New Goodwear Cafe Racer (J100)

[pawineguy]

Very glad it fit, looking forward to seeing the pictures and hearing your impression of the leather.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Very glad it fit, looking forward to seeing the pictures and hearing your impression of the leather.

+1

Btw does anyone know what the connection between John from GW and DD is when it comes to jackets these days?

 

[pawineguy]

+1

Btw does anyone know what the connection between John from GW and DD is when it comes to jackets these days?

They are still working together according to a post by Dave on VLJ today, referencing sharing some new French goatskins.

 

[ProteinNerd]

But what does that entail? Making jackets for each other, just buying the same leathers, sharing patterns?

 

[handymike]

I believe John has given Dave copies of some of his Goodwear A-2 patterns.

 

[devilish]

Sorry for the lack of fit pictures and a proper review. Especially with all the J-100 talk on here lately but I am moving my life 6000 miles back to my homeland (England) after 25 years in San Francisco. This has meant other priorities but once I get rested and settled I will update this thread again. At this point though it is suffice to say that this jacket is made with the same exacting standards and quality that John has rightly become known for.

 

[nick123]

Good luck with your move.
[video=youtube_share;4fbPF0pfJ_I]http://youtu.be/4fbPF0pfJ_I[/video]

 

[CBI]

Great jacket. To answer PN's question: The wait at Good Wear for a jacket is close to two years and its been at least a year wait for the past few years. To address this, John Chapman and Dave Howell are working together so that Dave will be making standard size jackets (that will be in stock) and ready for sale for those folks who don't want to wait. The patterns are GW patterns and I believe all of the materials will probably be the same. Dave has been offering jackets in cowhide and has been working on some different aging options so I am not sure what exactly he will offer but pretty much the same as a standard GW A-2. John Chapman tried for a number of years to hire an assistant/apprentice without luck. The short version is people with tailor/garment experience wanted to make things the "modern" way instead of the 1940's way. Dave is following John's direction. I believe most of Dave's jackets get sent to John for evaluation. I understand that they should be "good to go" by this Fall.

John did hire Vickie, his administrative assistant last year to help with the (non-jacket making) workload but the wait time has increased I think. The demand for these jackets directly from GW is huge. Good Wear and Aero also worked out a deal where Aero Leather Scotland makes Aero A-2's using John's patterns that are sold on the GW site (made by aeroscotland) but I am not sure how these are selling. Also, I think John is working with yet another company along these same lines to produce an "in-stock" GW civi jacket.

Sorry if some of these details are not correct but I think I'm pretty close.

 

[dan_t]

On GW's site, they have the following two references;
"We have been extended the use of the name Aero by Aero Leathers of Scotland, via a license agreement, and we thank them. We had previously used the name Acme for the company in this contract."
"We have been extended the use of the name Aero by Aero Leathers of Scotland, via a license agreement, and we thank them. We had previously used the name Aero for the company in this contract."

It would appear that they have the legal use of the 'Aero' name, but not that the jackets are actually manufactured by Aero of Scotland.

 

[CBI]

dan_t - yes GW makes their own Aero contracts or as they have called them Acme due to copyright. These are the two-ish year wait jackets and are great, I own one of them. I am referring to a more recent arrangement where Aero may be making stock/ready to buy jackets sold by GW. I checked the "sold" jackets on the GW site but its not there anymore. Maybe this is something that is no longer being pursued? I don'y know.

 

[Sloan1874]

Aero have been producing GW's Aero otr contracts. If recently-produced GW jackets are tagged as Acme, it's probably means that neither Aero or John himself made them.

 

[CBI]

for a time GW was making WW2 Aero contract A-2's then there was a copyright clarification and GW needed to start calling these Acme, then GW and Aero got together, made an agreement and I believe GW can use the Aero name now. Within all of this there were plans (an idea) for Aero Scotland to make some stock ready Aero A-2's to be sold by GW (using GW patterns). A few of these (I think 3) were for sale on the GW site but I don't see them now. Not sure how all of this has progressed. We are only talking a few jackets. I am not saying that GW has been selling loads of Aeroscotland made A-2's. It was/is an idea that was written up on the sale page ONCE for 3 jackets (one jacket pictured).

Aeroleather Scotland is not the same Aero Leather as in WW2 but I guess they own the copyright for "Aeroleather" for flight jackets. I think there is a thread somewhere about this.

 

[CBI]

I received some clarification. GW did offer 3 Aero Leather Scotland A-2's for sale. These were NOT GW patterns but ALS patterns........my bad! The partnership specific to this.......GW selling ALS is not currently being done. No idea if its being continued nor will I make any conjectures in any way about it. GW jackets with an "Acme" tag are earlier GW or Diamond Dave creations. GW can now use the Aero name for original Aero contract A-2 repros.

 

[devilish]

Ok folks, finally I have some pictures of this wonderful jacket to share. It truly has become a 2nd skin since getting it from JC. It's been many years since I decided to do away with black in my wardrobe. After many years of wearing virtually nothing but. However I got the itch to own a black café racer again and went to see what GW might be able to offer. There was the 'GW' version one on their sale page so I emailed JC about it. He got back to me saying he thought it might be slightly too big BUT he had just finished this exact copy of a J-100. It was a little small for him, I'd lost weight and he said he figured this new one would be a pretty good fit. He was, as always, right.

The Horween leather is lovely stuff and I have to slightly eat crow here because I have been a bit of a skeptic of their leather in the past and have gotten completely fed up of it's ubiquity in the 'heritage clothing' world. This stuff which is pure black and chrome tanned is the softest horsehide i have ever seen or worn. It is developing some fantastic grain and molding to my shape very quickly.

JC's construction is as always bang on. Straight, even stitching but with that human feel that makes all the difference, at least to me. The Buco pattern is actually quite a masterpiece as far as allowing movement is concerned. For such a trim fitting jacket without any action back or the like I can move freely in all areas. Arms are not restricted at all.

It is equipped with period NOS sleeve zips, a repro track but NOS slider for the main zip and very nice Waldes pocket zips. All of which function exactly as a zipper should. I also like the fact that it doesn't have Buco on the throat snap nor a repro Buco label. I am happy that this is a Good Wear, an homage to Buco, yes but a Good Wear nonetheless.

Now for the eye candy.

 

[Blackadder]

Perfect fit. Beautiful jacket.

 

[Carlos840]

That's a beauty! I agree with you about ease of movement, it really feels like a second skin and allows great range of motion.
I have jackets with action backs that feel much more restricting than the J-100, the ELMC Californian being the worst.

 

[Fanch]

Very sharp jacket made obviously by someone at the top of his game. I don't know of a single thing that could be done that might improve the look. :thumb:

 

[dudewuttheheck]

gorgeous jacket. I am tempted to say it is the best fitting J-100 or cafe racer I have seen!

 

[jon11]

beautiful, the Horween looks great with some nice graining

 

[ProteinNerd]

That is a fantastic jacket, and what a fit! Absolutely spot on.