3 Taubers "Civilian" Jackets

[Chevalier]

Is there anymore information on Taste of Leather? This ad is from 1984.

Chips Motorcycle Jacket by Taubers of California

What does a 1984 Taubers Chip jacket look like? I've got to figure this out, re-calculate, re-imagine.

This ad opens up whole new worlds of possibility! I always assumed that the Castro/Folsom leather shops like Taste of Leather and Image Leather made their own jackets or got them from Johnson Leathers in SF. Some jackets have a secondary tag that looks like JL’s tag, but some do not. Taubers as another potential supplier of jackets is really interesting! This is a jacket I found on the SF peninsula that might match up with the specs for this ad.

The address in the tag matches up with the address on the ad. The tag was coming loose from the jacket, so I had to remove it so I would not lose it.

I will try to do a more detailed comparison between the specs in the ad and this jacket.

 

[Chevalier]

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/custom-made-vintage-chips-bike-jacket.37401/

Also, just my own observation, but the current JL M-500 jacket is basically a cleaned up version of the Taubers Chips jacket. Without belt loops, epaulettes, throat latch and kidney reinforcements. But everything else, the overall shape, or the bones of the jacket, is there. They are both from San Francisco? Could the Taubers machinists moved onto working for JL after Tauber closed down?

The jacket in the link looks similar to another Taste of Leather jacket that I have.

The size tag label looks like the one in the linked post, but the address for Taste of Leather is on Folsom St.

I think it is an earlier address for the business, using Terry’s useful idea of checking business directories. The company had different names and moved around SF a lot. When the address is listed on the label, it makes another way to date their jackets. It would be interesting to find out when and for how long Taste of Leather sourced jackets from Taubers.
(Correction: a search of the Bay Area Reporter archives online was really productive in terms of tracking locations for this shop based on ads. They start advertising in 1974 at the 960 Folsom address, together with shops inside Febes and The Levee bars. The 960 Folsom address was part of a larger store called the Trading Post. A 1977 article on the leather worker there mentions his 10th anniversary, so the shop may have first opened in 1967. The opening date for the shop is confirmed in a 1992 ad that lists “since 1967”. They started listing 336 Sixth St as their address in 1983. 1983-1984 is also the time period when their ads specifically mention custom work by Taubers. The address changed to 315 10th St. in 1992. A help wanted ad lists the address as 317-A 10th St. in 1998.)

 

[tmitchell59]

I did have a later Taubers Cafe Racer that had that little tab at the bottom of the zipper. I will have to find a picture of it. It had the orange label and a corduroy lining. I think it had a mix of YKK and Talon zippers. Taubers could have.
used their label and other labels.

 

[Chevalier]

This is a newspaper ad (November 1983) indicating that at least the 1983-1984 era custom work from Taste of Leather came from Taubers.

The Taubers “Chips” ad shows up repeatedly in the same paper in Oct-Nov 1984.

 

[tmitchell59]

This is a newspaper ad (November 1983) indicating that at least the 1983-1984 era custom work from Taste of Leather came from Taubers.

The Taubers “Chips” ad shows up repeatedly in the same paper in Oct-Nov 1984. View attachment 355058

Most Excellent research!

 

[tmitchell59]

I did have a later Taubers Cafe Racer that had that little tab at the bottom of the zipper. I will have to find a pictur

 

[tmitchell59]

I've been digging into my vast Archive of Pictures and uncovered another early Taubers Civilian Style. Early Knob Hill label.

 

[tmitchell59]

 

[tmitchell59]

 

[tmitchell59]

Taubers worked in Goatkin!!

 

[tmitchell59]

This Orange Size Tag is Taubers work. One above has the same tag as did my cafe racer. I can't find a pic but do remember it and have seen it since then. Those arrow closures also on my orange labeled.

Whatever was Taubers during this era was selling jackets under different labels! At this point it was not the Taubers of the 50s! Keep those eyes and pocketbooks open, new Trophies to Seek!

From orange labeled Taubers pictured above.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

That middle jacket is especially cool!

 

[tmitchell59]

An early Taubers c.late 1940s. Reminiscent of the Buco model, the number I can do not know. These pics were on a Japanese Vintage Clothing site, Acorn