Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Five Star Leather Jackets

MrProper

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,352
Location
Europe
Did they bust open the seams of the original and trace each panel or return the original intact?
Unfortunately, I do not know. I just said that I no longer need the faux jacket.
But if I remember correctly, someone else here from the forum had a jacket copied and got the original back in one piece.
I think 5* can copy that without taking the original apart.
 

Mysteryo

One Too Many
Messages
1,313
Location
Nantes (FR)
Awesome jacket, do you know who is the maker? Any label on it?
No label, I think it’s an west coast maker, due to the aviators style and lightweight jacket… could be Block Bilt or Top Notch,… no idea unless I see one similar with label.
Only certainety is the era, because of the Art Deco 30’s Talon zipper
 
Last edited:

Mysteryo

One Too Many
Messages
1,313
Location
Nantes (FR)
That’s a hell of a gift to five star, letting them use an original like that to copy the pattern. I can see many folks ordering them, if they get it right. I bet Greg Field would love to get his hands on that, as well.
All the trusted makers I asked declined: Field Leathers, Norshor, Aero, … AVI Leather were not interested in that style…
 

Marc mndt

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,338
I'd love to have a repro of this aviator.

Looks quite similar to this JC Penny

28265508-3083-4906-A495-61157D1D1F67.jpeg


Also similar to this one except for the chest pocket

4D683D71-13A1-4C95-9892-63BA95D6BE5E.jpeg
 

Aloysius

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,983
@Mysteryo I would definitely do it. In fact I have been suggesting for a long time that people send interesting or oddly sized jackets to him, because without exception the best Five Star products have been those copied from originals.

Did they bust open the seams of the original and trace each panel or return the original intact?

They will return jackets intact. In fact, when he first started posting on VLJ, Shawn had an arrangement running by which if you sent him an original to study, he’d send you back the first repro of it free with your original.

5 Star is at their best with the option to copy. Nothing left to chance or interpretation...I'll buy one if you do end up sending it.

This is why the Five Star military jackets are pretty much great across the board at this point, while the civi jackets all end up being resold after the honeymoon. The military jackets were patterned off of originals.
 

Eddiesuave

Familiar Face
Messages
84
Goodmorning to all,
I have purchased a Roughwear A-2 in 2.2mm CHL in “Black/Brown”. And Five Star Leather has produced an amazing garment. I own an A-2 from Buzz Rickson as well as a Aero “Sheene” that are very similar in thickness to this jacket. I have previously bought a 1.2mm HH A-2 and was not satisfied inn the feel of the leather, it felt much more plastic than actual leather. However I am very satisfied in the feeling of 2.2mm CHL, this jacket lives and breathes high quality/luxury at an affordable price point and this is what I expected from Five Star Leather to begin with. They did warn me that the leather is too thick for an A-2 so they would have to shave some parts to be able to stitch it together. I chose this thickness because of my previous experience of the HH being too thin and formless for my taste. I am very grateful and satisfied with their efforts. However I have two knit picks I have with the garment or Five Star Leather as whole:

1. Top Coat of Both CHL and HH in black both have came rubbing/rubbed off exposing the leather core in certain areas. This is shown better in the picture of the epaulet. But it has in the armpits, lower sleeves and collar edges. And it’s obviously shown more in this jacket because this one is black with a Brown core.

2. The leather between the collar stand and zipper flap is so thin it flops around a lot. (This is due to my choice of leather being to thick, they shaved some of the leather off to be able to stitch it. However they shaved too much off in said area).
 

