Belstaff Panther?

[armscye]

Doing a search, there is some small amount of discussion of the Belstaff Panther, the leather version of Belstaff's classic waxed cotton Trialmaster rainy weather motorcycle jacket. The Panther shows up in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", and in one season of "Sons of Anarchy."

I've just picked up two-- one a Belstaff original in midweight brown cowhide, plus a surprisingly nice second version by the infamous Wilson's/M. Julian, in distressed steerhide about 3mm thick.

Anybody else rocking one of these this winter? Comments on patina? Insulated Liner options?

BTW the M. Julian is actually the superior build quality of the two. I own several very nice Julians, which was Wilson's upper-tier brand in latter years. I plan a future post on "the love that dare not speak its name"-- meaning admiration and active usage of M.Julian's mall-bought jackets.

 

[ykurtz]

I have a Belstaff Knockhill Vintage Black leather jacket which is the Pure Motorcycle version, with armor. I use it for riding in the colder months in Texas (Nov-Mar).

Front:


Back:


Closeup, to see grain:

 

[pawineguy]

What is it about the build that is better than the Belstaff? Stitching? Hide? I think where you said that the M. Julian was 3mm you may have meant 3 oz.

 

[armscye]

A quick note: I own two waxed fabric Trialmasters, so I have a warm feeling for the whole Trialmaster/Barbour International style of jacket. I ordered my Panther about two years ago, then found the M. Julian vintage (for $50, as opposed to the $1200 of the Panther!). If I had it to do again, I would not have bought the Panther.

The M. Julian is categorically a heavier, more "real rider" leather-- yes, 3oz or so. I would not want to take an actual spill in the Panther. Snaps are Size 20 ring snaps rather than the much less secure nipple snaps used by Belstaff in my Panther. The neck and waist buckles are heavier and of better quality. Tailoring details are surprisingly similar. Both have the bellows pockets with foldover top hem, multistitched belt, and the elbow and shoulder reinforcements. To be fair, the Belstaff is all set to accept a liner, while the M. Julian is not.

From a personal/fit point of view, I like the distressed overdyed look of the M. Julian, plus the arms and body are long enough for a tall guy like me-- Belstaff seems to cut their jackets for the shorter European frame.

Some of these issues may be addressed by the heavier-built Knockhill posted courtesy of Ykurtz-- it looks to be a very nice piece of kit.