Good Wear Ventura / Imperial vs. ELMC Californian

Cooperson · Dec 4, 2018

Being a huge fan of all half-belts and having owned a GW Ventura for some time and tried on an ELMC Cali, my vote has to the GW Ventura. For me, the high pockets on the ELMC are a deal breaker. Sorry ELMC fans, it’s only a personal opinion.

El Marro · Dec 4, 2018

I do not own an Eastman Californian but I do own the ELMC horsehide G-1 and I believe it is made with the same leather. I concur with everyone’s comments about the quality and fit of Eastman jackets.

Fishbutcher · Dec 4, 2018

Own a Eastman californain in walnut, great mid weight leather great fit and cut,
Only use the pockets for a mobile phone,
Due to Australian weather it only gets worn briefly during winter.

Seb Lucas · Dec 4, 2018

Cooperson said:
Being a huge fan of all half-belts and having owned a GW Ventura for some time and tried on an ELMC Cali, my vote has to the GW Ventura. For me, the high pockets on the ELMC are a deal breaker. Sorry ELMC fans, it’s only a personal opinion.

Agree re the pockets. If I were after this style of jacket I would go Aero, regardless. I can't see how you could look past the brief wait, the quality and the custom touches.

lina · Dec 4, 2018

Seb Lucas said:
Agree re the pockets. If I were after this style of jacket I would go Aero, regardless. I can't see how you could look past the brief wait, the quality and the custom touches.

Indeed, there are a couple of 38s and 40s on the Aero sale page right now:
http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/products.php?cat=salerv

@Robbie79

sweetfights · Dec 4, 2018

tmitchell59 said:
My Cali is gone, the GW Imperial is in the closet. I also owned a ELMC Cali in Havana size 46. This Walnut is a size 44. I believe the GW is a size 46.

The main difference is not quality of materials or workmanship it is design and fit. The GW Ventura is a better match with the ELMC Cali. The Cali and the Imperial are very different jackets worn.

What is the thread color and zipper type on the Imperial ??

tmitchell59 · Dec 4, 2018

sweetfights said:
What is the thread color and zipper type on the Imperial ??

The thread appears to brown, or the same color as the jacket. Zipper is a reproduction sunrise Talon.

thekiyote · Dec 4, 2018

ProteinNerd said:
Adding to this, I while I have @GregO’s previous jacket, I also have one in Black, they are that nice!

I’m still currently in the GW queue for a Modoc and I’m sitting at 3 years and 11 months since I paid my deposit....with no communication in over a year (September 2017) when he emailed me and said he was going to call me that week...I guess its been a long week.

Save yourself the hassle, life is too short to wait for a jacket that may never arrive. Grab a Cali now, you wont regret it.

Man, you have a ton of time on me. I'm only at 1 year 8 months.

I knew what I was getting into (though, at the time, the website said 18-24 months). Anytime someone gives you a lead time greater than six months, you should treat it as a lottery ticket, especially if the operation is just one guy. There is so much that can happen in the course of 2+ years that can mean you never get your jacket.

I just thought that the quality was good enough I'd take a risk. I don't sweat it though, I just hop on the lounge here every six months or so, and try to figure out what the current queue looks like.

In the meantime, I bought an Aero, which I am super happy with.

sweetfights · Dec 4, 2018

tmitchell59 said:
The thread appears to brown, or the same color as the jacket. Zipper is a reproduction sunrise Talon.

Would you change the zippers if you could??
Are you happy over all with the jacket?

tmitchell59 · Dec 4, 2018

sweetfights said:
Would you change the zippers if you could??
Are you happy over all with the jacket?

No I would not do anything to the zipper. It works fine and is correct for a late 30s styled jacket.

Yes, I am happy with the jacket. I think it is JC's best work.

I did not have to wait years for delivery, just a few days in the mail. As I say in the video, I can only guess the original owner got too big or small for the jacket. Maybe the owner did not like it. Don't know.

sweetfights · Dec 4, 2018

Thank you Terry. Much appreciated.

jonesy86 · Dec 5, 2018

The 46 ELMC Havana Californian I tried on at Standard & Strange was very nice.

My 44 GW Ventura in light cowhide has a very comfortable drape.

My 44 GW Hercules in Horween Mustang horsehide is pretty special.

GW availability aside, I don't think they get any better than that. However, I sure am tempted to pick up that ELMC, it is sitting on a rack in my size only 2 miles away, and they open at 11 AM.

Probably not good to wear in the tropics.

Bigbenbs · Dec 5, 2018

jonesy86 said:
The 46 ELMC Havana Californian I tried on at Standard & Strange was very nice. View attachment 147084
My 44 GW Ventura in light cowhide has a very comfortable drape.
View attachment 147085
My 44 GW Hercules in Horween Mustang horsehide is pretty special.

GW availability aside, I don't think they get any better than that. However, I sure am tempted to pick up that ELMC, it is sitting on a rack in my size only 2 miles away, and they open at 11 AM.

Probably not good to wear in the tropics.

A good tropical island jacket

dannyk · Dec 5, 2018

jonesy86 said:
The 46 ELMC Havana Californian I tried on at Standard & Strange was very nice. View attachment 147084
My 44 GW Ventura in light cowhide has a very comfortable drape.
View attachment 147085
My 44 GW Hercules in Horween Mustang horsehide is pretty special.
View attachment 147087
GW availability aside, I don't think they get any better than that. However, I sure am tempted to pick up that ELMC, it is sitting on a rack in my size only 2 miles away, and they open at 11 AM.

