he was the one calling me back. If I knew a little more about what truly constitutes a good fit, I may have had to move in until the jacket was ready. I consider ordering a jacket remotely far closer to made to measure than custom even if it is a one off production.

My interaction with Dave Himel went like this verbatim (my name and margins removed):

Me: Hi Himel and Co, I'm interested in getting one of your cafe racer jackets. I'm roughly a 48 long with sloped shoulders. 6'4" and weigh around 240. Would it be doable via email? I stopped in at Self Edge in Los Angeles- extremely nice guys, helpful and fans of your work. Now that I'm back in New York, I could go to the store on the LES and be measured. Also, why is the cafe racer listed for 1950 on the self-edge website vs. 1550 on Himel Bros?


Him: "sure I can do that did you try on the size 46 best dh"

Me: Dave Himel I presume, Thanks for getting back to me personally. I could not recollect what I had tried on in LA so I went down to Self-Edge on Orchard Street where they had a 46 in a racer. It is way too small. The sleeves are a good 3" short for certain, the body is short as well and the jacket, for lack of a better way to explain it, grabbed at my trapezius causing the back of the jacket to bow outwards. That said, it is a beautiful jacket.

Him (six hours later):"How did the 46 fit you at the store? I have a 48 cotton mock up...if you make a downpayment I will send the mockup to you and you can let me know what alterations I need to make and send it back best dh"

a minute later he added: "I have a size 50 I can send as well best dh"

At this point I was a bit discouraged and extremely busy so about two weeks later, he emailed:

"David, Let me know if you ever decide to get a jacket Best David Himel"

Me:Hey Dave, Sorry to be remiss. I had a deadline for a book I'm writing but I submitted it to the publisher this morning. To be candid, I would not be comfortable guestimating myself what I would need to alter on a jacket or what makes for the best fit. For example, in the little research I've done, I learned that horsehide can lose up to 2" in the sleeves and body as it breaks in and I have no idea if that's even true. If I make it up to Toronto this summer, I would come check you guys out if you do that sort of thing. Regards, Dave

Him:"I can send you a fit sample in cotton if you are worried but that is cool just let me know
best dh"

For a jacket you should want to pass on to your kids and at a price point for me that is an investment, and a worthy one at that, I would want someone weighing in with their expertise with me standing there. I'd guess Mr. Himel sports a full inbox to go with a full plate and I doubt he's getting rich selling his artisan jackets so this is clearly a labor of love. Selling him my tough fit story via email is a truly diluted way to go. Conversely, if I could go there and have the experience and a few minutes of his time and input, that would be worth the price of admission for me and one of the best ways I could think of to put a dent in a modest windfall.

Dave

 

[Boyo]

Dave, I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, You are right when you say that, his being a small outfit, the number of emails asking basic questions must be extensive. He needs to sort through to people serious about ordering. I think the fact that he is willing to send a cotton fit jacket is great, It shouldn't be that hard to get the fit you want from trying that on and using a tape measure, I'm sure you could send a few photos as well. I've only exchange a few emails with him as I'm not yet ready to order., But his first suggestion was that I call him and discuss what I wanted. (I thought that was pretty cool). The bottom line is its a jacket ( really expensive, but a jacket) no one will ever notice if its off by a 1/2 inch here or there. I'm confident I will get a great fitting jacket when all is said and done

 

[Sloan1874]

The bottom line is its a jacket ( really expensive, but a jacket) no one will ever notice if its off by a 1/2 inch here or there.

Except here, where we will examine the fit minutely, tell you it's not right, and then somebody will offer you half of what you paid for it.

 

[Fanch]

 

[Edward]

Except here, where we will examine the fit minutely, tell you it's not right, and then somebody will offer you half of what you paid for it.

Bwahahahaha. It's funny 'cause it's true...

 

[Sloan1874]

I'm merely preparing Boyo for the inevitable...

 

[himelator]

Side note: Cause I check in once and a while...anybody interested in a jacket is welcome to give me a call...my number is on the website. I do get about 1 million emails a week and I try to get through them every day and yes sort through potential customers. Regarding 6 2 and 240 lbs...I used to be this exact size...(ive lost weight down to 210) but I know its possible to make jackets that fit...Ive not had one customer complain about a jacket yet in 3 years regarding fit except for once or twice where someone went way off pattern against my advice. That being said...the cotton fit samples tend to work really well...as most just need small adjustments. The caveat is body type...super muscular guys, or pot bellys tend to either not work with certain styles or require bigger measurements on the arm hole which can be tricky. Anyway...Im glad a few of you guys are interested...just so you know the p.p. is 1950 cdn plus shipping on Heron's and Kensingtons...I will be posted on my blogs again soon about the design and where it came from. Thanks for the interest
best
Himel

 

[Boyo]

Part one of the master plan is complete

Mister Freedom Road Champs

 

[ButteMT61]

Looks like you and Bret got some nice boots this week! Well done.

 

[bretron]

Looks like you and Bret got some nice boots this week! Well done.

That's right, that's right! Tho mine are peewee league compared to Boyo's

Btw, Boyo, how soon before we get to see parts 2 etc realized from your master plan? I'm chomping at the bit!

 

[Grayland]

Wow, those boots are really sleek. Excellent choice.

 

[Boyo]

That's right, that's right! Tho mine are peewee league compared to Boyo's

Btw, Boyo, how soon before we get to see parts 2 etc realized from your master plan? I'm chomping at the bit!

I am proceeding with due diligence .. savoring each step..

 

[Worf]

I am proceeding with due diligence .. savoring each step..

Mumble grumble... SHOW OFF! LOL! Nice boots man.... enjoy... I'm more comfortable wearing the boxes. I won't even ask about the jeans.

Worf

 

[nick123]

So what did you end up purchasing with the rest of your windfall?