[Field Leathers] First-time full custom – D-pocket & hide advice needed

[Will Zach]

Thanks mate (about the E comment)!
Yes that C2 was one of a kind, but it was "off" enough for me not to enjoy wearing it. In contrast I really really enjoy wearing my E. And that's the main thing right! It went to a nice dude outside of TFL, he even came to Estonia (as a part of a trip) to meet me (my friend who lives in Tallinn to be more exact) to pick it up in person. I really hope he is wearing and enjoying it.
I'm really tempted to alter my E to remove the kidney panel stiffener and shorten the back (and the sleeves), but I'm not sure if I'll ever actually do it. Maybe when the zipper gets toasted and I send the jacket off to replace it.
View attachment 716530
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That looks tremendous on this dude.

 

[TartuWolf]

I agree with this. Leather jacket is thick relatively (as compared to other fabrics) and appears bulky on a human body. The smaller your body frame, the more fitted you want your jacket to look to minimize that outward thickness view. That E looks so much better on you.

I also believe that leather thickness scales very nicely with size. Thinner leather / lining definitely lends itself better to smaller sizes while thicker and bulkier jackets work better at larger sizes. Even purely based on larger people being able to wear heavier items without as much stress due to their own body weight vs jacket weight ration. Me (57kg) wearing a 4kg jacket is 7% of my body weight, while someone ~120kg only gets to carry ~3% of their body weight around and would feel much less of it. A heavy *** leather jacket just fits a large bulky guy so much better than a scrawny *** like me. And despite all that I love heavyweight leather haha. But yeah, derailing the thread, sorry.
Back to OP @Quan_love_leather I should be receiving a Rugged West Rugged Rider 3 d-pocket this month and I'll do a thorough review on that. I think that will interest you.

THE RUGGED RIDER III

Inspired by the iconic D-pocket motorcycle jacket of the 1950s, the Rugged Rider Special Edition is our tribute to the golden era of American riding gear. Crafted from our limited edition 1.4mm Oil Black Teacore Steerhide, this jacket is made to age like no other. The black finish will, over...

ruggedwest.co

 

[Quan_love_leather]

1997 Vanson C2 in size 38 on a 176cm, 65 kg guy (me). I think a C2 in size 36 might be perfect on OP.

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Thanks for the suggestion – but I’m too deep in love with D-pocket designs
If that ends up not working out, I guess I’ll fall back on something simple like a Schott 618hh or 613sh for a basic biker look.

I’m really skinny and don’t have that “hourglass” figure – haven’t measured my waist yet, but I usually taper jackets from a straight cut when buying secondhand, so I think it should be manageable in this case too.

I’m really skinny, not much of an hourglass body—more like a walking coat hanger
I usually fix the taper myself whenever I get secondhand jackets, so I might do the same here.

 

[Will Zach]

Thanks for the suggestion – but I’m too deep in love with D-pocket designs
If that ends up not working out, I guess I’ll fall back on something simple like a Schott 618hh or 613sh for a basic biker look.

I’m really skinny and don’t have that “hourglass” figure – haven’t measured my waist yet, but I usually taper jackets from a straight cut when buying secondhand, so I think it should be manageable in this case too.

I’m really skinny, not much of an hourglass body—more like a walking coat hanger
I usually fix the taper myself whenever I get secondhand jackets, so I might do the same here.

Sorry, I forgot about the D-pocket requirement.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

In terms of fit, this looks very good to my eye. Would you like to have any major chances to the custom built?

Absolutely! It’s not just about making the jacket fit — I want to modify it to have all the functionality I need for everyday life.
To put it simply, I’m aiming for “European functionality – freedom of movement” combined with “Asian silhouette – flattering form.”

