Lewis Leathers , Good quality?

[Harris HTM]

I was supposed to see them for the first time in Sept. 2001 (with Pantera and Biohazard)

Yeah, I had also bought tickets for that tour, it'd be killer.

 

[Tom71]

Never got around to seeing them. Had tickets once for a Slayer/Megadeth/Pantera show on their farewell tour a few years back but couldn’t make it.

These days, I am not really keen on the big names any more. I’d rather take a plunge on newcomer bands or second tier artists in smallish and small venues.
Its pretty easy to see bands like Testament, Machine Head, Parkway Drive etc. in 3-5.000 people locations, and the energy is always way better than say Iron Maiden 100m away from the stage in a 70.000 people stadium. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[3.14nche]

Totally agree, I avoid big venues as much as I can.

Yeah, I had also bought tickets for that tour, it'd be killer.

And as it turned out it was my one and only opportunity to get to see Pantera...

 

[Harris HTM]

These days, I am not really keen on the big names any more. I’d rather take a plunge on newcomer bands or second tier artists in smallish and small venues.

Me neither, it's been so many years since I've been to any big concert of any of the big commercial names. I prefer more recent bands, much smaller and definitely not "radio-friendly" to use a term from my youth (Suicidal Angels, Mourning Beloveth and Primordial are the first names that come to mind).
I think that the last concert I've been too with more than 1000 audience was in 2019, Dead Can Dance.

Iron Maiden 100m away from the stage in a 70.000 people stadium

No way am I going to pay the ridiculous prices they (and most of the well-known, "established" bands) ask for, while in the past I've seen them promoting masterpieces and not mediocre (to be lenient) works - for prices that made far more sense.

And as it turned out it was my one and only opportunity to get to see Pantera...

Anselmo and Brown will be on tour in Europe this summer, with Benante and Wylde, playing Pantera stuff. Not the same, I agree, and I really wonder if they can still perform.

 

[3.14nche]

I really wonder if they can still perform.

Well I'm not paying an overpriced festival ticket to find out.
It's already sold out anyway.

 

[leonnostar]

After spending tons of Time studying jackets and héritage clothes in general for the last 2 years, I decided to pull the trigger with Lewis Leathers. My first buy was a Fine Creek Jacket, but It was based on a Lightning by Lewis and I came to the conclusion it wasn’t as good as I originally thought. Regarding Japanese brands that replicate western patterns, I kinda changed my mind. Not totally but partially. I have owned quite a few pieces but sold most. The only 4 jackets I have Kept are a Freewheelers Mulholland, a J100 McCoys, a Flat head type 2 and a Double helix Jacket. The thing that makes me keep these is the Leather. They do make some of the best looking Leathers I have seen. That Said, I went to the Lewis London shop, and I was amazed by the quality of the service and the Number of things you can customize. It became clear I had to go full custom. I saw all of the Leathers they have, and While the veg tanned was tempting, I didn’t like the patina over Time, on a Lightning anyway. I feel the patina didn’t match the pattern. They showed me a brand New one and a used one, and I decided to pick their most basic leather. If I Could have picked a shinki option, I probably would have picked shinki ahah. Anyway I went heavy on the modifications of the Lightning 391, to the point the seller told me « we can’t go past a certain point regarding customisation, the Jacket has to stay recognizable, people must see it’s still made by us » ahaha. I asked the logo to be completely removed (it’s not Even on the inside), removed some zippers and Even a button that I felt had no use and broke symmetry. Basically my goal was to have a near perfect symmetry and make it less flashy. What I could’nt get removed were the zippers on the arms, apparently it’s part of how it’s recognizable. Anyway I received it today, it took less Time than expected, they had told me 6 months but it’s only taken 4 months! It’s absolutely gorgeous and I think it’s my favorite Jacket to this day. The fit is incredible and I’m extremely happy with the pattern. While the leather is not the best, the look of this Jacket on me blows away what I had with Fine Creek. I cannot recommend this brand enough and especially the London store. Their service is just perfect and they are extremely Nice and patient. Think I spent an hour with a seller, and he understood exactly what I wanted. I almost regret one thing: not putting the logo. I hate a visible logo in general but this brand is so cool I made have made a mistake ahah. Maybe I will ask them to sew it later on… I will definitely order another Jacket from them in the future but for now I’m just so stoked with my Lightning. Girlfriend loves it. Sorry for the way this message is written, I’m writing with my phone. Hope this will help future customers. God bless England.

