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How cold can you still ride a motorcycle in a Schott 740N peacoat?

bn1966

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Just got a new waxed Barbour, no funny smells & doesn’t feel sticky. Mines a ‘Border’ for walks with the hound. Quality & customer service have been so good from Barbour that I’m considering an ‘International’ for the Scooter.
 

Aloysius

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Another thought for waxed jackets (your noted objections aside - which fwiw I think are misconceptions) is a Barbour Commander.

Lighter weight, button up front if that's what you're after, thicker warm lining, and cool enough for James Bond ofc.

f6335784-64d6-4d0a-80ab-1a3f6bd9e4ef.jpeg


[/URL]

(forgot, they changed the name for the reissue. It's the Beacon Sports jacket now)

I own this jacket. It looks cool but it’s terrible. Unlike most Barbour jackets, it has this awful polyester lining that traps moisture and feels like a plastic bag, defeating the purpose of a breathable cotton upper, and that was true even on chilly English days!

How sticky and smelly are they right after they have been waxed?

They’re not, in my experience.

Barbour offers two types of waxed jackets, unlike filson.

Sylkoil and Thornproof
[you can google and find more about these two processes and how jackets are made]

I have both. There’s no smell on either.
 

Aloysius

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Just got a new waxed Barbour, no funny smells & doesn’t feel sticky. Mines a ‘Border’ for walks with the hound. Quality & customer service have been so good from Barbour that I’m considering an ‘International’ for the Scooter.

If it matters to you, the International is no longer made in England. Lewis’s equivalent, whose name escapes me, is though.
 

barnabus

One Too Many
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Just got a new waxed Barbour, no funny smells & doesn’t feel sticky. Mines a ‘Border’ for walks with the hound. Quality & customer service have been so good from Barbour that I’m considering an ‘International’ for the Scooter.

Get one! I love mine.

 

bn1966

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If it matters to you, the International is no longer made in England. Lewis’s equivalent, whose name escapes me, is though.
Interesting..thanks, will look into that. My ‘Border’ is & is top notch. Initially I purchased a ‘Border’ from a vendor in their sale & it leaked (think it was very old stock). Rang Barbour about it & they sent me a new one which appears a slightly later model & doesn’t leak.
 

Aloysius

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Interesting..thanks, will look into that. My ‘Border’ is & is top notch. Initially I purchased a ‘Border’ from a vendor in their sale & it leaked (think it was very old stock). Rang Barbour about it & they sent me a new one which appears a slightly later model & doesn’t leak.

I got my Border as a teenager in Scotland and it's still going strong, though I've some tears to repair. I remember I'd walk about and occasionally see an old gameskeeper, which would make me suddenly feel quite self-conscious as theirs were always beautifully worn in and patinated, whilst mine smacked of newness (even with some years on it!)

Schott recently did something similar for me, when they had no obligation to. Something to be said for these legacy firms. I wonder if there's some sort of awareness based on "we've been here a long while and we want to keep families of customers just as long".

I will say that my one foreign-made Barbour (which cost double my English made one, actually) is no less well-made than my Border–my issue with it is more one of design. It has an awful polyester liner that prevents the jacket from being breathable. Likewise, my sister has got a foreign-made International that seems to be very solidly made.
 

El Marro

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I don't want this thread to get derailed any more than it already has been. While it's unfortunate that navetsea had to make his post, he is correct in describing how the realities of Asian traffic differ from European and North American traffic. I'm comfortable with someone making a general recommendation about the various kinds of protection. It's a very good thing for people to be aware of it and consider it, but a full-fledged discussion about it and the riding environment would best be discussed in a separate thread. If someone wants to start that thread and put a link in here for those interested, that would be fine.
Hey new guy, you don‘t get to dictate the rules of the thread simply because you started it. People here are offering you suggestions based on your questions and all in all I would say it has been pretty productive for you.
But people are free to post whatever they want in a thread as long as they do so in a civil and polite manner. Threads often wander and that is part of the charm of the lounge.
 

SlowRain

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Has anybody suggested Carhartt yet? [...]

