Your opinon on Simmons Bilt?

[mtrlr]

Never owned one before, would like to know what do you think of the Simmons Bilt build, patterns and leather? They seem to have a large range of leathers and I quite like some of the look of their jacket.

Thanks

 

[JMax]

One of TFLs bestest topics.

I do own their 4-pocket CR in thick, awesome Shinki. Beautiful jacket. Well built. Solid. I ride in it. Riri main zip is great. The jacket has made its TFL rounds. I’ll post a pic in a bit.

 

[JMax]

Here it is: This particular Shinki looks and feels like early Cal or Herc Steer hides. I dig it.

 

[El Marro]

I just received my second SB jacket yesterday, the IH collaboration they did in unfinished horsehide. The first jacket, a J-100 style 4 pocket cafe racer in Shinki, I purchased new about five years ago off ebay.
Both jackets are very well made, quite similar to Aero in terms of quality and construction (there, I said it!). I have not worn the first jacket whole lot but I think that has to do more with me and my style rather than anything wrong with the jacket. The new one is going to be a different story. I really love the natural horsehide they used and I plan to wear the hell out of it!

 

[jonesy86]

I like the looks of some of the stuff Standard & Strange has from them:

https://standardandstrange.com/collections/simmons-bilt a

I have a civilian A-2 in a beautiful black Shinki with tons of grain and mismatched panels, that I like a lot, but it is a little too short for my taste.

 

[Superfluous]

 

[jacketjunkie]

They are good value for the money, in particular on the used market (if you are buying, these don‘t fetch much at all when you are selling). However they jumped the shark for me, when they added VAT on my order on top of the price displayed on the website. Like come on, who lists prices without VAT on a consumer-targeted website and without any note about that either? Appeared like a random 19% upcharge to me which pissed me off. Never went through with the order, never contacted them again.

 

[Carlos840]

IMO they are the twins of Aero and suffer from the same limitations.
Patterns are IMO not the greatest as far as comfort and range of motion goes.
Construction is Aero good, leathers are good.

I ordered from them when they where still called Alexander and the jacket i got was pretty much an Aero cafe racer carbon copy. It's a good jacket, but not as comfortable as a Vanson or a LW.

They are not really a maker i look at anymore, but if i saw a used SB that was interresting and fit me for a good deal i would consider it.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

 

[nattevagten]

Cheaper than Aero, manufacturing time around one month, great selection of leathers, great styles.. What's there not to like. You just got to be careful with your measurements and communicating your wishes to them, as some people have had issues with returns. My SB Detroit jacket is a masterpiece. Plan to get a CR next at some point.

 

[mtrlr]

Thanks everyone for your reply.

@Superfluous and @dudewuttheheck By your reaction, that's a no go?

 

[mtrlr]

Here it is: This particular Shinki looks and feels like early Cal or Herc Steer hides. I dig it.

View attachment 353928 View attachment 353929 View attachment 353930 View attachment 353931

That one looks quite amazing

 

[sweetfights]

View attachment 353927

One of TFLs bestest topics.

I do own their 4-pocket CR in thick, awesome Shinki. Beautiful jacket. Well built. Solid. I ride in it. Riri main zip is great. The jacket has made its TFL rounds. I’ll post a pic in a bit.

An amazing jacket I regret selling. The Shinki is wonderfully grainy. The best fitting OTR jacket I ever purchased.

 

[mtrlr]

I just received my second SB jacket yesterday, the IH collaboration they did in unfinished horsehide. The first jacket, a J-100 style 4 pocket cafe racer in Shinki, I purchased new about five years ago off ebay.
Both jackets are very well made, quite similar to Aero in terms of quality and construction (there, I said it!). I have not worn the first jacket whole lot but I think that has to do more with me and my style rather than anything wrong with the jacket. The new one is going to be a different story. I really love the natural horsehide they used and I plan to wear the hell out of it!

Would love to see the evolution of that natural horsehide jacket. The Vanishing Point looks good to me too, but somehow the unfinished horsehide sample I received reacts to water, oil or other elements differently than other unfinished hide I had before, don't exactly how to describe it, it just looks bland.

 

[mtrlr]

I like the looks of some of the stuff Standard & Strange has from them:

https://standardandstrange.com/collections/simmons-bilt a

I have a civilian A-2 in a beautiful black Shinki with tons of grain and mismatched panels, that I like a lot, but it is a little too short for my taste.

View attachment 353934


View attachment 353933

Leather looks great, I don't think I've seen you wear that one.

 

[mtrlr]

They are good value for the money, in particular on the used market (if you are buying, these don‘t fetch much at all when you are selling). However they jumped the shark for me, when they added VAT on my order on top of the price displayed on the website. Like come on, who lists prices without VAT on a consumer-targeted website and without any note about that either? Appeared like a random 19% upcharge to me which pissed me off. Never went through with the order, never contacted them again.

Hmm, that's good to know, thanks for the information.

 

[Monitor]

Lol, isn't it the other way around?

"Hey guys, what do you think about Simons Bilt?"

lAwSuIt
THAT jacket!!
sToLeN pAtErNs
HE WAS LIKE A SON TO KEN!!!1
court PROCEEDINGS
sToRsE!!!1

 

[mtrlr]

IMO they are the twins of Aero and suffer from the same limitations.
Patterns are IMO not the greatest as far as comfort and range of motion goes.
Construction is Aero good, leathers are good.

I ordered from them when they where still called Alexander and the jacket i got was pretty much an Aero cafe racer carbon copy. It's a good jacket, but not as comfortable as a Vanson or a LW.

They are not really a maker i look at anymore, but if i saw a used SB that was interresting and fit me for a good deal i would consider it.

Thanks Carlos for the comparison. I also have an Aero CR in Vicenza, it's mid weight, easy to wear, and it has everything I want about in a leather jacket, somehow the back design is strange, it "bubbles up" makes me look like I have a curved back even when standing straight. None of my other jackets has this issue. Even though it has perfect fit and mobility is good too, it sits in the closet most of the time and I keep going back to the Vanson Enfield.

 

[Pandemic]

Most of the jackets seem to be well made. If you are buying off the rack from a third party or used, it might be a good deal.

You might want to do a search of this forum to read about some of the bad experiences many of us had with their customer service and quality control.

 

[ai00344]

Here it is: This particular Shinki looks and feels like early Cal or Herc Steer hides. I dig it.

View attachment 353928 View attachment 353929 View attachment 353930 View attachment 353931

Always been a big fan of this one…have literally been waiting for years for one to come up for sale in my size. SB Shinki is Sasquatch level rare