Cal-Leather

[Guppy]

Cal sells their own vintage used jackets at $750. By the by, I just listed a really nice vintage Cal LAPD here for $700, if anyone's interested.

 

[mihai]

Here's a nice one. Seller missed the mark on the maker.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/201787555538

Nice jacket regardless if it's a Cal leathers or not. A pity that so nice jackets show up in general in small sizes <40 or huge ones >46.
Seeing the vintage used jackets they have for sale on Cal leathers web-site, I'm not a fan of how the leather aged.

 

[Edward]

Well 2995 - 700 = 2295 for horse

Then 2295 - 1500 for the standard lapd = 795

795 for just the different front pockets and cuffs on the heritage.......

Jinkies, hat seems like a hell of an upcharge too. Guess they either want to sell the 'heritage model' as a premium / luxury thing, or they just don't want to have to make too many of them! I prefer itg over the standard model, but no, I wouldn'tg pay that sort of money for it. If the pound were to recover to 2008 levels on the dollar, I'd be looking seriously at that standard LAPD, though. Do they offer armour pockets?

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Greetings All:
Bumping this old thread to life.

Anybody have any more on Cal Leather? I’d love to see em.
Also, Question:
To nail down the ID of a vintage Cal Leather say CHP jacket with no labels, other than hidden collar snaps, are the “up-snapping” belt loops a dead giveaway as a unique Cal Leathers thing? It seems all others i’ve seen snap down.
I know Langlitz hid snaps as well on the Columbia i believe, but belt loops down snap.
I’m asking because i have two of them and would like to nail the id down.
Be well. Bowen

 

[El Marro]

Perfect time to bump this old thread. I just won this six panel racer by Cal Leathers and I should have it next week:

Seller said it was from the 1960's and it looks like it's in pretty decent shape. This is my first vintage mc jacket and I can't wait to get it!

 

[ton312]

Is Cal still a functioning company? I sent several emails their way with no reply. It's a bummer but my gut says
Cal-Leathers is a thing of the past.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Is Cal still a functioning company? I sent several emails their way with no reply. It's a bummer but my gut says
Cal-Leathers is a thing of the past.

Try to call or maybe send them a message on facebook, they have a page there on which they post frequently. I sent them an e-Mail like 4 months ago and got an answer last week. I'm guessing this is a very-few-people-small-business these days who only very sporadically check their mailboxes.

 

[technovox]

Is Cal still a functioning company? I sent several emails their way with no reply. It's a bummer but my gut says
Cal-Leathers is a thing of the past.

Cal- Leather is a very small operation. And I know they took a bad hit in the Ventura fires last year. But, afaik, they are still operational and producing jackets. I found that calling was always the best way to contact them.

 

[technovox]

Perfect time to bump this old thread. I just won this six panel racer by Cal Leathers and I should have it next week:
View attachment 105117
View attachment 105118

Seller said it was from the 1960's and it looks like it's in pretty decent shape. This is my first vintage mc jacket and I can't wait to get it!

That's ones a beauty! Love the diamond padding! From a good seller too! I would have definitely bid on it if it wasn't too big for me (as if I needed another one...) Glad you got it!

 

[El Marro]

That's ones a beauty! Love the diamond padding! From a good seller too! I would have definitely bid on it if it wasn't too big for me (as if I needed another one...) Glad you got it!

Thanks man, I have to say I have looked on with envy at some of the vintage classics you have displayed here from time to time. Usually they are too small for me so when I saw this one I thought it was worth a shot. I was pleasantly surprised that the bidding petered out around $200. I was prepared to go higher, but glad I didn't have to.

 

[technovox]

Thanks man, I have to say I have looked on with envy at some of the vintage classics you have displayed here from time to time. Usually they are too small for me so when I saw this one I thought it was worth a shot. I was pleasantly surprised that the bidding petered out around $200. I was prepared to go higher, but glad I didn't have to.

