Kehoe Leather Jackets, St. Clair Shores / Warren Michigan

[handymike]

I don't believe there is a thread on my favorite CR style jackets.

Little is known about this company or its history other than the owner probably worked for Buco and eventually left to make his own like Brooks. Most tags say the jackets were made in St. Clair Shores, but I found 1 that listed Warren, Michigan.
Between the Detroit area makers, I find that Kehoe really dialed things in. They are different than Brooks in design and fit. They hold up well as a casual jacket 60 years later, and if you find one that's been cared for the steerhide they used feels fantastic.
To my knowledge, Kehoe only made 3 mens jacket designs, 1 for the ladies, and riding pants.
The black jackets are of better quality leather than the brown versions IMO, and if you can find the occasional colored one (blue, red, or grey) grab it!



I really can't figure out why they aren't more valuable because they are amazing jackets.
They run pretty true to size, but the sizing is printed on a little white tag in the chest pocket so you have to search and many are missing or unreadable.

The lining is made of silk, and most have separated from the shell (at the neckline and sleeve ends) with use, but for a Moto jacket this was a luxurious choice. Once I found one with a zip-out fuzzy liner.


Here are a couple of shots of mine to start off:





Please feel free to share any Kehoe photos you might have, or info you discover on the brand.

 

[photo2u]

That is a nice fit.

 

[handymike]

Slanted pocket CR

Mens Pants:

 

[handymike]

Ladies version:



Ladies pants:

 

[ton312]

I’ve had two. Posted this blue one several times. Crappy pic and unfortunately I don’t have more (or the jacket). Always wondered where these fit in with the Brooks/Reed/Buco grouping of Michigan makers. I agree that they made arguably the best CR pattern, alongside Buco and Brooks. Thankfully you can still find them at reasonable price points.

This one was tagged a 42” and fit tight and right. Very cool blue/gray color. The black one I had was a 46” and felt enormous so it was quickly sold along.

 

[handymike]

I love the blue, and would jump on a 38!

 

[Robbie79]

Slanted pocket CR
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Mens Pants:
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The slanted pocket CR is my favorite one and I also pretty much like the fit of yours. Unfortunately I‘ve never had any Kehoe jacket in my hands so far.

 

[handymike]

The black steerhide is my favorite. It is lightweight and supple but durable. Perfect for California! The silk lining makes it easy on and off, and feels great with a T shirt.

 

[Fonzie]

Kehoe jackets are awesome, I love mine and I rate it just as much as my premium repro-makers jackets that cost five times the price.
The steer hide leather is a joy to wear and the pattern is super comfortable, without a doubt my comfiest jacket.
A very underrated vintage brand indeed.

 

[handymike]

This red one is pretty great looking.

 

[robrinay]

I’ve just picked up a black slanted pocket style CR. I’ll post pics when it arrives. It’s missing its label but the pic in this thread seems to nail it as a Kehoe (I think so anyway- perhaps someone with more experience can confirm?). Update here are a few pics and now I'm sure its a Kehoe in great condition if a little snug (I can live with that).

 

[handymike]

Never seen their version of a hippie/ cowboy jacket before…

 

[lina]

What follows is a far too detailed comparison of my two Kehoe motorcycle jackets, for the very few people who might be interested! The black one I have had for several years, and it is more or less tied with my Buco PJ27 as one of the coolest riding jackets ever. (It was doctored up with the arm patch and sleeve stripes long before I got it.) The brown one I just recently got off of ebay, and while it seems of slightly lesser quality than the black jacket, I am thinking it will find a permanent place in my closet/on the bike.

Detailed pics to follow, but here is a run down of differences: First off, the black is marked as a 44 and the brown as a 46 (see pocket tag pics below). They are very close in sizing and both fit me very well to my mind (fit pics included here), with the black maybe (?) looking a bit better on me but the brown feeling a bit better with the extra room across the chest. Here are the measurements:

Black (44) / Brown (46)

Sh 19" / 18.75"
Pit 23.5" / 24"
Chest 16.25" / 17.5"
Back 26" / 25.75"
Sl 25" / 25.5"

What I mark above as "chest" measurement is one that I have only recently started doing on my jackets, as it has taken me a while (and lots of $$$!) to realize that this is a key measurement for me. That is, many jackets that "should" fit based on Shoulder and Pit to Pit numbers get stretched across my upper chest/front shoulders. So I now have started measuring across the front, high up about 4" below the collar band. The brown Kehoe feels really good, and I see now why (17.5" vs 16.25").

