In the process of getting first leather jacket

Zeltbahn · Sep 2, 2019

Justhandguns said:
I have touched the LL sheep jackets, they are not exactly thin nor fragile. But I absolutely agree, original cowhide is the way to go for a Lewis jacket. My 391 is the good old cowhide, the leather is so good that.... after over 8 years of casual wear, it still looks new..... I bet that a lot of people here won't like it .

Oh yes, the cowhide! So that is the hide that the 391 was probably also first made back in 1958? Does cowhide break-in more easily than horsehide?

Do you happen to have any pictures of your cowhide 391?

roadking04 · Sep 2, 2019

Don't sleep on Schott perfectos! Pure, iconic, rock and roll jackets. Their 3oz. hide can survive any mosh pit. 613's and 618's are cut on the shorter side. I believe the 613's are on the slimmer side. Both can be found in cow or horse. Both can be found in the used market for cheap.

Harris HTM · Sep 2, 2019

roadking04 said:
Don't sleep on Schott perfectos! Pure, iconic, rock and roll jackets. Their 3oz. hide can survive any mosh pit. 613's and 618's are cut on the shorter side. I believe the 613's are on the slimmer side. Both can be found in cow or horse. Both can be found in the used market for cheap.

Last March I visited the Schott store in NYC. I've noticed that the horsehide they use now on their perfecto's is MUCH different than mine (bought new in 2015); mine is still as shiny as vinyl and quite thinner than my cxl fqhh Aero's; the new stuff is less shiny and thicker.

Peter Bowden · Sep 2, 2019

Zeltbahn said:
Hello all,

I'm not sure should I have posted this on Small Questions -thread, but I decided to post new thread since I have several things in my mind.

So the thing is that for the past couple months I've been planning on purchasing my first real leather jacket. I live in Europe and the options that seem the best for me are either Aero Leather, ELMC or Lewis Leathers.

I'm mainly looking for a Biker style jacket and some options I have thought:
-Lewis Leathers 391 Lightning with black satin viscose lining
-Aero Leather Daytona or some of their other Motorcycle jacket
-ELMC Roadstar in Black
-ELMC Windward in Black, this is a bit different than the others in the list as it looks "cleaner", but I really like the look of it.

I don't ride a motorcycle, at least not yet, so the jacket is coming just for a daily fashion wear. But I still wish that the jacket would be somewhat original to its roots, that the fit would represent their original, vintage style.
Now about the leathers, mostly I've been thinking of horsehide as this is the most common leather in vintage jackets, right? I only have experience with cheap lambskin jackets. Black is the color I'm going for as it would be most versatile for a first leather jacket in my wardrobe. Blackened "tea core" brown could work too?

Also I have never had a made-to-measure jacket which would be the case if I would get the jacket from LL or Aero. It concerns me a bit if the measurements don't end up right and the jacket would not fit when it arrives.
I've been in contact with Lewis Leathers and what I understood is that usually only couple modifications are made to a stock size jacket that would fit you the best. So it would not be a total modification of every single measurement, which is good, I think.

Any recommendations for choosing a first leather jacket are welcome! And thoughts about the options I have listed above

Have you considered an Aero 59'er-I think this is nominally made in black or brown steerhide and has a lot of motorcycle style in its form-equally at home on a motorcycle or on the street

Justhandguns · Sep 2, 2019

Zeltbahn said:
Oh yes, the cowhide! So that is the hide that the 391 was probably also first made back in 1958? Does cowhide break-in more easily than horsehide?

Do you happen to have any pictures of your cowhide 391?

I need to dig out the pictures some where.... Yes, I guess in the 70s' where the original Lewis were mostly made with cowhides. Horsehide just made a come back a few years ago thanks to the Japanese and the A-2 popularity. I do not think the cowhide breaks-in easier than horse, particularly with Lewis. As a matter of fact, you really do not need to break it in, their leathers are very supple to begin with. The toughest jacket to break-in is probably my Vanson with competition hide.

roadking04 said:
Don't sleep on Schott perfectos! Pure, iconic, rock and roll jackets. Their 3oz. hide can survive any mosh pit. 613's and 618's are cut on the shorter side. I believe the 613's are on the slimmer side. Both can be found in cow or horse. Both can be found in the used market for cheap.