Carhartt WIP has a few stores here, and I'm trying to find reviews of their 12oz Dearborn canvas. I did find a guy last fall who was bringing in some regular Carhartt workwear shirts to kind of cash in on the streetwear's popularity, but he didn't have any jackets. I probably could special order one through him, but I'm really reluctant to buy clothes over the internet, especially with international shipping being a factor. I will try to head down to the Carhartt WIP store in the coming days and weeks, though.
 
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SlowRain

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Just got a new waxed Barbour, no funny smells & doesn’t feel sticky. Mines a ‘Border’ for walks with the hound. Quality & customer service have been so good from Barbour that I’m considering an ‘International’ for the Scooter.
Can I ask why you mention Barbour International for the Scooter? Is there something different about those ones?
 

SlowRain

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Hey new guy, you don‘t get to dictate the rules of the thread simply because you started it. People here are offering you suggestions based on your questions and all in all I would say it has been pretty productive for you.
But people are free to post whatever they want in a thread as long as they do so in a civil and polite manner. Threads often wander and that is part of the charm of the lounge.
There are a large number of people on here who have contributed excellent information and suggestions to my request, and I am extremely grateful to and appreciative of all of them.
 

Aloysius

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Can I ask why you mention Barbour International for the Scooter? Is there something different about those ones?

Most Barbour jackets are country jackets, designed for things like farming and shooting in rainy conditions. Even the shorter models are longer than a riding jacket would generally be, with the aim of letting water drip off of the wearer.

Barbour International is their motorcycle jacket line.
 

SlowRain

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[...]
All that said, I'm genuinely not trying to convince you into a wax jacket. I think they're great and I love mine for riding, but other options are good too - which I why I suggested the N-1 before. If you don't care about protection, military jackets are a good shout under pretty much any circumstances. Even an M65 with a liner might be a more viable option than a peacoat.
A jungle cloth N1 would be fine, but I don't like all the military regalia on a lot of the ones I see. And other ones start to get pricey.
 

Aloysius

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A jungle cloth N1 would be fine, but I don't like all the military regalia on a lot of the ones I see. And other ones start to get pricey.

The patches usually cost extra. An unpatched Buzz Rickson’s N-1 costs about the same as or less than the Schott pea coat you’re considering.
 

SlowRain

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Unless I'm missing something, Buzz Rickson N1 deck jackets all have an obvious USN on the front. They also look a little too aged/worn/vintage/authentic for my wife to want to walk next to me. We saw some the other day, and she wasn't impressed. I think she'd be okay with one which was neater and more stylish, though. I'm still looking into them to see what I can find.
 
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SlowRain

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a Canadian expat in Taiwan
I think maybe I should provide an update of where I'm at, because it may be confusing considering the different directions I've gone, and it's not the same as the opening post anymore.

Currently: I have a Gore-Tex shell which can be worn on its own or with various liners depending on how cool it is that day. This is perfectly functional, but I'd like something less parka-looking.

I've given up on the peacoat idea because of the flappy collar at speed and the lack of wind resistance.

Ideally: I'd like a similar shell + liner system (I would like the liner to serve as its own light "jacket" on days too warm for the shell, but evenings still too cool for just a T-shirt and button-up shirt). My ideal scenario would require the shell to not have its own insulation, or at least not too much. The shell should be something I can wear with jeans when I'm going out on the weekends with my wife, and which has stellar wind resistance (I have other rain gear, so water resistance is not as important to me). I want to say I'm looking for something classier, but since I'm considering some items which are typically workwear I'll just say something that looks less like I'm climbing Mt. Everest. But it would be nice if it would close up higher around my neck somehow so that I didn't have to wear a scarf.

What I'm considering: I'm looking at canvas, jungle cloth, and waxed canvas, but I'm open to other materials. I'm still not considering leather or anything purposely designed for motorcycle riding. I already have a synthetic liner that could work under an uninsulated shell. It comes down to my mid-butt, so I'd need a shell of about that length, too. I'm thinking I could continue to use this one and always get a nicer liner down the road if my budget gets eaten up completely by the shell this year. However, I'm worried that if I get a thick, warm coat which has quite a bit of its own insulation, that could throw off my whole layering scheme. Often times my destination is not super warm, either. So, if I take off my thick coat, I'll likely be too cool, even if I'm wearing a sweater. Hence my fixation on a shell for wind resistance and a liner for warmth.

