Anyone familiar with Good Wear Leather jackets?

Good Wear Leather

They look rather nice and similar to Aero in range and price. Anyone own one? How do they stand up in terms of quality?

Sir J

Reports are very positive.

Here is a thread on Goodwear.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=25447&highlight=Goodwear

If you want the best reproduction of a WWII model A-2 available today, John is the man to see. It will take a while to get your jacket, but the quality will be unmatched. I have never seen or heard a negative remark about John's attention to detail or quality of work. He actually agonizes over hide procurement.

I have one on order. Should be here in another month or so.

For an accurate A-2, go with Goodwear.

Peacoat said:

If you want the best reproduction of a WWII model A-2 available today, John is the man to see. It will take a while to get your jacket, but the quality will be unmatched. I have never seen or heard a negative remark about John's attention to detail or quality of work. He actually agonizes over hide procurement.

I have one on order. Should be here in another month or so.

For an accurate A-2, go with Goodwear.

Click to expand...

Cool man. Post some pics when you do.

Go to Google and type in:

goodwear site:thefedoralounge.com

There are a zillion photos of Good Wear jackets here, including my A-1.

Peacoat said:

If you want the best reproduction of a WWII model A-2 available today, John is the man to see. It will take a while to get your jacket, but the quality will be unmatched. I have never seen or heard a negative remark about John's attention to detail or quality of work. He actually agonizes over hide procurement.

I have one on order. Should be here in another month or so.

For an accurate A-2, go with Goodwear.

Click to expand...

When I first saw this post I had to check the date Nope, it's 2nd April and not the first !!

It might be considered incorrect to say that there has never been any negative comments ......... John went through the same learning curves that anyone would go through: dodgy hides, knits, cuts etc and there are a number of people who are off loading early versions of his jackets based on his current batches and others who stated his jackets were "1942 Out-of-a-box" only to sell them when his next generation came out and done that through several evolution. So be careful buying 2nd hand ....... For the record, I've had several of John's earlier versions and sold each one on ...

BUT it is fair to say that John DOES agonise over the details and that his latest stuff has been very well received by those who also have experience of the real WW2 issue jackets.

Of course, having made to measure does kinds invalidate the claim you might make about having an authentic jacket and the debate over what constitutes 'authentic has still to be had. Are hides procured from Japan that look right more authentic than all US made components etc, etc ? Some folk think that there is an authentic 'fit' even though the photographic record doesn't agree.

The waiting times are measured in astronomical rather than Earth times as John is a one man band and a victim of the quality of his work and his growing and well deserved reputation. John is also one of the nicest and most self-effacing people I've ever has the pleasure of knowing.

So, in short, as a UK buyer, it depends on the depth of your pockets, patience and whether the wait and cost are worth it to choose Good Wear over Eastman or Aero. The view from across 'The Pond" in the States with no crap exchange rate and not a little national pride, is very different from that of a potential European buyer IMVHO. Bear in mind also that for us, we can return an Eastman or Aero standard jacket and change it for another one or get a refund. You won't get that luxury with a Good Wear so make sure you know EXACTLY what you are asking for. Shipping is also higher -even if you don't pay the import tax and VAT .......

Dave

I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to return or exchange a jacket made by John. I have done so myself, with no problem what so ever. He bent over backwards to make sure I received the exact jacket I wanted. I've met him in person, and he is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He makes each jacket with pride and care.

Thanks for these very useful responses. Actually, what I had in mind was not an A2, of which I am not a particular fan, but this rather beautiful item - one of the few non-A2s he makes. That leather is positively luscious.

Does anyone own one of these Californians?

(Seems strange that he's a one-man band. You'd think that with the number of committed quality leather jacket fans out there, prepared to pay serious money for the best, there would be a strong enough demand to run a larger operation. Same goes for Aero, for that matter.)

Sir J

Sir Jacket said:

(Seems strange that he's a one-man band. You'd think that with the number of committed quality leather jacket fans out there, prepared to pay serious money for the best, there would be a strong enough demand to run a larger operation. Same goes for Aero, for that matter.)

