Vanson Model B - the search for my perfect cafe racer is over

[2wheelgrplr]

Gee thanks man, your pics and review just put the Model B back on top of my want list yet again! Jacket looks awesome and the fit is spot on!

 

[b1lf]

Nailed it!

Gee thanks man, your pics and review just put the Model B back on top of my want list yet again! Jacket looks awesome and the fit is spot on!

Haha, the least I could do

 

[b1lf]

Oh, forgot to mention - big thanks to mendelboaz & 09alloy for giving me some info/input on owning the Model B and fit pics.

Made pulling the trigger a LOT easier.

 

[K-Pants]

Just read your review. Excellent photos! Post 'em here, this jacket deserves its thread. And yeah, I agree. One of the finest riding jackets ever made. One that can double as a casual leather jacket without any trouble. TBH, I don't think you can actually buy a better CR. Or at least I can't think of a maker that offers a jacket comparable to the B?

But it actually is a very popular jacket due to the House MD TV series. Laurie frequently wears one in the show.

I had heard somewhere that House MD wears an aero. Did I get my signals crossed?

At this link, gotta scroll down a tad: https://filmjackets.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=318

 

[El Marro]

Hugh Laurie wears an Aero in real life. House M.D. wore a Vanson on the show.

 

[K-Pants]

Hugh Laurie wears an Aero in real life. House M.D. wore a Vanson on the show.

Gotcha! Thank you for the clarification.

 

[navetsea]

great fit, and sleave length looks perfect, congrats!

 

[b1lf]

great fit, and sleave length looks perfect, congrats!

Easily my biggest worry of the purchase since my Schott 654 was ~24.5" sleeve length and this was 26.25+" and Vanson themselves stated they often exceed this measurement to account for break in.

I should mention that the sleeves are almost fully zipped up/cinched in these pics; fully unzipped they hit the base of my thumb joint while my hands are at my sides. Fully zipped, its TIGHT around my wrists. Perfect.

Also, because of the back/shoulder gussets - the sleeve length doesn't move AT ALL. It's great - only downside - makes it hard to read my watch. I'm a bit of a "watch guy" as well so this is fairly important to me but it's clear the Schott's sleeves were a tad short.

I'm told the leather will stretch/break in a bit and this will become easier with time. I just unzip the (left) sleeve and pry back the leather to read the watch - not hugely inconvenient, but worth noting.

I'm sure over time the left sleeve will be stretched further due to always wearing a watch.

 

[b1lf]

Particularly difficult when wearing my pilot watch... thing is very large though (44mm). Haven't really tossed this on much with the jacket, sticking to my diver for now.

sun by B1LF, on Flickr




plants by B1LF, on Flickr

 

[mendelboaz]

Very nice mate!!!

 

[jacketjunkie]

Perfect fit on the jacket, hoping mine will fit just as well.

Nice watch, too. I had a Steinhart in my rotation, too, years ago. Now I'm wearing mostly smaller watches, vintage pieces with 36ish mm diameter.

 

[Justhandguns]

Hugh Laurie wears an Aero in real life. House M.D. wore a Vanson on the show.

Gotcha! Thank you for the clarification.

Umm, Aero fans at work........

Yes, he wore an Aero, because he is British, and yes, that was one of his own jackets. But he also wears other brands as well, just like many of us here.

For someone on the other side of the pond, Vanson sounds like one of the best in terms of price and quality. Aero's similar offering will cost you USD100 more with the current exchange rate + shipping direct from Scotland. ThurstonBro are selling them for >USD1000 while you can easily get off the rack Model B Comp wt for USD699.

In terms of practicality, Vanson IS better than Aero, Model B has removable fleece liner, you can add amour inserts for riding, you can further add multifunction 'Streamliner' for further warmth and protections. It really depends on how you 'define' the best cafe racer jacket.

 

[Monitor]

^ Truth.

