Chinese leather jackets

[Matt_B]

If you buy a leather jacket from China, be sure that you have the correct size. I had a negative experience with an order from Real Simons trying to do an exchange. I was attempting to exchange but Fed Ex and UPS wanted $400-$500 to ship back to China, for a $600 jacket. USPS wanted $150 to ship but with unknown delivery time. This was my first time trying to send items back to China. Maybe someone here in forum knows a more economical way to send back.

The error was a misrepresentation error on their website for their brown Cossack horsehide jacket. I even emailed them for their sizing recommendation before purchase. The jacket in size medium was listed having a shoulder measurement of 18.11 inch. The actual jacket I received was 17" in the shoulder. The fit was not ideal and not as advertised. Real Simons verified that the listed size was incorrect. with a stock jacket from their warehouse. They only offered to exchange.

I have not had any problems from Crush on Retro or Tailor Brando.

 

[hivecanary]

The one time that happened to me was when I got sent the wrong jacket from a seller on ebay where it was a 210$ purchase and 125$ shipping usps. It was the only way I was going to get anything back, so I did it and effectly got 85$ back. But then a month later the box showed up at my door as undeliverable, having been sent back from china. So I got a jacket I didn't want for 125$.

USPS will hand it off to the chinese post, so it isn't trackable, but my experience showed the system works, if slowly. All the other options I'm seeing are the prices your qouting. My suggestion would be either take the hit with usps, or try to use a secondary broker like ebay, paypal, or any other service that lets you buy shipping labels. Often times the major carriers will give steep discounts through those services. Ebay especially gives pretty heavy discounts of 35-65% off what you'd be charged if you went through the carriers website to get the label.

That and see if you can get qoutes for different box sizes, sometimes a carrier will price a size range lower because of stackability (or an ai algo glitch).

 

[Matt_B]

To be fair, I have gotten a few really nice jackets from China but the process is a hit or miss. The cheap price is very alluring but can be costly if a return is needed. They may say "no hassle returns" but trying to return can be a rude awakening, frustrating and cost prohibitive. Caveat emptor.

 

[ton312]

To be fair, I have gotten a few really nice jackets from China but the process is a hit or miss. The cheap price is very alluring but can be costly if a return is needed. They may say "no hassle returns" but trying to return can be a rude awakening, frustrating and cost prohibitive. Caveat emptor.

This is exactly what I mentioned to you I the Cossack thread. These jackets are mass produced in such quantities that they are bulk shipped for next to nothing. But you as an individual will pay out the a$$ to have a jacket hand delivered back to the shipping warehouse.

I have no delusions about these jackets, and I’ve voiced and demonstrated over and over again why they aren’t worth anywhere near the cost they can be had for. But one must simply accept defeat if they roll the dice and it doesn’t work out. Zero resale value and essentially impossible to return. This combined with dubious quality, ambiguous leather and shoddy craftsmanship makes saving the money for something far superior a very easy choice imo. Not to mention you have a direct and clear channel for after sale support.

 

[CombatWombat]

I think you need to do more research chief. I understand this is the bargain, “almost good”thread but to compare Aero and Eastman to this stuff is completely absurd and non sequitur. Of course if you can back it up with photos like the one you quoted (a Chinese cheapo btw) that might be helpful.

Well considering that Aero AND Eastman continue to use a hilarious tension for their sewing work ( splitting/tearing their seams and puckering) I'd say that the Chinese are better at their sewing work or hide selection......

I'd rather have a Chinese jacket that has decent tensioned sewing than a Aero with puckered leather and stitch holes that are ripped rather than punctured cleanly.....especially at the premium they charge "chief"

 

[hivecanary]

The quality of the sewing thread used by Aero

Hello everyone, I wanted to know if, like me, some of you have noticed a drop in the quality of the sewing thread used by Aero? Indeed, on my last jacket, which is only a few months old, the thread is fraying in many places and some seams have even started to come loose. Do you think I should be...

www.thefedoralounge.com

Aero A2 quality check?

Hi all, I just received my A2 from Aero which I like the general fit/look of but had some concerns about the quality which I would like to get the opinions of you experienced folk here. On inspection I noticed quite a few cracks in the leather and areas where the top finish has come off, mostly...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

These are the only two examples online that ive seen of what your talking about, one being an apprentice jacket that has such issues kinda baked into the name, and the other was seemingly a legitimate error on aero's part, but it is a single example out of decades of products sold.

