Flathead Cafe Racer

[Arizor]

Just received the FH cafe racer, incredible service from Danny at Rivet and Hide as usual.

The leather is, as with all their jackets, gorgeous, and the stitching is laser focused. The back panel is a work of art, can't get get pics of that until the other half gets home!

Cold day in Melbourne so a hoody on, which works I think, but obviously I'll normally be wearing a tee or shirt. Quick pics as my other half and kid aren't home to hold the camera!:

 

[Guppy]

Let's see that back panel!

 

[navetsea]

Nice looking leather looks quite long on the body and not as long on the sleeve.

 

[Arizor]

Here’s the back panel, can’t take pic of it being worn until the partner’s home.

 

[Benj]

Awesome jacket and fit. That leather blows my mind - how would you compare it to the J24L?

 

[Arizor]

Thanks @Benj ! I would say they have a lot of similarities but a few differences are:

- this leather is much less rigid, feels very pliable and has a soft touch.
- the colour is immediately much richer, towards a brown, almost a hint of burgundy, whilst the 24l has a pronounced black sheen.
-this leather creases much easier, again the pliability is just very different.

The Flathead seem to perform their own process on the leather, which might explain it; detailed here via google translate from their website:

Original horsehide rich in oil
By dyeing the base brown and then coloring the surface black, the horse is worn with many years of wear and the surface browns appear.
In this model, we are in the process of fatliquoring.
By adding oil to the leather by soaking the leather in oil, the flat head is immersed in a specially developed special oil to give a moist texture and a profound feeling.
Because the oil itself does not smell, there is no oil smell or stickiness when worn.

Plant tannin forage

Horse leather, which is a natural material, changes from leather to leather through tanning.
Since the raw leather will rot and harden, it is a shame to change it into a leather as a product by bonding a tanning agent to the collagen fiber of the raw leather.
Flathead uses horseskin from plant tanning tanning using plant derived tanning agents. A horse leather that has been deceived by soaking in a bath containing a soothing agent, which is called a pit tannin tank, is finished in a flexible leather while having a firm sense of stiffness.
Product leather has become a feature of the plant tannin tanning that it is easy to get the texture due to the secular change when you wear it.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Great looking jacket! Flat Head leathers never seem to fit me, but they look great

 

[Robbie79]

Congrats - beautiful jacket! Fit is good even if body could be perhaps 1/2" shorter

 

[Arizor]

That’s funny @Robbie79 , because I’m thinking it needs to be longer! I guess it depends on what we’re used to wearing.

 

[Robbie79]

That’s funny @Robbie79 , because I’m thinking it needs to be longer! I guess it depends on what we’re used to wearing.

Your're right, that's personal taste (I do have Cafe Racer jackets with different lengths and I like all of them but I do have favorite ones) but I haven't said that it doesn't look good - I think it looks really nice!!

 

[Bennarion]

Perfect landing

 

[breezer]

sleeve length good!

 

[Arizor]

Thanks for the feedback so far all, I’ll post up more pics later today with a proper full shot. Quick question - can I expect much stretch? The jacket zips up fine but I’d ideally like a bit more wiggle room in my chest (around 1” would be perfect).

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks for the feedback so far all, I’ll post up more pics later today with a proper full shot. Quick question - can I expect much stretch? The jacket zips up fine but I’d ideally like a bit more wiggle room in my chest (around 1” would be perfect).

I had this issue with a goat hide jacket. When it was zipped up I couldn't breathe easily. Jackets may loosen up a bit but they don't really stretch. After a couple of weeks of trying, I sold mine. This will really depend on how critical the extra room is.

 

[Arizor]

Thanks @Seb Lucas .

Here are some pics, I’m wearing a thick tee (studio dartisan suvin gold) under my denim shirt. Still comfortable to zip up, probably over thinking it.

 

[ton312]

Jacket looks absolutely spot on perfect in length and through the shoulders and chest/body. I personally would struggle with the sleeve length. I like them longer but that’s just my personal preference.

 

[Arizor]

Thanks @ton312 , definitely see your point on the sleeves; then again nice to be able to check my watch without needing to fiddle...!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Longer sleeve preference for me too.

 

[Lebowski]

Very nice jacket, but the sleeves definitely would look better if 1'' longer.
The leather looks gorgeous!

 

[ProteinNerd]

The short sleeves are typical on TFH jackets, mine is the same. They don’t bother me being this length, I’d prefer that over a sleeve that constantly presses into my wrist.

Don’t overthink it, it looks great!