Vanson! Vanson! Vanson!

[newtojackets]

I looked and can’t find anything in my cloud. I would need to get into to my hard drives.

The X, like the Octagon, needs to be worn to knock out the stiffness. But it does relent.

Do you know if it’s like CXL i.e. will always be somewhat stiff, but soften up over a day (as your body heat melts the wax), or does it become more permanently draped?

 

[Aloysius]

Do you know if it’s like CXL i.e. will always be somewhat stiff, but soften up over a day (as your body heat melts the wax), or does it become more permanently draped?

Isn't that jacket made of CXL?

 

[JMax]

@newtojackets yes. Similar to CXL. Stiffness recedes until one day it is almost permanently draped. You have a killer jacket and LF designed this for folks with your build. I’d be stoked.

 

[photo2u]

Speaking of Vanson leather quality, I have a tan Van Swedish riding jacket, anyone know what leather this is?
It’s definitely as thick as comp weight, it’s very supple, in person it’s not as shiny as in these pictures. It’s got some beautiful textures going on, I really like it.
I do think it needs to be worn in a couple storms, and then conditioned with some beeswax product and really get the grain to pop…
Ton312, I think I’ve seen some jackets you dyed? Any thoughts on this hide?
I don’t think this is the deer tanned cow hide, probably just brown comp weight. Really nice though.

Love that style. Very comfortable. It reminds me of my JL made for me by the man himself. There is an image of me wearing it in the forum. The leather is thick and heavy. Not waxy at all. However, I put in some conditioner and it gets dark fast.

 

[newtojackets]

Isn't that jacket made of CXL?

Nope, x-150. I think there’s another version (some anniversary one) with CXL, but the regular one is not

 

[abone]

My new “to me” Comet arrived yesterday after taking a weird detour into southern Washington State.

Wow! What a beast!!

It’s a generous 44:

P2P 24
S2S 20
Sleeve 26.5
Hem 21
Length at back 25.5

Jacket is damn near perfect condition, no issues at all. Lining like new. Provision for a streamliner.

I called Vanson - built in 2001 and comp weight as @ton312 eloquently said it was.

Vanson told me Riri zips were used on a lot of their jackets in that time frame, not just HH.

A couple comments/observations:

The wind flap is narrow. My other Vanson’s have quite a wide flap. Curious it’s not on a purpose built riding jacket like this.

The Riri zip has plastic male end. That surprised me.

The inside arm pits are reinforced with leather. Never seen that before. If it’s not a standard feature on this vintage Comet, then could it be a custom? The length of the jacket makes me wonder if it is.

Leather is fantastic. Thick, hefty and grainy. The best leather by far of all my Vanson jackets.

As mentioned it’s a generous 44 therefore a wee big on me, but I can layer with this unlike some of the other Vanson’s I own. And I appreciate it isn’t short. I have an Aero Sheene I never wear because I’m self conscious of how short and wide it fits me. This is better proportioned.

No fit pic yet as it’s drying after a good saddle soap and hot water soak. And apologies in advance for so many pics but I’m a proud Vanson papa.

 

[TREEMAN]

My new “to me” Comet arrived yesterday after taking a weird detour into southern Washington State.

Wow! What a beast!!

It’s a generous 44:

P2P 24
S2S 20
Sleeve 26.5
Hem 21
Length at back 25.5

Jacket is damn near perfect condition, no issues at all. Lining like new. Provision for a streamliner.

I called Vanson - built in 2001 and comp weight as @ton312 eloquently said it was.

Vanson told me Riri zips were used on a lot of their jackets in that time frame, not just HH.

A couple comments/observations:

The wind flap is narrow. My other Vanson’s have quite a wide flap. Curious it’s not on a purpose built riding jacket like this.

The Riri zip has plastic male end. That surprised me.

The inside arm pits are reinforced with leather. Never seen that before. If it’s not a standard feature on this vintage Comet, then could it be a custom? The length of the jacket makes me wonder if it is.

Leather is fantastic. Thick, hefty and grainy. The best leather by far of all my Vanson jackets.

As mentioned it’s a generous 44 therefore a wee big on me, but I can layer with this unlike the other Vanson’s I own. And I appreciate it isn’t short. I have an Aero Sheene I never wear because I’m self conscious of how short and wide it fits me. This is better proportioned.

No fit pic yet as it’s drying after a good saddle soap and hot water soak. And apologies in advance for so many pics but I’m a proud Vanson papa.

SWEET !!!

 

[JMax]

My new “to me” Comet arrived yesterday after taking a weird detour into southern Washington State.

Wow! What a beast!!

It’s a generous 44:

P2P 24
S2S 20
Sleeve 26.5
Hem 21
Length at back 25.5

Jacket is damn near perfect condition, no issues at all. Lining like new. Provision for a streamliner.

I called Vanson - built in 2001 and comp weight as @ton312 eloquently said it was.

Vanson told me Riri zips were used on a lot of their jackets in that time frame, not just HH.

A couple comments/observations:

The wind flap is narrow. My other Vanson’s have quite a wide flap. Curious it’s not on a purpose built riding jacket like this.

The Riri zip has plastic male end. That surprised me.

The inside arm pits are reinforced with leather. Never seen that before. If it’s not a standard feature on this vintage Comet, then could it be a custom? The length of the jacket makes me wonder if it is.

