Vanson leather in 2019 ?

[Vintagestyle]

i have had several Vanson leather jackets and some leather pants and vests in the early 90's and i thought they were some of the best leather jackets in the world , so i wanted to order some again and i went to the shop here in Paris where i was used to buy some back then but it's been several years they tell me they have not ordered some yet cause they can't get Vanson to make some jackets with the leather quality they want .
After all this time , i found it suspect , i couldn't imagine Vanson was not using a top grade leather anymore but recently i saw some pictures of the jacket model i wanted to order and i was quite surprised to see the quality of leather they use now which seem quite different from the one they used back then !
It seems they use a granular leather whereas back then it was much smoother ( and really thick, it weighted a ton and really protected you when riding motorbikes ) and i really prefered the way it looked ,much finer, so i wonder what to think about the leather they use now !
Unfortunately , only them make the jacket type i want to order as it is a particular model they make that no other manufacturer makes.

Maybe it looks better in reality than on pictures on the net , so i'd be curious to know what people who knew their leather back then, think about the leather they use now .

 

[ton312]

i have had several Vanson leather jackets and some leather pants and vests in the early 90's and i thought they were some of the best leather jackets in the world , so i wanted to order some again and i went to the shop here in Paris where i was used to buy some back then but it's been several years they tell me they have not ordered some yet cause they can't get Vanson to make some jackets with the leather quality they want .
After all this time , i found it suspect , i couldn't imagine Vanson was not using a top grade leather anymore but recently i saw some pictures of the jacket model i wanted to order and i was quite surprised to see the quality of leather they use now which seem quite different from the one they used back then !
It seems they use a granular leather whereas back then it was much smoother ( and really thick, it weighted a ton and really protected you when riding motorbikes ) and i really prefered the way it looked ,much finer, so i wonder what to think about the leather they use now !
Unfortunately , only them make the jacket type i want to order as it is a particular model they make that no other manufacturer makes.

Maybe it looks better in reality than on pictures on the net , so i'd be curious to know what people who knew their leather back then, think about the leather they use now .

I liked the older stuff better. The new comp weight feels a bit rubbery. The z and x 150, along with the octogon hides seem best to me. I would chose those over comp weight if I were to order another Vanson.

 

[Carlos840]

I do have a few Vansons:

90s Scout (Black Chap leather):

2008 CHP2 (comp weight):

2016 Chopper (comp weight):

2016 Commando (x150):

All of them are made from great quality leather, and i have nothing bad to say about it.
I do often read about the "magical 90s comp weigh leather", and i am sure it got its reputation for a reason, but honestly, the current stuff is no slouch...
I think Vanson has changed tanneries many times throughout the years, and although i am sure some years were probably better than others, they overall offer great quality leather.

Here is a bonus shot comparing the two comp weight jackets, as you can see, even going from 2008 to 2016 the leather changed a lot:

Saying that, i agree with @ton312, the X150 commando is probably my favourite leather of the four, and it is not really lighter than comp weight.

But i don't think you can really go wrong with any of their leathers...

 

[Edward]

I do like that Chopper. I'm surprised they never added it to their armoured list, though.

 

[El Marro]

I have owned five Vanson jackets made from their Comp. weight leather, The oldest of which is probably about 10 or 15 years old. No two jackets are exactly the same when it comes to the leather. My Comet PLU-3 in particular is almost buttery soft and a real pleasure to wear.
I would have to agree with Carlos that all of the Vanson leather I have seen is of top quality and I don’t believe that that has changed in 2019. I have a Chopper that was made this year and it is first rate.
One thing I will say about Vanson Comp. weight leather is that it never looks as bad as on the first day you get it, flat and plasticky with no character or grain to speak of. After a little bit of where creases begin to form and a jacket starts to turn into something very special indeed.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I also own Vansons from three decades and the 90s jacket is indeed made from the smoothest leather out of all of them. That being said, the grainier newer ones are not thinner or of lesser quality. And look at Carlos jackets, the 2016 one is fairly smooth too. I really think it's just depending on whatever batch from whatever tannery they currently use, regardless of decade and personal preference of hide, there's no better or worse objectively. My latest Vanson is a 2018 America and the hide on that varies in different panels from super grainy to super smooth. I like it either way. Quality-wise I don't think you can go wrong with Vanson, no matter which hide they currently use. You won't find anything that compares for the same money.