Probably not good to wear in the tropics.

Ive heard the Mustang hide mentioned before, Ive seen a handful of pictures, but I never asked an owner how they felt about it. Can you enlighten me with some specs. Like what oz, drape, creasing, feel...you know all the good stuff haha

jonesy86 · Dec 6, 2018

dannyk said:
Ive heard the Mustang hide mentioned before, Ive seen a handful of pictures, but I never asked an owner how they felt about it. Can you enlighten me with some specs. Like what oz, drape, creasing, feel...you know all the good stuff haha

Hey @dannyk

Here is what the Maestro said about this leather:

…This one is made with Horween Mustang horsehide, which is a wax finish, and it has a ton of natural grain.

…this format of Horween horsehide is both comfy and heavy. The jacket feels like it has heft, but unlike Italian or Shinki HH, it's not as stiff.

…I love this leather. I bought 500 feet of it back in 2010, and made a number of jackets, but still had enough for a half belt.

I'm pretty lucky to have such a fine jacket!

Robbie79 · Jan 29, 2019

Hey guys! Here's an update on my original search for a Good Wear Ventura / Imperial jacket. As it is nearly impossible to find a used one on the market and since John from GW doesn't respond to my e-mails (waiting time for a jackets is also too long), I was looking for another Californian style HH jacket which meets my personal requirements. Since the Shinki used by Freewheelers is my favorite HH, I was looking for a "cheaper" version and finally found a used Rainbow Country Single Riders Jacket in dark seal Shinki HH on Grailed without knowing that they use the same Shinki. Hence I was really glad to see that the Shinki used by Rainbow Country is the same as FW use!!! The dark seal color is deep and rich, the leather is quite substantial, heavy and thick as FW Shinki and it fits like a glove (very pliable as it is broken in). It more and more turns out to be one of my top 3 leather jackets. Also the lining used is quite thick and high quality. The reason for the high price difference between FW and Rainbow Country is most likely the stitching quality - I would rate the stitch quality on one level with Aero which is still very good but not as accurate as FW. I'm more than happy that I bought this jacket and can highly recommend Rainbow Country!

Dr H · Jan 29, 2019

lina said:
Also might want to consider Dave Sheeley, who posts occasionally here as @Maverickson. He makes his own jackets to a very high quality. I did a custom ordered jacket with him and he spent a lot of time getting the design just right for me. He currently has a jacket similar to what you are thinking about listed on ebay, though the size may not work for you:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MONARCH-WA...h=item1a68447f91:g:RVkAAOSwR2RZ8Nfw:rk:7:pf:0

Dave is literally putting a jacket together for me today.
I can wholeheartedly recommend working with Dave. It has been an absolute pleasure to work up the pattern with him.

lina · Jan 30, 2019

Robbie79 said:
Hey guys! Here's an update on my original search for a Good Wear Ventura / Imperial jacket. As it is nearly impossible to find a used one on the market and since John from GW doesn't respond to my e-mails (waiting time for a jackets is also too long), I was looking for another Californian style HH jacket which meets my personal requirements. Since the Shinki used by Freewheelers is my favorite HH, I was looking for a "cheaper" version and finally found a used Rainbow Country Single Riders Jacket in dark seal Shinki HH on Grailed without knowing that they use the same Shinki. Hence I was really glad to see that the Shinki used by Rainbow Country is the same as FW use!!! The dark seal color is deep and rich, the leather is quite substantial, heavy and thick as FW Shinki and it fits like a glove (very pliable as it is broken in). It more and more turns out to be one of my top 3 leather jackets. Also the lining used is quite thick and high quality. The reason for the high price difference between FW and Rainbow Country is most likely the stitching quality - I would rate the stitch quality on one level with Aero which is still very good but not as accurate as FW. I'm more than happy that I bought this jacket and can highly recommend Rainbow Country!

Looks cool!

regius · Jan 30, 2019

That some serious high armholes

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Grayland · Jan 30, 2019

Robbie79 said:
Hey guys! Here's an update on my original search for a Good Wear Ventura / Imperial jacket. As it is nearly impossible to find a used one on the market and since John from GW doesn't respond to my e-mails (waiting time for a jackets is also too long), I was looking for another Californian style HH jacket which meets my personal requirements. Since the Shinki used by Freewheelers is my favorite HH, I was looking for a "cheaper" version and finally found a used Rainbow Country Single Riders Jacket in dark seal Shinki HH on Grailed without knowing that they use the same Shinki. Hence I was really glad to see that the Shinki used by Rainbow Country is the same as FW use!!! The dark seal color is deep and rich, the leather is quite substantial, heavy and thick as FW Shinki and it fits like a glove (very pliable as it is broken in). It more and more turns out to be one of my top 3 leather jackets. Also the lining used is quite thick and high quality. The reason for the high price difference between FW and Rainbow Country is most likely the stitching quality - I would rate the stitch quality on one level with Aero which is still very good but not as accurate as FW. I'm more than happy that I bought this jacket and can highly recommend Rainbow Country!

I had a RC Single Rider in what they call Red Brown (Russet) Shinki. Didn't care for the color, but the jacket was spectacular. Great fit. I ended up getting rid of it and replacing it with a GoodWear Imperial in Dark Seal Shinki. Fit is almost identical, but the color works better for me. The Rainbow County jacket was every bit the equal of the GoodWear.

You bought a great jacket!

Good Wear Ventura / Imperial vs. ELMC Californian

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