Hey all -
Last week I was surfing the web, and I came upon a jacket that sorely tempted me. My longsuffering wife rolled her eyes, and reminded me that I already have several very nice (read: expensive) jackets, but I couldn't resist.
I e-mailed the seller a few times, and the meausurements sounded good, so I decided to buy it. It's a horsehide Vanson Enfield, about four years old, and the seller stated it was only worn a handful of times. From the condition, I am inclined to believe him - the jacket looks and feels almost brand new.
The color was described as cordovan, and I haven't got much experience with this color. I am inclined to call it oxlblood - it is a gorgeous reddish brown color, not like russset brown, but more like brown mixed with a red wine color. It's striking, especially in the sunlight. I think it wears pretty much like a brown jacket, but has a unique twist.
The leather is soft and supple, and I can move around quite easily in it. It is nothing like the thin, crinkly Horsehide that I have seen on recent Vansons - in fact it reminds me a lot of their "competition weight" cowhide. The jacket is relatively light in weight, much lighter than my FQHH Aero ACE HAlf Belt.
The fit is very good - it's a size 44, and I would say it's pretty true to size. It is a little more full in cut than my Vanson Model B was. On the other hand, it's significantly trimmer than my Aero Half Belt in size 44. I would prefer a little more room across the shoulders - my own shoulders pretty much fill it all the way across. However, it's not restrictive, so I might think of it as more of a "vintage style" cut. Correct me if I'm wrong here.
The sleeve length is just about 0.5" - 1" shorter than I prefer - I have gorilla arms, so this is almost always my hangup with jackets and shirts. The sleeves measure 26.5" from shoulder seam to cuff, so I think if the shoulders were an inch or so wider, the sleeve length would be perfect. For what it's worth, I can live with the sleeve length (the reason I finally sold my Model B) and by some miracle the sleeves don't ride up much when I drive. I am conidering sending it to Insurrection Leathers to see if they can let out the sleeves a bit (Vanson rolls the cuff under about 1.5" rather than cutting it off, so I am thinking this might be possible.
They say that the third time's the charm, and I think my third Vanson might be the one I actually keep. Enjoy the pics! They really don't do the color justice.
By the way - I know the jeans I'm wearing look like crap - I was doing chores around the house, and didn't think to change them before we took the pics. So sorry beforehand to all the high-end selvedge denim guys out there
Unzipped with a heavy flannel shirt
Unzipped Front, Back, and Side
Zipped Front
Zipped Back
Last week I was surfing the web, and I came upon a jacket that sorely tempted me. My longsuffering wife rolled her eyes, and reminded me that I already have several very nice (read: expensive) jackets, but I couldn't resist.
I e-mailed the seller a few times, and the meausurements sounded good, so I decided to buy it. It's a horsehide Vanson Enfield, about four years old, and the seller stated it was only worn a handful of times. From the condition, I am inclined to believe him - the jacket looks and feels almost brand new.
The color was described as cordovan, and I haven't got much experience with this color. I am inclined to call it oxlblood - it is a gorgeous reddish brown color, not like russset brown, but more like brown mixed with a red wine color. It's striking, especially in the sunlight. I think it wears pretty much like a brown jacket, but has a unique twist.
The leather is soft and supple, and I can move around quite easily in it. It is nothing like the thin, crinkly Horsehide that I have seen on recent Vansons - in fact it reminds me a lot of their "competition weight" cowhide. The jacket is relatively light in weight, much lighter than my FQHH Aero ACE HAlf Belt.
The fit is very good - it's a size 44, and I would say it's pretty true to size. It is a little more full in cut than my Vanson Model B was. On the other hand, it's significantly trimmer than my Aero Half Belt in size 44. I would prefer a little more room across the shoulders - my own shoulders pretty much fill it all the way across. However, it's not restrictive, so I might think of it as more of a "vintage style" cut. Correct me if I'm wrong here.
The sleeve length is just about 0.5" - 1" shorter than I prefer - I have gorilla arms, so this is almost always my hangup with jackets and shirts. The sleeves measure 26.5" from shoulder seam to cuff, so I think if the shoulders were an inch or so wider, the sleeve length would be perfect. For what it's worth, I can live with the sleeve length (the reason I finally sold my Model B) and by some miracle the sleeves don't ride up much when I drive. I am conidering sending it to Insurrection Leathers to see if they can let out the sleeves a bit (Vanson rolls the cuff under about 1.5" rather than cutting it off, so I am thinking this might be possible.
They say that the third time's the charm, and I think my third Vanson might be the one I actually keep. Enjoy the pics! They really don't do the color justice.
By the way - I know the jeans I'm wearing look like crap - I was doing chores around the house, and didn't think to change them before we took the pics. So sorry beforehand to all the high-end selvedge denim guys out there
Unzipped with a heavy flannel shirt
Unzipped Front, Back, and Side
Zipped Front
Zipped Back