Attachments

  • 4D9D72A9-D755-4542-BDFD-EF591B0284D8.jpeg
    4D9D72A9-D755-4542-BDFD-EF591B0284D8.jpeg
    2.6 MB · Views: 275
  • 846E1C84-D1AA-4E25-A4F0-A0F8A40E9ADA.jpeg
    846E1C84-D1AA-4E25-A4F0-A0F8A40E9ADA.jpeg
    2.6 MB · Views: 261
  • FED17529-F502-41D7-B144-CB38CCD64B06.jpeg
    FED17529-F502-41D7-B144-CB38CCD64B06.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 255
  • E2E13B75-EC9C-4E6C-993F-47DF39B32AB1.jpeg
    E2E13B75-EC9C-4E6C-993F-47DF39B32AB1.jpeg
    1.7 MB · Views: 258
  • 0A382C27-54A9-4669-B369-C13AAF23DF96.jpeg
    0A382C27-54A9-4669-B369-C13AAF23DF96.jpeg
    2 MB · Views: 253
Messages
17,509
Location
Chicago
Goodmorning to all,
I have purchased a Roughwear A-2 in 2.2mm CHL in “Black/Brown”. And Five Star Leather has produced an amazing garment. I own an A-2 from Buzz Rickson as well as a Aero “Sheene” that are very similar in thickness to this jacket. I have previously bought a 1.2mm HH A-2 and was not satisfied inn the feel of the leather, it felt much more plastic than actual leather. However I am very satisfied in the feeling of 2.2mm CHL, this jacket lives and breathes high quality/luxury at an affordable price point and this is what I expected from Five Star Leather to begin with. They did warn me that the leather is too thick for an A-2 so they would have to shave some parts to be able to stitch it together. I chose this thickness because of my previous experience of the HH being too thin and formless for my taste. I am very grateful and satisfied with their efforts. However I have two knit picks I have with the garment or Five Star Leather as whole:

1. Top Coat of Both CHL and HH in black both have came rubbing/rubbed off exposing the leather core in certain areas. This is shown better in the picture of the epaulet. But it has in the armpits, lower sleeves and collar edges. And it’s obviously shown more in this jacket because this one is black with a Brown core.

2. The leather between the collar stand and zipper flap is so thin it flops around a lot. (This is due to my choice of leather being to thick, they shaved some of the leather off to be able to stitch it. However they shaved too much off in said area).
That's a nice looking hide!
 
Messages
10
Unfortunately, I do not know. I just said that I no longer need the faux jacket.
But if I remember correctly, someone else here from the forum had a jacket copied and got the original back in one piece.
I think 5* can copy that without taking the original apart.
Dear @MrProper

Yes we can do that without harming the original jacket and that original we can send back.

Shawn
 

Titus

One of the Regulars
Messages
116
Goodmorning to all,
I have purchased a Roughwear A-2 in 2.2mm CHL in “Black/Brown”. And Five Star Leather has produced an amazing garment. I own an A-2 from Buzz Rickson as well as a Aero “Sheene” that are very similar in thickness to this jacket. I have previously bought a 1.2mm HH A-2 and was not satisfied inn the feel of the leather, it felt much more plastic than actual leather. However I am very satisfied in the feeling of 2.2mm CHL, this jacket lives and breathes high quality/luxury at an affordable price point and this is what I expected from Five Star Leather to begin with. They did warn me that the leather is too thick for an A-2 so they would have to shave some parts to be able to stitch it together. I chose this thickness because of my previous experience of the HH being too thin and formless for my taste. I am very grateful and satisfied with their efforts. However I have two knit picks I have with the garment or Five Star Leather as whole:

1. Top Coat of Both CHL and HH in black both have came rubbing/rubbed off exposing the leather core in certain areas. This is shown better in the picture of the epaulet. But it has in the armpits, lower sleeves and collar edges. And it’s obviously shown more in this jacket because this one is black with a Brown core.

2. The leather between the collar stand and zipper flap is so thin it flops around a lot. (This is due to my choice of leather being to thick, they shaved some of the leather off to be able to stitch it. However they shaved too much off in said area).
Hello,

You guys said that CHL is not so good for jackets and that 5star doesn't use it anymore.
So is CHL good or not? Especially for the A2 type jackets.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
109,287
Messages
3,077,931
Members
54,238
Latest member
LeonardasDream
Top