Taylor's Leather Wear Police Jackets

PeterRocco · Jan 1, 2022

Hi Friends! Happy New Year! Stay Healthy and Safe.
So long story short I was going to have a Custom Jacket Made like Schott Police Style 602. I was going back and forth with who should I have make one for me. Then a fellow member gave his Great Advice suggested to look into Taylor's Leatherworks. I did but found out that they stoped making their jackets and closed their factory and outsourcing the jackets they sell to some company in Pakistan.
So another Made in USA Company closing their factory. Like Sterling Wear Pea Coat in Boston. US Navy stoped suppling Men/Woman with Wool Pea Coats. Factory Closed for Good.
Good for me I started looking on different sites like Poshmark and Found a seller selling a New Old Stock Patterson Police Jacket style like the Schott 602. But this jacket listed is New Old Stock Made in USA Jacket. Made with their heaver thicker leather.Wanted $225 I offered $125 and she excepted. This was today. Thank You to the fellow member who gave me the idea.
I post more pictures after I get the jacket. Best
Pete

ton312 · Jan 1, 2022

Taylor’s made some great stuff! The older the better. The 70’s Chicago cop jacket I had in navy blue from Taylor’s was outstanding. Hide was indistinguishable from 70’s era contemporary Bates. That company has quite a history and began its life as Appalachian, later Taylor’s Leather and fur. Congrats on the acquisition!

PeterRocco · Jan 1, 2022

ton312 said:
Taylor’s made some great stuff! The older the better. The 70’s Chicago cop jacket I had in navy blue from Taylor’s was outstanding. Hide was indistinguishable from 70’s era contemporary Bates. That company has quite a history and began its life as Appalachian, later Taylor’s Leather and fur. Congrats on the acquisition!

Hi Thank You for sharing your Experience with them. And some info on their history.
Best
Peter

oneterrifichog · Jan 1, 2022

That's too bad about their closing down. They were located in a small building outside of Tullahoma, TN next to what I assumed was the owners home. I think the owners wife had hired a general manager to keep it running and it seem to me they were doing a good job. I suspect what might have done them in was having to "low bid" on all those government contracts in order to get them. When I went by there about 10 years ago it was to pick up an Aero Highwayman the manager had put up on ebay. He had no idea what he had and had found it along with some other jackets back in the shop. The seamstreses were all nice folks and genuinely were doing the best they could with what they had to work with. You could tell they were working with lower quality leather and inexpensive linings but what could one expect trying to beat competition outside the U.S. Too bad they had to succumb to the inevitable or perhaps it was the Covid factor. Whatever caused them to close their doors a number of folks are not producing a product they can be proud of and had to look for new employment. Personally I think that sucks.

PeterRocco · Jan 1, 2022

Hi
Who ever owns it now did respond to my e mail questions. They said they are open but only for small repairs and some alterations on the jackets they import from Pakistan. Their Web Site in open for orders. But the jackets now are made with thinner cheaper leather.
They don't hide that fact.
Material getting so hard to buy and find.
Thank You for your Great Reply to my Post.
Pete

oneterrifichog · Jan 1, 2022

It's the same folks but no manufacturing. I think it is the same general manager who was a good guy. The repair person could be the same as well. They did me a real favor by sewing on new leather buckles that Aero supplied me as the original ones were not in the best shape. It's just unfortunate that they don't manufacture in Tennessee anymore.

PeterRocco · Jan 2, 2022

They have very nice people still working there. They even answered my e mail today. There are other police leather jacket makers still in USA. As figured starting price for a police jacket is $780.00.
Still a Good Price.
Best
Peter

hughesovka · Jan 2, 2022

Is Taylors no longer a good brand for a new jacket? I knew they used to be made in TN and had moved production overseas. I just ordered a Chicago jacket due to a nice sale they had going on. Will quality be an issue?

PeterRocco · Jan 2, 2022

hughesovka said:
Is Taylors no longer a good brand for a new jacket? I knew they used to be made in TN and had moved production overseas. I just ordered a Chicago jacket due to a nice sale they had going on. Will quality be an issue?

Hi
I think you will be very happy with your new jacket from them. Even though they don't make it in house their high standards still are there. I seen their new jackets and the leather looks very high quality and stiff and heavy. I like a jacket made like that.
Keep in touch post pictures once you receive it.
Best
Peter

Doctor Strange · Jan 2, 2022

I got one of their sale jackets about five years ago when they were changing their cowhide supplier, but the jackets were still being made in the US. It's the Chicago model, and it's awesome. Super-tough, loaded with pockets... and being insulated (and with very tight wristlets and a fuzzy kidney warming panel) it's my only leather that's warm enough for use in full-blown winter conditions:

I'm sure their current Pakistan-made jackets are as good, or nearly as good. These police jackets have to be solidly made.

But alas, I recently ordered one their 2021 sale jackets - the "wool/leather casual" model 5531 - and I don't think it was even worth the $55 I paid. It's an XL - my Chicago is an XL Long, and they took up the sleeves three inches for me as part of the sale (and that model had a super-detailed measurements page back then to guide me; this one just says an XL is for 46-48 without any proper measurements) - but this jacket doesn't fit anything like that XL. It's crazy huge on me in every dimension, more of a 2X. And none of the materials - the thin wool, characterless leather, nothing-special knits and lining - struck me as anything but barely adequate.

