Leather Jacket Thread

[Dropbear]

I exchange the occasional email with Damon, who runs production at Johnson Leathers - mostly asking about what hides and techniques, etc. The guy has been crafting everything from bespoke to police department purchase lots for nearly four decades.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting: today he sent me some pictures of a jacket he made for himself. It’s a very plain cross-zip in a CXL horse skived down from 3.5 to 2.5oz.

 

[Grand Potentate]

I exchange the occasional email with Damon, who runs production at Johnson Leathers - mostly asking about what hides and techniques, etc. The guy has been crafting everything from bespoke to police department purchase lots for nearly four decades.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting: today he sent me some pictures of a jacket he made for himself. It’s a very plain cross-zip in a CXL horse skived down from 3.5 to 2.5oz.
View attachment 39982View attachment 39983View attachment 39984

The lining is horrendous but the jacket seems nice

 

[Dropbear]

The lining is horrendous but the jacket seems nice

That Sevenberry cotton from Japan is popular for some reason. I much prefer basic twills, satins and Lochcorron tartans.

I’m not a big fan of the skived CXL, either. It’s a good hide for boots or if you want a thick and water resistant jacket. But for something mid-weight like this there are much more interesting blacks from Horween. I’m pretty sure this was made with some leftovers after they skived the hide down for another customer who got a car coat with it.

I’m not really sure what to make of the jacket, but it is interesting to see what he makes for himself.

 

[Dropbear]

Speaking of some nice hides with lots of
that are not from Horween …

Badalassi cowhide:

Shinki analine pony:

Vegetable tanned cow from a top secret tannery in France:

 

[fxh]

Dropbear how many leather jackets you got? and how often you get to wear them?

I don't wish to be mean but FWIW: I dont approve of leather jackets unless with heavy jeans or etc or beat up workwear - FFS certainly not with an OCBD or anything remotely smart caz

 

[Dropbear]

Dropbear how many leather jackets you got? and how often you get to wear them?

I don't wish to be mean but FWIW: I dont approve of leather jackets unless with heavy jeans or etc or beat up workwear - FFS certainly not with an OCBD or anything remotely smart caz

Two brown jackets.

Do you mean how many occasions or how long is winter down here? Jacket weather here is about three months of the year, with cooler evenings extending beyond that. If it snows or ices then you need something much warmer but that is rare. When we go to Tahoe in the winter, it definitely would not be enough, but a leather mid-weight jacket to throw over a tshirt is ideal for winters here.

Going through the whole m2m or bespoke process is a lot of fun and I’m tempted to get one more in black, but I certainly don’t need it.

I think there are some styles (car coats, half belts, cossacks, etc) that are ok with shirt and chinos, but I’ll agree that the jacket styles I like are best with jeans and tshirts.

 

[Dropbear]

I’d always ignored sheep hide because of calf’s association with flimsy fashion jackets, but I am really starting to appreciate Lewis Leather’s use of sheep.

 

[Journeyman]

I don't think that I've ever had anything in sheep hide.

That green jacket looks particularly nice.

 

[Dropbear]

I don't think that I've ever had anything in sheep hide.

That green jacket looks particularly nice.

I think it’s a uniquely English thing, though LL gets their sheep hide from a French tannery. I’m not sure why sheep hide never took off the same way as deer, goat, cow and horse hides. Maybe it’s more work to tan?

If my grandfathers the sheep farmer was still alive, I could ask him why they didn’t use the sheep hides for leather products.

That dark green is nice… and would go with both brown and black sho

 

[Dropbear]

Not a great illustration, but the first I’ve seen from LL (Japanese store):

 

[florisgreen]

I would wear this lovely jacket, but probably in a more casual way (without a tie, or with a turtleneck or a polo shirt).

 

[Ambrosius08]

Here’s my favourite jacket. Suede jackets like these combine much better with OCBD and chinos than a similar style in leather would.

 

[florisgreen]

View attachment 40325
Here’s my favourite jacket. Suede jackets like these combine much better with OCBD and chinos than a similar style in leather would.

Nice collar. Agreed about suede.
This kind of jacket though is way more casual and would combine only with casual wear. Zippers are always a turn-off for me.

 

[Ambrosius08]

Nice collar. Agreed about suede.
This kind of jacket thoguh is way more casual and would combine only with casual wear. Zippers are always a turn-off for me.

I disagree. Much more rugged jackets than this can look good with casual button-ups and chinos.

