Cyclist Jacket (Hartmann jacket) by Good Wear Leather

[Kermit]

In early 2023, I contacted John at Good Wear Leather to ask if he could create a faithful reproduction of my original cyclist jacket (which is a little too small for me). He agreed, with the enthusiasm he is known for. Needless to say, I was thrilled ! I sent him my prized original, along with period-correct components such as Éclair zippers, buttons, and the metal belt buckle.

The result is simply OUTSTANDING ! It went far beyond my most optimistic expectations !
Every detail is perfect, from the cut to the fit. Everyone here already knows how talented John is, but in this case, I am genuinely blown away by the level of craftsmanship.

I want to emphasize John’s exceptional dedication to this project. He answered all my questions, addressed my doubts and my last-minute changes. I sincerely hope most of his clients aren’t as demanding as I was. On top of that, he took many thoughtful initiatives to make the reproduction even more accurate, with the passion and kindness that everyone knows him for.
This kind of jacket leaves no room for error. Any mistake in the cut or fit stands out immediately. John told me it was one of the most complex reproductions he had ever attempted, as the construction is very different from what he usually makes.

The leather used is a wonderful, very supple chrome-tanned cowhide with an aniline finish, just like on the original jackets.

Now for the photos :

The details of the jacket can be seen here.

 

[Mysteryo]

Bravo, elle est superbe ( et très courte comme il se doit).
Combien de temps cela a-t'il pris?

 

[torfjord]

Wow, amazing jacket. John really nailed the pattern - it looks great on you. I'm envious!

 

[rogueclimber]

Your doppelganger:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/original-cyclist-jacket-hartmann.108256/

Both of you have good taste in jackets

 

[El Marro]

What a beauty!

 

[AeroFan_07]

Absolutely perfect! Such a wonderful jacket and it looks perfect on you there too!

 

[Brandrea33]

That’s so cool … no surprise, JC is the best.

 

[Joseph Hill]

I thought the original looked great on you. But yeah, seeing this with perfected sizing, it was worth it.

 

[Lukken]

Wow, that’s awesome! Sounds like John really knocked it out of the park for you. Getting a one-off reproduction like that, especially with all the little details dialed in, must feel incredible. Cool that you even sent him the period correct hardware that definitely takes it up another level. Can’t imagine how satisfying it is to put it on and have it fit just right, especially knowing how tricky that style is to get perfect.

 

[Kermit]

Bravo, elle est superbe ( et très courte comme il se doit).
Combien de temps cela a-t'il pris?

Merci ! ça a pris... deux ans et demi ! C'est long, mais c'est un cas particulier, John n'avait encore jamais fais de blouson cycliste, il a donc fallu beaucoup de travail (et deux prototypes) pour arriver au résultat final.

English version :
Thanks! It took… two and a half years! That’s a long time, but it was a special case—John had never made a cyclist jacket before, so it took a lot of work (and two prototypes) to get to the final result.

Your doppelganger:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/original-cyclist-jacket-hartmann.108256/

Both of you have good taste in jackets

Haha! Yeah, that’s the exact jacket I sent to John Chapman to make the copy.

Wow, that’s awesome! Sounds like John really knocked it out of the park for you. Getting a one-off reproduction like that, especially with all the little details dialed in, must feel incredible. Cool that you even sent him the period correct hardware that definitely takes it up another level. Can’t imagine how satisfying it is to put it on and have it fit just right, especially knowing how tricky that style is to get perfect.

Thank you! I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect cyclist jacket for about 20 years now. When John agreed to make one for me… I was so happy! I couldn’t believe it.
I knew it would be a beautiful jacket, but I was a bit worried about the fit (as I mentioned, it’s the kind of jacket that leaves no room for error). John nailed it on the very first try!
I absolutely love this jacket, it’s by far my favorite among all the ones I own.

 

[mnrkm]

I’ve seen photos of your jacket, and honestly, it looks absolutely fantastic.
I have one of John’s jackets myself, and I really admire his craftsmanship and his passion for vintage jackets.
I’ve been searching for a good reproduction of the “Cyclist Jacket” for a long time, but I still haven’t come across one that truly feels right to me. Of course I know Eastman Leather makes one as the “Hartmann Jacket,” but somehow it doesn’t quite click for me.
I can’t help thinking how amazing it would be if John added one based on your jacket to his lineup. In any case, treasure it — it’s really something special.

 

[Kermit]

I’ve seen photos of your jacket, and honestly, it looks absolutely fantastic.
I have one of John’s jackets myself, and I really admire his craftsmanship and his passion for vintage jackets.
I’ve been searching for a good reproduction of the “Cyclist Jacket” for a long time, but I still haven’t come across one that truly feels right to me. Of course I know Eastman Leather makes one as the “Hartmann Jacket,” but somehow it doesn’t quite click for me.
I can’t help thinking how amazing it would be if John added one based on your jacket to his lineup. In any case, treasure it — it’s really something special.

Thanks for your message. I’ve also spent years searching for the “perfect cyclist jacket,” and the one John made for me is truly exceptional.


The good news is that John should have no problem making a cyclist jacket for you as well. From the very beginning of the project, he had in mind the idea of producing more on request. All you need to do is get in touch with him, and I’m sure he’ll be able to make one for you.


The jackets shown on the Good Wear Leather website only reflect part of what John is capable of. Honestly, you won’t regret it.


A cyclist jacket is really something special : the overall cut has to be absolutely spot-on, otherwise you lose that authentic period look. And it comes down to very subtle details. John has PERFECTLY captured those distinctive features.


It’s on a completely different level from all the other reproductions out there, including the Eastman Leather Hartmann jacket, which in my opinion isn’t really a true cyclist jacket.


Feel free to keep me posted.

 

[mnrkm]

Thanks for your message. I’ve also spent years searching for the “perfect cyclist jacket,” and the one John made for me is truly exceptional.


The good news is that John should have no problem making a cyclist jacket for you as well. From the very beginning of the project, he had in mind the idea of producing more on request. All you need to do is get in touch with him, and I’m sure he’ll be able to make one for you.


The jackets shown on the Good Wear Leather website only reflect part of what John is capable of. Honestly, you won’t regret it.


A cyclist jacket is really something special : the overall cut has to be absolutely spot-on, otherwise you lose that authentic period look. And it comes down to very subtle details. John has PERFECTLY captured those distinctive features.


It’s on a completely different level from all the other reproductions out there, including the Eastman Leather Hartmann jacket, which in my opinion isn’t really a true cyclist jacket.


Feel free to keep me posted.

Thanks for your reply. I’m really happy to hear your thoughts, but at the same time, a couple of concerns came to mind.

My first concern is how to source the hardware, such as zippers. When John made an A-2 jacket for me before, he mentioned that he has original and reproduction TALON and CROWN zippers. Since he mainly produces reproductions of American vintage jackets, I imagine he has a good supply of those American-made zippers. However, I’m not sure whether he has access to French hardware, such as ECLAIR or AILEE zippers and buckles, and in the country where I live, I doubt those are easy to come by.

My second concern is that it’s not always easy to get in touch with John in the first place. After I received my first A-2 jacket from him, I sent a few emails to ask about some of his other work, but sometimes I would receive a reply, and sometimes I wouldn’t. Perhaps he thought I was just browsing without serious intent, or maybe he’s simply too busy to respond consistently.