Help with first leather jacket

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Hello everyone, I'm looking to buy a quality second hand leather jacket. So far I've found some pieces that I would like you guys' opinion on.

First is one from lost world's. I've heard mixed reviews on the brand and would like some opinions on this.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363175160855

Second is one from aero
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143623373830

Third is also from aero
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143819150603

What do you guys think of these? Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. How's the pricing? If you guys have any steals or brands to recommend that would be extremely helpful too. My size is 36/38.

Thanks a lot and I hope you have a nice day

Guppy · Nov 18, 2020

The price is right on the LW you linked to. I do see a concern, in this photo:

That could be mold. It could also be salt from sweat, though.

Aero https://www.ebay.com/itm/143623373830 has some significant scuffing which turns me off, but the price it's offered at might be ok, and you might be able to dress up the scuffs with some shoe polish or something.

The third Aero might be the best of the bunch, with only a couple of minor holes in the liner that wouldn't concern me if I bought it.

Peacoat · Nov 18, 2020

While some on this forum are fans of Stuart, he can be most difficult to work with. Because of his reputation, I would never buy anything from him.

Aero, on the other hand, is a delight to work with. My only complaint with Aero is the tiny zippers they put on their jackets. Having had one fail on my ThunderBay, I will not buy anymore jackets from Aero. Granted that was partially due to incorrect installation by the seamstress, but still it was an expensive failure. Most of the Aero customers here have had no zipper failures, but a few unfortunate ones have.

I definitely would go with Aero over Lost Worlds. It is just a more friendly environment to navigate. As to the style of the Aero jackets you are considering, that is a decision only you can make. You are the one who will be wearing it.

In the pic of the scuff mark on the sleeve of the second Aero, it appears to be from an involuntary dismount from a motorcycle. You might be able to camouflage it. Guppy suggested shoe polish, but black leather dye might be another option.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Guppy said:
The price is right on the LW you linked to. I do see a concern, in this photo:

That could be mold. It could also be salt from sweat, though.

Aero https://www.ebay.com/itm/143623373830 has some significant scuffing which turns me off, but the price it's offered at might be ok, and you might be able to dress up the scuffs with some shoe polish or something.

The third Aero might be the best of the bunch, with only a couple of minor holes in the liner that wouldn't concern me if I bought it.

Thank you very much for this. What should I be looking out for when buying a leather jacket?

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Peacoat said:
While some on this forum are fans of Stuart, he can be most difficult to work with. Because of his reputation, I would never buy anything from him.

Aero, on the other hand, is a delight to work with. My only complaint with Aero is the tiny zippers they put on their jackets. Having had one fail on my ThunderBay, I will not buy anymore jackets from Aero. Granted that was partially due to incorrect installation by the seamstress, but still it was an expensive failure. Most of the Aero customers here have had no zipper failures, but a few unfortunate ones have.

I definitely would go with Aero over Lost Worlds. It is just a more friendly environment to navigate. As to the style of the Aero jackets you are considering, that is a decision only you can make. You are the one who will be wearing it.

Thank you for this information. I'll definitely take that into consideration. I'm still in the early stages so I'll look around first. Are there any more brands you would recommend or be weary about?

Peacoat · Nov 18, 2020

There was a recent thread in which most of the major manufacturers were mentioned. I went back but was unable to find it. As we don't know where you are located, it is difficult to make recommendations. Always a good idea to list your location so we will know what you are dealing with.

If you are a rider, I would suggest Vanson. If you are a rider or not, I would suggest Johnson Leathers in San Fransisco. They do both stock and custom work, and are a treat to work with.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Peacoat said:
There was a recent thread in which most of the major manufacturers were mentioned. I went back but was unable to find it. As we don't know where you are located, it is difficult to make recommendations. Always a good idea to list your location so we will know what you are dealing with.

If you are a rider, I would suggest Vanson. If you are a rider or not, I would suggest Johnson Leathers in San Fransisco. They do both stock and custom work, and are a treat to work with.

I am based in UK/HK.

Marc mndt · Nov 18, 2020

Peacoat said:
While some on this forum are fans of Stuart, he can be most difficult to work with. Because of his reputation, I would never buy anything from him.