Aero rocks, hell I'm waiting for one which may arrive today but if you actually plan on riding a motorcycle, do yourself a favor and get a Vanson.

As for the prices, I was wondering about that as well 'cause buying a jacket directly from Aero will cost you around $700 or so right now AND they're even nice enough to let you pay right away and take advantage of the exchange rate: http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/news-detail.php?id=166

 

[K-Pants]

^ Truth.

Aero rocks, hell I'm waiting for one which may arrive today but if you actually plan on riding a motorcycle, do yourself a favor and get a Vanson.

As for the prices, I was wondering about that as well 'cause buying a jacket directly from Aero will cost you around $700 or so right now AND they're even nice enough to let you pay right away and take advantage of the exchange rate: http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/news-detail.php?id=166

I held and put on a vanson enfield once. What a jacket! Not what I was looking for at the time but, yeah, I can see how they would be popular for motorcycle enthusiasts.

I agree vanson might be more practical for some but aero's styles really appeal to a lot of folks.

I am really keen on the aero ready-made store. I kept visiting it to find my perfect jacket, then got a full custom job from another company. I still visit the aero sales/used section every few days searching for something. Perhaps aspirational

 

[Edward]

I realize I can copy & paste the text... but again, the picture links would be a pain to re-do.

I see you got it sorted - yeah, C&P does it all round here. It never ceases to amaze me how easy thnigs have gotten for us non-programmers - given I'm old enough to remember not being able to do a lot of stuff online because I don't speak html.....

Just read your review. Excellent photos! Post 'em here, this jacket deserves its thread. And yeah, I agree. One of the finest riding jackets ever made. One that can double as a casual leather jacket without any trouble. TBH, I don't think you can actually buy a better CR. Or at least I can't think of a maker that offers a jacket comparable to the B?

It's been interesting to see Cafe Racers come and go in fashion and on bikes over the years. Some years back when I dressed more casually for the office than I often do now, I picked up a cafe racer to wear as a 'plain' jacket, a Perfecto type being a bit too obvious, too much a 'statement' piece for that environment. Wore it for a couple of years and then sold it on, as I decided it wasn't a style that worked for me, but I could well see going back to one now I'm looking seriously at a motorcycle. The simplicity it, of course, a lot of the appeal; as somebody who appreciates a very old-school motorcycle look, it's great to see the combination of old-school looks and modern protection starting to bercome properly available on the market. Hoping that Vanson at some point start putting the armouring option in all their jackets; I'd seriously consider one of the P-types if they did.

Hugh Laurie wears an Aero in real life. House M.D. wore a Vanson on the show.

Yes, Laurie owns an Aero Highwayman which he wears a lot, I gather; the Vanson cafe racer with the red and white stripes on the biceps is the jacket worn by the character when he rides a motorcycle in the show. There's often some confusion as to which jacket people mean when this comes up because Laurie posed for some publicity shots with the bike he rode in House, but wearing his own HWM jacket. Of course, as he's known specifically for 'House' in the US, they were referred to as photos of that House guy..... Both great jackets. If I did go looking for a cafe racer style now, the Vanson would be an option, certainly, though I'm also rather taken with the two-tone burgundy / black Roland Sands Ronin model.

Particularly difficult when wearing my pilot watch... thing is very large though (44mm). Haven't really tossed this on much with the jacket, sticking to my diver for now.

sun by B1LF, on Flickr




plants by B1LF, on Flickr

Nice watch. I have one that's not a million miles away in style (separate, smaller second-hand dial in the lower-middle, and power rserve indicator at the top), though mine is a Parnis (assembled in China, Japanese parts, with a Japanese Mintoya automatic movement). Not always been a big fan of huge watches, but really enjoying this one. Especially loving the simplicity of no date window.

^ Truth.

Aero rocks, hell I'm waiting for one which may arrive today but if you actually plan on riding a motorcycle, do yourself a favor and get a Vanson.

