Chinese leather jackets

[Pandemic]

Hi, what model did you order?

Actually, that was just a cheeky quip about all the ‘Rugged Influencers’ on Instagram currently shilling for Brakehouse after receiving free jackets.

 

[ABCD]

What do you think?

I am getting a bit tired of people claiming their made in China jacket is 80% or just as good (Fjorde promoting drop ship company Brake House on Instagram) as the more expensive Japanese options.

For one, Real Simons piggybacks on the success of Freewheelers by calling their jackets the Mulholland, Four Corners or la Brea. They also claim that their leather is similar to Shinki which in itself is a erroneous claim since Shinki is a tannery that produces a variety of leathers. There is no such thing as 'just like Shinki'. Then there's the environmental costs of poor waste management practices that are the result of less stringent environmental protection laws in countries like China.

As for quality, how to judge the quality of the materials over a longer period of time? I used to work for a brand that had a particular jacket produced in Italy. One year later, in order to save costs, they had the same jacket produced in China. Agreements were made with the manufacturer with regard to the materials that should be used. When the jackets arrived, they looked just as good as the made in Italy ones. But unfortunately, after about half a year, customers who bought the jacket returned it en masse because the glue that was used to attach the lining was of poor quality and thus started protruding through the lining.

How sure can you really be that your made in China jacket is 'just as good' as those from the big players who have years of experience, who built their contacts within the supply chain over years / decades?

Your jacket looks too be put together hastily. Check out the stitching on your lapel, that's incorrect thread tension you're seeing. Also check the sloppy stitching on the collar seam.

I understand why there's a demand for these jackets but please stop comparing them to the high end alternatives, claiming they're just as good. They're not.

 

[Warren Crone]

New French Member!

Here my new (12 days of wear) repro J24L by Real Simons (high quality china) in unfinished veg tan horsehide, the patina is fast, I love it. Unbelievable quality for this price....

I'm shocked about the quality, and construction, I also bought a grizzly from real simons, really good too, I have loads of jacket, including a grizzly mccoy, the chinese one is honestly 80% the quality (leather quality, hardware, finish, stitching) and for 15% of the mccoy price (retail at 4K usd)

The j24L :

Day one
View attachment 770073
View attachment 770074

1 week (rain and sun only) I just make sure to not make it dirty because the veg tan leather is a real sponge : View attachment 770075 View attachment 770076 View attachment 770077 View attachment 770078

Today (12 days) View attachment 770079 View attachment 770080 View attachment 770081 View attachment 770082

Berluti like (but 100% natural) Patina

Honestly, I have around 50 jackets, from all brands, maybe 10 horsehide ones, from schott, aero, mccoy, and vintage 1930's and it's a bit sad because it's like eletric cars, the Chinese industry is so in advance now (with craftsmanship and quality) compared to japan, europe and usa, for such a ridiculous price... I have seen Y2 leather unfinished leather motorcycle jacket, and let me tell you: quality is the same for 3 times the price....

What do you think?

Looks amazing and I completely agree on the price, quality and value points.

 

[Warren Crone]

I am getting a bit tired of people claiming their made in China jacket is 80% or just as good (Fjorde promoting drop ship company Brake House on Instagram) as the more expensive Japanese options.

For one, Real Simons piggybacks on the success of Freewheelers by calling their jackets the Mulholland, Four Corners or la Brea. They also claim that their leather is similar to Shinki which in itself is a erroneous claim since Shinki is a tannery that produces a variety of leathers. There is no such thing as 'just like Shinki'. Then there's the environmental costs of poor waste management practices that are the result of less stringent environmental protection laws in countries like China.

As for quality, how to judge the quality of the materials over a longer period of time? I used to work for a brand that had a particular jacket produced in Italy. One year later, in order to save costs, they had the same jacket produced in China. Agreements were made with the manufacturer with regard to the materials that should be used. When the jackets arrived, they looked just as good as the made in Italy ones. But unfortunately, after about half a year, customers who bought the jacket returned it en masse because the glue that was used to attach the lining was of poor quality and thus started protruding through the lining.

How sure can you really be that your made in China jacket is 'just as good' as those from the big players who have years of experience, who built their contacts within the supply chain over years / decades?

Your jacket looks too be put together hastily. Check out the stitching on your lapel, that's incorrect thread tension you're seeing. Also check the sloppy stitching on the collar seam.

I understand why there's a demand for these jackets but please stop comparing them to the high end alternatives, claiming they're just as good. They're not.

View attachment 770093 View attachment 770094

All great points. I’m still blown away by what I got from Crush on Retro compared to my other high-end Japanese-made jackets (I own two from Addict Clothes). For someone who actually rides and wears these jackets, the value proposition is off the charts—$380 vs. $2,000+ USD now.

