How many new jackets do you have coming (and how many potential ones)?

[Monitor]

I think you'll live. At least you didn't mention Zara or H&M, two top tier makers in there own right

You're right. I still recall Stu's reaction when I compared the jacket they sent me to Hot Leathers. In retrospect, that was uncalled for. I never saw Hot Leathers with nearly as many issues as the jacket I got.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I've bought almost every branded tannery leather, at retail. Some of them are still waiting to be made into jackets. Will make a master post when I get everything back, could be a while.

I didn't take picture of the Italians (Victoria?) ones, and some other misc. leathers.

@Monitor is correct on the marketing terms. They are just words. I will go into detail when I get my jackets back from the makers. But there is no unicorn leather. No one brand/type/finish is better than the other. If you like the color, texture, thickness, then you are good to go.
The higher price are always inflated by marketing. Not actual customer satisfaction. Maybe resale, but not always.

I should also point out that some maker do take it up one notch by hand dyeing / finishing themselves. I discovered that my GW (bought here used) is like that. Still same aniline Shinki, just more personalized, with some heart. I like. Also less wasteful too.

 

[Ayeteael]

I've bought almost every branded tannery leather, at retail. Some of them are still waiting to be made into jackets. Will make a master post when I get everything back, could be a while.

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I didn't take picture of the Italians (Victoria?) ones, and some other misc. leathers.

@Monitor is correct on the marketing terms. They are just words. I will go into detail when I get my jackets back from the makers. But there is no unicorn leather. No one brand/type/finish is better than the other. If you like the color, texture, thickness, then you are good to go.
The higher price are always inflated by marketing. Not actual customer satisfaction. Maybe resale, but not always.

I should also point out that some maker do take it up one notch by hand dyeing / finishing themselves. I discovered that my GW (bought here used) is like that. Still same aniline Shinki, just more personalized, with some heart. I like. Also less wasteful too.

Fly, Icarus, fly! I don't know the details of this incredible endeavor, but man alive am I intrigued! I will follow your journey with bated breath.

 

[Tark]

The Ostmann jacket is here

Sleeves are pretty tight so it'll preclude wearing a sweater, and it actually looks better to me unzipped than zipped so let's see how it'll be broken in...

 

[ojaw]

The Ostmann jacket is here

Sleeves are pretty tight so it'll preclude wearing a sweater, and it actually looks better to me unzipped than zipped so let's see how it'll be broken in...

Got some inclement weather going on in your office there…

 

[torfjord]

You're right. I still recall Stu's reaction when I compared the jacket they sent me to Hot Leathers. In retrospect, that was uncalled for. I never saw Hot Leathers with nearly as many issues as the jacket I got.

Monitor, a man with a mission. A mission to write posts so obscenely insulting that he’ll bring every known leather jacket maker to comment on TFL. I will follow your future endeavors with great interest, sir.

 

[navetsea]

what I don't get is why do makers ask to someone who dare to make assumption if they themselves are jacket maker (while I believe they know FOR SURE @Monitor is NOT a jacket maker)... as if only between jacket makers or people in the same trade can be allowed to criticize or make speculations, if a game is broken you don't have to be a coder or own a video game company to say something, or make assumption of it. if a movie script is stupid like we have these days... one don't need to be a writer to assume this story is written by an elementary school dropout.. even when the writer is actually a university graduate.
I also think many information or spec details behind a product is just there for marketing or to give "reasons" where the high price is spent on. it doesn't say anything in layman languange, the details is always so encryptic you need to google everyline and jump into forums and browse through internet articles, to finaly make your own unproven assumption of the meaning of these spec, because it is so cryptic noone agree to the real meaning or what property it represents.
like in raw jeans or leather products...
they never just say it will shrink a lot after washed and everything on it will twist a lot to the right, the side seam will be on your knee but only on the left leg (see howmany 1st time customers they would lose if they say something honest like that). instead they will say unsanforized RHT, hightension, cotton from x country, loomed by Y mill, what are these information means to just normal people who walk in to buy a pants...

or in leather, why not just say, this leather will look the same after being rained on, this leather will warp and fade alot, this one will scratch alot and turn sueding after awhile,
technically end consumer don't really need the name of the plant the leather is dyed with, it is more useful if they just mention what color it really is when new and to what color it will develop later on with sun and wear.