Yes, Schott should be on the list as well. But the fact that they have such a huge range means you need to know what exactly you are buying. Schott just recently introduces Horween hide with some of their higher end jackets, which is good news for us jacket fanatics. Check this out HERE. Although the cutting seems to be odd to me.

Mich486 · Sep 2, 2019

IMHO if you go Lewis Leathers you should pick sheepskin. It’s the one that looks the best. Their HH I can tell you first hand leaves a lot to be desired. Not sure about cow but it looks far less interesting than their sheepskin and it only comes in black.

I also thought originally all Lewises were made out of sheepskin, but some are saying they were cow so I’m not sure anymore.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Zeltbahn · Sep 2, 2019

roadking04 said:
Don't sleep on Schott perfectos! Pure, iconic, rock and roll jackets. Their 3oz. hide can survive any mosh pit. 613's and 618's are cut on the shorter side. I believe the 613's are on the slimmer side. Both can be found in cow or horse. Both can be found in the used market for cheap.

I've thinked about Schott before but there is something why I stopped looking at them for a while. They are not that easily available in Europe but can be found secondhand easily indeed. But I kinda dislike the underarm footballs which seem to be a feature in their every jacket. Not a huge deal but still

I most likely would go with Lewis Leathers at the moment, but I'm very confused which leather should I pick, horse, cow or sheep.

Seb Lucas · Sep 2, 2019

Zeltbahn said:
I most likely would go with Lewis Leathers at the moment, but I'm very confused which leather should I pick, horse, cow or sheep.

There is no should. Horse and cow are similar, denser hides, Sheep is very light and nowhere near as tough.

There's no right or wrong choice, just subjective preference.

I'm not a fan of looking at brand new jackets in a shop to work out what the leather is like. It often gives you a false idea. Leather ages, creases and transforms and what looks bland in the shop often looks fantastic worn after a year or two. Conversely great looking hides when new can disappoint with wear.

It's very easy to overthink a jacket.

Jonty H. Campbell · Sep 2, 2019

One thing I discovered about leather jackets -mine is a Marks & Spencer black three button ventless sports jacket/blazer type- is that you need to feed the leather occasionally, and that the lining eventually wears out.

Jonty H. Campbell · Sep 2, 2019

Zeltbahn said:
I've thinked about Schott before but there is something why I stopped looking at them for a while. They are not that easily available in Europe but can be found secondhand easily indeed. But I kinda dislike the underarm footballs which seem to be a feature in their every jacket. Not a huge deal but still /QUOTE]I find Schott hideously expensive even on zon or eBay.

underarm footballs?

Seb Lucas · Sep 2, 2019

Jonty H. Campbell said:
One thing I discovered about leather jackets -mine is a Marks & Spencer black three button ventless sports jacket/blazer type- is that you need to feed the leather occasionally, and that the lining eventually wears out.

This varies. If you buy an Aero, for instance, you need to feed it once every 20 years and the drill lining lasts at least that long. The first owner need never do anything at all.

Zeltbahn · Sep 2, 2019

A twopiece thing in the undearm with ventilation holes. I think Schott started adding these in the mid 80's. They should ease the movement of your arms is what I understood. But I just don't like them in an aesthetic manner.
I think Schott 626 doesn't have these.

jacketjunkie · Sep 2, 2019

Zeltbahn said:
A twopiece thing in the undearm with ventilation holes. I think Schott started adding these in the mid 80's. They should ease the movement of your arms is what I understood. But I just don't like them in an aesthetic manner.
I think Schott 626 doesn't have these.

The 613 does not have these either and it is an iconic style. If I wanted another black cross zip, I'd go for this or the 618 (which has those footballs but I like the extra range of motion). The 118 is longer and bigger, no fan of that.

handymike · Sep 2, 2019

Lewis has a beautiful dark green sheep! Oh my is it lovely...

Zeltbahn · Sep 3, 2019

jacketjunkie said:
The 613 does not have these either and it is an iconic style. If I wanted another black cross zip, I'd go for this or the 618 (which has those footballs but I like the extra range of motion). The 118 is longer and bigger, no fan of that.

