Vegecow Lewis Leathers quality

[MrProper]

Thank you for your review.
Great jacket. Congratulations.

 

[Pandemic]

Nice review. Beautiful jacket. The color is superb and that grain is out of this world.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Lewis Leathers Cyclone in British racing green sheepskin

This is the 5th Lewis Leathers jacket that I own(ed). As a rule I don't buy new what can be bought second hand/vintage. I've tried buying vintage LL but only one out of four vintage buys turned out to be a good fit. Second hand (non-vintage) jackets are easier to find in a proper size. However, pretty much all of them are made from their heavily coated horsehide which isn't all that interesting imo. Then I learned about their vegetable tanned sheepskin (thanks to @Canuck Panda MK2 review). I own a 70s Super Phantom in sheepskin which is absolutely awesome so I decided to take the plunge and ordered a brand-new British racing green sheepskin Cyclone.

Fit/sizing

According to Rip I'm right in between sizes with my 43inch chest circumference. Since I prefer to wear my jackets snug I decided to go for a 42. Based on my body measurements, Rip suggested a body length of 64 cm, sleeve length of 65 cm and 102 cm for the hem. Apart from the body length (which I preferred a tiny bit shorter) I went with all the suggested measurements.

View attachment 356390

I'm quite happy with the fit. There's more than enough room to wear it over a sweater so I'm glad I didn't size up. All the jacket measurements are 100% spot on (just like with my custom FL jacket). Which makes me wonder why other well known makers work with tolerances of half an inch up or down. Anyway, as said I'm quite happy with the fit. For any future orders I'd go for a smaller bottom hem though. 102 cm turned out to be just a bit too wide. Luckily the sheepskin is very pliable so I can make good use of those side adjusters.

View attachment 356391



The sleeve opening feels a tiny bit wide. I prefer the sleeves of a mc jacket to fit snug around my wrist when fully zipped up.

Cyclone vs vintage Super Monza (my vintage Phantom was even more tight)



View attachment 356388

The hide

When I asked for a very grainy hide to be used for my jacket, Rip told me he couldn't guarantee anything because they have to work with what's in stock. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box this morning. The grain is out of this world and I absolutely love the color. I'll let the pics do the talking.

The hide feels spongy. Of course that was to be expected with sheepskin, but it's spongier than my sheepskin Eastman A1. It's also spongier than my 70s sheepskin Super Monza, which feels both denser and heavier. I've put both of them on the scale, the Super Monza (size 40) weights 2007gram. The Cyclone (size42) weights 1740 gram. To be clear, the jacket doesn't feel flimsy at all. But if you're looking for a serious mc jacket, this is not that. This is definitively more of a fashion jacket. Despite it's sponginess, some nice sleeve creases developed within the first minutes of wear.


View attachment 356396 View attachment 356395

View attachment 356393



LL lets you choose between black or beige zipper tape. I think the beige goes nice with the racing green.



View attachment 356397



Unlike the handwarmer pockets which are pretty small, the slash/chest pocket is of decent size. It's oriented to the left, which makes it easily accessible with your right hand.


View attachment 356392


Build quality is decent. Stitching is not perfect but it's neat without any wobbling or empty holes. What's less neat is the hanging loop, which is stitched all the way through the collar (unlike my vintage LL jackets). It's probably sturdier to attach it this way but it doesn't look all that good from the back of the collar. For a future order I'd probably ask them to skip the hanging loop all together because I don't use it anyway.

View attachment 356387


Just a year ago I was pretty confident that I would never buy a LL because of the brandpatch. I hate brand patches in general. But somehow with LL it has grown on me. I guess that's because of their motorcycle racing heritage. As you can see, the modern brand patch is slightly more discrete than its 70s predecessor.

View attachment 356389

Love the color contrasts. Green, red, beige. I was going to chicken out and go black tape and black liner for fear it might look like a squashed bug lol, but I think the allure of LL is that little bit of flash. Very bold but it paid off. Congrats. And the pattern is cool. I think I like more open than closed but it's very elegant closed, more so than the usual schott, vanson, etc. cross zip.