Thanks! Yes, I was surprised too. These vintage Cal Leather jackets are all custom made, and typically with horsehide. Personally, I've always considered them totally undervalued, especially when considering the quality, the pedigree and rare factor. You definitely scored!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Perfect time to bump this old thread. I just won this six panel racer by Cal Leathers and I should have it next week:
View attachment 105117
View attachment 105118

Seller said it was from the 1960's and it looks like it's in pretty decent shape. This is my first vintage mc jacket and I can't wait to get it!

Greetings All:
YOU....YOU....YOU!!!
(Saved me $$)
Nice catch. Nice price.
Be well. Bowen

 

[El Marro]

Greetings All:
YOU....YOU....YOU!!!
(Saved me $$)
Nice catch. Nice price.
Be well. Bowen

Were you bidding on that one too?!?
Too cool, I always wonder if I am going up against another lounger when bidding on a leather jacket.

 

[ton312]

They are undervalued, but only by those who don't know any better. The jacket I posted earlier in this thread was a very early, mint condition jacket that I had hoped to trade for a new one, due to the desire for a better fit. A very rare specimen and I don't believe they could have matched the hide quality with the modern materials at their disposal but I wanted to see what my options were. Time passed. Eventually, I was contacted by a 3rd party "speaking" on their behalf and was offered a very low trade in value. I was disappointed to say the least, as my jacket quite obviously greatly eclipsed what the current models they display have to offer (hide quality). Over the course of the next couple years I sent inquiries about other jackets I owned with no response.
I'd love to see Cal as a viable option. They are a benchmark in design and a founding father of the LAPD jacket. But in my opinion, something is off.

 

[01flhr]

Cal posts on instagram also. Im under the impression that its kind of a husband wife deal where she does the construction. If you look them up on google maps they also do auto upholstery. I do know that they have 3.5oz and 2oz leather offerings. Ive inquired a few times about their jackets by phone amd on ig and information is kind of hard to come by. I want to add another to the collection from an classic maker and im pretty interested in cal and bates. At this point im at an impasse as to which way to go. I like the look of the cal better and the fact that james dean owned one is pretty cool but im afraid ill give them my hard earned money but who knows how communication will be after the fact.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Were you bidding on that one too?!?
Too cool, I always wonder if I am going up against another lounger when bidding on a leather jacket.

Greetings El Marro:
Ha. I’ll never say! That way you’re safe. For now!
I have shed and drawn bid blood with loungers in the hat threads. Never pleasant either way. Enjoy!!
Be well. Bowen

 

[El Marro]

Greetings El Marro:
Ha. I’ll never say! That way you’re safe. For now!
I have shed and drawn bid blood with loungers in the hat threads. Never pleasant either way. Enjoy!!
Be well. Bowen

I understand. And I also look at it the same way as you when I do get outbid: somebody just saved me some money!

 

[ton312]

Try to call or maybe send them a message on facebook, they have a page there on which they post frequently. I sent them an e-Mail like 4 months ago and got an answer last week. I'm guessing this is a very-few-people-small-business these days who only very sporadically check their mailboxes.

I get that.... won't go very far. I was mainly turned off by being handed over to a straw man for my very valuable, I'll say irreplaceable piece of their history. I've owned over a dozen Cal jackets and never one like it. I know what I had. And being offered a piss ant sum. In the end a wise man bought it for its true value, I bought a brand new Aero. I was hoping they'd see the value in what I had but it turns out some dude in Switzerland had more vision and understanding of the jackets value. That is odd to me.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I understand. And I also look at it the same way as you when I do get outbid: somebody just saved me some money!

Greetings El Marro:
No hard feelings at all or worries. They are just hats and coats. Nobody gets an eye put out.
After awhile bidding on hats, i kept track of who the bidders were and would see them on the lounge, so i kinda knew who liked what and was my size. Also, how some bid, but hats are like rabbits, everywhere, coats not so much. Enjoy that jacket. I’m prob too old for it anyway! Ha
Be well. Bowen

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Greetings All:
So i should keep this one??? Right?
Crappy photo but.
Be well. Bowen