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Thedi in Red!

red devil

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Yes, KTM. I recall now. Beautiful bike. I ride my RK like hell on wheels. Lord knows what I’ll do on something like this. Wait, I know from my youth...nothing safe lol.

Yes, listening and to a certain extent trusting the maker is part of it. But one has to listen and trust. You seem to do that while still pushing certain boundaries. I bet you have made certain decisions not 100 percent aligned with a maker, and when the finished product is presented even they say well effin done.

Yeah that bike has unbelievable torque! Puts a smile on my face every time I ride it :)
 

red devil

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Okay it is time for the review, I could have simply left things as they were with the pics, but that would not feel complete. It must be visible that I have trouble writing reviews, but with practice we will hopefully get somewhere.

It all started with this model posted on Instagram in April according to the time stamp. It struck me as a remarkably interesting jacket, quite different from what we had seen so far. I hesitated between the 2 versions but ended up going with the one I felt was more of a motorcycle jacket.

MTC-1279105 tan buffalo.jpg


MTC-1279105 double button.jpg


After cogitating for a while, I asked Theodoros, if he had anything in red. And indeed, he had that colour in cowhide. I did not really need to know more, Theo is always looking for interesting hides to use, and only gets what he likes. If he likes it, then I certainly will as well. He has decades of experience handling and choosing leather after all.

No need to come with a fix idea, choose the colour you want, the model you want, and you can be sure you will get something interesting. If I were to have a fixed idea with Thedi, I would be missing on quite a few opportunities.

All in all, he was enthusiastic at doing this model in red, and the results you have seen in the earlier pics.


Leather

It is a cowhide from an Italian tannery, I suspect it is about between 1.2 and 1.5mm thick, but that is only my feeling. It is not stiff or soft, kind of a middle of the road feeling. It drapes reasonably well while retaining some shape. Perfect for this model in any case. The jacket weighs 2.205 kg or 4.86 lbs.

I would like to make a point here about going for branded leathers, I personally think that it is a bit pointless. In a way Fashion brands became what they are because of this need for branding. And I can see this hobby going in that direction as well. What does it matter if it is brand X or Y? Your priority as a user should be whether you like it or not.

What are you looking for in the leather? You should be able to answer that, if not, then just go for something that looks nice. Done. A brand is just a name, it is important to remember that. If in doubt ask the maker, they are the ones working with it, they can veer you towards what you would like. In my case Theodoros knew that this would fit the model, and he knew I wanted a rich red. The original colour was more of a Ferrari red, but with his treatment, it has this rich red shade I was looking for, and the best thing here? It is only going to look better with time, same as my tan buffalo improved massively with use (it was already great at the beginning).


Construction

Do I need to write anything? The pictures do a better job than any description I could come up with. The only thing I could mention is the fact that, Thedi jackets are the most detailed of all jackets I own and they keep evolving. It is the result of a mind that can’t stop thinking of ideas and applying them. You are wearing decades of evolution and fine tuning with a Thedi, that is one of my favourite aspects of his work.


Pattern

No need to talk about the fit, again it is visible in the pictures, but what I can mention is the comfort and range of motion. This jacket is my best yet, I can pretty much do anything in it. I tried running in the park with it, it was ok… push-ups, ok as well. Almost makes me feel that I should wear it for my workouts that should make a quicker patina than anything I can imagine lol

On the motorbike, it also unsurprisingly great, I need a red motorcycle to match it… maybe it is time to start looking…



What next?

All in all, it yet again largely exceeded my expectations, and it could be an exit jacket. I am wearing it every time I go out. But to be in line with my approach so far, it is the new grail jacket, and it is in very good company.

You would not be surprised to find out that there is another Thedi in the works. It never ends, I am certainly enjoying this jacket tremendously, but there is too much fun to be had in this hobby… not sure I will ever stop

@handymike gave me an excellent idea of trying to improve the rest of the outfit to match this jacket I will be experimenting to see where it leads me.Thanks! :)
 
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I can't say I'm a fan of those little flaps and the tiny chest pocket but otherwise, it looks good & certainly something new and interesting AND I'm really surprised to hear it's this comfortable. In all these years, I can still count on one hand how many times have I had a jacket that's been entirely comfortable and it usually comes down to choosing between Three Langlitz'.

