Help me decide on my first and hopefully last leather jacket!

[djdrawsdaily]

So, I’m in the market for a leather jacket and am woefully ignorant of everyone’s offerings but have a basic direction and a few options so far. I love the look of the old Schotts and have been eyeing the 613sh but kind of wish it had the branded buttons of the 618. The plain nickel just doesn’t do it for me but I think I could easily get over that. I’ve also found a super rare p613sh irvin in the classifieds and think it would fit me but the photos make it looks very grey and not really black but the herringbone and blackout hardware looks great to me. Plus the horween chomexcel leather Ive heard is really amazing on jackets. I own a couple 1000 mile Wolverine’s with it and do love the way it feels. I just can’t find much info about that specific model. I’m not deadset on Schott but just kind of love the brand’s history and the 613 pattern plus I play guitar in a garage rock/surf/blues/post-punk band so it just seems to fit. What other brands or models should I check out or what do you fine folks have to say about the options I laid out.

Budget is around $1000 though the cheaper the better. Wouldn’t mind 2nd hand at all.
Size wise I wear a 44 slim cut suit. I’m 6’1” with a 34” waist.

Thinking 44 for the 613sh if I go that route and the p613sh is a L if anyone has information about those they would like to share. Thanks in advance for all the help!


Edit: More info of what im looking for definitely a black cross zip riding length. Plan on getting another bike in the near future. Don’t really have a weight preference and would rather something not super warm. I run hot.

Also, thanks again everyone. Y’all have given me plenty to consider. Cheers!

 

[Khilij]

The one thing I can contribute is that you should look at the jacket's actual measurements for sizing and ignore the tag size. I made the mistake of buying according to tag size for my first jacket and it didn't fit at all. If you email Schott you can ask for spec sheets of their different models as they are currently. Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[TartuWolf]

Assuming you're in the US you have a lot of great options.
My suggestion would be to take your time, enjoy the process of exploring and learning, don't jump to buying.
Most importantly really nail down the style you're after - a black cross zip? Riding short or casual long? Break your back heavy or throw on and forget light?
I'm a big fan of Vanson personally, much more than Schott.
You US folk are also privileged to have Johnson Leathers at your disposal.
You could also consider Rugged West which is a rather new player in the jacket world from the UK.

 

[djdrawsdaily]

Assuming you're in the US you have a lot of great options.
My suggestion would be to take your time, enjoy the process of exploring and learning, don't jump to buying.
Most importantly really nail down the style you're after - a black cross zip? Riding short or casual long? Break your back heavy or throw on and forget light?
I'm a big fan of Vanson personally, much more than Schott.
You US folk are also privileged to have Johnson Leathers at your disposal.
You could also consider Rugged West which is a rather new player in the jacket world from the UK.

I’ll definitely check those out. Thanks!

 

[Tom71]

Once I read garage/surf/post punk band I thought a classic Perfecto may indeed be the right one for you.
I would probably go for the 618HH or 613SH, but not the special editions in lettered sizing. Go as “iconic” as you can…

Normally, I’d always vote for a Lewis Leather “Lightning” (as chosen by Lemmy and Fast Eddie, Iggy Pop, Slash, to name but a few), but as you’re in the US, the upcharge really makes it second best in this instance.

Of course, @TartuWolf (as a fellow-musician) makes a totally valid point about other US-makers with arguably better bang for the buck (Vanson C2 or E…).
Or you can go Vintage with a huge offering your side of the pond.

Still, a horsehide Perfecto is a fine jacket, and with a classic style, you may just get that iconic jacket you’re after.

 

[Will Zach]

I think a Vanson might be too heavy for a performing musician. My C2 in Competition Weight (CW) is really heavy - fine for an occasional casual wear but I would not want to be prancing around a stage in it for any length of time. You might want to look for (or order) a Vanson in a lighter hide, but a Vanson rep told me that most of their jackets are in CW. I think a classic Schott in a lighter hide might be the ticket here, particularly the Ramones kind... . Paging @Aloysius in whose wheelhouse this topic firmly resides...

 

[Monitor]

If you are looking at a used Schott jacket, do not get set on a specific model number. Throughout the years, they changed the pattern of all of their jackets so many times that whatever you may be expecting from a certain model, might not apply.

And I personally wouldn't recommend Horween. It's a fussy leather. It looks great but I think it was never intended to be worn.

 

[Goel]

Chromexcel is very stiff and heavy for a jacket leather. Great on boots and the like but even the thinner or tumbled batches are tough, however they have recently introduced some lighter weight leathers like Pinnacle that look much more better as a jacket leather.

 

[TartuWolf]

Personally I don't agree with folks trying to steer you away from CXL - I think it works fantastic for leather jackets. Especially the steerhide as opposed to the horsehide. And especially once broken in.