 

[Tom71]

After spending tons of Time studying jackets and héritage clothes in general for the last 2 years, I decided to pull the trigger with Lewis Leathers. My first buy was a Fine Creek Jacket, but It was based on a Lightning by Lewis and I came to the conclusion it wasn’t as good as I originally thought. Regarding Japanese brands that replicate western patterns, I kinda changed my mind. Not totally but partially. I have owned quite a few pieces but sold most. The only 4 jackets I have Kept are a Freewheelers Mulholland, a J100 McCoys, a Flat head type 2 and a Double helix Jacket. The thing that makes me keep these is the Leather. They do make some of the best looking Leathers I have seen. That Said, I went to the Lewis London shop, and I was amazed by the quality of the service and the Number of things you can customize. It became clear I had to go full custom. I saw all of the Leathers they have, and While the veg tanned was tempting, I didn’t like the patina over Time, on a Lightning anyway. I feel the patina didn’t match the pattern. They showed me a brand New one and a used one, and I decided to pick their most basic leather. If I Could have picked a shinki option, I probably would have picked shinki ahah. Anyway I went heavy on the modifications of the Lightning 391, to the point the seller told me « we can’t go past a certain point regarding customisation, the Jacket has to stay recognizable, people must see it’s still made by us » ahaha. I asked the logo to be completely removed (it’s not Even on the inside), removed some zippers and Even a button that I felt had no use and broke symmetry. Basically my goal was to have a near perfect symmetry and make it less flashy. What I could’nt get removed were the zippers on the arms, apparently it’s part of how it’s recognizable. Anyway I received it today, it took less Time than expected, they had told me 6 months but it’s only taken 4 months! It’s absolutely gorgeous and I think it’s my favorite Jacket to this day. The fit is incredible and I’m extremely happy with the pattern. While the leather is not the best, the look of this Jacket on me blows away what I had with Fine Creek. I cannot recommend this brand enough and especially the London store. Their service is just perfect and they are extremely Nice and patient. Think I spent an hour with a seller, and he understood exactly what I wanted. I almost regret one thing: not putting the logo. I hate a visible logo in general but this brand is so cool I made have made a mistake ahah. Maybe I will ask them to sew it later on… I will definitely order another Jacket from them in the future but for now I’m just so stoked with my Lightning. Girlfriend loves it. Sorry for the way this message is written, I’m writing with my phone. Hope this will help future customers. God bless England.

Glad that you had a great experience. I am with you re service and friendliness at the London store.
Your description makes me want to see a photo of how the jacket and you in the jacket look.

 

[Edward]

After spending tons of Time studying jackets and héritage clothes in general for the last 2 years, I decided to pull the trigger with Lewis Leathers. My first buy was a Fine Creek Jacket, but It was based on a Lightning by Lewis and I came to the conclusion it wasn’t as good as I originally thought. Regarding Japanese brands that replicate western patterns, I kinda changed my mind. Not totally but partially. I have owned quite a few pieces but sold most. The only 4 jackets I have Kept are a Freewheelers Mulholland, a J100 McCoys, a Flat head type 2 and a Double helix Jacket. The thing that makes me keep these is the Leather. They do make some of the best looking Leathers I have seen. That Said, I went to the Lewis London shop, and I was amazed by the quality of the service and the Number of things you can customize. It became clear I had to go full custom. I saw all of the Leathers they have, and While the veg tanned was tempting, I didn’t like the patina over Time, on a Lightning anyway. I feel the patina didn’t match the pattern. They showed me a brand New one and a used one, and I decided to pick their most basic leather. If I Could have picked a shinki option, I probably would have picked shinki ahah. Anyway I went heavy on the modifications of the Lightning 391, to the point the seller told me « we can’t go past a certain point regarding customisation, the Jacket has to stay recognizable, people must see it’s still made by us » ahaha. I asked the logo to be completely removed (it’s not Even on the inside), removed some zippers and Even a button that I felt had no use and broke symmetry. Basically my goal was to have a near perfect symmetry and make it less flashy. What I could’nt get removed were the zippers on the arms, apparently it’s part of how it’s recognizable. Anyway I received it today, it took less Time than expected, they had told me 6 months but it’s only taken 4 months! It’s absolutely gorgeous and I think it’s my favorite Jacket to this day. The fit is incredible and I’m extremely happy with the pattern. While the leather is not the best, the look of this Jacket on me blows away what I had with Fine Creek. I cannot recommend this brand enough and especially the London store. Their service is just perfect and they are extremely Nice and patient. Think I spent an hour with a seller, and he understood exactly what I wanted. I almost regret one thing: not putting the logo. I hate a visible logo in general but this brand is so cool I made have made a mistake ahah. Maybe I will ask them to sew it later on… I will definitely order another Jacket from them in the future but for now I’m just so stoked with my Lightning. Girlfriend loves it. Sorry for the way this message is written, I’m writing with my phone. Hope this will help future customers. God bless England.