 

[JMax]

I agree with all of the above. Nothing to add, except that the proprietor of that Paris shop needs to lay off the weed.

I currently own 8 Vanson and have sold off a few others. All from different decades and years. In CW (black, brown and perforated), X-150 and Octagon. All are stellar jackets made even more special by the price point.

 

[El Marro]

I spoke to Kim Vanson a few months ago when I bought my Chopper and I asked her pretty much this exact question about whether or not the comp weight leather had changed in quality. Kim was very friendly, and an absolute pleasure to speak with, but I could tell this question annoyed her a bit. I don’t blame her because I think it is a question she has been hearing and answering for years.
She explained to me that indeed Vanson had changed leather suppliers several times over the years. The first time this occurred was when the tannery they had used since Vanson began went out of business. She said that while the tannery has changed from time to time the specifications for the leather and standard of quality has always remained constant.

 

[Guppy]

I spoke to Kim Vanson a few months ago when I bought my Chopper and I asked her pretty much this exact question about whether or not the comp weight leather had changed in quality. Kim was very friendly, and an absolute pleasure to speak with, but I could tell this question annoyed her a bit. I don’t blame her because I think it is a question she has been hearing and answering for years.
She explained to me that indeed Vanson had changed leather suppliers several times over the years. The first time this occurred was when the tannery they had used since Vanson began went out of business. She said that while the tannery has changed from time to time the specifications for the leather and standard of quality has always remained constant.

I don't understand how they could claim this, when there's such an easy to discern difference in the weight/thickness of the leather they're using now.

 

[Vintagestyle]

I found these pictures of a new brown Vanson F model on the web and i really don't like the grain, it is big , not fine and smooth like the old ones and sincerly makes me think about plastic !
That said , the pictures of your jackets don't seem to show a bad leather .
I was wondering if it might be a product they apply on that brown leather that might make it look that bad but still the grain is big and not as smooth and fine as my old one

 

[Monitor]

I had a whole bunch of Vanson jackets over the years and... Well, truth be told, I prefer the leather they were using back in the days. I've handled a few brand new, 201X Vanson jackets and... I guess I have to say that to me, the new leather doesn't really compare to some of the stuff they'd use before. It's plastic-y feeling without much grain or character.

Here are some of my favorite Vanson jackets. All three are so completely different it's hard to imagine they came out of the same company.

The first one, Cheyenne, is made in the kind of hide that I'd dare to compare to the CXL. Equally "flakey", similar smell, weight, texture. It's not as organic but it's absolutely stunning hide and best I've seen by them.

This Cop jacket was complete opposite of how people'd describe Vanson's leather to be right now. It feels and wears completely natural, without even a hint of a plastic-y overcoat. Very, very heavy and really soft and pliable. I deeply regret selling this jacket as it was one of a kind.

This one was somewhere in the middle between the two, except even heavier. Also very nice leather that seemed indestructible.

 

[Vintagestyle]

Here are some pictures of my old one , the leather grain was much finer and smoother , it was one of the best leathers i had seen with aeroleathers.
This is a very old jacket as i wore it for more than 25 years regularly , so it is much worn , so much that some holes began to appear through the leather but it was a beautiful jcket

 

[Carlos840]

View attachment 187270 View attachment 187271 View attachment 187272 View attachment 187273 Here are some pictures of my old one , the leather grain was much finer and smoother , it was one of the best leathers i had seen with aeroleathers.
This is a very old jacket as i wore it for more than 25 years regularly , so it is much worn , so much that some holes began to appear through the leather but it was a beautiful jcket

That looks a lot like the black chap leather used in the first picture i posted!

 

[Vintagestyle]

I agree with all of the above. Nothing to add, except that the proprietor of that Paris shop needs to lay off the weed.

I currently own 8 Vanson and have sold off a few others. All from different decades and years. In CW (black, brown and perforated), X-150 and Octagon. All are stellar jackets made even more special by the price point.

I can't read in their mind but that shop is open since the 70's and they have always been selling the best leathers and brands they could get !
They used to sell some Vanson, Aeroleather, Schott and other brands, as well as some boots made from Chippewa , Justin and several other great brands , so they are used to go to the US for many years and deal with all thos brands to get the best leather products they can get and sincerly, in Paris , it has been one of the best if not the best shop for years to buy some leather jackets and Engineer boots, cowboy boots , loggers ...etc

I haven't seen many recent Vanson jackets cause the very few shops that sell Vanson in France don't stock them anymore , only on order as they don't sell enough of them ( except that shop i spoke about which is supposed to stock them but doesn't have some for a while ) but those pictures of the model F in brown really made me wonder what was going on .
Do you think it looks good ?

