Garage Sale Find: 1970's AMF Harley Davdison Leather Jacket!

[MissoulaGriz]

Howdy...I've been a "lurker" here for a while but thought I'd post a recent find. I don't spend much time in antique stores or at garage sales but when I find myself at those places the first thing I always look for is a nice vintage leather jacket. I've been doing this for about 25 years and up until this point had never found the "perfect" one. Well, the other weekend we were driving by a garage sale so we decided to stop and poke around. Sitting on a rack with a bunch of other jackets was this 1970's AMF Harley jacket. I couldn't believe it because it was in perfect condition. No rips, tears and all zippers in perfect working condition. I tried it on and it was just a smidge too large. It's a 46R and I'm a 43R chest but I think the vintage sizing of this jacket is more in tune with a modern medium. I asked the guy what he was asking and he told me the price. Let's just say it took me a nanosecond to hand over the cash. It was a steal.

I got the jacket home and decided that I needed it to shrink up a little bit, mostly in the arms and a little in the length (the jacket came down to just below the bottom of my belt). I soaked the jacket with a garden hose (hey, I'm in Montana, that's how we roll) and then put it in the dryer on "gentle heat" for 10 minutes. I took the jacket out and voila, perfect fit. Not "model tight" but "Montana tight" which means I can still put a sweater on under it and I don't feel like I'm being pressed into a sausage.

After the dunking/drying/shrinking technique I put some Dr. Marten's leather balm on it and it just turned out beautiful. So, if anyone has some information about these jackets like original manufacturer, quality of the leather used etc. I'd love to hear about it. I saw one thread asking that same question here but it was older and I didn't know if there was any new information.

Cheers!

 

[ButteMT61]

Way to represent the Treasure State! Looks pretty darn good. How about some pics wearing it out on the range? Great find.

 

[IXL]

Great find!! When I was a kid, the real cool guy down the street had one of those. I got to wear it once while he gave me a ride on his chopper.
That jacket looks to be in outstanding shape, judging from the 70's models I've seen.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks ButteMT! I'll work on getting a pic or two in the jacket...it's supposed to be in the low 20's tomorrow so it's perfect weather for wearing this jacket! Gotta love fall in Montana.

Thanks IXL, the jacket is in superb condition. Even the lining is in perfect shape with no rips or tears. The Dr. Marten's balm softened it up quite a bit (it was pretty dry) and brought it back to life. As the balm works itself in to the jacket it is slowly taking on that awesome vintage look once again.

 

[too much coffee]

MissoulaGriz;
Nice find man! Keep hitting those garage sales.........2 months ago I found a set of Filson tin cloth bibs, NWOT. Lady said take 'em for $10. I gave her $20. Glad the cold water/dryer worked out for you. Sharp looking vintage jacket.

Welcome to the Forum.

Regards,
coffee

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks Coffee. I love Filson gear and wear it in the field when bird hunting. You can't beat their pants and jackets for those types of endeavors. When I'm at antique or second hand stores I usually end up coming home with vintage pearl snap western shirts but this one was a score for sure. I'm super happy with it. Of course, after seeing all the killer vintage leather on this forum I'm afraid the bug has hit me. I must find more!!!

 

[dmdmorris]

Very Cool! Great Find. Definitely want to see pics with you in it. My next Jacket is going to be a Black Motor Cycle Jacket.

Dave

 

[Worf]

That jacket looks startlingly good. My co-worker runs an old AMF Ratbike. Don't thnk he ran it this summer as there was some major problem with something. Cool jacket.... enjoy.