Very disappointing. Being a closeout plus an Xmas sale, I couldn't return it, so I made a gift of it to the woman who recently opened a vintage clothing shop here. And she was thrilled to get it... Some big moose will eventually buy it, she'll make a few bucks, and I'll have the satisfaction of supporting a struggling local business.

But I won't be rushing to buy another Taylor's sale jacket unless it's a heavy duty police model.

PeterRocco · Jan 2, 2022

I did not receive the jacket yet but I see the Made in USA Tag. It looks in the picture to be the Much Better Leather. Not that Pebbly finished leather you see today like from Fox Leather and Hillside. Don't get me wrong they do make a Beautiful made in USA Jackets but don't care for the leather they use. I understand they are trying to keep the prices down.
I love your jacket your wearing. The fit and style is very nice. The leather looks like the older better type they used to use. I understand the tanneries they used to source their leather from probably closed up. So they are Forced to use the Leather that's available to them at a decent price and they still touring around a profit.
I agree I would not buy any of their new made in Pakistan Jackets. You have to Search the Internet for a vintage leather jacket made for the police or a motorcycle style type. I spend a lot of time doing that it's my daily Hobby. I used to collect Vintage Schott Jackets but have Sold Most of my Collection. But if a see a great deal on one I go for it.
I am 63 now and still like to wear Cool Looking Leather Jackets. O

Fifty150 · Jan 28, 2022

A good price on these styles. 30% right now.

Aloysius · Apr 27, 2022

Looks like Taylor's is now selling their leather, both the kind that they use in their current issued jackets (Zoe), and the stiffer leather used in their earlier jackets (Hayley). (Both are weatherproof.)

Likely of interest to some here, especially @Canuck Panda. $89 a side.

EDIT: Forgot the link!

Canuck Panda · Apr 27, 2022

Aloysius said:
Looks like Taylor's is now selling their leather, both the kind that they use in their current issued jackets (Zoe), and the stiffer leather used in their earlier jackets (Hayley). (Both are weatherproof.)

Likely of interest to some here, especially @Canuck Panda. $89 a side.

EDIT: Forgot the link!

Just saw this. That's good price, less than $5 per square foot. Perfect for testing patterns.

ton312 · Apr 28, 2022

Sad to think that once great Appalachian leathers, then Taylor’s Leather and Fur, ultimately, simply Taylor’s is just going to shrivel up and die.

Aloysius · Apr 28, 2022

I think it’ll survive in its current government contractor form, but quite a lost legacy.

On the other hand, at least they’re still doing part of their original business. I get the impression they’d still be manufacturing if there was a supply of labor interested in working on leather, but there seems to not be.

Most of their contemporaries have been dead for decades, in some cases with their histories claimed as stolen valor by new and unrelated businesses (“Simmons Bilt” and its Oakland heritage marketing comes to mind.) At least they’re keeping their patterns and some degree of R&D alive.

CombatWombat · Jul 15, 2022

I don't know what all the hate against Pakistan leather is about.....
The best quality goatskin has come out of that part of the world for decades.... I've seen what passes for goatskin in the USA and frankly it's just flat characterless junk

Yango · Jul 15, 2022

PeterRocco said:
View attachment 392392 Hi Friends! Happy New Year! Stay Healthy and Safe.
So long story short I was going to have a Custom Jacket Made like Schott Police Style 602. I was going back and forth with who should I have make one for me. Then a fellow member gave his Great Advice suggested to look into Taylor's Leatherworks. I did but found out that they stoped making their jackets and closed their factory and outsourcing the jackets they sell to some company in Pakistan.
So another Made in USA Company closing their factory. Like Sterling Wear Pea Coat in Boston. US Navy stoped suppling Men/Woman with Wool Pea Coats. Factory Closed for Good.
Good for me I started looking on different sites like Poshmark and Found a seller selling a New Old Stock Patterson Police Jacket style like the Schott 602. But this jacket listed is New Old Stock Made in USA Jacket. Made with their heaver thicker leather.Wanted $225 I offered $125 and she excepted. This was today. Thank You to the fellow member who gave me the idea.
I post more pictures after I get the jacket. Best
Pete

Peter, did you ever get the jacket? Let’s see it!

I passed on an opportunity to pick up a minty NOS unworn Schott 602 last winter. I kind of regret it now, but I wasn’t sure about the sizing.

Aloysius · Jul 16, 2022

CombatWombat said:
I don't know what all the hate against Pakistan leather is about.....
The best quality goatskin has come out of that part of the world for decades.... I've seen what passes for goatskin in the USA and frankly it's just flat characterless junk

The funny thing is the goatskin used in WWII US Army Air Forces jackets was imported from British India, so it’s actually the traditional vintage source! Aero also imports its goatskin from that part of the world.

CombatWombat · Jul 17, 2022

Aloysius said:
The funny thing is the goatskin used in WWII US Army Air Forces jackets was imported from British India, so it’s actually the traditional vintage source! Aero also imports its goatskin from that part of the world.

Ahhh I meant current day goatskin in "USA made" jackets tend to be flat and characterless..... Pakistan/India I think is the world's largest (and probably highest quality) producer of goatskin, which I actually prefer to wear compared to cow or horse since it's a lot lighter, breaths better and tends to have more "give" than the other two skins (comes in handy if you're wearing a cafe racer/jacket with no bi-swing back in Australian heat and humidity)

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