Best manufacturer in the world? Himel, Thedi, Aero, Y2, Lost Worlds, Freewheelers or other?

[Sirkrimzon]

I’m dipping my toes into the leather jacket game (a lovely deep rabbit hole I am thoroughly enjoying). I own one vintage Cabelas lamb skin G-1 and a Mister Freedom Campus. I’m now looking at the next tier

I frequently hear of these stalwarts in the industry. Thedi out of Greece, Himel Bros from Canada, Aero in Scotland, Lost Worlds from the US and many Japanese but the top two seem to be Freewheelers and Y2.

Which of these would you say make the single best jackets in the world? Or are they, like I suspect, all better at different things? Are there any other makers that compete with these top makers in the world? Very curious to get into the deeper end of this hobby.

 

[MadCat]

That’s subjective. Those are all top tier makers, but which one is better comes down to personal opinion imo.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Depends on your personal preference in patterns, choices of leather and intended use.

I like Lost Worlds, Johnson Leathers from SF and Vanson best because they offer what I like - very durable jackets with functional patterns that suit my body shape.

Japanese jackets don't work for me because I am not into the rapidly aging "tea core" leather and at 5'10 and 180 lbs their patterns are usually too slim for me.

Aeros patterns don't work for me, neither in comfort nor range of motion.

 

[Sirkrimzon]

Depends on your personal preference in patterns, choices of leather and intended use.

I like Lost Worlds, Johnson Leathers from SF and Vanson best because they offer what I like - very durable jackets with functional patterns that suit my body shape.

Japanese jackets don't work for me because I am not into the rapidly aging "tea core" leather and at 5'10 and 180 lbs their patterns are usually too slim for me.

Aeros patterns don't work for me, neither in comfort nor range of motion.

Thanks. What do you think of Thedi? His designs are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen

 

[dinhnguyen57]

All mentioned are all good, definitely good enough. What's important is what style or pattern you like more and what price you'll be willing to pay for would be more important.

 

[lina]

Aero has, for many of us here, been inconsistent on sizing, and quality while overall quite high can sometimes be off a bit.
I briefly owned one Thedi jacket, and I have to say that it kinda blew me away with regard to materials and pattern.
Also briefly owned a Flathead jacket and it also has a very standard of quality, again mostly based on materials and pattern but also execution.

 

[dthieu86]

This is a really interesting topic. Like most people here, I think everyone's ranking ultimately comes down to personal preference and how they intend to use their jackets.

Looking at your list, I haven't had the opportunity to own a Thedi or a Himel Bros. jacket yet, although both are definitely on my list to experience one day.

As for Aero, my experience hasn't been particularly positive. I've owned two or three of their jackets over the years. While the leather was certainly thick and robust, I didn't find it to have the suppleness or resilience I was looking for over the long term. On both jackets, the leather eventually developed cracks around the collar and cuff edges, even though I regularly conditioned them with Mustang Paste. If I were to choose a British leather jacket, I would probably go with Lewis Leathers instead.

When it comes to the Japanese makers, I think each brand has its own strengths, but Freewheelers has always stood out to me as something special.

Y'2 Leather is certainly a popular brand, but personally I would still rank it below makers such as At Last & Co., Fine Creek Leather (not Fine Creek & Co.), and Rainbow Country.

Of course, these are just my personal opinions. I'm simply happy to share my experiences and join the discussion with everyone.

Hieu

 

[barnabus]

Depends on your personal preference in patterns, choices of leather and intended use.

Absolutely.

Whenever the question is "what's the best .... in the world?", the answer is always "it depends".

 

[LuddGang]

Took me a while to try Aero because I was scared off by the stories of patterns not working for people, but they’ve ended up being my favourite - I love the variety of styles and that the jackets are more ‘civilian’. They all feel great on me, none of the neck hang or restricted movement some people experience. Whereas whenever I’ve tried on any of the Japanese makers they haven’t felt right on me, like anyone with a moderately big build was a bit of an afterthought.

