The Flat Head Cafe Racer Fit Opinions

dudewuttheheck said:

Great choice! I tried on a frobisher at inspiration and was very impressed. I may have pulled the trigger if it wasn't for the grizzly. What leather did you go with?

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singer said:

Choices aren't 100% finalized, but I'm going to go medium brown Shinki in either the regular or wax finished version.

Any opinions on Himels medium brown vs waxed brown? Himel said the wax finish wears off faster, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I know what they look like in their initial state, but any ideas on how they look when worn in a bit? (Oh and I'll probably stick w/ Shinki, but curious how much lighter weight the veg tanned goat would be.)

So going for a more casual look in this one, probably do a darker one if I get a cafe racer.

Other that that, will probably do:

- Brass Hardware
- Brass buckles instead of D rings for the side straps
- Leather facings
- Standar khaki cotton twill, since leather facings are showing.
- Is #5 zipper standard? I’d stick w/ that.
- Perhaps an extra inside pocket

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handymike said:

Watch it Monitor!
When you're 80, I'm sure there will be some bald patches too.

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dudewuttheheck said:

I had this same conversation with Dave when choosing my Grizzly. They aren't all that different in the end and both will end up becoming darker with age. I chose the wax because I have the semi-analine finish on my RMC jacket so I just did it for variety.

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dudewuttheheck said:

I'm pretty sure the medium brown is not oil tanned, but the waxed may be.

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Monitor said:

^ Would slapping wax on a jacket make it look like that? It does look great...

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Monitor said:

Dude, what did Himel say, that hair's gonna definitely stick to the Grizzly? I really dig the design but I know that jacket would be wearing me how careful I'd be for the fur. As good as the old, wrinkled and faded jackets may look, furry ones with bald spots I definitely wouldn't want to wear.

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singer said:

Yeah, I'd be happy with either the waxed finished or non-waxed medium brown. It looks like most of the photos out there are of the waxed.

Do you know if they are both semi-aniline? Is one an oil pullup vs the other a wax pullup? Or are they both "oil tanned" but one just has a wax finish?

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I believe this photo is of the waxed:
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Any idea if this gentleman from the catalog is wearing the waxed? This finish looks great to me!

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singer said:

Hi there, first time poster. I've been looking for a light weight leather jacket that I can wear often in my SF Bay Area climate, and have learned a lot from folks on this forum. I'm a bit new to quality vintage-style leather jackets, and would love to solicit opinions on the fit of this Flat Head jacket.

I went to my local Self Edge intending to try on the brown Flat Head Rider's jacket. They were sold out, so I quickly tried on the Cafe Racer to get a feel for Shinki HH. I dismissed it pretty quickly, because I did not think I could pull off the band collar. But it's growing on me. I did love everything else right away--the brass hardware, the hand warmer pockets with no zippers, the design of the back, and the look and feel of the Shinki leather. Perhaps I'd go with a brown if I had the choice (most of my shoes are brown--does this matter?)

My question for you folks--do you think it fits well? I usually wear a size 38. They said this runs small, and it's a size 40. I don't think I can go smaller because the arms would probably be too short. It was comfortable, not tight, with some room to spare for another layer.

Second, do you think, fit-wise the Himel Frobisher (hat tip to @Superfluous) or the RMC Buco j-100 would be better for fit? (I just might have to get a brown Frobisher in addition anyway...)

Unfortunately, these aren't the best photos because I didn't think I was considering the jacket at the time. And ideally I would have had that long shirt tucked in. (I remember being satisfied with the length of the jacket, it did cover my belt, which is covered by my shirt.) I will go back for another try-on if it passes the sniff test...unless you folks think I can do better with another model. Would love your unvarnished opinions!
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ProteinNerd said:

Bit of a thread necro here but for some reason this style is growing on me cause I really need another cafe racer style jacket....did we ever work out who makes these jackets?

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ProteinNerd said:

@dudewuttheheck yeah thanks, I was referring to the Flat Head jackets.

If you can ask that would be great, I'm really curious.

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dudewuttheheck said:

Are you talking about The Flat Head ones?

Some have rumored that the same factory that makes RMC makes them, but I'm not sure if that's true. Having talking to the owner of The Flat Head, I learned that they were the ones that introduced RMC to Shinki in the first place which could imply a close relationship, but I can't confirm that. One thing I will say, having an RMC jacket and trying on many Flat Head leathers is that Flat Head's jackets are universally perfectly made. Honestly, only Himel and Freewheelers are as consistent. My RMC is perfect, but quite a few are not. What I'm trying to say is that whoever make Flat Head jackets makes them perfectly. Not sure if this actually answers your question, sorry. I can ask questions when I go to the headquarters in a month... or not if you aren't talking about Flat Head haha

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