Fit is almost there but I agree, I think a little more pinch in the waist and more taper to bottom. But that's the usual nitty picky stuff we do around here. Did you tell them tshirt fit?

I wonder how much of their custom sizing is maybe just adjusting sleeve and body length? I dont think they're doing a full blown Five Star on every little measurement.

I think/hope the base 42 for me will be good since I have 2-3 more cm than you in the body. But I'm definitely going to stress snug fit. Although I'll have different model, so hopefully it's similar. Looks like japan gets that tight fit model which probably addresses the sleeve opening.

 

[Jin431]

Lewis Leathers Cyclone in British racing green sheepskin

This is the 5th Lewis Leathers jacket that I own(ed). As a rule I don't buy new what can be bought second hand/vintage. I've tried buying vintage LL but only one out of four vintage buys turned out to be a good fit. Second hand (non-vintage) jackets are easier to find in a proper size. However, pretty much all of them are made from their heavily coated horsehide which isn't all that interesting imo. Then I learned about their vegetable tanned sheepskin (thanks to @Canuck Panda MK2 review). I own a 70s Super Phantom in sheepskin which is absolutely awesome so I decided to take the plunge and ordered a brand-new British racing green sheepskin Cyclone.

Fit/sizing

According to Rip I'm right in between sizes with my 43inch chest circumference. Since I prefer to wear my jackets snug I decided to go for a 42. Based on my body measurements, Rip suggested a body length of 64 cm, sleeve length of 65 cm and 102 cm for the hem. Apart from the body length (which I preferred a tiny bit shorter) I went with all the suggested measurements.

View attachment 356390

I'm quite happy with the fit. There's more than enough room to wear it over a sweater so I'm glad I didn't size up. All the jacket measurements are 100% spot on (just like with my custom FL jacket). Which makes me wonder why other well known makers work with tolerances of half an inch up or down. Anyway, as said I'm quite happy with the fit. For any future orders I'd go for a smaller bottom hem though. 102 cm turned out to be just a bit too wide. Luckily the sheepskin is very pliable so I can make good use of those side adjusters.

View attachment 356391



The sleeve opening feels a tiny bit wide. I prefer the sleeves of a mc jacket to fit snug around my wrist when fully zipped up.

Cyclone vs vintage Super Monza (my vintage Phantom was even more tight)



View attachment 356388

The hide

When I asked for a very grainy hide to be used for my jacket, Rip told me he couldn't guarantee anything because they have to work with what's in stock. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box this morning. The grain is out of this world and I absolutely love the color. I'll let the pics do the talking.

The hide feels spongy. Of course that was to be expected with sheepskin, but it's spongier than my sheepskin Eastman A1. It's also spongier than my 70s sheepskin Super Monza, which feels both denser and heavier. I've put both of them on the scale, the Super Monza (size 40) weights 2007gram. The Cyclone (size42) weights 1740 gram. To be clear, the jacket doesn't feel flimsy at all. But if you're looking for a serious mc jacket, this is not that. This is definitively more of a fashion jacket. Despite it's sponginess, some nice sleeve creases developed within the first minutes of wear.


View attachment 356396 View attachment 356395

View attachment 356393



LL lets you choose between black or beige zipper tape. I think the beige goes nice with the racing green.



View attachment 356397



Unlike the handwarmer pockets which are pretty small, the slash/chest pocket is of decent size. It's oriented to the left, which makes it easily accessible with your right hand.


View attachment 356392


Build quality is decent. Stitching is not perfect but it's neat without any wobbling or empty holes. What's less neat is the hanging loop, which is stitched all the way through the collar (unlike my vintage LL jackets). It's probably sturdier to attach it this way but it doesn't look all that good from the back of the collar. For a future order I'd probably ask them to skip the hanging loop all together because I don't use it anyway.