For me, the bottom line is simple: they’re just not five times better for five times the money. That extra $1,600+ only buys maybe a 5–10% improvement in finishing, and on the jackets I have, there aren’t even any stitching issues. Even if there were a few minor flaws, I’d gladly accept them in exchange for $1,600 in savings.

To each their own—everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I think the whole point of this site is to share our experiences.

Cheers.

 

[MrProper]

I’m still waiting for my free Brakehouse jacket, hahah

They once offered me a jacket. My condition was that I would not write a favourable review if I was not convinced, and that I only like jackets that are made to my measurements.
Then the offer was withdrawn

 

[barnabus]

what I got from Crush on Retro compared to my other high-end Japanese-made jackets (I own two from Addict Clothes). For someone who actually rides and wears these jackets

Out of curiosity, what are you riding when you're wearing your two Addict jackets? (not both at once)

I imagine it's an old Triumph maybe, or Honda four.

 

[Fiedi]

I've lived in the Mainland or HK for almost 15 years, and you can find quality and workmanship that equals anything produced anywhere - it just depends on what you are willing to pay and how many Chinese friends in the know you have. Most things here are yearly or seasonal - clothing is quickly replaced and people like and buy new things on a very frequent basis. A lifetime-and-beyond jacket would be seen as a bit redundant if it starts looking 'old'. You also get composite leather and the like, but you get those everywhere.

You're much more likely to find vintage leathers in HK, but it isn't by any means impossible to find outstanding quality and individual craftsmanship in cities like Shanghai and Beijing (and Guangzhou has a few excellent export markets, too). Leather jackets I've bought in Guangzhou ranged from the thickest cowhide I've handled (these were probably from or for use in the far north and generally fur-collared) to branded, standard quality jackets - these were still in excellent condition when I sold them or gave them away five years later. Shanghai tailors tend to make leather jackets for the local market - these can be stretched/thin lamb or goatskin, but aren't designed to be particularly durable. Tony Leathers/Armed Front make solid stuff, but there isn't, relatively-speaking, a noticeably high demand for bespoke, ******proof jackets when fashion jackets would meet most needs.

My luckiest find was a Shanghai tailor who took a look at a pair of expensive, super-thick repro denim jeans I had and wanted another pair in a similar cut and told me that it wasn't difficult to do and was amazed at the price I'd paid for them from a European country. She made me two pairs in denim of the same thickness in ten days and I've worn them all the time. Cost was a fraction of what I'd paid and they seem to be harder-wearing.

 

[Warren Crone]

Out of curiosity, what are you riding when you're wearing your two Addict jackets? (not both at once)

I imagine it's an old Triumph maybe, or Honda four.

 

[Warren Crone]

Now I can also wear, the badass J24 I got as well!

 

[barnabus]

Lovely bikes!

And my guess wasn't a million miles wrong either.

 

[marker2037]

Not for nothing, but I have a good, albeit personal, feeling a lot of the “new” members posting the same “The quality is amazing for the price!” and “It’s 95% as good as the 3 Japanese jackets I own” are here for a specific marketing purpose.

Good on you, but some of the pictures factually prove otherwise, as @ABCD provided evidence of above.

I will also point out that the belt provided with the natural hide posted above is almost long enough to wrap around the body twice over. Ridiculous

 

[Warren Crone]

Not for nothing, but I have a good, albeit personal, feeling a lot of the “new” members posting the same “The quality is amazing for the price!” and “It’s 95% as good as the 3 Japanese jackets I own” are here for a specific marketing purpose.

Good on you, but some of the pictures factually prove otherwise, as @ABCD provided evidence of above.

I will also point out that the belt provided with the natural hide posted above is almost long enough to wrap around the body twice over. Ridiculous

For the record I’m just a rider and am not affiliated with any companies that make this stuff, just genuinely sharing my experience for others to take as they will.

 

[Warren Crone]

Lovely bikes!

And my guess wasn't a million miles wrong either.

Thank you! Yes, great guess!

 

[Johnthefrench]

They once offered me a jacket. My condition was that I would not write a favourable review if I was not convinced, and that I only like jackets that are made to my measurements.
Then the offer was withdrawn

Ok, i think it's better if you order directly from the manufacturer

 

[Johnthefrench]

Not for nothing, but I have a good, albeit personal, feeling a lot of the “new” members posting the same “The quality is amazing for the price!” and “It’s 95% as good as the 3 Japanese jackets I own” are here for a specific marketing purpose.

Good on you, but some of the pictures factually prove otherwise, as @ABCD provided evidence of above.

I will also point out that the belt provided with the natural hide posted above is almost long enough to wrap around the body twice over. Ridiculous

bro, a belt can be cut...