Worf

 

[armscye]

First Step: determine country of origin from labels. Check pockets, the liner, and other obscure places. I once found a cloth style tag riveted to the back of a metal snap on a Cooper jacket. AMF cut all kinds of deals during their period of ownership (69-81), and bought clothing from both the USA and offshore. At various times, it's been reported that US makers Schott and Golden Bear each made this general style for H-D. If it is US made, that might narrow the sourcing down. Given the era and the appearance, I'd guess at cowhide, but only a fool claims certainty on leather composition based on a photo.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks for the information armscye. I plowed through the jacket and see no country of origin on anything. Just the simple care tag on the inside about dry cleaning then the material used tag on the other side. It has the large Serval zipper pull on the front and the side and breast pocket have the round zipper pull that is almost heart shaped or looks like a quarter moon. Inside the left front pocket it has a very small tag with a simple "46" on it. It's a cool jacket for sure...just a touch loose on me without a sweater and if I were buying a new Schott today I would probably go with a "44" but what the heck. I really like this thing. I'll try to get some decent pics of it up soon. I'm not the first one to jump into a photo if you know what I mean .

 

[armscye]

Oddly enough, lack of a label might be a clue. Imported clothing after 1968 must have an origin label. US made goods do not (though it's often added for marketing purposes). So if there is no marking reading "Made in West Lobovia", it might mean a US jacket.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

I thought so as well. I knew that oversees manufactured items needed to have an origin label but I wasn't sure when that was put in place. I emailed Gail at Schott and she responded that they did make jackets for Harley Davidson but she couldn't confirm if Schott had made the AMF Harley Davidson jacket in the 70's. She a very nice person and was really quick to respond. I'm going to venture that it's US made but the actual manufacturer is still a mystery.

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Okay, here's a few photos so you can check out the jacket. I feel like it is a little too big (wearing just a t-shirt underneath in the photos) and I'm curious about my options:
1) just don't worry about it, wear it and enjoy it (seems to be my favorite choice right now).
2) shrink it a little more to see if I can get it smaller (I guess I would do the hot water in the shower and gentle cycle dryer treatment).
3) sell or trade for a comparable 44R.
I'm not wanting to look like a hipster in this jacket, I plan to wear it daily and will usually have a sweater underneath so that's a consideration also. It's a 46R but being that it's from the 70's I'm thinking it's closer to a modern medium in size.

Just to clarify, I'm a 43" chest, 5' 7" and about 163 lbs and a 34" waist. Yes, I'm a walking fire hydrant.

Thoughts?

 

[too much coffee]

Hi MissoulaGriz;

Hang on to it at least for awhile. I think the fit is good. If you made it any smaller, it just might give the perception of the hipster thing.
If the jacket grows (metaphorically speaking) on you........case settled, it would be a keeper. If you're constantly wondering about one aspect of the jacket or another ("I wonder who really did make this thing", or "Man I just don't know about the fit of this jacket.") then it might be prudent to dump it.
Speaking for myself, when I wear something and I know it looks right.....I feel right. Quite the opposite with the opposite. We all know the feeling.
I like it.

Regards,
coffee

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks Coffee..I appreciate the wise and candid feedback for sure. It's quickly growing on me for sure and I think it's a keeper. The past few days that I've worn it I have had some really nice comments on it. Heck, my wife loves it and it's inspired me to freshen up my non-work wardrobe so that's a huge plus in my book! Plus, how could I possibly not feel right when wearing a vintage black leather motorcycle jacket

Cheers,
Griz

 

[IXL]

That jacket is a total mess. It is ill-fitting and you look like a hipster poseur. Clearly, the only way to maintain any sense of self-respect is to shed yourself of that hideous mistake by selling it to me....

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Hilarious IXL! I seriously like this forum. Fun people here

 

[ButteMT61]

It looks good to me. And with Montana winter coming, you'll have room to layer. My 2¢. I'd keep 'er. Of course if it were a 48 I'd say it sucked too whilst writing a check

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks Butte. You better believe I'll have a chance to wear it this winter as it's already getting cold here...quick. I'm sure your friends in Butte are starting to get a little chilly as well. Pasadena sounds pretty good to me come about February.

 

[53Effie]

Keep it and wear it. It really looks good on you. What a great find. I have a similar steerhide jacket that I bought new in 1972 which has no brand tag or country of origin tag. It does have Serval zippers like yours. I've always thought it was made in the US. I got it from a now long defunct Army-Navy store. I've lost about 75 lbs in the last few years and I can now wear it again; so it goes with me on the bike on occasion. Yours looks to be in a little better shape than mine. Have fun with it!