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Fine Creek Leather

Salmosalar

A-List Customer
Messages
414
Since you have a seemingly never ending closet, and plenty to wear, I won’t pull any punches. Not a fan of that hem design. Looks like a females jacket with that super sharp and pointy front drop. Return or sell and don’t look back. Too bad as the rest of it looks good but this looks like a text book case of trying too hard. Big swing and a Ms.
Hmmm - that very odd front drop has it verging on the “maternity wear” section for me….
 

Will Zach

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,824
Location
SoFlo
julia CKNWLS.jpg
 

Mich486

One Too Many
Messages
1,690
I figured it out. It follows the un tuck shirt hem... Not saying it's right or wrong, but now I get why the front and back curve on this thing. I've always been a straight hem guy and I do tuck my button downs mostly.

View attachment 463606 View attachment 463607 View attachment 463608 View attachment 463609

There's also a lot more overlap Xzip action than most of my other aviators which are mostly just more or less a straight zip but pushed over a bit. The mysteries had me hooked on this design.

I get the hate on FCL designs. They smash a lot of things together. Which was also probably why I was drawn to it, trying to figure it out. It's an aviator jacket with an un tuck shirt hybrid bottom. Yeh or Nay?

It is quite the front drop, that’s for sure. Although honestly, I think there are far worst fitting jackets out there. Not bad from my point of view. From the back it looks very clean fitting.

Also, your flow of jackets is scary :D keep’em coming though
 

leonnostar

New in Town
Messages
11
Hi, I've read every page of this thread, but I still went on buying a FCL jacket and thought my opinion might be of some help for anyone considering buying one. No offense but I've seen a lot of negativity here, to the point it almost had me hesitating.
What made me want to buy a jacket from FCL originally was their re-imagined designs with a tighter fit, and the quality of their leather.

I'm 6'3, 77/78kg. So very slim and it's very hard for me to find a proper leather jacket, even clothes in general, there is always a problem, especially with sleeves length (they're often much too short), or waist being too large for me.
If you're in my category, I think this post will be interesting.

I have a Schott jacket, the 618. I bought it in size 46 solely because of sleeves & shoulders length, but thing is it's way too large on my waist. I almost don't wear it now, I'm too thin for it. With the previous sizes, the sleeves were just too short. I really wanted this jacket so I thought maybe with some time it would adapt or I would somehow get more waist muscles, but none of those things happened. Very sad.

My passion for leather jackets are perfecto designs. Most of the time I have an issue with something on the design, I'm very difficult.
They're too large in some key areas like waist in general, or they're too short and it reveals your belt once zipped, which I hate, they don't fall as I'd like to, they lack character, I don't like the leather, or the tone, or a tiny detail in the design, there's always something I struggle with.
Sometimes they just look too "classic", like a caricature. Or sometimes they look just too crazy.
So when I saw FCL designs, and the models wearing them, I thought for once, it was something that pleased me all around.

I went to Rivet & Hide to try several jackets, their shop is absolutely fantastic, and the guys are so nice. The amount of cool clothes they have is crazy, if I had more time I would have spent 6 hours in there.

I tried several Fine Creek jackets: the Edward 2mm, the Eric, the Leon Custom 1.3mm and the Edward (standard).

They are all incredible in hand, I love all of those designs, and they are all different in colors and textures, the choice was very hard. I tried them all in size 42, and I think Edward 2mm & Eric in both 40 & 42. Size 40 was too small, so then I went with size 42.

I had looked at the promo pics with the models on the Rivet & Hide website for hours, and my first choice was actually Edward 2mm, because of the color.

In person, the Edward 2mm was still my favorite, the color is perfect. It just looks so beautiful, you have to see it with your eyes.
However, the feeling inside was a bit weird. I almost couldn't bend my arms, leather was too tight and thick, I'm not sure how to describe it. Couldn't move properly. Since I smoke a lot, I thought it would be a big problem.
As for the fit, in 42, sadly it was a tad bit too short on the sleeves. The 44 wouldn't have fitted me, in 42 the length of the shoulders and how it fell on my waist was exactly my proportions.

The Leon Custom 1.3mm was perfect on every level, except sleeves length. Sleeves were much too short for me, but if I had tried it in 44, it wouldn't have fitted on other areas, same as Edward 2mm.

The Eric in 42 was perfection. Fitted perfectly, but I wanted something a bit more original. That said it had me hesitating a lot. It's the kind of jacket that's so simple yet so classy. So well made. I may buy it in the future if it's not out of stock by then.

I went back trying the Edward 2mm, it was almost perfect if not for the sleeves a bit too short and the bending problem.
Then I remembered there was another Edward I saw on the website, the original version, asked if they still had it in stock.
The seller wasn't sure, but he came back with it. It was the last one they had in stock, size 42 (phew), I tried it and... absolutely perfect! I could bend my arms without problems, and the sleeves fall exactly right. It perfectly sits on my shoulders, goes perfectly with my waist (I think it's the most important to me because of the Schott, finally a tight leather jacket around the waist), chest is perfect, the profile is perfect and it's the design I loved originally. And it doesn't reveal my belt when zipped.
Only downside is I definitely prefer the shinki black leather on the Edward 2mm. The color is great on the standard Edward, but maybe a bit too classic. But hey, I guess I can't have everything. I absolutely love the design and how it suits me. This Edward 2mm will be mine at some point, I will have to have it customized. And I want the Eric too. I will buy Fine Creek Leather once I'm a billionaire and have them design everything just for me!

I would definitely recommend to go to a shop selling those FCL jackets and try them on. I I wouldn't have bought one blindly because of the price, neither would I buy one blindly in 42 now I saw they all fit differently in the same size, depending of the model of the jacket. Normally when you buy jeans from a brand, once you know your size, it will fit. That doesn't apply to FCL, I can tell you.
The thing is, size 42 would be my maximum size in this brand. So there are models I won't be able to wear, sadly.

I do understand leather jackets and clothes in general are very frustrating. I think I understand it more than a lot of people, being 6'3 SUCKS! Most brands don't care about tall people, and I won't rant about shoes, it would take me hours.
Depending of your body & brands, sometimes it won't fit, something won't do with what you have in mind. Only one solution: go to a store in real person and see if it fits, if you like it.

Anyway, I applaud this Fine Creek brand. I definitely prefer how those japanese craftmen size those jackets compared to americans. I'm extremely difficult and this is a jacket I will wear for the years to come. Absolutely love it, I can't take anything away from it (except they should've used shinki!!!), the quality is amazing. Thanks again to Rivet & Hide for their amazing service and patience.

Hope this post will help some of you on the fence. Normally I hate putting pics of me like this online, but since I was searching for specific photos like this before buying, I think it will be of some use for some people.
 

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navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,843
Location
East Java
I figured it out. It follows the un tuck shirt hem... Not saying it's right or wrong, but now I get why the front and back curve on this thing. I've always been a straight hem guy and I do tuck my button downs mostly.

View attachment 463606 View attachment 463607 View attachment 463608 View attachment 463609

There's also a lot more overlap Xzip action than most of my other aviators which are mostly just more or less a straight zip but pushed over a bit. The mysteries had me hooked on this design.

I get the hate on FCL designs. They smash a lot of things together. Which was also probably why I was drawn to it, trying to figure it out. It's an aviator jacket with an un tuck shirt hybrid bottom. Yeh or Nay?
i like the hemline, but I always like front drop and scalloped back you never need to worry about the jacket's exact length with hemline like that and very easy to wear it over untucked shirt , it just need to be shorter and more shaped along the torso
 

MrProper

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,313
Location
Europe
there is always a problem, especially with sleeves length (they're often much too short), or waist being too large for me.
Welcome to my life.
With 6.5 size event it me exactly the same.
However, I have no problem at all with leather jackets if they are fitted to my measurements.
Off the rack I just do not buy.
 

cbez

One Too Many
Messages
1,754
Location
CA
I like my fine creek a lot. I have also seen some of their patterns that were a bit too out there for me. but as a grain lover their hides are beautiful and feel excellent
 

Canuck Panda

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,666
Fine Creek double riders used to be 150k yen in Japan, when the other premium Japanese brands were asking 220k yen plus.

I think this was the reason why the western dealers promoted it. Essentially same Japanese quality but everyone can make some money, meaning the stores, while the end retail is still less than what the RMC or Freewheelers jackets would be, USD 2000 vs USD 2500 and up.

Time has changed everything. Today Finecreek is selling their jackets a the same price as most Japanese brands, and their special models using special leathers like Badalassi is selling at same price levels as the RMC stuff. Just look up Bootes prices and current RMC J24 prices in Japan and you’ll see.

I missed out when they were selling them at 150k yen…. Todays pricing is same as every other brands so there are a lot more options.

Also Western dealers tends to order different leathers and specs. They have the “oversea” tag on them.

The time of getting a good deal on Fine Creek imo is over, those who jumped on early got good deals and can unload theirs for the same or a bit more than what they got them for, that is the case on the Japanese auction sites.
 

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