Like everyone says, it’s completely down to personal preference and what you’re looking for.

 

[Tom71]

Best advice: read through all the pages of the “What Jacket today” thread.

Not only will you get an idea about different makers and their patterns and different hides and their core properties.

You will also come to realise that all of the makers you mentioned had their heyday on TFL. And most took a fall once in a while.

 

[bobjones]

I’m dipping my toes into the leather jacket game (a lovely deep rabbit hole I am thoroughly enjoying). I own one vintage Cabelas lamb skin G-1 and a Mister Freedom Campus. I’m now looking at the next tier

I frequently hear of these stalwarts in the industry. Thedi out of Greece, Himel Bros from Canada, Aero in Scotland, Lost Worlds from the US and many Japanese but the top two seem to be Freewheelers and Y2.

Which of these would you say make the single best jackets in the world? Or are they, like I suspect, all better at different things? Are there any other makers that compete with these top makers in the world? Very curious to get into the deeper end of this hobby.

There is no such thing as "best"; its like what is the best food, best guitarist, etc., its a question that is not really reasonable.

Leather jackets can be somewhat objectively judged by their leather quality, stitching, quality of buttons/zippers, but beyond that it comes subjectively down to the patterns you like, that fit your frame, and serve the purpose you want them to.

 

[l0fielectronic]

Thanks. What do you think of Thedi? His designs are some of the most beautiful I’ve seen

I've seen some that look a little costumey for my taste and others which I think look great.

I've never once had the desire to own one though and I honestly don't know why that is.

 

[CriscoPisco]

The title question of this thread is impossible and absurd as there is absolutely no right answer.

 

[JackBroChill]

Like everyone has said, it's far too subjective of a question to answer.

Certainly many Japanese makers are hard to top when it comes to obsessiveness over materials, stitching, manufacturing etc. But they command sky high pricing that is almost always never worth it at retail, and for many of us here the patterns are simply not a great fit. Within that realm, Freewheelers seems to get the most respect (I've never handled one) but the Real McCoy's certainly comes close. I have a RMC jacket that fits me phenomenally but just about every other jacket from them doesn't work for me at all. The one I do have is certainly an incredible jacket but that's as much about the fit and design that I love as it is the quality (which is of course, exceptional). Rainbow Country, The Flat Head, and others are all of extremely high quality as well it's just, again, if the slim patterns fit you.

FWIW I don't think anybody would have Y'2 as the 'best' in terms of pure quality, but they make phenomenal jackets for a really reasonable price (especially compared to their peers) and have a lot of great and unique designs.

I have never handled a Thedi but they certainly seem to have a 'soul' to them that people are very drawn to, with extremely high quality leathers and a clearly artisanal/handmade vibe that make for a jacket many would call as good as anything in the world. Like others here have said, most of their designs and aesthetic are just not for me (a little too 'euro' for lack of a better word). But I have seen a few that I'd love to try on in person and maybe one day will be lucky enough to find one that works for me.

Vanson is never going to have the allure of a Japanese maker or something as bespoke as Thedi, but as someone who has handled many of the 'best' manufactures I'll be damned if anything just 'feels' as good as a proper Vanson. Obviously it's all about body type but the patterns they have are second to none, and the leather itself is still superb. But nothing can compare to a jacket that just fits 'right' and Vanson seems to nail that more effortlessly than any other maker I've handled. Which is why I find myself more looking at their stuff than other makers, and why I think so many on this forum eventually find themselves in the same boat.

 

[Sirkrimzon]

Like everyone has said, it's far too subjective of a question to answer.

Certainly many Japanese makers are hard to top when it comes to obsessiveness over materials, stitching, manufacturing etc. But they command sky high pricing that is almost always never worth it at retail, and for many of us here the patterns are simply not a great fit. Within that realm, Freewheelers seems to get the most respect (I've never handled one) but the Real McCoy's certainly comes close. I have a RMC jacket that fits me phenomenally but just about every other jacket from them doesn't work for me at all. The one I do have is certainly an incredible jacket but that's as much about the fit and design that I love as it is the quality (which is of course, exceptional). Rainbow Country, The Flat Head, and others are all of extremely high quality as well it's just, again, if the slim patterns fit you.