 

[Monitor]

Carlos, if you ever gonna be thinking about getting rid of that shirt, let me know.

 

[jacketjunkie]

View attachment 187266 View attachment 187267 View attachment 187268 View attachment 187269 I found these pictures of a new brown Vanson F model on the web and i really don't like the grain, it is big , not fine and smooth like the old ones and sincerly makes me think about plastic !
That said , the pictures of your jackets don't seem to show a bad leather .
I was wondering if it might be a product they apply on that brown leather that might make it look that bad but still the grain is big and not as smooth and fine as my old one

That is not Vansons leather. That is a leather sourced and supplied to them by Thurston Bros.

edit: However you are right, Vansons comp weihht is grainier than the hide on your jacket (which looks spectacular!)

 

[Vintagestyle]

I agree it is also a question of taste , i have never liked the leather jackets with big grain , i much prefer the smoother fine grain and that is why i loved Vanson cowhide ( i think it was cowhide or steerhide, not sure ) leathers , as well as the good looking steerhide Schott ones ( there is much quality difference between the leathers used on several Schoot jacket of the same model, some look great and some not at all !) and obviously Aeroleather for the best horsehide leather they have used for years !
So i was expecting to be able to order another Vanson F that would have a leather similar to the one i had .

 

[JMax]

I can't read in their mind but that shop is open since the 70's and they have always been selling the best leathers and brands they could get !
They used to sell some Vanson, Aeroleather, Schott and other brands, as well as some boots made from Chippewa , Justin and several other great brands , so they are used to go to the US for many years and deal with all thos brands to get the best leather products they can get and sincerly, in Paris , it has been one of the best if not the best shop for years to buy some leather jackets and Engineer boots, cowboy boots , loggers ...etc

I haven't seen many recent Vanson jackets cause the very few shops that sell Vanson in France don't stock them anymore , only on order as they don't sell enough of them ( except that shop i spoke about which is supposed to stock them but doesn't have some for a while ) but those pictures of the model F in brown really made me wonder what was going on .
Do you think it looks good ?

I was messing around a bit about the weed.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I don't understand how they could claim this, when there's such an easy to discern difference in the weight/thickness of the leather they're using now.

I don't think that's true. My 2016 Dakota is heavier and thicker than my 90s jacket. And look at Carlos 3.6kg 2016 chopper. I think it depends on current batch and current batch alone, not on decade at all.

 

[Guppy]

I don't think that's true. My 2016 Dakota is heavier and thicker than my 90s jacket. And look at Carlos 3.6kg 2016 chopper. I think it depends on current batch and current batch alone, not on decade at all.

That could be, but all of the recent Vanson jackets I've handled that were supposed comp weight have felt thin and nothing like older Vansons that I've handled. I'm sure it's all "good leather" but I can't see how anyone would believe that it's identical spec leather. It's different in many ways.

Soeculating, it might be that function to some standard in tests for things like abrasion resistance. Like, hypothetically, if they simulate a skid of 100m on tarmac at 80mph, maybe both leathers don't wear through. But the thick old comp weight is still thicker and heavier than the stuff I've seen in newer jackets from them, and no doubt would hold up better in a crash, even if they were both capable of surviving a hypothetical 100m abrasion test.

I can't say that it's not a matter of specific batches being thin, and it's hit or miss whether a new Vanson is thick or thin comp weight. But what I've experienced firsthand is that comp weight has been thinner for the past few years in all recently made Vansons that I've personally handled. (Model F, V7, CHP) and my older Vansons are very different stuff (Model C2, older Model F, my HH Enfield, Raider, ProPerf MK2). I also have Ton312's Gambler, which is Z150 and feels about the same as the newer "comp weight" jackets.

So... *shrug*, what do I know? I have about a dozen or so examples, but that's still a small sample. But I've yet to see a Vanson younger than 4 years old that is the stiff thick comp weight of old. If it exists, point me to it so I can buy it, and sell off this "diet comp weight" stuff.