The upside of buying a second hand LW is that you don't have to deal with Stuart.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Marc mndt said:
The upside of buying a second hand LW is that you don't have to deal with Stuart.

Is the main gripe people have with LW Stuart? Overall, how is the leather quality compared to other companies?

Guppy · Nov 18, 2020

Peacoat said:
In the pic of the scuff mark on the sleeve of the second Aero, it appears to be from an involuntary dismount from a motorcycle. You might be able to camouflage it. Guppy suggested shoe polish, but black leather dye might be another option.

I would be careful about dye, unless you have an exact match for the original color, or are intending to dye the entire jacket. A little shoe polish, or something like neets foot oil or mink oil could darken the scuffed parts and blend it in to where it's not noticeable.

I don't think that's from a motorcycle accident. It looks like multiple scuffs that did not all happen at one time. Most likely the wearer carried a shoulder bag that rubbed against that one spot while walking about. But who knows.

CharlesT said:
Thank you very much for this. What should I be looking out for when buying a leather jacket?

Look closely at photos, at full resolution, and look carefully for flaws. You'll develop your eye with experience. But look for things like scuffs, holes, tears, signs of abuse, high point wear, artificial distressing, discoloration, cracking or dry rot, etc.

Keep in mind that leather is pretty durable stuff, and can be brought back with proper restoration techniques, and in many cases it's pretty easy, just a proper cleaning and treatment with conditioner can do a lot. But you also don't want to over-condition leather, either.

CharlesT said:
I am based in UK/HK.

In that case, I'd recommend looking at Aero, Lewis, Simmons Bilt. A lot of Lounge members will tell you to steer clear of Simmons Bilt due to their tarnished history with Aero, but they do make a good product and are good to deal with. Definitely check out Thedi, also. There's also the new Hercules company that launched earlier this year, but I don't know if they're still operating, as they had to shut down (hopefully temporarily) due to the pandemic.

If you're open to American brands, then Vanson, Schott, Johnson, Langlitz, Lost Worlds, Cal Leather are all worth a look. Other brands like Brooks, Excelled, Sears, Branded Garments, Walter Dyer, Natal/Natel, Lesco, Brimaco, etc. Start by searching ebay for these brand names and then check out what else ebay recommends.

El Marro · Nov 18, 2020

I own a LW Ryder (same model as the one you posted) and it is a great jacket. One thing that makes it particularly nice is that it has a good shape to it and if you have an athletic build it will accent that fact. The third jacket you posted, the Aero Highwayman, typically has more of a boxy shape and in my experience it does not offer as nice a fit for most people.
I agree with Guppy that the white spots shown on the LW jacket might be mold which can be a pain to deal with. On the other hand it is a very good price for a well-made jacket.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

El Marro said:
I own a LW Ryder (same model as the one you posted) and it is a great jacket. One thing that makes it particularly nice is that it has a good shape to it and if you have an athletic build it will accent that fact. The third jacket you posted, the Aero Highwayman, typically has more of a boxy shape and in my experience it does not offer as nice a fit for most people.
I agree with Guppy that the white spots shown on the LW jacket might be mold which can be a pain to deal with. On the other hand it is a very good price for a well-made jacket.

Ah great to know. Thank you. Might I ask for your opinion on this other LW jacket?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143788873268

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Guppy said:
I would be careful about dye, unless you have an exact match for the original color, or are intending to dye the entire jacket. A little shoe polish, or something like neets foot oil or mink oil could darken the scuffed parts and blend it in to where it's not noticeable.

I don't think that's from a motorcycle accident. It looks like multiple scuffs that did not all happen at one time. Most likely the wearer carried a shoulder bag that rubbed against that one spot while walking about. But who knows.

Look closely at photos, at full resolution, and look carefully for flaws. You'll develop your eye with experience. But look for things like scuffs, holes, tears, signs of abuse, high point wear, artificial distressing, discoloration, cracking or dry rot, etc.

Keep in mind that leather is pretty durable stuff, and can be brought back with proper restoration techniques, and in many cases it's pretty easy, just a proper cleaning and treatment with conditioner can do a lot. But you also don't want to over-condition leather, either.