FWIW I don't think anybody would have Y'2 as the 'best' in terms of pure quality, but they make phenomenal jackets for a really reasonable price (especially compared to their peers) and have a lot of great and unique designs.

I have never handled a Thedi but they certainly seem to have a 'soul' to them that people are very drawn to, with extremely high quality leathers and a clearly artisanal/handmade vibe that make for a jacket many would call as good as anything in the world. Like others here have said, most of their designs and aesthetic are just not for me (a little too 'euro' for lack of a better word). But I have seen a few that I'd love to try on in person and maybe one day will be lucky enough to find one that works for me.

Vanson is never going to have the allure of a Japanese maker or something as bespoke as Thedi, but as someone who has handled many of the 'best' manufactures I'll be damned if anything just 'feels' as good as a proper Vanson. Obviously it's all about body type but the patterns they have are second to none, and the leather itself is still superb. But nothing can compare to a jacket that just fits 'right' and Vanson seems to nail that more effortlessly than any other maker I've handled. Which is why I find myself more looking at their stuff than other makers, and why I think so many on this forum eventually find themselves in the same boat.

Thank you very much for the thoughtful reply. I will have to check vanson out

 

[bobjones]

Like everyone has said, it's far too subjective of a question to answer.

Certainly many Japanese makers are hard to top when it comes to obsessiveness over materials, stitching, manufacturing etc. But they command sky high pricing that is almost always never worth it at retail, and for many of us here the patterns are simply not a great fit. Within that realm, Freewheelers seems to get the most respect (I've never handled one) but the Real McCoy's certainly comes close. I have a RMC jacket that fits me phenomenally but just about every other jacket from them doesn't work for me at all. The one I do have is certainly an incredible jacket but that's as much about the fit and design that I love as it is the quality (which is of course, exceptional). Rainbow Country, The Flat Head, and others are all of extremely high quality as well it's just, again, if the slim patterns fit you.

FWIW I don't think anybody would have Y'2 as the 'best' in terms of pure quality, but they make phenomenal jackets for a really reasonable price (especially compared to their peers) and have a lot of great and unique designs.

I have never handled a Thedi but they certainly seem to have a 'soul' to them that people are very drawn to, with extremely high quality leathers and a clearly artisanal/handmade vibe that make for a jacket many would call as good as anything in the world. Like others here have said, most of their designs and aesthetic are just not for me (a little too 'euro' for lack of a better word). But I have seen a few that I'd love to try on in person and maybe one day will be lucky enough to find one that works for me.

Vanson is never going to have the allure of a Japanese maker or something as bespoke as Thedi, but as someone who has handled many of the 'best' manufactures I'll be damned if anything just 'feels' as good as a proper Vanson. Obviously it's all about body type but the patterns they have are second to none, and the leather itself is still superb. But nothing can compare to a jacket that just fits 'right' and Vanson seems to nail that more effortlessly than any other maker I've handled. Which is why I find myself more looking at their stuff than other makers, and why I think so many on this forum eventually find themselves in the same boat.

LOL I feel the same about Schott, because so many of their "civilian" (non-moto) jacket patterns in size large fit me perfectly. Their patterns just fit the aesthetic that I seek at this time and point in my life.

Jackets that worked well for me 25/30 years ago just don't anymore, and people my age who try to pass muster wearing a jacket better suited for someone way younger just look silly IMO. I think Schott has a broad range covering many different looks, from bad boy moto to sophisticated/urban.

That is the magic of leather jackets, there is a style/shape/pattern out there for everyone, regardless of your age, height, shape, shoulders, or waist.

 

[red devil]

What type of jacket are you looking at?

 

[Monitor]

...didn't I make a post in this thread?

 

[Leigh H]

Apples and oranges

 

[bobjones]

...didn't I make a post in this thread?

You are witnessing repeat threads; the account is a troll...