Vintage Brooks Cafe Racer

[Grayland]

Even though I've been here long enough to accumulate numerous leather jackets, I really craved a brown cafe racer. I liked the simplicity and light weight of some of the vintage ones I saw, so I started to search a little more seriously. In doing some research here, I found myself drawn to the Brooks Cafe Racer. I saw that Seb Lucas was also a fan of Brooks and I contacted him via PM. He helped me a great deal. I'm a size 40, but learned that one generally needs to size up in these vintage jackets, so I started to search for a size 42. I found a very nice one that seemed to have the right measurements other than sleeves that were too long.

Upon receiving the jacket, I really liked it. Very light-weight leather and super comfortable. It fit exactly like I wanted. Nice high armholes and slim sleeves - although the pics make the sleeves look pretty baggy. It isn't skin-tight, but fits well, with room to move. The sleeves were just too long, so I sent it to Alan at Johnson Leathers to shorten them. I also had JL remove the windflap as I don't ride and I always liked the clean look of a cafe racer w/o the windflap. I like it quite a bit and am considering having JL eventually "copy" this jacket in a nice veg-tanned goatskin as I really want a goatskin jacket in my arsenal. I haven't worn it out yet as I got it early in the summer, but it should be jacket weather any day now and I expect this jacket will get a lot of wear.

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[Jägernaut]

Wow! That's a perfect fit and a beautiful hide. Congrats.

 

[IXL]

Very nice! You guys are really steering me right into another brown jacket. "But honey, all the guys on the Lounge have them....."

 

[nick123]

You had the sleeves altered but it looks like the body was also custom tailored for you!

 

[Fanch]

Looks great. Don't know how you could improve on the fit at any point that it touches your body. :thumb:

 

[Worf]

HEY NEIGHBOR!!!!!!!

Nice score man. Too slim a style for me but it looks great on you. Congrats. We should meet up some time... compare hides... swap tall tales of the jacket that got away.

Worf

 

[Superfluous]

Fantastic jacket and fit!! Congratulations.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Fantastic Grayland, it's even better than I imagined. As it happens I just scored a mint one in my size. It had not been worn. It's now getting some serious wear. They are my favourite cafe racer. I was thinking of having Alan copy one for me too. I have a JL cafe racer in goat which is very nice.

 

[nick123]

Is the Johnson goat vegetable tanned? The very dark brown 2.5oz stuff? I don't think mine is.

 

[mendelboaz]

Wow! That is some amazing stuff right there! The jacket looks to be in amazing condition, and it fits you very well. Congratulations

As for copying the jacket: I was hoping JL did something like this. I have a $20 slimfit pleather jacket bought on eBay that I wore the living daylights out of. I'd really like JL to copy that exact jacket and make it out of a nice 2.5oz goatskin. Does anyone know what JL might charge for such a service?

 

[Cooperson]

Great find and a the fit is spot on!

 

[nick123]

Wow! That is some amazing stuff right there! The jacket looks to be in amazing condition, and it fits you very well. Congratulations

As for copying the jacket: I was hoping did something like this. I have a $20 slimfit pleather jacket bought on eBay that I wore the living daylights out of. I'd really like JL to copy that exact jacket and make it out of a nice 2.5oz goatskin. Does anyone know what JL might charge for such a service?

Of course I don't want to mislead you or substitute the maker's words with mine, but my estimated guess is under (but closer to) 1k. There's a thread way back where a member here took in an old Hercules jacket and they did up a copy. It didn't look to be an exact repro, but the pattern was pretty much made from scratch by Johnson and it looked the part. I think the same member went on to get a similar copy by Aero, and when compared side to side they both looked like really good takes on the original jacket he had copied.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I paid around $700 for a custom goat cafe racer from Johnson Leathers 2 years ago. It's very dark brown and I think it's naked or veg tanned goat. It does not have the shiny surface of chrome tanned goat. The goat is probably 2.2oz, maybe 2.5. I like it a lot but for guys around here addicted to FQHH it would feel very light possibly even fragile (even though goat is some of the toughest leather available). Worth noting that it's much lighter goat that what Aero or Alexanders leather use.

As Grayland said, the Brooks cafe racers run small. I wear a 46- I'm generally a 42. To give you an idea, their 46 is 18.5 inch shoulders, 23.5 pit to pit, 26.5 back length, 26 sleeve. The leather is thin but tough steerhide. Which I love. Probably around 2.2oz. Don't wear one on a motorbike.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Bad photo of my JL goat. It's actually a very dark brown with no hint of grey. Sorry Grayland, don't mean to hijack.

 

[nick123]

Nice one!

I'd be sure to verify with Alan which type of goat it is before getting a jacket made from it.

 

[Seb Lucas]

By the way, this is the same model as made by Brooks today (it has small differences: an inside pocket unlike the vintage one, the zip ends closer to the hem and the pockets have zips with different pulls). Does anyone have one? At around $400 I'm intrigued. Made in the USA and 3oz leather so much heavier which puts me off. It only comes in black.

 

[Grayland]

I appreciate all the comments guys. I didn't inquire with Alan regarding a price for a "copied" jacket. I spoke to him about 1.5 years ago about the availability of veg-tanned goat. He didn't have it in stock, but said he could acquire it.

I'm very happy with the fit and IMHO, the zipper ending several inches up from the bottom is the key for it fitting me so well. I'm pretty slim through the belly, but my hips/ass are pretty "developed" . I need a little bit of flare at the point where my jackets reach my hips. This jacket has a very slight flare, but the zipper really seems to the key to the fit for me. I bought a NOS Lesco Cafe Racer (size 42) a few years ago - about the same length. The zipper went all the way to the bottom and it was too tight as a result. If that jacket were 2 inches shorter, it would've fit just fine.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I also love the zipper ending several inches up from the hem. A key part of the look for me. The Brooks really is a great jacket.

 

[handymike]

Looks great Grayland!

 

[schitzo]

Damn, i think I may need a vintage brown Brooks cafe racer.

Would sir care to reveal the cost of this little beauty?