 

[navetsea]

howmany time we read vegtan leather is better, and green to the environment... what does it mean?
greener means it would be easier to decompose right? does it mean vegtan leather is short lived and will be rotting easier when left out to the environment... mean don't wear your vegtan leather jacket in the rain often, do it once or twice only to make it look good and creased but never more?

what does it mean when your leather patinas and get wrinkly and soft, is it a half rotting, the most robust vegtan wallet will turn dark and soft within 4 or 5 years if we carry it everyday does it means it is halfway gone? on the spot where it completely black and soft it feel like deteriorating mummy, will it completely rot within 10 years? will straight vegtan jackets that is suppesedly supperior will last for 25 years + will it make 50years?

 

[ABCD]

technically end consumer don't really need the name of the plant the leather is dyed with, it is more useful if they just mention what color it really is when new and to what color it will develop later on with sun and wear.

I think it's actually the consumers themselves who 'demand' leathers from brandname tanneries like Badalassi Carlo, Horween or Shinki Hikaku.

I once met this guy who owned a dozen high end Japanese made jackets. All of them cost €2k+ new and were made out of Shinki Leather. When we had a discussion about different makers he told me how he once contacted Thedi Leathers to get a quotation on some jacket. He was told €1500, which he thought was too much money for the jacket. When I asked him why he said because it was 'only' Italian leather (horsehide). When we met a second time I showed him my hh Thedi and he was absolutely blown away by both the leather and the quality of construction. He had no idea Thedi jackets were that nice.

I'm sure that if Thedi would have used Shinki hides instead of Italian hh, he would have ordered the jacket right away after receiving the quotation.

Considering the aforementioned, I think when buying a jacket people (partially) base their buying decisions on the brandname of the leathers/tanneries in order to

1) compensate for their own lack of knowledge on leather quality and tanning methods

2) justify their significant outlay

3) because they see some particular brandname as a quality signifier

 

[navetsea]

but those a hype consumers right, they just browse and the internet and get immersed into something they never see and touch and just belief. which is strange if you think the world has become more skeptical or critical, yet in some aspects people just have pure faith in a brand just like it was with religion. I do think hype will pour in and then move on to something else.

when I learned basic term of raw jeans just 3-4 yrs ago, every article in the internet said unsanforized right hand twill will twist to the front, but none of them mention on the left leg only... because it twist to the back on the right leg... was it an oversight, or just lie? why do they keep saying twist to the front, why not say twist to the left (or to the right from the wearer's side)

same with full grain and top grain thing, or vegtan above any other tanning methods, seems like everyone is parroting everyone outthere. very hard to just read simple honest fact unless you have it in hand, which means its already too late in some cases.

 

[jonbuilder]

When was the last time you ordered something from a printed mail catalogue?
And the catalogue came with actual stamps. Actual stamps. Well done Langlitz.

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The catalogue does not mention horsehide prices. I notice a curent 1947 style Combia is $1,250. A couple of months back I purchased a green label Colombia in time capsule condition for $1,550 in horsehide. I do not know when Ross change the style of Colombia but the back of my green label does not have the long ducktail kidney support much cleaner styling

 

[jonbuilder]

howmany time we read vegtan leather is better, and green to the environment... what does it mean?
greener means it would be easier to decompose right? does it mean vegtan leather is short lived and will be rotting easier when left out to the environment... mean don't wear your vegtan leather jacket in the rain often, do it once or twice only to make it look good and creased but never more?

what does it mean when your leather patinas and get wrinkly and soft, is it a half rotting, the most robust vegtan wallet will turn dark and soft within 4 or 5 years if we carry it everyday does it means it is halfway gone? on the spot where it completely black and soft it feel like deteriorating mummy, will it completely rot within 10 years? will straight vegtan jackets that is suppesedly supperior will last for 25 years + will it make 50years?

green meaning the chemicals involed are less toxic to the environment

 

[Monitor]

I think it's actually the consumers themselves who 'demand' leathers from brandname tanneries like Badalassi Carlo, Horween or Shinki Hikaku.

