Insights on Freewheelers. Is Mulholland overpriced/overrated at the moment?

[PeterHuang]

Special and unique. I think having a crocodile leather jacket tailored is a good idea.

Lol special, unique and good looking are what matter most. To me crocodile leather looks lame af, like you have ichthyosis or some kind of cracked skin disease. It gives off a “my moisturizer gave up” vibe. I never understand the hype for crocodile leather, it just looks gross to me lol. Honestly all those exotic skins like python or crocodile just look ugly from a pure aesthetic point of view. I stick with cow, horse, deer, lamb, goat and buffalo.

 

[PeterHuang]

If you already have 6 shinki jackets i'm not sure why you expect a 7th one to be more special...
Freewheelers jackets aren't magical, they aren't made by elves, their main selling point is shinki, if you already have shinki they aren't more "special" than RMC or many other makers...

Thanks for the response! That is exactly why I made this thread, I wanted to see if Freewheelers Shinki is actually more special than the one from Real McCoy or Rainbow Country, which I already have. I read that they place proprietary orders from Shinki and do some secret in house finishing, so I wanted to understand it from a more analytical point of view. I saw some people say it is not that unique, so I kind of moved on from Freewheelers haha.

 

[cbez]

If you already have 6 shinki jackets i'm not sure why you expect a 7th one to be more special...
Freewheelers jackets aren't magical, they aren't made by elves, their main selling point is shinki, if you already have shinki they aren't more "special" than RMC or many other makers...

I'd say the selling point is the patterns and workmanship. Anyone can order some shinki although freewheelers allegedly got the pick of the litter. Also not all their leather is shinki by any means.

 

[ABCD]

I'd say the selling point is the patterns

Not all their patterns are great. The Speedmaster for instance has very high armholes, wide shoulders and a narrow chest. Not a good look imo.

 

[Mandarin]

The problem with buying a jacket like a Mulholland is that most of the time, you can't try them on because they're only available online. When I found one with measurements that felt appropriate, it happened to not fit right. The size 38 was too tight, and I believe the 40 would've been way too wide in the waist. So I sold it. I had a few other unfortunate experiences with the internet for the same reason: the impossibility to try the jackets on. Out of frustration, I realized I would be better off ordering a made to measure jacket that would meet all my expectations. Based on previous good experiences with Thedi, I ordered a jacket that turned out fitting perfectly, in a quality that has nothing to envy to the Mulholland , and for a fraction of the price.

 

[Jiantle]

I think the Mulholland style has been reproduced by so many other makers that paying the premium price for it doesn't make sense to me. The pattern works really well on some people, and not so well on others. I fall into the latter category (not to mention I got it a size too small), being on the slimmer side, and promptly sold mine off.

The only FW I'd still be interested in is the Bodie - interesting style, color, and because I have yet to own a deerskin jacket.

Since others here have already said that the Shinki is pretty much the same as other brands, maybe check out their deerskin.

 

[Carlos840]

I think the Mulholland style has been reproduced by so many other makers that paying the premium price for it doesn't make sense to me. The pattern works really well on some people, and not so well on others. I fall into the latter category (not to mention I got it a size too small), being on the slimmer side, and promptly sold mine off.

The only FW I'd still be interested in is the Bodie - interesting style, color, and because I have yet to own a deerskin jacket.

Since others here have already said that the Shinki is pretty much the same as other brands, maybe check out their deerskin.

IMO a Lost Worlds deerskin jacket is a better jacket than a FW deerskin jacket.

The FW deer is super thin and stretchy, it feels like wearing a jacket made from chamois cloth, IMO not worth the asking price.

 

[Bfd70]

Thank you cbez- This illustrates what I meant- In my Mullholland the whole jacket has the same quality leather. Exception are parts around wrists and the collar where leather is little bit more creased.

I think the point the responses are trying to make is that “quality” is not the correct adjective.

 

[sirkris]

Myślę, że odpowiedzi próbują przekazać, że „jakość” nie jest właściwym przymiotnikiem.

Maybe it is only personal opinion but I can see the difference between thinner, wrinkled leather on my Eastman sleaves and thicker smooth shinki leather on Mullholland. I think would call it "quality".

 

[cbez]

Surely this will make the highest quality jackets then.

 

[sirkris]

Surely this will make the highest quality jackets then.

No.
I have never said that thickest leather means the best.
But I highlighted at the beginning I can only compare Mullholland leather with Eastman jacket leather as I have both.
Not sure why your conclusion is that leather on your photo can be the best.
But what I can see is:
1: Mullholland leather is better quality than my Eastman jacket leather
2: Eastman is made from different quality leather parts. And it is easy to notice that.
Mullholland is in 90% made from the same qualty top shinki leather.

To stay within a main topic: Mullholland is overpriced and Eastman jackets are overpriced as well, in my opinion.

 

[Aloysius]

No.
I have never said that thickest leather means the best.
But I highlighted at the beginning I can only compare Mullholland leather with Eastman jacket leather as I have both.
Not sure why your conclusion is that leather on your photo can be the best.
But what I can see is:
1: Mullholland leather is better quality than my Eastman jacket leather
2: Eastman is made from different quality leather parts. And it is easy to notice that.
Mullholland is in 90% made from the same qualty top shinki leather.

To stay within a main topic: Mullholland is overpriced and Eastman jackets are overpriced as well, in my opinion.

Panel selection isn't just about cost. Those more flexible parts of the hide are objectively better for those areas that require a lot of movement.

 

[sirkris]

Panel selection isn't just about cost. Those more flexible parts of the hide are objectively better for those areas that require a lot of movement.

Hmmm. Maybe Freewheelers do not know they make their jackets wrong .