The biggest stylistic difference between the two is of course the slanted vs straight pockets; I like both styles, but the slant is of course less common and maybe cooler for that. Zippers are different too -- smaller Talons on the black and a chunkier Swift on the brown main zip with smaller Swifts on the sleeves (I don't know the brand "Swift"). Other differences: windflap in the brown but none in black, and zip out lining in the brown but none in black. Same tag in each, but located on the zip out lining on the brown jacket. Size tag is in the right pocket in the black and left pocket in the brown.

Leathers feel very different: a bit thicker feeling and more substantial on the black, shinier and slightly less substantial on the brown. Linings too feel different, with the black feeling just a bit more quality (I see on another thread that it might be silk?) and the brown feeling just a bit "plastic-y."

Lots of pics below and in the next post, including some close ups that may give a sense of the leather on each. Again, the black leather is really really nice, weighty but supple with very cool grain; the brown slightly less but okay nevertheless. I do like that the brown is a lighter, less common color (compared with Brooks, AMF, Lesco, etc).

I just today found the dedicated thread for Kehoe jackets, so will double post a couple of pics there.

 

[lina]

More pics:

 

[Nick M]

What follows is a far too detailed comparison of my two Kehoe motorcycle jackets, for the very few people who might be interested! The black one I have had for several years, and it is more or less tied with my Buco PJ27 as one of the coolest riding jackets ever. (It was doctored up with the arm patch and sleeve stripes long before I got it.) The brown one I just recently got off of ebay, and while it seems of slightly lesser quality than the black jacket, I am thinking it will find a permanent place in my closet/on the bike.

Detailed pics to follow, but here is a run down of differences: First off, the black is marked as a 44 and the brown as a 46 (see pocket tag pics below). They are very close in sizing and both fit me very well to my mind (fit pics included here), with the black maybe (?) looking a bit better on me but the brown feeling a bit better with the extra room across the chest. Here are the measurements:

Black (44) / Brown (46)

Sh 19" / 18.75"
Pit 23.5" / 24"
Chest 16.25" / 17.5"
Back 26" / 25.75"
Sl 25" / 25.5"

What I mark above as "chest" measurement is one that I have only recently started doing on my jackets, as it has taken me a while (and lots of $$$!) to realize that this is a key measurement for me. That is, many jackets that "should" fit based on Shoulder and Pit to Pit numbers get stretched across my upper chest/front shoulders. So I now have started measuring across the front, high up about 4" below the collar band. The brown Kehoe feels really good, and I see now why (17.5" vs 16.25").

The biggest stylistic difference between the two is of course the slanted vs straight pockets; I like both styles, but the slant is of course less common and maybe cooler for that. Zippers are different too -- smaller Talons on the black and a chunkier Swift on the brown main zip with smaller Swifts on the sleeves (I don't know the brand "Swift"). Other differences: windflap in the brown but none in black, and zip out lining in the brown but none in black. Same tag in each, but located on the zip out lining on the brown jacket. Size tag is in the right pocket in the black and left pocket in the brown.

Leathers feel very different: a bit thicker feeling and more substantial on the black, shinier and slightly less substantial on the brown. Linings too feel different, with the black feeling just a bit more quality (I see on another thread that it might be silk?) and the brown feeling just a bit "plastic-y."

Lots of pics below and in the next post, including some close ups that may give a sense of the leather on each. Again, the black leather is really really nice, weighty but supple with very cool grain; the brown slightly less but okay nevertheless. I do like that the brown is a lighter, less common color (compared with Brooks, AMF, Lesco, etc).

I just today found the dedicated thread for Kehoe jackets, so will double post a couple of pics there.


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I too have a black with the slanted pockets. Fantastic jacket in every way! Wouldn’t swap if for any other.