I once met this guy who owned a dozen high end Japanese made jackets. All of them cost €2k+ new and were made out of Shinki Leather. When we had a discussion about different makers he told me how he once contacted Thedi Leathers to get a quotation on some jacket. He was told €1500, which he thought was too much money for the jacket. When I asked him why he said because it was 'only' Italian leather (horsehide). When we met a second time I showed him my hh Thedi and he was absolutely blown away by both the leather and the quality of construction. He had no idea Thedi jackets were that nice.

I'm sure that if Thedi would have used Shinki hides instead of Italian hh, he would have ordered the jacket right away after receiving the quotation.

Considering the aforementioned, I think when buying a jacket people (partially) base their buying decisions on the brandname of the leathers/tanneries in order to

1) compensate for their own lack of knowledge on leather quality and tanning methods

2) justify their significant outlay

3) because they see some particular brandname as a quality signifier

So sad to hear this and there are so many victims to this hype while in reality the best Shinki is at a level of mid-range Italian tanned leather from whatever tannery. But that's what you get from reading all that **** on Instagram and elsewhere.

 

[marker2037]

Hey @marker2037 did you ever receive your Thedi Atlas / Field Jacket style? If so, what are your thoughts? Any pics?

Sorry for the late reply! I was away from the forums since summer because it was so hot here I couldn’t even think of a jacket, let alone wear one.

Yes, I got mine back in May and I absolutely love it. Amazing leather, fit, craftsmanship, and materials. I highly recommend this jacket if you like the style. This is a Medium. I wear a 42R in most everything.

 

[red devil]

So sad to hear this and there are so many victims to this hype while in reality the best Shinki is at a level of mid-range Italian tanned leather from whatever tannery. But that's what you get from reading all that **** on Instagram and elsewhere.

It is the same with people who buy fashion brands and think these are the best made items. In their case they can impress the people they seek to impress I guess...

Edit: I should mention that some of the fashion branded items are actually well made, as @Monitor showed us recently. It really is a matter of looking for quality as opposed believing a brand name at face value

 

[JMax]

So sad to hear this and there are so many victims to this hype while in reality the best Shinki is at a level of mid-range Italian tanned leather from whatever tannery. But that's what you get from reading all that **** on Instagram and elsewhere.

Ha. I’m not kidding, the Halo monks were singing in my head while I read this post. Amazing.

 

[handymike]

Since the world switched gears from researched reporting to (cheap) blog posts and sponsored social media this is unfortunately very true.

I am happy to say that I like the Rutland Sheep of my LL. A nice weight for my Cali climate, but I would also like it if the name was “thicker black soft leather.”

 

[navetsea]

green meaning the chemicals involed are less toxic to the environment

and the product made from this less toxic/ easier to neutralize by nature tannin, I suppose would be easier to be reclaimed by nature too? wouldn't that make total sense.

if you wear a chrome tanned jacket that look exactly the day it was bought after a year that means it will last much longer than a vegtan jacket that already show a sign of aging the first time you wear it right? I don't hate vegtan jacket, I love the last two of mine, but I would be wary to wear them in heavy downpour. light drizzle is cool, as long as it only happen seldomly, if I commute by bike, and I wear my vegtan everyday between october to april here which is the wet season, I'm afraid I will ruin it after a year...

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

So, while I have been trying to cool off with the buying, couldn't resist picking this up for my better half. Not sure she's going to like the thicker leather feel, but hopefully it's on the softer side at least. Looks like a 70s or 80s Schott 141ish for women. Nice details and beautiful large talon zips. Worst case, I'll work out a deal with MrBlonde and maybe swap it for some gold he's trying to get out of Iraq

 

[ojaw]

howmany time we read vegtan leather is better, and green to the environment... what does it mean?

Aren’t people generally talking about the front end, ie tanning process, when they refer to the greener aspects of vegtan leather? That’s the impression I’ve gotten anyway, with the assumption that when the usable life of the piece is over, there will also be a relative decrease in pollution because of the materials (fewer nasty chemicals) that went into its production in the first place.