In Schott Nyc website they say 613 having bi-swing back panels with grommet vented underarm footballs. Last spring I almost purchased secondhand 613 but it had the underarm footballs so I let it go

I once found some old conversation from Schott forum where was said that they were gonna bring the more classic style without the underarm footballs back on 613 model. If I remember correctly, this was in 2015 but I think they never made the change.

Edit: I just found out that it its the 613S model, which is more slimmer than 613 and without underarm footballs! This could be something for me to look into in that case.

Mr Knight · Sep 3, 2019

There are numerous versions of the Perfecto jacket so I'm guessing you'll definitely find what you're looking for if you have your heart set on buying a Schott, plus they're 'off the rack' so you don't have to worry about waiting times. The only downside being they're made on a production line (different folk work on different parts of each jacket) so quality obviously takes a slight hit at the expense of higher output, though please don't take that as a sign that Schott is bad quality, more a case of the likes of Aero, Lewis etc are going to afford better quality and attention to each jacket due to only one person overseeing the start to finish of each unit.

Admittedly before I discovered the likes of Aero, Lewis etc I was looking in to a Schott 613 or 618 and even ventured to London to check one out in a store with the intention of coming home with a jacket, though weirdly enough by chance I walked passed the Lewis store and after a little research discovered the idea of having a bespoke jacket made exactly how you want for a price lower than what a Schott retails for (circa £900 in the UK for a Schott compared to circa £650 for an Aero).

Good luck on your journey either way, it's tedious as much as it is fun but that's the beauty of variety and subjective taste.

barnabus · Sep 3, 2019

@Zeltbahn - late to the thread and apologies if this has been discussed and I missed it.

Have you worn a cross zip biker style regularly before? If not, I might suggest you buy a cheapo version of it - eBay is full of examples - and wear it for a while to see how you feel in the style.

They're definitely dead cool, but it's not for everyone, and it might be worth finding out if it's something you feel suits you before dropping hundreds of euros on something special.

There's a ton of designs that have plenty of 'attitude', but a full on biker cross zip might feel a bit "dressing up" to you. Conversely, it might suit you perfectly and you feel like it's what's been missing your whole life. Great! Then spend the big money.

Seb Lucas · Sep 3, 2019

That's good advice, Barnabas - I remember the last time cross zips were big in the 1980's (right after the Indy jacket/A2 fashion). A few guys in my circle got them and wore them for a short while thereafter they sat in cupboards for a decade or two. They are a very particular style and feel.

AeroFan_07 · Sep 3, 2019

barnabus said:
@Zeltbahn - late to the thread and apologies if this has been discussed and I missed it.

Have you worn a cross zip biker style regularly before? If not, I might suggest you buy a cheapo version of it - eBay is full of examples - and wear it for a while to see how you feel in the style.

They're definitely dead cool, but it's not for everyone, and it might be worth finding out if it's something you feel suits you before dropping hundreds of euros on something special.

There's a ton of designs that have plenty of 'attitude', but a full on biker cross zip might feel a bit "dressing up" to you. Conversely, it might suit you perfectly and you feel like it's what's been missing your whole life. Great! Then spend the big money.

This is exactly my take as well. Start with a less-expensive one. I would even suggest to scour ebay for a nice one "near" your size as there are dozens and dozens of them on there each week. Wear it for 6 months and save your pennies. Packistan - sourced leathers tend to be thick, durable cowhide which gives a good idea if you like the weight. I live in Iowa (Northern midwest USA) and we get a lot of wind and very cold temps here. So a thicker, heavier leather is a benefit here. We also get 6-8 months of jacket season, a 1 month of that typically being "wool coat" season (0 to -30C temps). Anything past about -20C and the leather gets put away and down or wool is all I will wear.

Start inexpensive and see if it's for you. Get an idea of size then go for your "dream" jacket! Welcome to FL - to you and to Johnty as well.

navetsea · Sep 4, 2019

I tend to believe even if your jacket is not 100% dream jacket, but as long as you give it a chance, wear them often, care but don't baby them so much in few years it will look good, many here never give their jacket enough wearing time.

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