View attachment 356387


Just a year ago I was pretty confident that I would never buy a LL because of the brandpatch. I hate brand patches in general. But somehow with LL it has grown on me. I guess that's because of their motorcycle racing heritage. As you can see, the modern brand patch is slightly more discrete than its 70s predecessor.

View attachment 356389

Awesome review @Marc mndt. Thanks for the very detailed post. Love the green sheepskin on your new LL cyclone, so very grainy. The grain on the sheepskin reminds me of horse butt grain, the sleeve creasing is so nice and it looks like you've had it for months already! It's not your usual perfect fit in the torso but great fit for a first attempt with a new maker. Unfortunate about the wider hem but maybe loosen the strap some cause there's some blouson effect in the midriff going on. Love the contrast zipper tape action here. Man, I should've taken the vintage LL you offered me before lol

 

[Marc mndt]

Did you tell them tshirt fit?

I did. Initially Rip was worried that the 42 would be too snug:

We base our jackets from the chest size, jacket size 42 = 42 inch chest. Looking at your measurement at 109cm = 42.9 inches so pretty much exactly in bewteen sizes, I guess you find this quite often? I notice you opted for a size 42 in the original order, what size is your preference to work from? My only concern is the 42 might be a bit snug but could be wrong, what do you think?

I'm happy with the fit as-is. Maybe more taper to the waist would have made the jacket look too much V shaped? I don't want to look like a gym fanatic lol.

I wonder how much of their custom sizing is maybe just adjusting sleeve and body length? I dont think they're doing a full blown Five Star on every little measurement.

I think @Canuck Panda mentioned that they combined a 42 top with a 40 hem for his mk2 ? Not sure what that means but I'm sure that doesn't mean bespoke like with 5*.

Although I'll have different model, so hopefully it's similar.

I think the Cyclone and Lightning are pretty similar patterns, apart from the lightning's beaver tail.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

I did. Initially Rip was worried that the 42 would be too snug:

We base our jackets from the chest size, jacket size 42 = 42 inch chest. Looking at your measurement at 109cm = 42.9 inches so pretty much exactly in bewteen sizes, I guess you find this quite often? I notice you opted for a size 42 in the original order, what size is your preference to work from? My only concern is the 42 might be a bit snug but could be wrong, what do you think?

I'm happy with the fit as-is. Maybe more taper to the waist would have made the jacket look too much V shaped? I don't want to look like a gym fanatic lol.


I think @Canuck Panda mentioned that they combined a 42 top with a 40 hem for his mk2 ? Not sure what that means but I'm sure that doesn't mean bespoke like with 5*.



I think the Cyclone and Lightning are pretty similar patterns, apart from the lightning's beaver tail.

View attachment 356436

Lol, yeah not so V. More of a pinch in the waist, more hour glass but still smaller hem since you mentioned is a little big. But going 42 was right call. And it seems the cinch is functional, so it gives you options. Anyway, this is too nitpicky. Excellent, top tier jacket. Real statement piece.

 

[Pandemic]

I wonder how much of their custom sizing is maybe just adjusting sleeve and body length? I dont think they're doing a full blown Five Star on every little measurement.

I dunno, man. I think you have about 10-11 parameters to adjust. I chose the exact dimensions down to the cm. At one point Rip and I were going back and forth discussing two cm on the chest and whether to take 10 or 15mm off the shoulders. Mine is based off a stock 38, with 11cm off the opening, along with other tweaks.

 

[Will Zach]

That has to be a world speed record for sleeve creasing. The color is out of this world. Spongy hides are not my cup of tea, but the grain more than makes up for it. Did I say the color is beautiful?

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

I dunno, man. I think you have about 10-11 parameters to adjust. I chose the exact dimensions down to the cm. At one point Rip and I were going back and forth discussing two cm on the chest and whether to take 10 or 15mm off the shoulders. Mine is based off a stock 38, with 11cm off the opening, along with other tweaks.

