Irregularities in leather - what's acceptable and what's not?

Along with the theme of this thread, vintage Brooks jackets are well known for irregularities. But most everyone seems to love them. I really like my gold label cafe racer.

I didn't notice right away, but there are some stitching irregularities along the wind flap below the collar snaps. And while most parts of the jacket have brown thread (which I think is pretty cool against the black leather), there are some areas with black thread. The wind flap stitches are mixed with black and brown thread.

Brooks jackets weren't expensive. As a 1973 catalog indicates, a men's "lined leather shirt" cost $31.95. That's $180.70 in today's dollars, according to an inflation calculator. So there was likely little expectation for exceptional leather or precise stitching.

Still, it adds up to a unique piece that's enjoyable for its quirks as well as its design.

Just to throw my opinion in the fray. I do expect things to be made well and at the best quality possible, especially at the higher price points. Now, that being said, with handmade items I don expect perfection as that is literally impossible to do, and some minor cosmetic flaws can give some things more character. But if there are obvious mistakes/errors just from shear carelessness, that's a different story

This imperfection wouldn't bother me personally. There are similar instances of holes that look like the machinist backed out of on my jacket as well. In fact they did so symmetrically on two separate parts of the jacket which lead me to believe it was done to match. I find it fascinating. Hope you're able to come to a resolution.

Theodoros said:

I agree with you. It is not right to be these signs - holes.
(If there are holes, they should penetrate the collar to the underside,
it's like that? or just on the surface).
This has escaped my attention completely.
do not worry, send it back and we will replace it.
It is a mistake in our production. It's not just a jacket, it's a lot, and sincerely we're totally focused on a perfect result.
I apologise. Theodoros

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Class act!!! Above and way beyond!!!
Respect!

srahimian24 said:

Just to throw my opinion in the fray. I do expect things to be made well and at the best quality possible, especially at the higher price points. Now, that being said, with handmade items I don expect perfection as that is literally impossible to do, and some minor cosmetic flaws can give some things more character. But if there are obvious mistakes/errors just from shear carelessness, that's a different story

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So does this count as carelessness or a minor cosmetic flaw. I can't tell.

Seb Lucas said:

So does this count as carelessness or a minor cosmetic flaw. I can't tell.

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For me that is a minor flaw I would live with. As other members here have stated though, to them it is not.

Gamma68 said:

Along with the theme of this thread, vintage Brooks jackets are well known for irregularities. But most everyone seems to love them. I really like my gold label cafe racer.

I didn't notice right away, but there are some stitching irregularities along the wind flap below the collar snaps. And while most parts of the jacket have brown thread (which I think is pretty cool against the black leather), there are some areas with black thread. The wind flap stitches are mixed with black and brown thread.

Brooks jackets weren't expensive. As a 1973 catalog indicates, a men's "lined leather shirt" cost $31.95. That's $180.70 in today's dollars, according to an inflation calculator. So there was likely little expectation for exceptional leather or precise stitching.

Still, it adds up to a unique piece that's enjoyable for its quirks as well as its design.

View attachment 154923 View attachment 154924

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That looks really good for a Brooks. Mine have all had crooked stitching and overruns and mis-aligned zips and poorly installed linings.

Coolest bike jackets I've ever seen. I love them.

It took me several trips back to the photograph to actually see the defect you were talking about. This is a leather jacket, for goodness sakes. Even at the price * you paid for this jacket, that minor mistake is not worth 2 cents of thought, worry or concern. When I first saw the photograph, I thought you meant the dark lines on the collar above the lapel My thought was, this is nothing. Then after reading the comments, I finally saw the small holes in the lapel just below the collar. My thought then was this is even more of nothing.

The more pressing question is how is the jacket otherwise? As @nick123 said above, the important thing is, how does it fit? If it is a good fit, and there are no other problems, I wouldn't give this minuscule mistake a second thought. If you do successfully send it back for a replacement jacket, the second jacket will probably have some minor blemish as well. It might even be worse than this one. These are handmade custom jackets, after all.
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* You used the term, price point, but I am thinking you meant to use the word, price. A price point is a term of art which means a point on a scale of possible prices at which something might be marketed. It is a hypothetical term. The word price, on the other hand, principally means the amount of money expected, required, or, as in this case, actually given, in payment for something.