As for the prices, I was wondering about that as well 'cause buying a jacket directly from Aero will cost you around $700 or so right now AND they're even nice enough to let you pay right away and take advantage of the exchange rate: http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/news-detail.php?id=166

Here in the UK, Vanson OTR are comparable to or a bit cheaper than Aero, depending where you go. I've always considered them to be on a par with each other, quality-wise, though of course Vanson are more directly designed for use on a motorcycle, particularly with features like pockets for elbow / shoulder armour and backplates. I'm hoping eventually Aero will also look at making this an option in their motorcycle jackets. I'd certainyl consdier having a Vanson in my collection, though. I wish it was clearer on their website which models are available with armouring.

 

[Carrie @ Thurston Bros.]

Umm, Aero fans at work........

Yes, he wore an Aero, because he is British, and yes, that was one of his own jackets. But he also wears other brands as well, just like many of us here.

For someone on the other side of the pond, Vanson sounds like one of the best in terms of price and quality. Aero's similar offering will cost you USD100 more with the current exchange rate + shipping direct from Scotland. ThurstonBro are selling them for >USD1000 while you can easily get off the rack Model B Comp wt for USD699.

In terms of practicality, Vanson IS better than Aero, Model B has removable fleece liner, you can add amour inserts for riding, you can further add multifunction 'Streamliner' for further warmth and protections. It really depends on how you 'define' the best cafe racer jacket.

^ Truth.

Aero rocks, hell I'm waiting for one which may arrive today but if you actually plan on riding a motorcycle, do yourself a favor and get a Vanson.

As for the prices, I was wondering about that as well 'cause buying a jacket directly from Aero will cost you around $700 or so right now AND they're even nice enough to let you pay right away and take advantage of the exchange rate: http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/news-detail.php?id=166

We wanted to clarify the prices of Aero jackets purchased directly through Aero versus through us, Thurston Bros. Below are some examples (calculated with today’s exchange rate)…as you can see, our prices are very competitive. When you factor in that we ship our North American customers a fit jacket in order to obtain a perfect fit, most find that our prices are extremely reasonable!

*Please keep in mind that your bank will also charge you an exchange fee when purchasing in a foreign currency. US customs fees can also be more than the prices quoted below. Sometimes a package can sneak through without customs fees, but this luck-of-the-draw.

1930s Half Belt--655 GBP, which is approximately $820.00 USD
Lochcarron Tartan Lining (Custom)--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Interior Pocket Option--20 GBP, which is approximately $25.00 USD
Italian Horsehide--75 GBP, which is approximately $95.00 USD
Shipping to the United States--40 GBP, which is approximately $50.00 USD
United States Customs--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Total Cost for Jacket--890 GBP or approximately $1,115.00 USD


Board Racer--660 GBP, which is approximately $825.00 USD
Italian Horsehide--75 GBP, which is approximately $95.00 USD
Lochcarron Tartan Lining (Custom)--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Interior Pocket Option--20 GBP, which is approximately $25.00 USD
Shipping to the United States--40 GBP, which is approximately $50.00 USD
United States Customs--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Total Cost for Jacket--895 GBP or approximately $1,120.00 USD


Highwayman--650 GBP, which is approximately $815.00 USD
Lochcarron Check Tweed Lining (Custom)--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Interior Pocket Option--20 GBP, which is approximately $25.00 USD
Shipping to the United States--40 GBP, which is approximately $50.00 USD
United States Customs--50 GBP, which is approximately $63.00 USD
Total Cost for Jacket--810 GBP or $1,015.00 USD

 

[b1lf]

Perfect fit on the jacket, hoping mine will fit just as well.

Nice watch, too. I had a Steinhart in my rotation, too, years ago. Now I'm wearing mostly smaller watches, vintage pieces with 36ish mm diameter.