I’ve modified too many leather jackets already, so I know I need to find a place that can merge both worlds together

 

[Quan_love_leather]

I also believe that leather thickness scales very nicely with size. Thinner leather / lining definitely lends itself better to smaller sizes while thicker and bulkier jackets work better at larger sizes. Even purely based on larger people being able to wear heavier items without as much stress due to their own body weight vs jacket weight ration. Me (57kg) wearing a 4kg jacket is 7% of my body weight, while someone ~120kg only gets to carry ~3% of their body weight around and would feel much less of it. A heavy *** leather jacket just fits a large bulky guy so much better than a scrawny *** like me. And despite all that I love heavyweight leather haha. But yeah, derailing the thread, sorry.
Back to OP @Quan_love_leather I should be receiving a Rugged West Rugged Rider 3 d-pocket this month and I'll do a thorough review on that. I think that will interest you.

http://[URL]https://ruggedwest.co/products/rugged-rider-special-edition

[/URL]

For me, 1.4–1.6mm leather is already perfect.
If it’s 2mm thick but soft and pliable like Fine Creek (from what I’ve heard, since I’ve never had the chance to wear one ), then that might be a different story.
I’ve also done research on Rugged West — it’s definitely on my shortlist.
The Rider 3 model is quite close to the custom design I’m aiming for, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it fits on you. I’m very interested!

 

[Quan_love_leather]

Sorry, I forgot about the D-pocket requirement.

No worries at all! Happens to the best of us
Yeah, the D-pocket is kind of a non-negotiable for me at this point — I’m totally hooked!

 

[jchance]

No worries at all! Happens to the best of us
Yeah, the D-pocket is kind of a non-negotiable for me at this point — I’m totally hooked!

Unless you’re getting another D pocket in a color different than black, may I refer you to #5 and #12 at the linked thread’s OP below?

Btw you can estimate your waist by what jeans size you wear.

What I’ve Learned Over The Years About This Hobby.

I first posted this on the Vintage Leather Jacket Forum as I collect A2 Jackets, but I think that most of the ideas apply to any of us, so I thought I would share this with all of you here on this forum . I just turned 73 a few months ago, and I started thinking about all the jackets I’ve...

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[Quan_love_leather]

After discussing with everyone, I’ve narrowed it down to these brands:

, Johnson Leathers, Aero, Lewis, Rugged West — and as a last resort, Schott.

Could I ask for some recommendations on Asian brands that offer good custom or ready-to-wear options within a reasonable price range? I’d love to get a broader perspective.

 

[tuanhng614]

Being a Vietnamese with typical Asian body frame, i would say that you will fit a size 34-36 in Japanese jacket nicely.

For budget D-pocket option, you can look at Y2 or FourSpeed (rarely see but a great riding jacket). West Ride can be another budget option, although the pattern/stitching/leather) are not top end. All other high end brands (Freewheelers, Rainbow Country, RMC, etc…) are more like fashion jackets than riding jackets.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

Being a Vietnamese with typical Asian body frame, i would say that you will fit a size 34-36 in Japanese jacket nicely.

For budget D-pocket option, you can look at Y2 or FourSpeed (rarely see but a great riding jacket). West Ride can be another budget option, although the pattern/stitching/leather) are not top end. All other high end brands (Freewheelers, Rainbow Country, RMC, etc…) are more like fashion jackets than riding jackets.

Cool, I’ll check them out more closely

 

[Aloysius]

I’m from Lam Dong – a mountain province in Vietnam. I’m 173cm tall, 63kg, shoulders 44cm, back length 59cm, sleeves 61cm.

The jacket below is a Schott 611H in size 36 that I had tailored – shortened the body length, adjusted the waist, and sleeves.
View attachment 716500

This Schott is unironically 10x better for your desired purpose than Field would be. What exactly do you feel is missing from it?

 

[Quan_love_leather]

This Schott is unironically 10x better for your desired purpose than Field would be. What exactly do you feel is missing from it?