Ah interesting. So it is pretty customizable. I think for me, dealing with the body measurement is new vs giving jacket measurements or using these measurements to judge the fit since it's easier to visualize and you dont have to compensate for leather thickness, etc. Although I recall others gave jacket numbers.

I havent seen anything off the mark yet, so they know what they doing.

 

[Pandemic]

Ah interesting. So it is pretty customizable. I think for me, dealing with the body measurement is new vs giving jacket measurements or using these measurements to judge the fit since it's easier to visualize and you dont have to compensate for leather thickness, etc. Although I recall others gave jacket numbers.

I havent seen anything off the mark yet, so they know what they doing.

it’s customizable, though as others have said I think they sort of advise you towards a ‘house fit’. Rip was fine with me slimming the opening, but didn’t seem too keen on me going any shorter in the body.

They are good at working with body measurements, but really that just generates an initial recommendation for you to discuss and modify.

 

[ton312]

Lewis Leathers Cyclone in British racing green sheepskin

This is the 5th Lewis Leathers jacket that I own(ed). As a rule I don't buy new what can be bought second hand/vintage. I've tried buying vintage LL but only one out of four vintage buys turned out to be a good fit. Second hand (non-vintage) jackets are easier to find in a proper size. However, pretty much all of them are made from their heavily coated horsehide which isn't all that interesting imo. Then I learned about their vegetable tanned sheepskin (thanks to @Canuck Panda MK2 review). I own a 70s Super Phantom in sheepskin which is absolutely awesome so I decided to take the plunge and ordered a brand-new British racing green sheepskin Cyclone.

Fit/sizing

According to Rip I'm right in between sizes with my 43inch chest circumference. Since I prefer to wear my jackets snug I decided to go for a 42. Based on my body measurements, Rip suggested a body length of 64 cm, sleeve length of 65 cm and 102 cm for the hem. Apart from the body length (which I preferred a tiny bit shorter) I went with all the suggested measurements.

View attachment 356390

I'm quite happy with the fit. There's more than enough room to wear it over a sweater so I'm glad I didn't size up. All the jacket measurements are 100% spot on (just like with my custom FL jacket). Which makes me wonder why other well known makers work with tolerances of half an inch up or down. Anyway, as said I'm quite happy with the fit. For any future orders I'd go for a smaller bottom hem though. 102 cm turned out to be just a bit too wide. Luckily the sheepskin is very pliable so I can make good use of those side adjusters.

View attachment 356391



The sleeve opening feels a tiny bit wide. I prefer the sleeves of a mc jacket to fit snug around my wrist when fully zipped up.

Cyclone vs vintage Super Monza (my vintage Phantom was even more tight)



View attachment 356388

The hide

When I asked for a very grainy hide to be used for my jacket, Rip told me he couldn't guarantee anything because they have to work with what's in stock. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box this morning. The grain is out of this world and I absolutely love the color. I'll let the pics do the talking.

The hide feels spongy. Of course that was to be expected with sheepskin, but it's spongier than my sheepskin Eastman A1. It's also spongier than my 70s sheepskin Super Monza, which feels both denser and heavier. I've put both of them on the scale, the Super Monza (size 40) weights 2007gram. The Cyclone (size42) weights 1740 gram. To be clear, the jacket doesn't feel flimsy at all. But if you're looking for a serious mc jacket, this is not that. This is definitively more of a fashion jacket. Despite it's sponginess, some nice sleeve creases developed within the first minutes of wear.


View attachment 356396 View attachment 356395

View attachment 356393



LL lets you choose between black or beige zipper tape. I think the beige goes nice with the racing green.



View attachment 356397



Unlike the handwarmer pockets which are pretty small, the slash/chest pocket is of decent size. It's oriented to the left, which makes it easily accessible with your right hand.


View attachment 356392


Build quality is decent. Stitching is not perfect but it's neat without any wobbling or empty holes. What's less neat is the hanging loop, which is stitched all the way through the collar (unlike my vintage LL jackets). It's probably sturdier to attach it this way but it doesn't look all that good from the back of the collar. For a future order I'd probably ask them to skip the hanging loop all together because I don't use it anyway.

