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Finds and Deals - Leather Jacket Edition

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,750
Location
Illinois
i should have measurements today. Then may throw my hat in the ring.

Gold is new to me too.

I suspect it will be too small though.

Is Gold from Grais?

Size will be an issue.

This is the package with Belt and Collar. Already bid to $400. Lot of folks interested in this one. We should have a; "guess the final price" contest. Winner within $200 without going over.

I've wonted one of these and I'm sure not alone.
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,750
Location
Illinois
Seems an odd liner for a California Sportswear. I don't recall seeing that tartan liner in a CS. Perhaps this jacket was relined at some point. I knew some of the loungers had seen this jacket before......


There are particular features of the ebay jacket that identify it as a California Sportswear jacket, no doubt at all. I have the same jacket in goatskin with no label and in Calfskin with a Sears Topline label. The Wool Combo jacket was probably made by California Sportswear too.

I assume the ebay jacket is horsehide, but that is an assumption.

If you can wear it you will be wearing a great jacket made by one of the best, California Sportswear Company.

The ebay jacket lining is unusual but appears to be original. I've never seen a label like that. CS sold jackets with no label or just a store label, or both store and CS label.

I sold this beauty with a very odd Western Horsehide label. This was some very fine horsehide. I do not know the maker of this jacket.

12 (12).jpg


DSC08163.JPG
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,826
Location
China
So, it sounds as if a consumer is paying dearly in terms of markup. Is it fact and/or common belief that nobody can duplicate what is coming out of Japan now? Could JL(or others) not at least come close...and potentially save someone in the US hundreds of dollars?

There seems to be this mystique(well-deserved) about Japanese attention to detail...similar to the mystique about German engineering that has driven Americans to spend lots of $$$ on BMW's. I was fortunate to know a German engineer who came over during WWII and help the US develop the jet engine. He once told me with head hanging that the French are much more creative engineers, but how often do we hear about great French engineering, at least in the US?

Back to my question...are there other options, or do most people think eating this huge markup is justified?
Care to guess what Langlitz, Aero's and Wesco's mark up are in Japan?

If we are talking about the high end reproduction market then-

Firstly the Japanese usually place higher value on overseas goods. When RM started their A-2 and other military leather jacket repros in the 90s, they were made in New Zealand and not Japan.
Secondly, if you take the trade barrier such as duty and tax out of the equation, you will see that American and European high end repros are not cheaper than Japanese one. A BK N-1 jacket costs GBP470 incl local VAT. A RM N-1 costs GBP477 incl local VAT in Japan. A Dehen N-1 costs GBP980. A made in USA Cockpit N-1 costs GBP326 only because it has synthetic lining in stead of wool or Alpaca.

I am sure anyone can make high end reproduction but the market is small so big companies have little interest. Take Red Wing for instance, most heritage models are only available in Japan because RW Japan order them. RW makes more money selling modern work shoes and that is their market focus. And they were the smart one because Chippewa's heritage line tanked and they had to discontinue the whole line. Incidentally, there was a fellow FL member calling for people to write to Chippewa to plead to them to not discontinue their heritage line.
New Balance repro 1300 not the regular 1300 made in USA is called 1300JP also because the Japanese was the first to order them. They have reached the 3rd edition and it is called 1300JP3.
Same goes for Levi's. Levi's only started LVC after seeing the success of the Japanese Big E collection. Despite the fact that Levi's took back control of the LVC from the Japanese, they are only allocating very little resources to it. Levi's have been trying to save costs by moving LVC production to Turkey but that failed. Sale of Turkey made LVC jeans are bad. Now that Cone Mills have closed their last factory in the US, they switched to using Japanese denim cloth, so they might as well make the LVC jeans in Japan too. Lee and Wrangler repros model are made by Edwin under licence because Lee and Wrangler could not care less about the repro market.

Yes it is all about Japanese for the repro market. It is the Japanese obsession that creates enough market demand for manufacturers to enter. And if the original company refuses to remake the originals, oh well the Japanese will go to great length to make their own.
 
Last edited:

Coriu

One Too Many
Messages
1,154
Location
Virginia
Vanson Brown Size 40 HH Car coat Low opening bid
 

jonbuilder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,563
Location
Grass Valley CA Foothills
That Taubers is about as nice as you will find that jacket. To me it holds up against any of the new makers, Japanese or otherwise.

At $750 it compares to any of the high end contemporary jackets which are what? 2K

I've had a couple of these, this is probably the nicest, near new condition I have seen. The size tag is even clean!
I purchased this jacket more than a year ago, the seller agreed to accept a return due fit, and I did return the jacket it was too small. The hide was thin compared to other Taubers straight zip police/motorcycle jackets I 've had
 

Coriu

One Too Many
Messages
1,154
Location
Virginia
Care to guess what Langlitz, Aero's and Wesco's mark up are in Japan?

If we are talking about the high end reproduction market then-

Firstly the Japanese usually place higher value on overseas goods. When RM started their A-2 and other military leather jacket repros in the 90s, they were made in New Zealand and not Japan.
Secondly, if you take the trade barrier such as duty and tax out of the equation, you will see that American and European high end repros are not cheaper than Japanese one. A BK N-1 jacket costs GBP470 incl local VAT. A RM N-1 costs GBP477 incl local VAT in Japan. A Dehen N-1 costs GBP980. A made in USA Cockpit N-1 costs GBP326 only because it has synthetic lining in stead of wool or Alpaca.

I am sure anyone can make high end reproduction but the market is small so big companies have little interest. Take Red Wing for instance, most heritage models are only available in Japan because RW Japan order them. RW makes more money selling modern work shoes and that is their market focus. And they were the smart one because Chippewa's heritage line tanked and they had to discontinue the whole line. Incidentally, there was a fellow FL member calling for people to write to Chippewa to plead to them to not discontinue their heritage line.
New Balance repro 1300 not the regular 1300 made in USA is called 1300JP also because the Japanese was the first to order them. They have reached the 3rd edition and it is called 1300JP3.
Same goes for Levi's. Levi's only started LVC after seeing the success of the Japanese Big E collection. Despite the fact that Levi's took back control of the LVC from the Japanese, they are only allocating very little resources to it. Levi's have been trying to save costs by moving LVC production to Turkey but that failed. Sale of Turkey made LVC jeans are bad. Now that Cone Mills have closed their last factory in the US, they switched to using Japanese denim cloth, so they might as well make the LVC jeans in Japan too. Lee and Wrangler repros model are made by Edwin under licence because Lee and Wrangler could not care less about the repro market.

Yes it is all about Japanese for the repro market. It is the Japanese obsession that creates enough market demand for manufacturers to enter. And if the original company refuses to remake the originals, oh well the Japanese will go to great length to make their own.
Thank you for your detailed response. One statement you made that I find interesting is that the Japanese place higher value on overseas goods. It strikes me as a bit odd considering how well the Japanese have produced so many different quality products over the years.

It's sad how many barriers there are to individual consumers in certain countries trying to purchase a jacket from another country.
 

tmitchell59

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,750
Location
Illinois

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