In that case, I'd recommend looking at Aero, Lewis, Simmons Bilt. A lot of Lounge members will tell you to steer clear of Simmons Bilt due to their tarnished history with Aero, but they do make a good product and are good to deal with. Definitely check out Thedi, also. There's also the new Hercules company that launched earlier this year, but I don't know if they're still operating, as they had to shut down (hopefully temporarily) due to the pandemic.

If you're open to American brands, then Vanson, Schott, Johnson, Langlitz, Lost Worlds are all worth a look. Other brands like Brooks, Excelled, Sears, Branded Garments, Walter Dyer, Natal/Natel, Lesco, Brimaco, etc. Start by searching ebay for these brand names and then check out what else ebay recommends.

Thanks a million. This will definitely come in very handy. I'll have a look around eBay for some of these brands.

ton312 · Nov 18, 2020

Having owned both the LW Ryder and the Aero HB (several times over) I would recommend the Aero (although I'm not sold on any of the three you posted). The LW has low cut armholes and too much room in the gut for my taste.

Phong21 · Nov 18, 2020

I have not owned neither of those brands so I may not be qualified to help. However, I have had some exchange with Holly from Aero recently. She was extremely nice and helpful even though I was asking about a listing on eBay.

All I'm saying is that if they're so nice even when they don't benefit anything, just think about how much commitment they would put into products that they crafted. My humble opinion.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

ton312 said:
Having owned both the LW Ryder and the Aero HB (several times over) I would recommend the Aero (although I'm not sold on any of the three you posted). The LW has low cut armholes and too much room in the gut for my taste.

Thanks for this. Those three are just a few that I came across which happened to be in my size. Thanks to this thread I'll be able to find more. I'll bear your advice in mind and look for some aeros on eBay Thank you very much.

Guppy · Nov 18, 2020

CharlesT said:
Is the main gripe people have with LW Stuart? Overall, how is the leather quality compared to other companies?

LW has a reputation for very well built jackets. The materials used are very high quality, very tough. This makes them heavy and difficult to break in, and may not be comfortable especially in the beginning. They do heavier leathers than most, 4-4.5+ oz., but not everything they do is in such heavy leather.

Stu has a reputation for being highly opinionated and espouses philosophies on what is "manly" that can be offensively narrow-minded, and generally overblown. Some read this as self-parody, hyperoble, and find it amusing, others don't. For some this attitude taints the product, and I can see that, but there's no denying that the jackets are built to an impressive standard. Customers who have bought direct from him are either extremely happy, or disappointed. Typically the disappointment is due to fit issues, and after-sale support of such issues, not the quality of the product. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of LW leather seems to have a characteristic grain pattern that looks a lot like stretch marks, which many people don't care for the look of. If you're buying used, and don't want that, it's easy to spot in photos and avoid.

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Phong21 said:
I have not owned neither of those brands so I may not be qualified to help. However, I have had some exchange with Holly from Aero recently. She was extremely nice and helpful even though I was asking about a listing on eBay.

All I'm saying is that if they're so nice even when they don't benefit anything, just think about how much commitment they would put into products that they crafted. My humble opinion.

Wow that is very considerate of them. Thank you very much for this reply

CharlesT · Nov 18, 2020

Guppy said:
LW has a reputation for very well built jackets. The materials used are very high quality, very tough. This makes them heavy and difficult to break in, and may not be comfortable especially in the beginning. They do heavier leathers than most, 4-4.5+ oz., but not everything they do is in such heavy leather.

Stu has a reputation for being highly opinionated and espouses philosophies on what is "manly" that can be offensively narrow-minded, and generally overblown. Some read this as self-parody, hyperoble, and find it amusing, others don't. For some this attitude taints the product, and I can see that, but there's no denying that the jackets are built to an impressive standard. Customers who have bought direct from him are either extremely happy, or disappointed. Typically the disappointment is due to fit issues, and after-sale support of such issues, not the quality of the product. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of LW leather seems to have a characteristic grain pattern that looks a lot like stretch marks, which many people don't care for the look of. If you're buying used, and don't want that, it's easy to spot in photos and avoid.

This is very helpful. Thank you for taking your time out to help me out. I appreciate it very much.

Guppy · Nov 18, 2020

CharlesT said:
Ah great to know. Thank you. Might I ask for your opinion on this other LW jacket?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/143788873268

Looks like an excellent jacket at a very good price. It looks nicely broken in and not abused.

Help with first leather jacket

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