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Inspiration 2016

Superfluous

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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3,995
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Missing in action
Inspiration 2016 did not disappoint. Great people and amazing jackets. Hooked up with HandyMike – his internet persona pales in comparison to the real guy. The best of the best!

HM: I cannot thank you enough for you input and assistance. I’m sorry I had to bolt. I owe you lunch. Also, I cannot wait to hear about your 30s Hercules and private lessons.

Himel, Good Wear, Real McCoy, Lewis Leathers, and White Feather, among others, had their repros on display. There was also an incredible assortment of vintage jackets. It was a smorgasbord of leather (in addition to amazing work wear and vintage clothing).

Where to start? After speaking with him on the telephone many times, I finally got to meet Chapman. A friendlier guy does not exist. He had two jackets on display in Himel’s both (and was wearing a third) – all were works of art. Chatted a bunch with Himel, and immersed myself in his new jackets. With his new additions, Himel has an incredibly broad selection of models. He is also working with many new leathers, including Italian HH, steer and goat, all of which are considerably less expensive than Shinki. Real McCoys had a broad selection of both military and civilian jackets. RMC also had a few original pieces on display (or perhaps they were used repros – when it comes to RMC, I have a hard time differentiating). Lewis Leathers had a large display, including some colorful pieces (yellow, green and red). Really wish they would allow jackets to be purchased without the labels. Many vintage Bucos and A2s were available for purchase.

Ben: Himel is looking forward to meeting you on Saturday.

I took a bunch of photos. I will attempt to post them as time permits. HandyMike has many more photos, and his are far, far better than mine. Looking forward to seeing HM’s photos. For the time being, I’ll start with these.

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Bunyip

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,069
Location
Australia
It's one of my goals to get there one day. I paw over the Imspiration wrap up every year. Looks like a fantastic weekend. Was Stu there handing out LW stickers and fairy floss?
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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3,112
Location
UK
Fantastic ....inspirational, thanks Superfluous for taking the time & effort to share with us. Wish I'd been there (my wallets probably glad I wasn't ) :)
 
Messages
16,855
Thank you for this, Super! Look at the LL lineup. There's the Phantom. And the Dominator. But man, the white mandarin collar jacket is SO damn cool, I wouldn't think twice about wearing it.
 

Fanch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,490
Location
Texas
That is an incredible array of jackets, and I am simply speechless. Like bn1966, it's a good thing I wasn't there too. The one jacket you presented with which I am familar is this one and can verify that no picture I have yet seen truly does it justice:
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The only negative IMHO is the LL patch.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,084
Location
London, UK
A bit of nail polish remover, carefully applied, shoild strip the gold paint off the LL badge in no time. Fairly inobtrusive after that.
 
Messages
11,169
Location
SoCal
If you're gonna get a LL, I recommend the horsehide! Not stiff at all. Nice heft but not heavy at all. The cow was a bit plasticky.
The Dominator is pretty great ;)
 

Superfluous

My Mail is Forwarded Here
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3,995
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Missing in action
Was Stu there handing out LW stickers and fairy floss?

Stu didn't have a booth and I didn't see anyone passing out LW stickers, but he could have been there.

Fantastic ....inspirational, thanks Superfluous for taking the time & effort to share with us. Wish I'd been there (my wallets probably glad I wasn't ) :)

My wallet took an epic beat down.

Way to go Nick. In my mind I had it envisioned as happpening next week. Darn it.

Its going on all day today. Get over there Nick.

Once I gather my thoughts and have some coffee, I'll say more.

Looking forward to your comments.

Thank you for this, Super! Look at the LL lineup. There's the Phantom. And the Dominator. But man, the white mandarin collar jacket is SO damn cool, I wouldn't think twice about wearing it.

The LL display was impressive. Interestingly, Himel is a LL fan. When I mentioned the varying colors, he immediately defended the practice and expressed an interest in exploring more colors for his own jackets. Monitor, do you have the moxie to wear one of these (red, yellow or green):

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Fanch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,490
Location
Texas
If you're gonna get a LL, I recommend the horsehide! Not stiff at all. Nice heft but not heavy at all. The cow was a bit plasticky.
The Dominator is pretty great ;)
That was my impression too and would definitely go with HH over cow if I were to order a Dominator (or Corsair).
 
Last edited:
Messages
16,855
The LL display was impressive. Interestingly, Himel is a LL fan. When I mentioned the varying colors, he immediately defended the practice and expressed an interest in exploring more colors for his own jackets. Monitor, do you have the moxie to wear one of these (red, yellow or green):

Inspiration%20020_zpsp9cwfgfo.jpg


Inspiration%20022_zps3ku07qlj.jpg


Inspiration%20021_zpspxg7pkmu.jpg


Inspiration%20023_zpse26hlgmv.jpg

You kidding me? :) I've been wanting a red or a blue jacket forever now, just that I can't find one of a decent or affordable (for me) make, but yeah, I'd jump into any of these in a heart beat! I was seriously debating to get something in red from Aero when they still had that red hide, but decided I would want something a bit more conservative for my first serious jacket.

Man, I'm glad these events are entirely unavailable to me, otherwise I would be going home with that white mandarin collar jacket and the LL Dominator, weeping.
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,112
Location
UK
You kidding me? :) I've been wanting a red or a blue jacket forever now, just that I can't find one of a decent or affordable (for me) make, but yeah, I'd jump into any of these in a heart beat! I was seriously debating to get something in red from Aero when they still had that red hide, but decided I would want something a bit more conservative for my first serious jacket.

Man, I'm glad these events are entirely unavailable to me, otherwise I would be going home with that white mandarin collar jacket and the LL Dominator, weeping.

That Red Aero CR had me panting...would I have worn one in red...hell yes!!!
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,112
Location
UK
Revenge is sweet dude & best served cold!! I've been 'served' for my comments about your new booties...live long & prosper :)
 

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