I wonder if the shearling cafe racer would be this comfy, I'd definitely have a lot to consider if I knew for sure... Well, if I wasn't banned from Thedi for life, that is. XD

Anyway, worn-out look out of the box is also a huge bonus on a red jacket as that's one color you DON'T want to look brand new and the natural finish is good stuff, too. Great review & fine jacket.
 

red devil

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I can't say I'm a fan of those little flaps and the tiny chest pocket but otherwise, it looks good & certainly something new and interesting AND I'm really surprised to hear it's this comfortable. In all these years, I can still count on one hand how many times have I had a jacket that's been entirely comfortable and it usually comes down to choosing between Three Langlitz'.

I wonder if the shearling cafe racer would be this comfy, I'd definitely have a lot to consider if I knew for sure... Well, if I wasn't banned from Thedi for life, that is. XD

Anyway, worn-out look out of the box is also a huge bonus on a red jacket as that's one color you DON'T want to look brand new and the natural finish is good stuff, too. Great review & fine jacket.

This is my most confortable Thedi to date with such a tight fit, so I couldn't tell you how the shearling feels, at least for now. It does feel as confortable as my Langlitz, although I haven't compared them back to back. Worth looking into. I highly doubt you are banned from Thedi unless there is something we don't know? lol

Yeah my Tenjin still looks too new :oops:
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
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4,260
Such a beautiful jacket. A great looking leather in a unique, but well done color, amazing design, and what looks like a perfect fit. Funny thing though is that the liner is my favorite part of the jacket!!! :D
 

OlGi

New in Town
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27
Congrats to both you and Theodoros for this masterpiece. It is truly fantastic.

At first, when I saw pics on IG I felt like "naaaahhh, that is kind of way out and I don´t really like it, it is too much". And that was probably because I didn´t understand the jacket at first as it has this "attitude" that says: "you will not be able to pigeonhole me in any category, I have some Hussar vibe that you can´t pull off, and you are not cool enough to wear me". Hope you get what I mean. I kinda instantly thought of a three musketeers movies and was put off without further real consideration.
Now thanks to your excellent review, the beautiful pics from the "making of" etc., I took more time to appreciate that jacket. The result is an almost 180° turn: That jacket is simply stunning and sure one of the coolest things I´ve seen in terms of leather jackets (both the light brown buffalo and your red one).
So many beautiful details, an amazing cut, just perfect. I would also opt for the single button row for the looks but also for that additional stitching on the bottom of the front (that is such a beautiful detail... soothing somehow).
Only things I am not totally a fan of are the leather buttons but I wouldn´t know what I would opt for as an alternative.

So thanks again for that superb review/journey and highest respect for that jacket. I am impressed.
 

red devil

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Congrats to both you and Theodoros for this masterpiece. It is truly fantastic.

At first, when I saw pics on IG I felt like "naaaahhh, that is kind of way out and I don´t really like it, it is too much". And that was probably because I didn´t understand the jacket at first as it has this "attitude" that says: "you will not be able to pigeonhole me in any category, I have some Hussar vibe that you can´t pull off, and you are not cool enough to wear me". Hope you get what I mean. I kinda instantly thought of a three musketeers movies and was put off without further real consideration.
Now thanks to your excellent review, the beautiful pics from the "making of" etc., I took more time to appreciate that jacket. The result is an almost 180° turn: That jacket is simply stunning and sure one of the coolest things I´ve seen in terms of leather jackets (both the light brown buffalo and your red one).
So many beautiful details, an amazing cut, just perfect. I would also opt for the single button row for the looks but also for that additional stitching on the bottom of the front (that is such a beautiful detail... soothing somehow).
Only things I am not totally a fan of are the leather buttons but I wouldn´t know what I would opt for as an alternative.

So thanks again for that superb review/journey and highest respect for that jacket. I am impressed.

Glad I was able to change your mind on this jacket :D
To be fair, one of the interesting points in this hobby is how our our taste evolve with time and seeing other jackets posted here. I am now wearing jackets I did not like at first. It is always fun to see posts of people pushing the boundaries of what they usually wear!

Thedi has a huge selection of buttons, he had some really cool vintage ones as well, you would most likely have found something you liked :)
 

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