 

[Brandrea33]

Thank you all for the informative responses! Haven't checked this thread for a few days and just found so many insightful information!

I followed what @Tom71 and @ABCD said regarding what makes a jacket unique, I want to treat myself something special and unique at the same time. It seems like a Freewheelers is not that unique for people in this niche so I kinda moved on from Freewheelers and are considering a made to order jacket. During my days lurking in the Fedora Lounge without an account, it seems like the top 5 makers people kept mentioning are Himel, Thedi, Field Leather, Lost World, Goodwear. I am not planning to wait more than one year for a new jacket, so Goodwear is crossed out. Lost World's design is amazing and very faithful to the original, but I have handled several ones in real life, and I am not particularly fond of their chrome tanned leather. Himel jackets look absolutely stunning on the website, but I have read so many threads about his inconsistency and shoddy construction, so I am unsure about it. That leaves Thedi and Field Leather. I am more impressed by Theodoros's design which feels more unique to me. Also, their leather is different from what I have (I already have 6 Shinki jackets at the moment). So maybe I will get something from Thedi. Would love to hear expert's opinions on this and learn more about Thedi's leather finish techniques as well as where they sourced the leather.

Also, for @ABCD, where did you find all the old catalogs lol? Those look like treasures for people who are in a thirst for knowledge of leather jacket like me haha.

You won’t be disappointed with a Himel pattern. They really have sizing and fit down to a science.

 

[Rgcards]

I'm not that discerning. I have a freewheelers mulholland, real McCoy mobster, real mcoy Steinbeck, flat head, and one of many jackets described as barf worthy by ton312, the fine creek jack. all are similar in design , but the mobster the jack and the mulholland share the stitching around the pockets characteristic of chip jackets.

first let's get the zipper out of the way. The jack , mobster and the Mulholland use hookless type zippers. some people say these are more durable when used correctly. these people also prefer crank handles on car windows, and steel bikes over carbon fiber. I personally don't think having a zipper that one has to practice using, that breaks if used "incorrectly" and entails the risk of being trapped in a 3000 jacket that will have to be cut off of you is desirable. These zippers are a plague on humanity. I have a real McCoy's jacket still waiting for repair. The flat head has a nice zipper.

In terms of the finishing, I really don't see much difference. The flat head is notorious around here for poor stitching but I don't really see it, maybe my double rider is not quite as well finished, but my standards aren't that high. I think they are well stitched.
All of the popular Japanese makers are finished differently than schott, aero, or even Thedi. Stitch count is higher and seam angles are very distinct. No curves. Honestly to me this is more design aesthetic than quality. I don't know if it's more labor intensive to make jackets that way. I don't think it affects the durability, and to me the difference in appearance is like that if faded vs color fast jeans. Different looks but not superior.

Leather quality is similar for all except the flat head. Something special about the flat head leather.

So it comes down to the fit /cut/design. For some the Mulholland is great. For me the jack is the best of that design, Mobster second, Mulholland third. All three behind the Flat head and the Steinbeck.

Bottom line: a Mullholand is just another well made jacket. Several others of that style, most somewhat to considerably cheaper, which if you are a veblen guy may make them less desirable. Thedi is a completely different feel. Nice jackets but not the same aesthetic

 

[Bfd70]

Maybe it is only personal opinion but I can see the difference between thinner, wrinkled leather on my Eastman sleaves and thicker smooth shinki leather on Mullholland. I think would call it "quality".

I didn’t understand you were comparing the 2 different jackets. I thought your comparison was in regards to there being variations in 1 jacket

 

[cbez]

I may be wrong on this but I do think Freewheelers came along and started doing cool repro patterns at top quality at a time when only certain moto and military repros were common.

I believe they are also pretty small production numbers, and perhaps not being made any longer? I haven't heard of them doing more leather since their previous stoppage.

So part of the value is context, part is quality, part is exclusivity.

But value wise I am referring to a used jacket 1.5-2k, compared to other brands that might be around 1k. I don't really think any 3-4k new jacket is 'worth it'.

 

[Aloysius]

Hmmm. Maybe Freewheelers do not know they make their jackets wrong .

I didn't say theirs are bad.

I very much doubt that they just used the smoother cuts usually used for the back and chest as the side and other supporting panels. More likely than not it's just coincidence that the flexible panels they used on your jacket happened to have less grain break. You can't really predict this at the point of cutting. How many FW jackets have you examined this with? And btw it won't be apparent when they're hanging in a shop; the grain development/break will happen long into wearing.

If you try to make a stew but use steaks instead of stewing cuts, because it's more expensive, that doesn't mean the stew will be any better.

 

[cbez]

I didn't say theirs are bad.

I very much doubt that they just used the smoother cuts usually used for the back and chest as the side and other supporting panels. More likely than not it's just coincidence that the flexible panels they used on your jacket happened to have less grain break. You can't really predict this at the point of cutting. How many FW jackets have you examined this with? And btw it won't be apparent when they're hanging in a shop; the grain development/break will happen long into wearing.

If you try to make a stew but use steaks instead of stewing cuts, because it's more expensive, that doesn't mean the stew will be any better.

the leather you get from the tannery will have grainier and more flexible sections right off the bat. I could see a brand trying to cut down costs using more of those. could be esthetics, function, or just trying to squeeze more jackets out of less leather.

That being said, I've never seen a result like 'they used a certain section and my jacket fell apart because of it'

 

[Iron Horse]

I believe they are also pretty small production numbers, and perhaps not being made any longer? I haven't heard of them doing more leather since their previous stoppage.

AFAIK yes, FW is still not making any new leather jackets. They wouldn't say why but earlier this year at Desolation Row they said they're not doing any for the foreseeable future.