Horsehide Half-Belts; McCoy, Sportclad, Californian, Rich-Sher

[tmitchell59]

This Video is from winter. Just noticed it looking through my youtube channel.

Kinda long. Jacket weather is taking turn where I am.

 

[Grayland]

Always love your videos. So much more detail than just pics. Love them all, but the black Californian is special.

 

[jacketjunkie]

These all look great, the one I like most is probably the heavily lined one you wear while presenting the others. That black Californian is something special though, horsehide that old often looks so withered and worn out and this one looks good as new. Great stuff. Thanks for the vid!

 

[tmitchell59]

Always love your videos. So much more detail than just pics. Love them all, but the black Californian is special.

The Californian may have an added label. My friend Dave Sheely confirms it was made my Monarch of Milwaukee. It is a quality jacket and quite hard to find in black. I just don't see to many vintage half belts of any color, certainly not in comparison to vintage MC jackets. They just don't show up for sale.

thanks for the thanks. I've got several other from last season to post. Three are Monarchs.

These all look great, the one I like most is probably the heavily lined one you wear while presenting the others. That black Californian is something special though, horsehide that old often looks so withered and worn out and this one looks good as new. Great stuff. Thanks for the vid!

The Rich Sher jackets are very high quality. This one has the heavy lining and a very thick hide. I just saw a motorcycle jacket with the label. Vintage half belts are getting difficult to find.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Yes, I know. I've been looking around a lot recently and it is really hard to find something in my size 40. A guy on etsy has a nice Californian for sale but it's like three times what you asked for the one I missed out on and it's also no half-belt but a flight jacket. I seached for Rich Sher after seeing your video but there's even less of these than there are Californians. I'll keep looking.

 

[jonbuilder]

I just don't see to many vintage half belts of any color, certainly not in comparison to vintage MC jackets. They just don't show up for sale.

Terry do you think the smaller number of 50s half belts compared to 50s MC jackets is because fewer half belts were made,
the half belts were worn more being more of a utilitarian design, or possible collectors tend to hold on to 50s half belts?

 

[Rgcards]

What would you call this style, a car coat?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133636741727.

 

[handymike]

Depending on the length either car coat (29”) or surcoat (27”).

 

[tmitchell59]

Terry do you think the smaller number of 50s half belts compared to 50s MC jackets is because fewer half belts were made,
the half belts were worn more being more of a utilitarian design, or possible collectors tend to hold on to 50s half belts?

This is a thread from the past! Interesting question.

I believe the half-belt had it's day in the 30s as a fashion statement. There were interesting designs and innovations use of all leathers. Those were the Golden years. The war came and production of civilian leather goods declined as war time leather needs increased. As civilian production came back the post war Motorcycle boom hit, hence all these beautiful dedicated MC jackets were produced to fill demand.

Perhaps the mind-set, after the war, changed. The half-belt was seen as "old" and new designs came into play during the 50s. Less fashion, less innovation in 50s half belts. There were very few daring designs post war as seen before the war. Jackets became sorta plain.

I don't think there is a collectors market for 50s half-belts. When I think of collectible half-belts it is the 1930s. They just made fewer half-belts, so fewer of them to see today. Taste changed?

To me, the Golden years for Half-belts and most civilian leather jackets was 1935-1941. Golden age of MC jacket development began post war. I see innovation in MC jackets today along with the traditional designs. I see makers today recreating vintage designs in half-belts nothing really new? In fact there are many more Classic half-belt designs to redo.

This is my take on the question. Interested how others may feel.

one example from the 30s. Californian half-belt in Capeskin

 

[Canuck Panda]

Interesting, the original had the zipper (not grommet type) on the other side it seems, than the repro from Japan.

 

[tmitchell59]

Interesting, the original had the zipper (not grommet type) on the other side it seems, than the repro from Japan.
View attachment 340678

very similar jackets. The Californian has a near perfect Talon Sunrise Zipper. No idea why the zipper on the Japanese jacket is on that side.

 

[jonbuilder]

very similar jackets. The Californian has a near perfect Talon Sunrise Zipper. No idea why the zipper on the Japanese jacket is on that side.

View attachment 340679

The other sided zip must be a other side of the pond thing

 

[photo2u]

Terry, that Californian is so nice. What is the size?

 

[Marc mndt]

What would you call this style, a car coat?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133636741727.
View attachment 340610

Depending on the length either car coat (29”) or surcoat (27”).

I would say a long halfbelt.

 

[Benny Holiday]

This is a thread from the past! Interesting question.

I believe the half-belt had it's day in the 30s as a fashion statement. There were interesting designs and innovations use of all leathers. Those were the Golden years. The war came and production of civilian leather goods declined as war time leather needs increased. As civilian production came back the post war Motorcycle boom hit, hence all these beautiful dedicated MC jackets were produced to fill demand.

Perhaps the mind-set, after the war, changed. The half-belt was seen as "old" and new designs came into play during the 50s. Less fashion, less innovation in 50s half belts. There were very few daring designs post war as seen before the war. Jackets became sorta plain.

I don't think there is a collectors market for 50s half-belts. When I think of collectible half-belts it is the 1930s. They just made fewer half-belts, so fewer of them to see today. Taste changed?

To me, the Golden years for Half-belts and most civilian leather jackets was 1935-1941. Golden age of MC jacket development began post war. I see innovation in MC jackets today along with the traditional designs. I see makers today recreating vintage designs in half-belts nothing really new? In fact there are many more Classic half-belt designs to redo.

This is my take on the question. Interested how others may feel.

one example from the 30s. Californian half-belt in Capeskin

View attachment 340674 View attachment 340675

I think it was simply a shift in fashion. If you go to the Suits thread and look st the BIG SUIT ROOM STICKY catalog scans, many men's suits and sportscosts in the 30s also sported halfbelts with pleats and fancy action backs, often with matching pleated patch pockets too. They lasted through the war years and then declined with the elevation of the Bold Look to general menswear after WWII.

 

[tmitchell59]

They lasted through the war years and then declined with the elevation of the Bold Look to general menswear after WWII.

Sounds like a good summation with the great comparison with other men's fashion changes, like suits and such.