I'm looking at either Filson's Cruiser or Work Jacket, but their tin cloth may be quite thick, and they have snaps instead of a zipper. I'm looking at Barbour's waxed cotton jackets in various thicknesses, but most have really big, obvious pockets on the front. I'm looking at Carhartt WIP and their various jackets and vests (their regular workwear line isn't readily available here). I'm looking at N1 deck jackets if they don't have obvious military regalia or too thick of insulation.

I know all of these brands are available locally, but I don't know about which specific pieces yet. I'll spend the next little while trying to figure that out. I'm open to more suggestions than what I have listed above, not only in terms of brands, but also in terms of mixing and matching various pieces to get the most utility out of any potential shell and liner combination. Also, there may still be some things about what I'm currently considering which may not be ideal on a motorcycle that I haven't thought of. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
 
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barnabus

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While you're looking at Carhartt, see if you can find their Sheffield jacket. Discontinued now, sadly, but you can find them.

It's essentially their version of the N-1 design. Absolutely civilian though, with no military badging.

08-10-2015_carhartt_sheffieldjacket_blackforest_amc_1.jpg
 

jacketjunkie

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2,213
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Germany
I think maybe I should provide an update of where I'm at, because it may be confusing considering the different directions I've gone, and it's not the same as the opening post anymore.

Currently: I have a Gore-Tex shell which can be worn on its own or with various liners depending on how cool it is that day. This is perfectly functional, but I'd like something less parka-looking.

I've given up on the peacoat idea because of the flappy collar at speed and the lack of wind resistance.

Ideally: I'd like a similar shell + liner system (I would like the liner to serve as its own light "jacket" on days too warm for the shell, but evenings still too cool for just a T-shirt and button-up shirt). My ideal scenario would require the shell to not have its own insulation, or at least not too much. The shell should be something I can wear with jeans when I'm going out on the weekends with my wife, and which has stellar wind resistance (I have other rain gear, so water resistance is not as important to me). I want to say I'm looking for something classier, but since I'm considering some items which are typically workwear I'll just say something that looks less like I'm climbing Mt. Everest. But it would be nice if it would close up higher around my neck somehow so that I didn't have to wear a scarf.

What I'm considering: I'm looking at canvas, jungle cloth, and waxed canvas, but I'm open to other materials. I'm still not considering leather or anything purposely designed for motorcycle riding. I already have a synthetic liner that could work under an uninsulated shell. It comes down to my mid-butt, so I'd need a shell of about that length, too. I'm thinking I could continue to use this one and always get a nicer liner down the road if my budget gets eaten up completely by the shell this year. However, I'm worried that if I get a thick, warm coat which has quite a bit of its own insulation, that could throw off my whole layering scheme. Often times my destination is not super warm, either. So, if I take off my thick coat, I'll likely be too cool, even if I'm wearing a sweater. Hence my fixation on a shell for wind resistance and a liner for warmth.

I'm looking at either Filson's Cruiser or Work Jacket, but their tin cloth may be quite thick, and they have snaps instead of a zipper. I'm looking at Barbour's waxed cotton jackets in various thicknesses, but most have really big, obvious pockets on the front. I'm looking at Carhartt WIP and their various jackets and vests (their regular workwear line isn't readily available here). I'm looking at N1 deck jackets if they don't have obvious military regalia or too thick of insulation.

I know all of these brands are available locally, but I don't know about which specific pieces yet. I'll spend the next little while trying to figure that out. I'm open to more suggestions than what I have listed above, not only in terms of brands, but also in terms of mixing and matching various pieces to get the most utility out of any potential shell and liner combination. Also, there may still be some things about what I'm currently considering which may not be ideal on a motorcycle that I haven't thought of. I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
Just so I get this right.. you are looking for a fashionable hard-shell jacket that‘s wind resistant to wear on the bike…

so.. some other member here very recently discovered this new material called leather, maybe you can dm him and find out more about it.. :D

In all seriousness though, don‘t mean to ridicule you, but your requirements scream leather. Why not leather and this fixation on wool/canvas?
 

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