Johnson Leather Jacket

[red devil]

Great advice, thank you. And I'm just kicking around ideas here... when it gets down to bring in the store with Damon, I'll likely just go cxl, as I like it very much on my current jacket from them. Of course, if he has a suggestion while I'm there, I'm all ears.

And I believe you're correct in your assessment that there are likely many great leathers as yet unexplored. It's clearly a daunting array of options out there, and at some point you just gotta choose.

Are you going to the store physically? If so you can handle quite a few jackets with different leathers and decide what you like best

 

[Entropindigo]

Are you going to the store physically? If so you can handle quite a few jackets with different leathers and decide what you like best

I am. I'm the area fairly regularly and this will be my third trip to the store, so I've had a chance to try on a few and see some hides, but there hasn't been the full variety and I didn't have my eye on the particular build I have in mind yet, so I'll take some more time when I go this time around. I don't know what their lead time is on custom orders, but I figure if it gets in by fall I'd be pretty happy.

 

[Marc mndt]

Jackets seems to be tough business to be in. Footwear is a different story. It takes 45sf of leather to make a jacket that retails for a grand. It only takes 4 sf of leather to make a pair of shoes/boots that retails for 400 or more. Lots of century old footwear brands like Alden and Allen Edmonds. Can't think of one leather jacket brand that's been around for the same time.

There's more to it than just the costs of raw materials. What about women's handbags? Not much leather, very high price (because lots of intricate stitching and no room for error). Yet every women owns one or more.

Leather shoes are practical, everyone wears them. Leather jackets are impractical, mostly worn as fashion statements. That's why we don't see lots century old brands. The leather jacket market is too small.

 

[Rugby]

There's more to it than just the costs of raw materials. What about women's handbags? Not much leather, very high price (because lots of intricate stitching and no room for error). Yet every women owns one or more.

Leather shoes are practical, everyone wears them. Leather jackets are impractical, mostly worn as fashion statements. That's why we don't see lots century old brands. The leather jacket market is too small.

Well, the leather jacket market size maybe not as small as it appears if we consider all types of jackets and not just the vintage or vintage reproduction demand in men's jackets. The general leather goods market share has been increasing steadily and it's projected to continue the trend.
Market Drivers

• Increasing demand from the footwear industry
• Rise in disposable income among consumers
• Changing fashion trends among millennials
• Rising domestic and international tourism

Market Restraints

• Strict laws prohibit the production and usage of natural leather
• Impacts of PU and PVC used in synthetic leather manufacture

And some references

Leather Jackets Market Size Analysis by Growth, Emerging Trends and Future Opportunities. | Newstrail.com

The Global Leather Jackets Market is expected to increase at a considerable rate, with a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 6% from 2021 to 2026.

www.newstrail.com

Global: luxury leather goods ad spending 2018-2028 | Statista

The global revenue in the 'Luxury Leather Goods' segment of the luxury goods market was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 13 billion U.S.

www.statista.com

So, riding the coattails of the general leather goods market share increase, according to various market analysis sources, the vintage/reproduction market share will probably see a considerable but minor by comparison growth. In my opinion that would depend of price stability which will support or stifle demand. And as an example of unreasonable prices I will again refer to LostWorlds unjustified price jump, the Himmel bros of the world prices. I think at some point the market will make the makers who want to survive adjust their prices or disappear.

Apologies for the lengthy writeup...Got out of work early today...

 

[Marc mndt]

Interesting, my gut feeling told me the market for leather jackets is much smaller than the market for leather shoes. I don't know that many people who wear / buy leather jackets. Yet everyone wears leather shoes.

Rise in disposable income among consumers

Not in my part of the world with inflation rates above 10% lol.

 

[Rugby]

Interesting, my gut feeling told me the market for leather jackets is much smaller than the market for leather shoes. I don't know that many people who wear / buy leather jackets. Yet everyone wears leather shoes.



Not in my part of the world with inflation rates above 10% lol.

Yeah, the disposable income statement may be more of a regional factor than global, but generally if the leather goods market trends upwards and say it's driven by footwear, it has a shear drag effect (similar to frame dragging) on the jacket market with number one jacket style request the bomber and secondly the cafe racer...for some reason.

 

[Helix]

I am. I'm the area fairly regularly and this will be my third trip to the store, so I've had a chance to try on a few and see some hides, but there hasn't been the full variety and I didn't have my eye on the particular build I have in mind yet, so I'll take some more time when I go this time around. I don't know what their lead time is on custom orders, but I figure if it gets in by fall I'd be pretty happy.

Their current lead time has consistently been about 2 months and change.

Also, if you don’t see a leather you like among the samples, ask Damon if they’ve got any others stashed away downstairs.

 

[TheDonEffect]

Their current lead time has consistently been about 2 months and change.

Also, if you don’t see a leather you like among the samples, ask Damon if they’ve got any others stashed away downstairs.

+1, they usually have something being cooked up, last time they had a skived tumbled CXL which I was really considering, heck I wound up choosing the Horween steer because they just happened to have some and I was in love immediately, lol.