Sir J

Click to expand...

There isn't really all that many fans with the necessary commitment/resources/determination to eat bake beans for a month to save to buy the best - it just seems like it because there is a high concentration of said fans in this and similiar forums.

Sir Jacket said:

Thanks for these very useful responses. Actually, what I had in mind was not an A2, of which I am not a particular fan, but this rather beautiful item - one of the few non-A2s he makes. That leather is positively luscious.

Does anyone own one of these Californians?

(Seems strange that he's a one-man band. You'd think that with the number of committed quality leather jacket fans out there, prepared to pay serious money for the best, there would be a strong enough demand to run a larger operation. Same goes for Aero, for that matter.)

Sir J

Click to expand...

Get the leather samples from Aero, choose what you like, make the modifications necessary to come to something similar (or same), and you'll get your jacket.

Speedbird and Dave make good points. If I were in the US I'd think twice about Aero, and being in Europe, I think twice about the American stuff (just the hassle with everything practical, especially if something goes wrong). The world is getting smaller, but it's not that small yet.

rgraham said:

I'm not sure what you mean about not being able to return or exchange a jacket made by John. I have done so myself, with no problem what so ever. He bent over backwards to make sure I received the exact jacket I wanted. I've met him in person, and he is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He makes each jacket with pride and care.

Click to expand...

That's my experience as well.

And WRT the one man operation- he probably wants it that way.

Peacoat said:

If you want the best reproduction of a WWII model A-2 available today, John is the man to see. It will take a while to get your jacket, but the quality will be unmatched. I have never seen or heard a negative remark about John's attention to detail or quality of work. He actually agonizes over hide procurement.

I have one on order. Should be here in another month or so.

For an accurate A-2, go with Goodwear.

Click to expand...

Peacoat
I agree...no April fools joke in this post at all...!!

HD

Bearing in mind that a Good Wear costs $900 plus $50 shipping, which equates to £624.67 and an Eastman 'original maker' costs around £484 for a new which is $736 including £10 shipping and which carries no risk of import taxes or getting done for fraud if caught, you have to be looking for a seriously massive improvement over an ELC FOR A EUROPEAN BUYER to be able to justify the purchase. The return thing is also a huge issue to and a lot of extra hassle if things don't go perfectly, as Tonypaj has pointed out.

From this side of 'The Pond', a case could be made that it isn't necessarily worth it as several of ELC's jackets are now VERY good indeed.

Dave

The great thing is the OP is not wanting an A2...but rather a GoodWear "Californian" Ventura. Looks very nice. Whether it is any better than Aero's Californian version might be up for debate. However...I would advise that both are top notch. Price,shipping and other fees outside the US might be another matter.
HD

Point taken Van !

And the issues are the same viz-a-vis Aero & GW. I'm not looking to pick a fight over this. Just point out what few US based people know.

I'd like to see if JC's hide can beat Aero's !
Dave

Hmm, I quite like this one by Eastman. Also the Luftwaffe number but I'm not sure I would want to wear something made famous by a Nazi.

Sir J

Sir Jacket said:

Hmm, I quite like this one by Eastman. Also the Luftwaffe number but I'm not sure I would want to wear something made famous by a Nazi.

Sir J

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That would depend upon the Luftwaffe pilot in question... I don't recall the exact proportion, but by no means were all (or, I think, a majority?) of them members of the Nazi Party. They did all take an oath of allegiance to Hitler, though to me that makes them no more Nazis than did the equivalent the Brits Royalists. [huh]

Edward is spot on here. I find such sweeping statements unhelpful.

Maybe so. The statement was made for rhetorical effect. But I think you'll agree that it's morally questionable to wear a jacket so intimately associated even with a Nazi fellow traveller. I do think it's an issue. Maybe not for you, gentlemen, but I wouldn't wear a jacket for that reason. There are plenty of non-Nazi jackets, after all.

Sir J

Jackets are not Nazis.


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