The good thing about this Schott is that the leather works okay for riding in the rain, and the original fit was quite boxy, so I had it tailored to better match my body and resemble the J-24.
What I’m not satisfied with is how it looks on me — the overall shape still doesn’t feel sharp or structured enough. I’d also like to add things like a fur collar, shearling lining, and some other functional details. But most leather workshops in Vietnam tend to avoid jobs like that — too complicated or time-consuming for them.
That’s why I’m now looking for a maker who can build a jacket to my specs from the start. I’d rather get exactly what I need instead of buying something OTR and then constantly modifying it. I know I can be picky — maybe even a bit obsessive — but unless I absolutely run out of options, I’d really like to avoid settling for another 618hh or 613sh just yet.

 

[jchance]

The good thing about this Schott is that the leather works okay for riding in the rain, and the original fit was quite boxy, so I had it tailored to better match my body and resemble the J-24.
What I’m not satisfied with is how it looks on me — the overall shape still doesn’t feel sharp or structured enough. I’d also like to add things like a fur collar, shearling lining, and some other functional details. But most leather workshops in Vietnam tend to avoid jobs like that — too complicated or time-consuming for them.
That’s why I’m now looking for a maker who can build a jacket to my specs from the start. I’d rather get exactly what I need instead of buying something OTR and then constantly modifying it. I know I can be picky — maybe even a bit obsessive — but unless I absolutely run out of options, I’d really like to avoid settling for another 618hh or 613sh just yet.

You’d fit just right in here, being obsessive about details. But it’s a quest for futility if you ask me.

I should note that your region, despite being near Dalat, has been increasingly affected by global warming and industrialization, and is no longer considered chilly. It’s so hot now, just like Ho Chi Minh City’s weather. Why do you want shearling lining and a fur collar? Your D pocket fits fine and has everything you need, for your purposes and where you live.

And horsehide isn’t going to drape the way you want it to be. I agree that you’re chasing a phantom jacket. How a jacket looks on another person doesn’t necessarily translate how it’d look on you. There are good reasons why people pay that person to model clothes for a living. For example, just Tom Cruise looks good with a G-1 doesn’t mean the same G-1 would look good on me.

And you’re not going to find a sharp or structured jacket through custom work on you compared to your current Schott. You should really browse and zoom in the fit pics of each custom maker you are considering, you’d see what I mean. To this date, after seeing thousands of jackets, I’ve only seen the leather jackets of Field Leathers and Regius to be sharp and on point. But it doesn’t mean that if I were to get jackets from those two leather-jacket masters, the jackets would look like that on me. The standalone jackets might look good on their own, but they wouldn’t look like that on me.

 

[Aloysius]

The good thing about this Schott is that the leather works okay for riding in the rain, and the original fit was quite boxy, so I had it tailored to better match my body and resemble the J-24.

The original 1950s Schott it's based on is a nicer jacket than the J-24 ironically. Are you sure you're not just chasing a phantom J-24 because that design got overhyped by some Japanese brands?

What I’m not satisfied with is how it looks on me — the overall shape still doesn’t feel sharp or structured enough.

Not really sure what you mean here. Leather jackets are inherently a different type of garment from tailored clothing; they will never have the kind of drape and shape that can be achieved with cloth and canvas.

I’d also like to add things like a fur collar, shearling lining, and some other functional details.

You can email Schott to make you a shearling collar easily. A shearling lining in Vietnam sounds absolutely insane as someone who has lived in South East Asia myself.

I know I can be picky — maybe even a bit obsessive — but unless I absolutely run out of options, I’d really like to avoid settling for another 618hh or 613sh just yet.

Far from "settling", the 618HH and 613SH are better jackets than the ones you've praised in the thread.

I'm not being argumentative, really. I think it's very possible that you've built up an image of what certain jackets are and that you want them for that reason, but I think you might be off both about those jackets and about how well they would fit your needs.

 

[tuanhng614]

If i’m being honest here, i will repeat the same thing 2-3 people above have said about shearling lining and fur collar.

Even if you live in the highlands, it won’t matter to you in terms of functionality as much as you think. It’s cold (not enough to warrant shearling lining) and it’s wet from raining (not great for fur collar and shearling lining). It could benefit you as most as 1 whole week per year.

There’s a reason why those Vietnamese shop won’t take on your request beside the complexity and cost.