The exterior logo patches were added by Lewis in 1968, across the range. Presumably to distinguished them in a British leathers market that by then (and right up to the turn of the 90s, really) had dozens of brands on the go, many/ most of which had their own versions of key Lewis styles. The Lightning was widely copied, as were the straight-zip styles (Corsair, Dominator, Plainsman...), though the latter Lewis only introduced in 1962, several years after Highwayman had been producing their originals, so Lewis appear to have copied them to some extent. Highwayman were making a very similar jacket by at least 1958 (See Aero's 59er Highwayman, https://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/mens/59-er-highwayman/mto007 - an exact recreation of the original 1959 example which design was the starting inspiration for the very first Aero Highwayman in 1983).

Lewis have gone through phases in recent years of permitting or refusing custom orders to delete the logo patch. I'm sort of on the fence about it myself. I would love a Lightning. To date, every time I convince myself I can justify what they charge, I discover the price has been pushed up a couple of hundred. Bah. But the style sticking point that keeps me going back and forth on the current compromises to the original 1958 spec of the Lightning is actually less the logo, more that forearm pocket. Lewis first added that detail to the Twin Track Bronx, released in 1966 to mark the tenth anniversary of their first zip-up, lancer front jacket, the (regular) Bronx. After that, they rolled them out across many of the models in their jacket range. To my eye, as well as compromising the original pattern with a detail from a much later period than I have any particular interested in dressing to, it just makes to forearm look a bit over-busy, sitting right beside the top-sleeve zip. It has over time, however, become a very distinctive feature of the Lightning in particular, especially for the sizeable chunk of their market that gravitated to Lewis less as Rockers and more under the influence of folks like Steve Jones, Joey Ramone, Joe Strummer, that forearm zip and the side-buckles immediately distinguishing a Lewis from much of the competition, and in particular from the American brands like Schott. That all said, perversely, knowing my '1958 spec' preference is something they just won't indulge, it does mean I'm much more likely one day to either pick one up OTR in a sale or used without it always ****ling me as to whether I should have paid top whack for custom, so that's all to the good.

Do, please, post photos of your jacket when you get it, be interesting to see how the leather looks. I tend to agree that teacore leathers look wrong in a Lewis. At a time I handled a lot of originals from the 60s/70s, and the revived 90s models. All of them, no matter how well worn, that started off black had stayed a black finish, no turning to brown on them. IMO, the classic Lewis look is that very smooth, glossy black hide. Not to everyone's tastes, but for me it lets the design of the jacket itself really hide in a way that a heavily grained hide misses.

 

[omega1848]

I second the service at the London store, very friendly and helpful staff there, highly recommended!
If you have a chance to be in London, take the time and visit them! You can easily walk from Oxford Circus a bit north, passing by Clutch Cafe and then walk further east, grap a bit on the walk and 15 min after you are at Lewis leather - well worth!

 

[Boulderunner]

Great jackets. The veg tanned Italian cowhide is super nice and compares with any Japanese maker.

 

[leonnostar]

I don't have a proper photo yet, that one is the one I had sent to my gf so she could see the result so pardon the bathroom setting and not proper denim pants lol, but I'll ask her to take a proper picture soon with the whole outfit!
Thanks a lot for all the context Edward, that's what I love about this forum, I read you guys a lot and it helps me tons. And yeah like you I would have had the zipper removed on the forearm if I could have, but as of December 2025 they didn't want to, which I understand. It's a recognizable sign.

