After years avoiding belted leather jackets i recently discovered i was actually a big fan of them, one thing led to another and here are two "new to me" jackets that are not seen very often around here. Both reached me pretty much unworn, it's almost like no one actually wears the nice jackets they buy!
To start with, here is a Diamond Dave one, this is a copy of a late 30s Buco pattern, i don't think it would have originally been called a JH-1, but it was clearly what it evolved into. Unfortunately this isn't really a identical copy, it lacks the underarm gussets it should have, it has the wrong label, extra chest and handwarmer pockets, and the D pocket isn't quite right, but it still looks pretty cool.
The jacket is a classic combination of DD "Good, bad and ugly".
The leather is as usual the best part, dark russet shinki, great feel, great grain, molds to you in no time, nothing bad to report.
Construction is a mixed bag, general stitching is good, the top stitching is nice and even, although a bit wavy in places. Other things are IMO very poor. The belt loops for example are pretty incredibly bad, they are cut so rough you have to wonder if it was done that poorly on purpose to prove a point. The D pocket is also pretty wonky, rather than having a smooth curved edge, it is a succession of diagonal lines forming a curve.
Another couple classic DD moves that reappear on this jacket are the uneven zipper flaps on the handwarmer pocket and the use of zippers with white tape that look like they were painted brown with a Sharpie.
Not great...
The pattern is also IMO very weird. For the chest size it has very wide pointy shoulders, skinny restrictive arms and massive flare out as it goes down. Even though this is slightly too large for me (every single measurement i received from the seller was off by at least one inche!) it is extremely restrictive.
It is basically the same as my first DD jacket, it looks good from afar, but don't inspect it from too close or you will find lots of issues with it and it isn't nice to wear...
Pictures:
Belt loop closeup, admire the precision of that cut!
Fit pics:
It is pretty baggy at the waist, but with the belt i think it kinda looks ok.
Now, on the other end of the spectrum, here is a Real McCoy Buco JH-1.
This is the classic 1947 Buco JH-1, and this is everything you think it should be.
The leather is also Shinki, but it has a very different feel and look to it.
It has a very shiny top coat, and a super wrinkly/grainy finish, unlike any other Shinki i have seen before. It also has a very different smell, almost like pine sap, i really like it.
Construction is perfect, not a single bad thing to say. The stitching is laser straight, super consistent, this is the only other jacket i own that can compete with my Freewheelers LaBrea.
Although it is clearly smaller than the DD, this one actually feels much better.
It doesn't pull across the biceps and the back when i reach forward, even though the armpits are tighter they are less restrictive because of the underarm gussets. it also doesn't have such a pronounced flair at the bottom. It is still a pretty boxy jacket, but not as much as the DD.
I also think i like the shorter body better. Which is weird considering i would have called that jacket too short a year ago! How things change...
Pics:
And fit pics:
Overall, i like both.
I wish the DD had better attention to detail and was smaller in the waist, and i wish the RMC was slightly bigger in the shoulders, but for the moment i am keeping both.
I can't really layer much underneath the RMC, so having the larger DD might be useful sometimes. I can easily fit a thick fleece or hoodie underneath, which i can't do with the RMC (it only fits a thin jumper).
To start with, here is a Diamond Dave one, this is a copy of a late 30s Buco pattern, i don't think it would have originally been called a JH-1, but it was clearly what it evolved into. Unfortunately this isn't really a identical copy, it lacks the underarm gussets it should have, it has the wrong label, extra chest and handwarmer pockets, and the D pocket isn't quite right, but it still looks pretty cool.
The jacket is a classic combination of DD "Good, bad and ugly".
The leather is as usual the best part, dark russet shinki, great feel, great grain, molds to you in no time, nothing bad to report.
Construction is a mixed bag, general stitching is good, the top stitching is nice and even, although a bit wavy in places. Other things are IMO very poor. The belt loops for example are pretty incredibly bad, they are cut so rough you have to wonder if it was done that poorly on purpose to prove a point. The D pocket is also pretty wonky, rather than having a smooth curved edge, it is a succession of diagonal lines forming a curve.
Another couple classic DD moves that reappear on this jacket are the uneven zipper flaps on the handwarmer pocket and the use of zippers with white tape that look like they were painted brown with a Sharpie.
Not great...
The pattern is also IMO very weird. For the chest size it has very wide pointy shoulders, skinny restrictive arms and massive flare out as it goes down. Even though this is slightly too large for me (every single measurement i received from the seller was off by at least one inche!) it is extremely restrictive.
It is basically the same as my first DD jacket, it looks good from afar, but don't inspect it from too close or you will find lots of issues with it and it isn't nice to wear...
Pictures:
Belt loop closeup, admire the precision of that cut!
Fit pics:
It is pretty baggy at the waist, but with the belt i think it kinda looks ok.
Now, on the other end of the spectrum, here is a Real McCoy Buco JH-1.
This is the classic 1947 Buco JH-1, and this is everything you think it should be.
The leather is also Shinki, but it has a very different feel and look to it.
It has a very shiny top coat, and a super wrinkly/grainy finish, unlike any other Shinki i have seen before. It also has a very different smell, almost like pine sap, i really like it.
Construction is perfect, not a single bad thing to say. The stitching is laser straight, super consistent, this is the only other jacket i own that can compete with my Freewheelers LaBrea.
Although it is clearly smaller than the DD, this one actually feels much better.
It doesn't pull across the biceps and the back when i reach forward, even though the armpits are tighter they are less restrictive because of the underarm gussets. it also doesn't have such a pronounced flair at the bottom. It is still a pretty boxy jacket, but not as much as the DD.
I also think i like the shorter body better. Which is weird considering i would have called that jacket too short a year ago! How things change...
Pics:
And fit pics:
Overall, i like both.
I wish the DD had better attention to detail and was smaller in the waist, and i wish the RMC was slightly bigger in the shoulders, but for the moment i am keeping both.
I can't really layer much underneath the RMC, so having the larger DD might be useful sometimes. I can easily fit a thick fleece or hoodie underneath, which i can't do with the RMC (it only fits a thin jumper).
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