View attachment 356387


Just a year ago I was pretty confident that I would never buy a LL because of the brandpatch. I hate brand patches in general. But somehow with LL it has grown on me. I guess that's because of their motorcycle racing heritage. As you can see, the modern brand patch is slightly more discrete than its 70s predecessor.

View attachment 356389

That’s about the perfect shade of green. Probably my favorite that I’ve seen so far as far as modern jackets go. I believe it’s impossible to dethrone the Brimaco BRG. But this comes awfully close. Fit looks great too. Well done!

 

[Canuck Panda]

@Marc mndt Your new LL jacket is awesome! The red lining, and the brown zip tape takes the BRG up to another level! The fit looks good to me. That’s how I would have asked for too. That’s some serious V taper you got there.
Did you like the leather smell? It’s pretty nice right? LL definitely gave you some nice grain leather.

@TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead Lewis would ask for your biceps measurements, so you don’t have to worry about lose sleeves.

Greg has much cleaner stitches than Lewis. But both does the measurements bang on.

 

[Jin431]

The Black and BRG veg tan sheepskin looks good. Can't wait to see a light brown or dark brown sheepskin soon

 

[MrProper]

I think/hope the base 42 for me will be good since I have 2-3 more cm than you in the body. But I'm definitely going to stress snug fit.

I will take a 42 for the racing jacket, since this has the dimensions of my other jackets except for the length and too wide hem.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

I will take a 42 for the racing jacket, since this has the dimensions of my other jackets except for the length and too wide hem.

Yeah, when you said they wanted to do 46, I was getting scared LOL. Plus racing style should be a little tighter anyway. I'm excited. Marc's colors really encourage me and his confirmation about their ability to hit the measurements. Everything I have seen has been great. Very fair price too all things considered. I think like some of us in the beginning, I was little up in the air about the branding patch and all that. But like anything, with time, you reset the bar of what the limits are. Just going through their IG pages, there's like 5 possible builds I'd like LOL.

 

[Tom71]

That’s really fast. Lucky Marc

3 weeks order to delivery for me. Seems like LL is receiving a flood of orders from TFL at the moment, so they may be in for the "Greg-effect"...

 

[navetsea]

Are you thinking of the Lightning 402?
View attachment 356339

Joey tucked in the jacket into his pants

 

[navetsea]

I did. Initially Rip was worried that the 42 would be too snug:

We base our jackets from the chest size, jacket size 42 = 42 inch chest. Looking at your measurement at 109cm = 42.9 inches so pretty much exactly in bewteen sizes, I guess you find this quite often? I notice you opted for a size 42 in the original order, what size is your preference to work from? My only concern is the 42 might be a bit snug but could be wrong, what do you think?

I'm happy with the fit as-is. Maybe more taper to the waist would have made the jacket look too much V shaped? I don't want to look like a gym fanatic lol.


I think @Canuck Panda mentioned that they combined a 42 top with a 40 hem for his mk2 ? Not sure what that means but I'm sure that doesn't mean bespoke like with 5*.



I think the Cyclone and Lightning are pretty similar patterns, apart from the lightning's beaver tail.

View attachment 356436

congrats, the color combo and leather looks really good!!!
body still looks a bit boxy now but after you wear it for awhile it will drape and look great!!! or can you find someone who can take in that side panel to be a little bit waisted, normal tailor can work with sheepskin I think.

 

[MrProper]

If I am not mistaken, this should be green and look something like my desired model

 

[Marc mndt]

congrats, the color combo and leather looks really good!!!
body still looks a bit boxy now but after you wear it for awhile it will drape and look great!!! or can you find someone who can take in that side panel to be a little bit waisted, normal tailor can work with sheepskin I think.

I'm more than happy with the jacket as-is. This will be a great one for layering.

I don't think Slash worried about a boxy fit while sporting his Cyclone.