Vintage "Snake Plissken" horsehide

[Man of Vintage]

Hi all,

I got this vintage horsehide coming my way hopefully by Monday. I've been hunting for a similar jacket to what Snake Plissken wears in Escape from New York. The photos make the jacket appear black, but it is actually a dark chocolate brown. It appears to have all 3 orignal talon zip pulls and the right chest is a zipless pocket. I believe the main zip could be a an old Talon? Unfortunately the original label seems to be missing. Based off the jacket design and photo of the cuff, how old would the jacket be? Thanks for any feedback guys. Oh and kinda a cool little tid bit... I was told from the original owner that right before I purchased the jacket, Ben Shepherd from the band Soundgarden tried picking it up.

http://s867.photobucket.com/albums/ab234/sinandvice/Snake Jacket/?albumview=slideshow

Cheers,
Mario

 

[crimsonofsam]

Looks good!

 

[cuthbert]

Congratulations! I was looking for a Snake Plissken jacket for a long time, since I watched the movie the first time when I was...I think 9.

The original jacket was surely a vintage (30s or 40s) motorcycle jacket, basically a D-pocket without ehm...D pocket but with a vertical zipper, a zippo pocket and two slash pockets. It also had an half belt back and with two panels, and button cuffs (leather buttons like those you see on tweed pockets). I think that it was made of brown horsehide...unfortunately it's pretty difficult to get a vintage jacket with all these features, I think that Magnoli makes a replica but I haven't seen many pics of his jacket around, and today the closest design in production is probably the half belt Pegasus D pocket, that was also a reason why I bought it!

I begged Kevin to make one with button cuffs and without the D panel, but for him the patterns are holy!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

http://www.filmjackets.com/VENDORS/MagnoliClothiers/mc-escape-ft-big.jpg

 

[Traut]

http://www.filmjackets.com/VENDORS/MagnoliClothiers/mc-escape-ft-big.jpg

HD

That jacket reminds me of a buffalo leather Aero I picked up last year. It was a "one off". I never saw the one you posted. Thanks

This is the one I picked up

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...8343,411878403&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Traut
I'd rather have your russet Buff Aero Bootlegger than the film jacket. Sweet!
HD

 

[Man of Vintage]

Nice jacket you got there Traut! I'm liking that buffalo hide.

 

[ButteMT61]

Traut - that's a sweet jacket! Buffalo/bison is amazing. Very nice!

 

[Traut]

Thanks guys. It was made for a friend of Aero's owner. Aero used Asian water buffalo for their buffalo hides. They no longer use or offer buffalo as a choice. I snagged it for a really good price of the auction site last year. I had to replace the zipper on it as it was snagged low on the zipper. The seller made good on the reasonable cost of the repair.. BTW I found a great place in Veemont to replace zippers, repairs, etc. Mountain Leather - the gal's name is Trish or Tish.

 

[cuthbert]

This is the jacket in question:

This is the jacket in '96:

The back:

Rockabilly's jacket is very similar to the bootlegger indeed, this one has many different details...a pity that Aero doesn't offer buffalo anymore, I love their californian model. Imo Magnoli's jacket is too long, the jacket of the movie was as short as a Perfecto, 24" I would say, and doesn't offer it in hh.

 

[Man of Vintage]

Well I just received the jacket from FedEx today. I knew when buying it that it may not fit and I was kinda right. It fits well in the shoulders and sleeves, but I will never be able to zip the jacket up lol. It probably is a 38 or maybe even 36 chest. I know this post is kinda pointless w/o a photo of it on me, will try for one tonight. But...would I be a complete fool to just wear it open all the time...? I got the jacket for what I consider a steal and I know it will probably be a long while before I come across another vintage horsehide in this style and @ a reasonable price.

Do any of you guys wear jackets that are technically too small for you(chest wise) but still wear them proudly?

And now that I look at the photos cuthbert provided of Kurt Russell wearing his, it almost appears that he wouldn't have been able to zip it up either.

 

[normanf]

Well I just received the jacket from FedEx today. I knew when buying it that it may not fit and I was kinda right. It fits well in the shoulders and sleeves, but I will never be able to zip the jacket up lol. It probably is a 38 or maybe even 36 chest. I know this post is kinda pointless w/o a photo of it on me, will try for one tonight. But...would I be a complete fool to just wear it open all the time...? I got the jacket for what I consider a steal and I know it will probably be a long while before I come across another vintage horsehide in this style and @ a reasonable price.

Do any of you guys where jackets that are technically too small for you(chest wise) but still wear them proudly?

And now that I look at the photos cuthbert provided of Kurt Russell wearing his, it almost appears that he wouldn't have been able to zip it up either.

If the jacket otherwise fits, a tailor can alter the zip line so it can be zipped up properly. Its better to wear a jacket too big than one too small.

 

[cuthbert]

Well I just received the jacket from FedEx today. I knew when buying it that it may not fit and I was kinda right. It fits well in the shoulders and sleeves, but I will never be able to zip the jacket up lol. It probably is a 38 or maybe even 36 chest. I know this post is kinda pointless w/o a photo of it on me, will try for one tonight. But...would I be a complete fool to just wear it open all the time...? I got the jacket for what I consider a steal and I know it will probably be a long while before I come across another vintage horsehide in this style and @ a reasonable price.

Do any of you guys where jackets that are technically too small for you(chest wise) but still wear them proudly?

And now that I look at the photos cuthbert provided of Kurt Russell wearing his, it almost appears that he wouldn't have been able to zip it up either.

Well I'm 36 or 38 and I'd wear it proudly!

For Kurt, I think the jacket was that size too, and he would have zipped it, at least in 1980, not that sure in 1996, take into account that he's 175 cm tall, he was an athlete but he had to lose 10 pounds for EFNY, and as a matter of fact I never seen him so gaunt, even his face is different in that movie...

 

[IXL]

Keep it for awhile. Wear it open and see what you think. These jackets don't just pop up all the time, so you can always sell it later, if you decide it's not really what you want, Snake..err...Rockabilly.

 

[Man of Vintage]

So here is the jacket on me...I just don't see myself wearing it due to the chest restrictions...such a bummer.

 

[ButteMT61]

Yup. Way too small. Bummer.

 

[jon z]

 

[Man of Vintage]

hey jon z, that is a nice looking repro.

 

[cuthbert]

Nice repro...but isn't it too...tan?

 

[Man of Vintage]

New Plissken jacket

I'm hoping this vintage 50's? cabretta jacket fits me much better than that black horsehide version. I would have never guessed it to be so difficult finding larger sizes in vintage leather jackets...all trial and error in finding that perfect jacket I suppose. [huh]

Based off the photos cuthbert provided, IMO this one resembles even more of Snake Plissken's jacket. I like the fact this one has the half-belt as well.