In one of your earlier posts, you mentioned about being cost conscious, then a custom job will cost you about $1200 at a minimum. And if there’re many customization, it will escalate quickly to $1500-$1600.

Your best bet is to explore in the second hand market before you are absolutely sure that it is what you want. If you have spent sometime on TFL, you would notice that NONE of us has the ONE dream jacket we’re lusting after. There is something always missing that put it to bed.

Feel free to pm me in Vietnamese if you’re more comfortable.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

If i’m being honest here, i will repeat the same thing 2-3 people above have said about shearling lining and fur collar.

Even if you live in the highlands, it won’t matter to you in terms of functionality as much as you think. It’s cold (not enough to warrant shearling lining) and it’s wet from raining (not great for fur collar and shearling lining). It could benefit you as most as 1 whole week per year.

There’s a reason why those Vietnamese shop won’t take on your request beside the complexity and cost.

In one of your earlier posts, you mentioned about being cost conscious, then a custom job will cost you about $1200 at a minimum. And if there’re many customization, it will escalate quickly to $1500-$1600.

Your best bet is to explore in the second hand market before you are absolutely sure that it is what you want. If you have spent sometime on TFL, you would notice that NONE of us has the ONE dream jacket we’re lusting after. There is something always missing that put it to bed.

Feel free to pm me in Vietnamese if you’re more comfortable.

Bạn có facebook hay insta không,mình nhắn ở đó cho dễ,cả faceboon và insta đều là Hồ Nhật Minh Quân

 

[Quan_love_leather]

The original 1950s Schott it's based on is a nicer jacket than the J-24 ironically. Are you sure you're not just chasing a phantom J-24 because that design got overhyped by some Japanese brands?

Not really sure what you mean here. Leather jackets are inherently a different type of garment from tailored clothing; they will never have the kind of drape and shape that can be achieved with cloth and canvas.

You can email Schott to make you a shearling collar easily. A shearling lining in Vietnam sounds absolutely insane as someone who has lived in South East Asia myself.


Far from "settling", the 618HH and 613SH are better jackets than the ones you've praised in the thread.

I'm not being argumentative, really. I think it's very possible that you've built up an image of what certain jackets are and that you want them for that reason, but I think you might be off both about those jackets and about how well they would fit your needs.

Thank you for the information about the Schott shearling collar — I didn’t know they could make one on request, that’s really helpful.
And regarding the J-24 design — please believe me when I say I genuinely like that silhouette. I may have overexplained things earlier, which might have made it sound like I was chasing a fantasy. To clarify more simply: jackets like the Manhattan or Rugged West Rider 3 are already close to what I’m looking for. I was only uncertain about the leather, but now I know — I don’t care much about patina, I just don’t want leather that soaks in water too quickly.

As for the shearling lining and fur collar, you’re absolutely right that most parts of Vietnam don’t really need them. But in my case, I’ve had asthma since I was a kid, and my doctor strongly advises me to always keep my neck and chest warm, especially during chilly mornings and evenings. It’s more of a health requirement than a fashion choice.
By the way, may I also ask about Schott’s sizing?
Is the 618HH the same in length as the classic 618?
And does the 613SH have a longer back length compared to the 618 or the 118?
I haven’t fully grasped the differences between these models yet, so any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hoanglong]

After all if you like D pocket then why not buy buco j24.
Small size used has quite affordable price and easy to buy from japan.

 

[Quan_love_leather]

After all if you like D pocket then why not buy buco j24.
Small size used has quite affordable price and easy to buy from japan.

Why not the Buco J-24? Well… I’m just not a fan of its detailing. I actually prefer the design language of the Flat Head Delraiser — it’s cleaner, more refined to my taste. But I still want to add a few functional features that better suit my daily needs.
As for custom work, it’s not that Vietnamese leather shops won’t help me — it’s just that they’ve done so many alterations for me already that they probably need a break from my endless “can-you-fix-this-too?” messages . Honestly, we only have a handful of shops with serious craftsmanship here, and I’ve already worn them out.