But as you can see, it looks a bit more stripped down like this. I made an error though, I didn't get the 391, since it was December I had forgotten this "detail" but originally I wanted the 391, but I chose the 402 because the leather straps were too visible on the front for my taste. Seeing the jacket online, the 391 pleased me more, but on me, I think the 402 was the right choice. The two looked very similar, the seller explained me the difference.

And I agree, I do love the look of this basic leather, for this pattern. Over time apparently it won't change too much. I think it looks classic and simple like this, I love it! I guess with time, I prefer classics over fancy stuff ahah.

Can't recommend enough to try in person in store, because what you see online and when you try it on yourself, it's just so different. Will keep you updated with better pics at some point don't worry.

 

[Edward]

I don't have a proper photo yet, that one is the one I had sent to my gf so she could see the result so pardon the bathroom setting and not proper denim pants lol, but I'll ask her to take a proper picture soon with the whole outfit!
Thanks a lot for all the context Edward, that's what I love about this forum, I read you guys a lot and it helps me tons. And yeah like you I would have had the zipper removed on the forearm if I could have, but as of December 2025 they didn't want to, which I understand. It's a recognizable sign.

But as you can see, it looks a bit more stripped down like this. I made an error though, I didn't get the 391, since it was December I had forgotten this "detail" but originally I wanted the 391, but I chose the 402 because the leather straps were too visible on the front for my taste. Seeing the jacket online, the 391 pleased me more, but on me, I think the 402 was the right choice. The two looked very similar, the seller explained me the difference.

And I agree, I do love the look of this basic leather, for this pattern. Over time apparently it won't change too much. I think it looks classic and simple like this, I love it! I guess with time, I prefer classics over fancy stuff ahah.

Can't recommend enough to try in person in store, because what you see online and when you try it on yourself, it's just so different. Will keep you updated with better pics at some point don't worry.

View attachment 784460

The 402 - as worn by Joey Ramone - is a sound choice indeed. Enjoy!

 

[leonnostar]

Better pics as promised. Oh yeah Joey wore 402? Nice!
Long live rock n' roll & punk ; )

 

[Edward]

Better pics as promised. Oh yeah Joey wore 402? Nice!
Long live rock n' roll & punk ; )
View attachment 784667 View attachment 784664 View attachment 784662

looks great! Yeah, Joey wore one in 77. As memory serves, Marky also wore one in Rock and Roll High School, which I believe he bought (and definitely wore) while on tour in the UK in 78.

 

[leonnostar]

Thanks Edward! What a purist ahah, would be nice to make a list of all the rockers who wear/wore a LL jacket. I know that Slash and Matt Bellamy both have at least one jacket.
I saw there was another LL thread here https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/vegecow-lewis-leathers-quality.103183/page-25

Don't know if I posted in the proper one.

 

[Tom71]

Better pics as promised. Oh yeah Joey wore 402? Nice!
Long live rock n' roll & punk ; )
View attachment 784667 View attachment 784664 View attachment 784662

Couldn’t look any better!

 

[Tom71]

Thanks Edward! What a purist ahah, would be nice to make a list of all the rockers who wear/wore a LL jacket. I know that Slash and Matt Bellamy both have at least one jacket.
I saw there was another LL thread here https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/vegecow-lewis-leathers-quality.103183/page-25

Don't know if I posted in the proper one.

You can add Lemmy and Fast Eddie to the LL list.

 

[Vaggg1]

The exterior logo patches were added by Lewis in 1968, across the range. Presumably to distinguished them in a British leathers market that by then (and right up to the turn of the 90s, really) had dozens of brands on the go, many/ most of which had their own versions of key Lewis styles. The Lightning was widely copied, as were the straight-zip styles (Corsair, Dominator, Plainsman...), though the latter Lewis only introduced in 1962, several years after Highwayman had been producing their originals, so Lewis appear to have copied them to some extent. Highwayman were making a very similar jacket by at least 1958 (See Aero's 59er Highwayman, https://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/mens/59-er-highwayman/mto007 - an exact recreation of the original 1959 example which design was the starting inspiration for the very first Aero Highwayman in 1983).