Nice watch. I have one that's not a million miles away in style (separate, smaller second-hand dial in the lower-middle, and power rserve indicator at the top), though mine is a Parnis (assembled in China, Japanese parts, with a Japanese Mintoya automatic movement). Not always been a big fan of huge watches, but really enjoying this one. Especially loving the simplicity of no date window.

Thanks, I have their OVM as well

bond ovm 1911 by B1LF, on Flickr


I've heard decent things about the Parnis as well. I normally dislike large watches too - but for a pilot, it works well. I got 44mm and glad I did; the 46-47mm ones must be massive.

 

[Edward]

Thanks, I have their OVM as well

bond ovm 1911 by B1LF, on Flickr


I've heard decent things about the Parnis as well. I normally dislike large watches too - but for a pilot, it works well. I got 44mm and glad I did; the 46-47mm ones must be massive.

Nice - Connery fan? I like that strap.

THe Parnis is lovely. Paid around USD100; enough that it's not a cheapo copy, but still within the rangeo f a price where I'll just wear it out and enjoy it. So far, so good. I did have to have a regular buckle put on the strap because I couldn't get on with the clip-arrangement thingy it came with, but that was only a couple of quid to sort. The watchmakers I took it to for that were very impressed with it. Parnis also do a nice version of the Connery Bond watch, which I do fancy. I need to look at what watches I have a clear out what I don't use, really. I have a lot of Chinese fakes I bought at a time - some of them turned out to be pretty decent timekeepers, but others it's time to clear out. The Parnis is nice because their range may be lookalikes, but they're not trying to pretend to be anything else, other than - if experience so far is typical - a decent, reliable, nice watch at a reasonable price. I gather than only thing you have to watch is that you get a genuine Parnis, as there are now some low-end fakes of those as well!

 

[b1lf]

Nice - Connery fan? I like that strap.

THe Parnis is lovely. Paid around USD100; enough that it's not a cheapo copy, but still within the rangeo f a price where I'll just wear it out and enjoy it. So far, so good. I did have to have a regular buckle put on the strap because I couldn't get on with the clip-arrangement thingy it came with, but that was only a couple of quid to sort. The watchmakers I took it to for that were very impressed with it. Parnis also do a nice version of the Connery Bond watch, which I do fancy. I need to look at what watches I have a clear out what I don't use, really. I have a lot of Chinese fakes I bought at a time - some of them turned out to be pretty decent timekeepers, but others it's time to clear out. The Parnis is nice because their range may be lookalikes, but they're not trying to pretend to be anything else, other than - if experience so far is typical - a decent, reliable, nice watch at a reasonable price. I gather than only thing you have to watch is that you get a genuine Parnis, as there are now some low-end fakes of those as well!

Definitely a Connery fan! That is 1 of probably 15+ straps I have for the watch. I actually wear it most often on the SS bracelet; ~10 NATOs; black leather with white stitching and SS buckle, and a bunch of Horween leather NATOs I cut/stitched myself.

I like the sweet spot of $100-$600 watches; as long as it has an auto movement that works well and a sapphire crystal face ideally, I'm happy.

 

[Edward]

Definitely a Connery fan! That is 1 of probably 15+ straps I have for the watch. I actually wear it most often on the SS bracelet; ~10 NATOs; black leather with white stitching and SS buckle, and a bunch of Horween leather NATOs I cut/stitched myself.

I like the sweet spot of $100-$600 watches; as long as it has an auto movement that works well and a sapphire crystal face ideally, I'm happy.

Yip. Rule Number 1: No Quartz. I know it's more accurate, but it's just, well.... sterile, somehow. I still buy vinyl in preference to mp3s as well....

I used to buy everything from a jewellery wholesaler back in Belfast who once told me that once you hit in and around the ton, all watches have the same quality of movement. After that, all you're paying for is the decoration of the shell. He once showed us a diamond-encrusted, Swiss watch that he'd gotten in for a client's wife - wholesale value of GBP20K (this was twenty odd years ago as well). Told us the movement in it was worth a tenner....