 

[Johnthefrench]

Not for nothing, but I have a good, albeit personal, feeling a lot of the “new” members posting the same “The quality is amazing for the price!” and “It’s 95% as good as the 3 Japanese jackets I own” are here for a specific marketing purpose.

Good on you, but some of the pictures factually prove otherwise, as @ABCD provided evidence of above.

I will also point out that the belt provided with the natural hide posted above is almost long enough to wrap around the body twice over. Ridiculous

bro, I didn't say that first, moreover, I own around 50 jackets, I'm not an expert but I can compare. And yes for 500$, "The quality is amazing for the price!"

 

[Johnthefrench]

I am getting a bit tired of people claiming their made in China jacket is 80% or just as good (Fjorde promoting drop ship company Brake House on Instagram) as the more expensive Japanese options.

For one, Real Simons piggybacks on the success of Freewheelers by calling their jackets the Mulholland, Four Corners or la Brea. They also claim that their leather is similar to Shinki which in itself is a erroneous claim since Shinki is a tannery that produces a variety of leathers. There is no such thing as 'just like Shinki'. Then there's the environmental costs of poor waste management practices that are the result of less stringent environmental protection laws in countries like China.

As for quality, how to judge the quality of the materials over a longer period of time? I used to work for a brand that had a particular jacket produced in Italy. One year later, in order to save costs, they had the same jacket produced in China. Agreements were made with the manufacturer with regard to the materials that should be used. When the jackets arrived, they looked just as good as the made in Italy ones. But unfortunately, after about half a year, customers who bought the jacket returned it en masse because the glue that was used to attach the lining was of poor quality and thus started protruding through the lining.

How sure can you really be that your made in China jacket is 'just as good' as those from the big players who have years of experience, who built their contacts within the supply chain over years / decades?

Your jacket looks too be put together hastily. Check out the stitching on your lapel, that's incorrect thread tension you're seeing. Also check the sloppy stitching on the collar seam.

I understand why there's a demand for these jackets but please stop comparing them to the high end alternatives, claiming they're just as good. They're not.

View attachment 770093 View attachment 770094

Hi, hope you're well, Honestly, you're right and I agree with you!

I'm going to wear it a lot and leave a review after months to see if the quality is there.

But

About the stitching I agree too BUT, schott, Aero (and also Mccoy sometime) make big mistakes and have big QC issues, I can prove with pics if you want


"How sure can you really be that your made in China jacket is 'just as good' as those from the big players who have years of experience, who built their contacts within the supply chain over years / decades?" That's not a good argument, China made progress in loads of industries like nobody else did, think about textiles, car, battery, solar panel.

Moreover, personally, I prefer having a jacket that costs less than 1,000 euros— but with great quality and look, something I know I will wear, that I’ll really live in, even if it gets scratched or damaged—rather than a jacket that costs 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 6,000 euros, where I’d be terrified (and I am terrified when I wear the mccoy grizzly) —always worried about scratching it, being careful how I sit, how I move. I just think there’s a lot less joy in wearing an extremely expensive jacket every day, since you have to be so careful. Especially when it’s not even better-looking than the cheaper one.

Or maybe I'm not enough rich yet....

Tell me

Have a great day!

 

[ABCD]

Moreover, personally, I prefer having a jacket that costs less than 1,000 euros— but with great quality and look, something I know I will wear, that I’ll really live in, even if it gets scratched or damaged—rather than a jacket that costs 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 6,000 euros, where I’d be terrified (and I am terrified when I wear the mccoy grizzly) —always worried about scratching it, being careful how I sit, how I move. I just think there’s a lot less joy in wearing an extremely expensive jacket every day, since you have to be so careful.

There's no need to defend your preference, different strokes for different folks. Personally, I wear all my new jackets like I stole them. I only baby my 30s or 40s originals that are irreplaceable.

But why do we always need to compare these jackets to their more expensive alternatives? A Nissan is much cheaper than a Porsche even though they have the same number of wheels, doors and seats and they both bring us comfortably from a to b. What does that tell me? Nothing.

 

[Pandemic]

“Wear it like you stole it” might be the greatest slogan I’ve ever heard!

 

[Warren Crone]

There's no need to defend your preference, different strokes for different folks. Personally, I wear all my new jackets like I stole them. I only baby my 30s or 40s originals that are irreplaceable.

But why do we always need to compare these jackets to their more expensive alternatives? A Nissan is much cheaper than a Porsche even though they have the same number of wheels, doors and seats and they both bring us comfortably from a to b. What does that tell me? Nothing.

The point is it feels like and sure seems like to some of us (opinion obviously) that we are able to get close to Porsche quality and finish for Nissan prices and that is very exciting for a lot of us and we want to let others know about it. This I believe is the whole point of this thread…