Lewis have gone through phases in recent years of permitting or refusing custom orders to delete the logo patch. I'm sort of on the fence about it myself. I would love a Lightning. To date, every time I convince myself I can justify what they charge, I discover the price has been pushed up a couple of hundred. Bah. But the style sticking point that keeps me going back and forth on the current compromises to the original 1958 spec of the Lightning is actually less the logo, more that forearm pocket. Lewis first added that detail to the Twin Track Bronx, released in 1966 to mark the tenth anniversary of their first zip-up, lancer front jacket, the (regular) Bronx. After that, they rolled them out across many of the models in their jacket range. To my eye, as well as compromising the original pattern with a detail from a much later period than I have any particular interested in dressing to, it just makes to forearm look a bit over-busy, sitting right beside the top-sleeve zip. It has over time, however, become a very distinctive feature of the Lightning in particular, especially for the sizeable chunk of their market that gravitated to Lewis less as Rockers and more under the influence of folks like Steve Jones, Joey Ramone, Joe Strummer, that forearm zip and the side-buckles immediately distinguishing a Lewis from much of the competition, and in particular from the American brands like Schott. That all said, perversely, knowing my '1958 spec' preference is something they just won't indulge, it does mean I'm much more likely one day to either pick one up OTR in a sale or used without it always ****ling me as to whether I should have paid top whack for custom, so that's all to the good.

Do, please, post photos of your jacket when you get it, be interesting to see how the leather looks. I tend to agree that teacore leathers look wrong in a Lewis. At a time I handled a lot of originals from the 60s/70s, and the revived 90s models. All of them, no matter how well worn, that started off black had stayed a black finish, no turning to brown on them. IMO, the classic Lewis look is that very smooth, glossy black hide. Not to everyone's tastes, but for me it lets the design of the jacket itself really hide in a way that a heavily grained hide misses.

Recently I was looking to buy a single riders style jacket, and one of the reasons I didn’t choose lewis leathers was the logo since I was looking at ready to buy jackets

 

[leonnostar]

Wow thanks @Tom71 Coming from you I know it means a lot on this forum, I know you're very picky and I remember finding your posts extremely helpful. Overall, I can't thank all of you guys enough because this board has been and still is so helpful.

I wish there were more brands that had a physical store and/or that were closer to France, like Himel Bros, their jackets look gorgeous. I hate buying blindly, even when giving measurements, nothing beats trying in person. I hope Lewis Leathers stays for the years to come, it's so important to still have physical store like they do with such an amazing customer service.

 

[Edward]

Recently I was looking to buy a single riders style jacket, and one of the reasons I didn’t choose lewis leathers was the logo since I was looking at ready to buy jackets

It's been a sticking point for a lot of folks in these circles. Presumably for Lewis' broader market, they have enough people want it to make it worth their while keeping it as a default norm. TBH, I don't think it would take much more than some nail varnish remover and a bit of time to get rid of the gold paint, though you'd still have the albeit much more subtle embossed leather oval.

I'm had an odd notion this last few years for a straight-zip, mandarin collar jacket. It's a style I flirted with a couple of dozen years ago, but sold o because it never sat right to my eye with a collared shirt. Now I have a few t-shirts again, I'm a little tempted. GoldTop is the one that has drawn my eye (decent jacket, and a much lower price suitable for something that wouldn't get as much wear as a good halfbelt). They have no logos... About a decade or so ago when the brand was revived, they briefly had a sewn-on logo patch, but that disappeared quickly due to market demand. Interesting how it varies for different brands.

It seems to me that a lot of people who want a Lewis want a Lewis. The Rocker revivalists don't seem to care that the logo was a later addition that the heyday of the Rocker movement and the Ace Cafe (the Rocker movement was at its peak in 1960-64; the Ace originally closed in 69, just a year after Lewis started adding the logo patches). There have been so many copies over the years, maybe they just want to flag they have "the real thing". The other big market for Lewis, punks following the example of Joe Strummer et al (gonna get a jacket just like yours, an' give my false support to your cause), would of course have been aspiring to jackets made fully within the era of logos and forearm-pockets, so it makes sense.

To me it'd be a mild annoyance, but given how utterly obnoxious most modern mc gear is with logoing and such, it really seems very mild. I know what you mean, though... I backed out of buying a Schott peacoat when I discovered the ones they sell here in Europe all have an embroidered chest logo, even if it is quite subtle.