Eastman Roadstar review

[majormajor]

Been looking at the Route 66, myself. A VERY nice jacket

 

[tblay]

Hi AT,

If you think about it, the Roadstar is probably similiar in weight to the Aero midweight HH, so consider that in your decision.

They are very different jackets, and I really do like both of them. I could see someone's favorite being either, but for me, it's the Aero. I like the thicker leather, and can deal with being a little bit warmer-just unzip it when walking around, and perhaps unzip the top when riding? I also have a LW Easy Ryder (which I also reviewed here) which is heavier than the Eastman, and feels thicker than the Aero, but wears a bit cooler than either, so there's more going on than just leather weight.

I think you'd be happy with either. Keep in mind too that just because the Eastman A-1 fits well, does not mean you'll get the same exact fit with the Roadstar, as they're different patterns. I had a Hartmann that fit differently than the Roadstar, despite it being a smaller tagged size. I wear a 42, and took a 44 in the Roadstar.

The Route 66 is nice, reminds me of the Highwayman, which I do have too. I have a sz 46 Highwayman, but even if I had it in 42, it would be nowhere near the slim fit of the J106 or Roadstar. Different, more boxy cut.

Hope this helps

Chris

That's a great comparison between the mid-weight HH and the Roadstar, Chris. I appreciate you pointing that out. My opposition to Aero's Mid-weight HH is that the veg tanning, which I generally perfer in leather, makes it virtually impossible to wear in the rain, whereas the chrome tanned FQHH would seem to do a lot better getting wet. I also can't tell whether or not the mid-weight HH is sourced from Horween or not. Maybe I'm being a little picky about that, but I've never been let down after purchasing something made from a Horween hide.

In terms of fits, I didn't realize the Route 66 would be boxier. Do you, by chance, know what the slimmest fitting Aero jackets are? I also like the Cafe Racer quite a bit, and I'd imagine that's got a slim profile.

I'll take a look at the LW Easy Ryder review. Do you know where they source their hides from? And what makes it cooler (temp. wise)? I'm surprised to hear that since they don't seem vented. Sorry if you already answer these questions in the review. I'll take a look now.

AT

 

[siddhartha]

AT,

Sorry for the late reply-I missed this.

I don't know where LW sources their hides. Someone else might chime in? In terms of why the LW seems cooler, a lot of that has to do with the liner, and the fact that the sleeves can be fully zippered open, even rolled up a bit if you want, and with the breeze flowing in, it can be quite cool indeed.

No vents on the LW

Chris

 

[Meerkat]

great review siddhartha....pity you're not sneaking off on the bike but i understand a spousal deal is a deal. My question to you is do you think the price is a bit high for a biker jacket?

 

[siddhartha]

great review siddhartha....pity you're not sneaking off on the bike but i understand a spousal deal is a deal. My question to you is do you think the price is a bit high for a biker jacket?

Yup.

Both the Roadstar and the J106 are on the high end, but they're both great jackets. I have a HH Schott 618 (that I'm about to sell) that, while it's still a nice jacket, isn't in the same league as these two. Just different markets, perhaps. I think that both of these jackets are just about the finest you can find out there, and that kind of thing costs $$$.

Perhaps biding your time, and waiting for one to be sold second-hand would be a better deal, but I've only seen either of these ones sold second-hand only rarely.