Do you have other examples of the high thread tension your describing?

The attached image is of an aero fq hh barnstormer next to a jia shi horsehide brakeman. I have no complaints on the stitching on either. I will say i like the slightly wider stitch length on aero (less punctures per inch) but as was said earlier in this thread, id call that a 5% increase in quality, something that I'd only notice when looking really closely at them together.

Well considering that Aero AND Eastman continue to use a hilarious tension for their sewing work ( splitting/tearing their seams and puckering) I'd say that the Chinese are better at their sewing work or hide selection......

I'd rather have a Chinese jacket that has decent tensioned sewing than a Aero with puckered leather and stitch holes that are ripped rather than punctured cleanly.....especially at the premium they charge "chief"

 

[Red Cliff]

I myself am a fan and buyer of Chinese leather jackets, and I guarantee that everyone can find their favorite leather jacket on Taobao, at affordable prices and with a 7-day no-questions-asked return policy! I hope that one day I can see Chinese-style leather jackets go global.

 

[Red Cliff]

To be fair, I have gotten a few really nice jackets from China but the process is a hit or miss. The cheap price is very alluring but can be costly if a return is needed. They may say "no hassle returns" but trying to return can be a rude awakening, frustrating and cost prohibitive. Caveat emptor.

Taobao supports 7-day no-reason return and exchange.

 

[Zoro]

Taobao supports 7-day no-reason return and exchange.

Yes, from China. Good luck getting the jacket in 7 days from Taobao living in EU or USA.

I could say I'm a "fan" of Chinese jackets, but as long as you buy knowing you're making a gamble and you won't get your money back if something goes wrong.

 

[Red Cliff]

Yes, from China. Good luck getting the jacket in 7 days from Taobao living in EU or USA.

I could say I'm a "fan" of Chinese jackets, but as long as you buy knowing you're making a gamble and you won't get your money back if something goes wrong.

Leather jackets made in China do have quality issues. Even locals need to do their research before buying. I bought one from Realsimons, and when I opened the package, the sleeves were severely moldy. Leather jackets in the 1000-2000 RMB price range are generally of poor quality; usually, leather jackets above that price are of much better quality.

 

[Red Cliff]

Hi, Do you know any custom jacket makers in China? Mostly adding sleeves length .

GUOFO

 

[TartuWolf]

GUOFO

Regarding makers like Guofo and Risk Rider, does anyone know how to actually find or contact them?
This reminded me of this post:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/chinese-leather-jackets.105232/post-2848592

 

[Red Cliff]

Regarding makers like Guofo and Risk Rider, does anyone know how to actually find or contact them?
This reminded me of this post:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/chinese-leather-jackets.105232/post-2848592

APP：小红书（xiaohongshu）。This social media platform has almost all of China's high-end leather clothing social media accounts.

 

[Matt_B]

GUOFO

Alaska Outfitters by Roy Kwok does custom. See their eBay store.

 

[hivecanary]

Lighter test confirms it is real shearling (as well as the visible leather edges). Absolutely stunning b3 bomber, my only slight complaint is that the sleeves are a tad tighter than id prefer. But im coming to find that having 13 inch forearms is more the problem than the cut. I am 5'10" and 185 pounds, i got the 2xl based on crush on retros model description. Mine came from ebay, The one at crush (white and brown) might be jiashi, which might have a different cut. Maybe the 3xl would have had longer/wider forearms but I like the fitted cut on the core on this.

Im sure this 'bargain, almost good' jacket doesnt have as soft of shearling as lost worlds b3: i also didnt pay 2 mortgage payments for it. For 17% of the price im *quite* happy with the quality.

The only moment in my life where I think i could have worn this and not gotten hot was scrubbing industrial freezer floors, where it was -10 degrees and it took 2 hours.

 

[minimalist]

Lighter test confirms it is real shearling (as well as the visible leather edges). Absolutely stunning b3 bomber, my only slight complaint is that the sleeves are a tad tighter than id prefer. But im coming to find that having 13 inch forearms is more the problem than the cut. I am 5'10" and 185 pounds, i got the 2xl based on crush on retros model description. Mine came from ebay, The one at crush (white and brown) might be jiashi, which might have a different cut. Maybe the 3xl would have had longer/wider forearms but I like the fitted cut on the core on this.

Im sure this 'bargain, almost good' jacket doesnt have as soft of shearling as lost worlds b3: i also didnt pay 2 mortgage payments for it. For 17% of the price im *quite* happy with the quality.

The only moment in my life where I think i could have worn this and not gotten hot was scrubbing industrial freezer floors, where it was -10 degrees and it took 2 hours.

Cool jacket. I have had my eyes on this for a while so it is great to find a real review of it.

How's the quality of the leather? I understood that the body is made of sheep leather while the pocket and the arms are horsehide?

 

[hivecanary]

Cool jacket. I have had my eyes on this for a while so it is great to find a real review of it.

How's the quality of the leather? I understood that the body is made of sheep leather while the pocket and the arms are horsehide?

I think its really high quality for the price point. The leather/material choices I'd pay a little more for would mostly be in a wool treatment to soften the pile a touch. Otherwise I like the materials used.

In these images I'm comparing it to another budget brand from turkey, 'victoria leathers' which does a lot of shearling peices available on ebay. The treatment on the fleshside of the shearling is similar, with victorias being a little more consistent texture, and a little softer. I've had matt finish and suede type shearlings before, and I will always prefer a smooth finish for the sake of water repellence and ease of cleaning. The smoother the better. Shearling side is similar in pile density, with veloukldly having the edge because of pile length (its longer and warmer).

The other images show the the horsehide thickness at 0.05", or 1.27mm, making it 2.5-3.0oz horsehide. Any thicker and you risk tearing the shearling hide at the junction points over time, since the stiffer horsehide creates a bend repetition along its edges.

Construction wise its great for the price. This is where we get into the 5-10% quality increase mentioned, which i really have to emphasize: 2650$ base price for lost worlds, 465$ shipped price for this. Would i pay someone 2 ,185$ to fix these construction errors and apply a wool wash to soften the pile a touch? Not on my current wages. I feel like the discussion about 'quality' and 'value' often side step the lived reality of most peoples financial situations. Paying 2,000$+ to go from a fully functional beautiful rendition of a b3 with some minor cosmetic misteps up to 'complete perfection' is a *luxury* expenditure. High five to anyone doing it, i wanna hear all about it, but I cant reasonably tell your average wage earner in the u.s. that this jacket is (insert derogative term here) and that they should just save up and buy a 'real' 'quality' jacket thats 5x the price. This *is* a quality jacket *in context*.

So... the misteps:
-The pile was layed down in one place (about 1.5 inches long) by a stitch line. That reduces warmth in that area, but also modifies stitch tention which can result in cutting the sheepskin flesh side, or a loose thread should the trapped pile get moved out from under it during wear.
-one elbow seam landed about 1/4" off center
-there is some silver layout pen till visible that wasnt wiped off or covered. This is common with veloukldly (ive seen it on 3 of the jackets ive had from them)

The forearms that are a hair snug on my 13" forearms show how much pile there is, the leather on the outside showing a smoothing of texture from the light stretch caused by the pile pushing against itself in the tighter inside circumference. This isnt a misstep, just a contributing factor to why the forearms feel the way i mentioned on my body type.

 

[minimalist]

I think its really high quality for the price point. The leather/material choices I'd pay a little more for would mostly be in a wool treatment to soften the pile a touch. Otherwise I like the materials used.

In these images I'm comparing it to another budget brand from turkey, 'victoria leathers' which does a lot of shearling peices available on ebay. The treatment on the fleshside of the shearling is similar, with victorias being a little more consistent texture, and a little softer. I've had matt finish and suede type shearlings before, and I will always prefer a smooth finish for the sake of water repellence and ease of cleaning. The smoother the better. Shearling side is similar in pile density, with veloukldly having the edge because of pile length (its longer and warmer).

The other images show the the horsehide thickness at 0.05", or 1.27mm, making it 2.5-3.0oz horsehide. Any thicker and you risk tearing the shearling hide at the junction points over time, since the stiffer horsehide creates a bend repetition along its edges.

Construction wise its great for the price. This is where we get into the 5-10% quality increase mentioned, which i really have to emphasize: 2650$ base price for lost worlds, 465$ shipped price for this. Would i pay someone 2 ,185$ to fix these construction errors and apply a wool wash to soften the pile a touch? Not on my current wages. I feel like the discussion about 'quality' and 'value' often side step the lived reality of most peoples financial situations. Paying 2,000$+ to go from a fully functional beautiful rendition of a b3 with some minor cosmetic misteps up to 'complete perfection' is a *luxury* expenditure. High five to anyone doing it, i wanna hear all about it, but I cant reasonably tell your average wage earner in the u.s. that this jacket is (insert derogative term here) and that they should just save up and buy a 'real' 'quality' jacket thats 5x the price. This *is* a quality jacket *in context*.

So... the misteps:
-The pile was layed down in one place (about 1.5 inches long) by a stitch line. That reduces warmth in that area, but also modifies stitch tention which can result in cutting the sheepskin flesh side, or a loose thread should the trapped pile get moved out from under it during wear.
-one elbow seam landed about 1/4" off center
-there is some silver layout pen till visible that wasnt wiped off or covered. This is common with veloukldly (ive seen it on 3 of the jackets ive had from them)

The forearms that are a hair snug on my 13" forearms show how much pile there is, the leather on the outside showing a smoothing of texture from the light stretch caused by the pile pushing against itself in the tighter inside circumference. This isnt a misstep, just a contributing factor to why the forearms feel the way i mentioned on my body type.

Thanks for the detailed response. These jackets are indeed an incredible value.
I have a strong suspicions that these same manufacturors also churn out most of the famed RRL leather goods.

It would still, nevertheless, be interesting to see a side-by-side comparison with the more 'premium' Japanese or European jackets.

 

[minimalist]

I think its really high quality for the price point. The leather/material choices I'd pay a little more for would mostly be in a wool treatment to soften the pile a touch. Otherwise I like the materials used.

In these images I'm comparing it to another budget brand from turkey, 'victoria leathers' which does a lot of shearling peices available on ebay. The treatment on the fleshside of the shearling is similar, with victorias being a little more consistent texture, and a little softer. I've had matt finish and suede type shearlings before, and I will always prefer a smooth finish for the sake of water repellence and ease of cleaning. The smoother the better. Shearling side is similar in pile density, with veloukldly having the edge because of pile length (its longer and warmer).

The other images show the the horsehide thickness at 0.05", or 1.27mm, making it 2.5-3.0oz horsehide. Any thicker and you risk tearing the shearling hide at the junction points over time, since the stiffer horsehide creates a bend repetition along its edges.

Construction wise its great for the price. This is where we get into the 5-10% quality increase mentioned, which i really have to emphasize: 2650$ base price for lost worlds, 465$ shipped price for this. Would i pay someone 2 ,185$ to fix these construction errors and apply a wool wash to soften the pile a touch? Not on my current wages. I feel like the discussion about 'quality' and 'value' often side step the lived reality of most peoples financial situations. Paying 2,000$+ to go from a fully functional beautiful rendition of a b3 with some minor cosmetic misteps up to 'complete perfection' is a *luxury* expenditure. High five to anyone doing it, i wanna hear all about it, but I cant reasonably tell your average wage earner in the u.s. that this jacket is (insert derogative term here) and that they should just save up and buy a 'real' 'quality' jacket thats 5x the price. This *is* a quality jacket *in context*.

So... the misteps:
-The pile was layed down in one place (about 1.5 inches long) by a stitch line. That reduces warmth in that area, but also modifies stitch tention which can result in cutting the sheepskin flesh side, or a loose thread should the trapped pile get moved out from under it during wear.
-one elbow seam landed about 1/4" off center
-there is some silver layout pen till visible that wasnt wiped off or covered. This is common with veloukldly (ive seen it on 3 of the jackets ive had from them)

The forearms that are a hair snug on my 13" forearms show how much pile there is, the leather on the outside showing a smoothing of texture from the light stretch caused by the pile pushing against itself in the tighter inside circumference. This isnt a misstep, just a contributing factor to why the forearms feel the way i mentioned on my body type.

By the way, what is the function of those shoulder straps?

 

[coolhandluke_7]

By the way, what is the function of those shoulder straps?

For attaching pin back or sewn on rank insignia.