 

[Rugby]

I was considering a jacket from JL, cossack style with a couple modifications in Horween Milan HH, but JL only has the 3.5/4oz weight which is a bit thick for a buttoned jacket, but more importantly that hide would add a surcharge of at least $300 to the price of the jacket. Wait time the usual ~3 months. For comparison Simmons Bilt charges 75gbp extra for that hide, but no fit jackets. Difficult decision...

 

[Goel]

I have this heavyweight deerskin from Maverick. My first Johnson jacket M-500. It has that typical Horween wax waterproof treatment. It's not as saturated as the LW waterproof treatment, which is more epoxy based I believed, but good enough to get to where I need to go. Every now and then Horween seems to run a batch of these super thick waxed deerskin. Very rustic but very robust hides.
Much like this one now: https://maverickleathercompany.com/product/waxed-deer-light-toast/
Only if they did them in black to hide all the scars.

I think I know the leather you have, it sold out pretty quick and the one they have now looks to be even thicker (6oz!). More of a boot weight, could be skivved but even then they list it as firm temper. Looks like Horween also ran a Utica tan deerskin for Coronado a few years back.

 

[bootsonatrain]

That's great if you can go to the store.

For me, fit is King. Being able to go to the store and getting custom measurements edged JL over leather jacket makers that have good reputation but are not local to me.

Another factor is price - JL added small surcharge fee for altering the base pattern measurements but that is worth the price to me.

I am. I'm the area fairly regularly and this will be my third trip to the store, so I've had a chance to try on a few and see some hides, but there hasn't been the full variety and I didn't have my eye on the particular build I have in mind yet, so I'll take some more time when I go this time around. I don't know what their lead time is on custom orders, but I figure if it gets in by fall I'd be pretty happy.

 

[Aloysius]

I was considering a jacket from JL, cossack style with a couple modifications in Horween Milan HH, but JL only has the 3.5/4oz weight which is a bit thick for a buttoned jacket, but more importantly that hide would add a surcharge of at least $300 to the price of the jacket. Wait time the usual ~3 months. For comparison Simmons Bilt charges 75gbp extra for that hide, but no fit jackets. Difficult decision...

I can’t speak for anyone else but I haven’t seen a cossack jacket look good other than in goatskin/capeskin/lambskin. Maybe a very soft drapey steer like what Schott uses for their ‘naked cowhide’ jackets. So maybe the horsehide being too thick/expensive is a blessing in disguise.

 

[Rugby]

I can’t speak for anyone else but I haven’t seen a cossack jacket look good other than in goatskin/capeskin/lambskin. Maybe a very soft drapey steer like what Schott uses for their ‘naked cowhide’ jackets. So maybe the horsehide being too thick/expensive is a blessing in disguise.

Yeah you're right, I'll consult with Alan and Damon at JL and see what they suggest

 

[bootsonatrain]

It's information sharing like this that gave me confidence in making informed choices about my custom JL leather jacket. FL is the best resource I've found for this niche interest and it's thanks to people like @Canuck Panda for freely sharing his learnings. But on the other hand, is he somewhat to blame for contributing to leading people like myself down this expensive rabbit hole???

I have a sick obsession with leather. Be prepared for some long jibberish words...

...

Damn all this leather talk has got me itching for an unexplored leather again...

 

[Entropindigo]

It's information sharing like this that gave me confidence in making informed choices about my custom JL leather jacket. FL is the best resource I've found for this niche interest and it's thanks to people like @Canuck Panda for freely sharing his learnings. But on the other hand, is he somewhat to blame for contributing to leading people like myself down this expensive rabbit hole???

You're here in rabbit hole already, it's too late... might as well get comfy!

 

[Rugby]

You're here in rabbit hole already, it's too late... might as well get comfy!

@Canuck Panda makes the rabbit hole easier to navigate.

 

[Aloysius]

@Canuck Panda makes the rabbit hole easier to navigate.

He does, but bear in mind (and I say this not as criticism but with awe) that Canuck (and ton I think) sometimes gets so into the weeds with his love of experiencing leather that he ordered multiple CHL jackets, just to experience that hide. So don‘t get too sucked into the vortex.

 

[ton312]

He does, but bear in mind (and I say this not as criticism but with awe) that Canuck (and ton I think) sometimes gets so into the weeds with his love of experiencing leather that he ordered multiple CHL jackets, just to experience that hide. So don‘t get too sucked into the vortex.

Only one CHL jacket for me. Which was more than enough and honestly a disaster.

 

[Aloysius]

Only one CHL jacket for me. Which was more than enough and honestly a disaster.

Right, you didn’t get sucked into CHL per se but I meant the broader 5* experimentation.

 

[ton312]

Right, you didn’t get sucked into CHL per se but I meant the broader 5* experimentation.

Yes. Thankfully sold them all. The danger with playing man in the chair and thinking you can fix something with every following iteration is that you can’t…and won’t.