I would agree if we were talking about a black double-rider, or something with a definitive tough guy/rebel vibe.

 

[florisgreen]

I disagree. Much more rugged jackets than this can look good with casual button-ups and chinos.

I would agree if we were talking about a black double-rider, or something with a definitive tough guy/rebel vibe.

I think that we agree: aren't chinos casual? I'm saying that kind of jacket would not combine well with tailored garments.

 

[Ambrosius08]

I think that we agree: aren't chinos casual? I'm saying that kind of jacket would not combine well with tailored garments.

Ah yes, I thought you meant more casual than OCBD/chinos.
Wool trousers with a crease would definitely look out of place, for example.

 

[florisgreen]

Classy, Attolini.

Tacky, Altan Bottier.

 

[Dropbear]

Here are a few nice ones.

Thedi always do their own spin on classic designs with some interesting leathers.

Aero are strictly by-the-book vintage, though sometimes their patterns aren’t as ergo as you would hope for. Everyone wants front quarter horse hide and Specifically Horween CXL, but this Badalassi cowhide is just stunning. Look at that grain.

I find Vanson styles pretty uninspiring, but they are known to have the best fit and ergo designs that are always popular with the motorcycle crowd. The tannery supplying their famous ‘competition weight’ hide burned down a few years ago and they are still struggling to secure a good alternative. This is an olive leaf tanned cowhide supplied by their distributor Thurston Brothers:

 

[fxh]

View attachment 40325
Here’s my favourite jacket. Suede jackets like these combine much better with OCBD and chinos than a similar style in leather would.

I dislike intensely this sort of thing with a tie.

 

[Ambrosius08]

I dislike intensely this sort of thing with a tie.

Where do you see a tie in this picture? But I agree with you.

 

[Dropbear]

Production times for fully custom leather jackets vary by complexity of customisation, maker and season, but these are pretty typical:

Aero 3-4 months
Thedi 4-5 months
Vanson 3 months
Johnson 2-4 months
ELMC 6 months
Lost Worlds: 6 months
Himmel 4-5 months
Greg Field 14 months and climbing with each new order
Goodwear: many many years
ToJ never

I’d heard Lewis Leathers turn-around was faster than the 10-12 weeks quoted, but I got shipping notification today …. 12 days after placing the order!

 

[belinmad]

 

[Dropbear]

15 days after finalising my custom order with this old London business, it arrived in Texas!

 

[Grand Potentate]

15 days after finalising my custom order with this old London business, it arrived in Texas!

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Are you happy with it?

 

[Dropbear]

Are you happy with it?

Yep. The sheepskin is wonderfully supple and the fit is perfect. Construction and design are excellent, as you’d expect from one of the oldest in the business. The style is pretty rock and roll and I’m honestly not sure how much I’ll wear it, but I just said fuck it I want it anyway.

 

[Dropbear]

British Racing Green sheepskin:

 

[Dropbear]

When I get a work from home day, I pump up the AC and work on breaking-in a leather jacket some more.

 

[Grand Potentate]

When I get a work from home day, I pump up the AC and work on breaking-in a leather jacket some more.

View attachment 40922

jacket looks nice. shirt looks like its a holdover from the 80's.

 

[Dropbear]

jacket looks nice. shirt looks like its a holdover from the 80's.

Yesss! I was totally going for 1984-1985.

I have some fuller cut black jeans in the queue with Ciano Farmer, but for now all I have in black are those horrible low-rise Gustins.

 

[Dropbear]

Every aspiring Leather Daddy should own a Buco J100 pattern jacket. Here is a nice one from The Real McCoy’s:

 

[Dropbear]

Lewis Leathers Japan

 

[Dropbear]

 

[Grand Potentate]

No

 

[Dropbear]

Sad but inevitable. Still the best out there and still far better priced than the competition, for now.

 

[Dropbear]

All in the details

 

[güero]

The king of leather jackets has returned:

N. Korean leader dons leather jacket for missile launch

 

[Dropbear]

Not leather, but a wool jacket reproducing a classic half-belt style:

 

[Dropbear]

Phwaaar:

Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s leather jacket has made social media happy and unsurprising: Throughout its history, black leather has represented sex, danger and rebellion – Culture

newsfounded.com

 

[Dropbear]

Greg will make anything a customer asks for as a one-off, but is also promising some new standard designs to work from this year as he develops the patterns and it looks like a car coat will be one of them:



Personally, I’d I’ve to see him do a short Cossack with the car coat collar.

 

[Dropbear]

Sorta like this: