I don’t think anyone would be offended about being called a snob aka aficionado on a forum called the fedora lounge lol. It’s basically in the title. I also didn’t call anyone in particular a snob. No need to get your panties in a twist.Hardly prostating my self bud. I just find calling people names who have more experience and go out of there way to give free advice so people can look cool unbecoming personally.
snob aka aficionado
I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by my use of the word snob. There are no snobs here, only aficionados. Is everyone happy now?Those words mean different things.
I get the sentiment I just feel like, would you go to a Kia dealer parking lot and tell all the customers that a Mercedes is better? They already know lol.
since it only happen on the cuff I think I know the reason, they fused both side of the leather with either leather glue( some kind of latex resin or contact glue or sometime white woodworking glue) or they put these iron on nonwoven material usually used on cheaper suit lapel to fuse both sides of the cuff for flatter and easier to stitch together, and when wet some of the parts that is not completely fused bubble up a bit.So the acne is on 2”x2” of the jacket on the cuff in a location where the wearer will notice it but no one else is likely to. I’m sure it will go away once it dries completely. If it does then I will go back to being very happy with the jacket. If it doesn’t go away then I will no longer be completely happy. The entire jacket got wet and the rest of it looks great. Here’s how it looks at present: View attachment 568309
Would that explain why it went away when I rolled the leather?since it only happen on the cuff I think I know the reason, they fused both side of the leather with either leather glue( some kind of latex resin or contact glue or sometime white woodworking glue) or they put these iron on nonwoven material usually used on cheaper suit lapel to fuse both sides of the cuff for flatter and easier to stitch together, and when wet some of the parts that is not completely fused bubble up a bit.
What would you say makes 5* "at least as good" as Schott or Vanson?As I said, I’ve had schotts and vansons and the jackets I posted above are at least as good. I’ve never found a jacket from either brand that fit perfectly so I prefer 5*.
Look the thing 5* gets right is COPYING an existing pattern.Thanks for the link.
One explanation could be this post:
"FWIW, it might also be worth getting a different contract from Five Star: Broncos were prone to having the epaulets a bit forward to begin with, and Shawn got his start making Bronco repros, so it's possible they used a less up-to-date pattern on your jacket. Also, Bronco is one of the contracts where Five Star was NOT able to examine an original, so there are just better contracts to choose from in Five Star's line-up: Star, Rough Wear, Dubow, Poughkeepsie."
It's probably the 5* lottery after all. They have no sense of proportion or aesthetics. Give them patterns and good materials and they'll make something good. Contract manufacturers, after all.
Everything else is a game of chance.
maybe when you massage it around the fuse actually separate totally, sometime they fuse it temporarily with double tape to make it easier to set the position, on fabrics you can use pin needles to set position, but not on leather because it will leave holes so often they use weak glue or double tape to help with positioning in sewing several layers together.Would that explain why it went away when I rolled the leather?
Just to clarify, that's the proper (pun intended) way to do it .With the HB, the half belt is not sewn onto the finished back, but it’s a thin piece of leather between the upper and the lower part of the back. Visually it looks normal at first glance, but it is actually manufactured cheaply and uses extremely little material. etc. etc.
Thank you. I've always wanted to ask what the original is like. lol
I feel the same way. It’s also important to note that 5 Star has zero resale value. I think other than the super thick “horse” all mine were sold off (gleefully) for around $120-$150 and frankly I felt lucky to have recovered that. Others I just gave away (2 here on the lounge).Maybe just to clarify.
I don't want to miss my experience with 5*.
I enjoyed trying out my own designs and creating various Frankensteins. And the quick production and delivery was cool too.
In that respect everything is good. But you should know what you're getting yourself into. Because this experience wasn't cheap.
It’s totally subjective. I’m saying I’ve owned both and I am happier with my 5* because they feel just as good in terms of quality (I know people here will gasp) and they fit much better because they are custom.What would you say makes 5* "at least as good" as Schott or Vanson?
Here’s the thing. Even the most esteemed members of this group initially gushed about some of their 5* jackets. If that’s the case, how bad could they be? Comparing them with jackets that cost twice or three times as much is not a fair comparison, right?I'll add a few of my thoughts here as well as a beginner.
1 . Let's not compare new 5* pricing to used Vanson/OtherMaker prices. Let's compare new to new to be fair.
In that perspective 1 Aero = ~3 5*, 1 Vanson = ~2*, 1 SB = ~2*, 1 Thedi = ~4-5*.
2 . Like many others have said - they are great at copying an existing jacket, even though the sub-part materials used in the copy remain true.
3 . 5* is a very high risk and (still) rather high reward gamble - you really need to play your cards right to profit.
4 . Addictive - got a reasonable nice jacket form them. A few things are a bit off. But you see the potential there - it's so close to being good. Should be easy to fix those several small issues with the next jacket and really nail it down right? If you're lucky - yes, but most likely something else will be off. Will you risk the 3rd time? Shawn certainly hopes so.
5 . Sketchy measuring during QC - Yes measuring is an art more than a science in terms of jackets (within certain margins) but 5* has been notorious in terms of skewing measurements in QC photos just to avoid remaking the jacket before sending it out.
6 . Resale value - close to none. If you requested a jacket custom for your dimensions - you severely restricted how many other people would the jacket fit.
7 . 5* is an anomaly in the leather jacket world. A contractor / mass manufacturer that has a side hustle of making bespoke/custom jackets. But I guess they found a nice niche there and the whole thing is profitable enough not only to keep going but also to raise prices. I think the military repro / shearling jacket aspect of it is pulling it forward.
Anyway, let's keep thing civil and not call sceptics/people with different opinions "snobs" and "haters". Don't expect a nice response if you chose to do so.
I'll be putting up my 5* up for sale in the near future, my Aero Hooch Hauler and Vanson Model B is more than enough for me. The 5* just does not compare in terms of fit and mobility (partly my fault for sure!). I do like the goatskin though.
Cheers from snowy Estonia!
Quality is not subjective. It’s quantifiable.It’s totally subjective. I’m saying I’ve owned both and I am happier with my 5* because they feel just as good in terms of quality (I know people here will gasp) and they fit much better because they are custom.
It’s easy to be fooled. Staying that way takes work. To be fair, I should have sat with my jackets a bit longer before sharing my thoughts. As if beating the jackets to bits with a hammer, bathing them in acid or other manner of torture weren’t telling enough.Even the most esteemed members of this group initially gushed about some of their 5* jackets. If that’s the case, how bad could they be?