Leather is fantastic. Thick, hefty and grainy. The best leather by far of all my Vanson jackets.

As mentioned it’s a generous 44 therefore a wee big on me, but I can layer with this unlike some of the other Vanson’s I own. And I appreciate it isn’t short. I have an Aero Sheene I never wear because I’m self conscious of how short and wide it fits me. This is better proportioned.

No fit pic yet as it’s drying after a good saddle soap and hot water soak. And apologies in advance for so many pics but I’m a proud Vanson papa.

Awesome. With those measurements, a custom. Or TB? Home run abone.

 

[Bluechel]

My new “to me” Comet arrived yesterday after taking a weird detour into southern Washington State.

Wow! What a beast!!

It’s a generous 44:

P2P 24
S2S 20
Sleeve 26.5
Hem 21
Length at back 25.5

Jacket is damn near perfect condition, no issues at all. Lining like new. Provision for a streamliner.

I called Vanson - built in 2001 and comp weight as @ton312 eloquently said it was.

Vanson told me Riri zips were used on a lot of their jackets in that time frame, not just HH.

A couple comments/observations:

The wind flap is narrow. My other Vanson’s have quite a wide flap. Curious it’s not on a purpose built riding jacket like this.

The Riri zip has plastic male end. That surprised me.

The inside arm pits are reinforced with leather. Never seen that before. If it’s not a standard feature on this vintage Comet, then could it be a custom? The length of the jacket makes me wonder if it is.

Leather is fantastic. Thick, hefty and grainy. The best leather by far of all my Vanson jackets.

As mentioned it’s a generous 44 therefore a wee big on me, but I can layer with this unlike some of the other Vanson’s I own. And I appreciate it isn’t short. I have an Aero Sheene I never wear because I’m self conscious of how short and wide it fits me. This is better proportioned.

No fit pic yet as it’s drying after a good saddle soap and hot water soak. And apologies in advance for so many pics but I’m a proud Vanson papa.

Damn, that's some leather. Vanson Grail.

 

[Bluechel]

Gonna go to the rack and just wear a couple....

 

[ton312]

Damn and with a nice quilted liner!! That’s a kick ass jacket! That is Vansons best era for comp weight. I swear anything from the late 90’s to somewhere around 2005/6 was just like nothing else. SUPERB!

 

[Schambach]

Such a cool jacket! I have a comet I had custom made a couple years back, that has the leather reinforced pits. The quilted liner is a weird detail as well, I"ve never seen that on a comet. Great score!

 

[VansonRider]

That's one of the nicest Vansons I've ever seen. What a find!!

 

[abone]

Thanks for the comments fellas! My eBay jacket acquisitions always leave me feeling somewhat wanting. This time i can lay back, look at the ceiling and light a cigarette.

Obligatory fit pic after a hot water soak to custom fit. In this pic you can see what I meant about the wind flap being narrow. It catches outside the zip.

 

[Al 916]

Thanks for the comments fellas! My eBay jacket acquisitions always leave me feeling somewhat wanting. This time i can lay back, look at the ceiling and light a cigarette.

Obligatory fit pic after a hot water soak to custom fit. In this pic you can see what I meant about the wind flap being narrow. It catches outside the zip.

Perfect jacket, perfect fit!

 

[VansonRider]

Thanks for the comments fellas! My eBay jacket acquisitions always leave me feeling somewhat wanting. This time i can lay back, look at the ceiling and light a cigarette.

Obligatory fit pic after a hot water soak to custom fit. In this pic you can see what I meant about the wind flap being narrow. It catches outside the zip.

The Model B has the same width flap, doesn't look at all out of place. And it's real job is preventing a zipper brand down your chest if you decide to belly flop off your bike at speed, and it will definitely do that!

 

[abone]

The Model B has the same width flap, doesn't look at all out of place. And it's real job is preventing a zipper brand down your chest if you decide to belly flop off your bike at speed, and it will definitely do that!

I checked my B and Oxford and you are correct, same size. It’s the zip catching made me think it was narrower. I’ll lube up the zip and that should do it. Thanks!

 

[Aloysius]

I checked my B and Oxford and you are correct, same size. It’s the zip catching made me think it was narrower. I’ll lube up the zip and that should do it. Thanks!

What will you use to lube the zipper? I got an amazing Vanson at their factory (brand new but I think it was old stock because it was Octagon leather so the zipper doesn't run as smooth as new-new Vansons.)

 

[VansonRider]

any hard wax, a crayon, a candle, anything like that.
I’ve also unstuck brass zippers that had seized together with that green verdigris using pure lanolin. It was on a wool cruiser, the map pocket across the back had both zippers corroded together, but the lanolin worked it’s way in and freed everything up.
But if the zipper is working, just a little stiff, I have literally used a purple crayon and a blue taper candle and both worked great. Just rub it into the zipper hand work the slide up and down a few times.

 

[VansonRider]

And I just tried something on my new Vanson, you know how the male slider on the main zipper always is the first thing to wear out?
I went into my vintage archery bow repair kit and took a syringe and Loctite 420 “super glue” and injected the tape with the glue. My hope is that hardening that end of the tape will make it more resistant to wear. Kind of like epoxy and fiberglass….
Now to wait ten years and see if it works.