Lewis Leathers Phantom Jacket 437

[Marc mndt]

Interesting to see the "Colourful World of Lewis" bit of the catalogue. Lewis got big into pushing brightly coloured leathers in the mid-late 70s; they sold them as a 'safety feature', given the supposedly increased visibility (this in the era of the British Public Information Film 'Think Bike' campaign). I get the impression, based on how rare most of them are on the vintage market, that they weren't a particularly popular choice, though arguably it did after a sens

I hope to find a red one from the 70s one day. In my size with proper sleeve length That would be massively cool.

 

[Edward]

I hope to find a red one from the 70s one day. In my size with proper sleeve length That would be massively cool.

I've seen the odd red one, usually in the smaller sizes and especially women's versions. After black ,the petrol blue ones are the next most common, then I think the burgundy and reds. I've never seen one of the orange or yellow ones in person, much less the yellow and orange, two-tone monstrosity!

 

[navetsea]

would red pigment stay red through decades, red is among the weakest color in term of color fastness under UV exposure. tend to turn pink or salmon before other colors is affected.

 

[Marc mndt]

would red pigment stay red through decades, red is among the weakest color in term of color fastness under UV exposure. tend to turn pink or salmon before other colors is affected.

This Bates looks cool. Not too pale. Don't know how old it is.

 

[Marc mndt]

 

[Salmosalar]

I had a pair of these made up as a custom MTM order with LL in London last year - one in orange HH, the other in their green veg tan sheep - these were trimmed in both sleeve and body length, so probably a bit more like the original Phantom that Marc has, rather than the longer Super Phantom that is the OTR/MTM version Lewis offer as stock. The green sheep is a really lovely leather - v thick but soft hand and it drapes really well, with an amazing patina up close. I prefer it to pretty much all the other hides I have - including FQHH and heavy steer CXL, Vicenza and even Badalassi. The orange HH one is v nice but not such a stunning leather in that sense, but I got it primarily for the unusual retro colour - I have only ever seen these in black or blue “in the wild” - the leather is relatively light in weight and smooth in grain but v tough and ideal for the warmer weather. I would highly recommend them both!

 

[JMax]

This Bates looks cool. Not too pale. Don't know how old it is.

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You need a Bates. If only for the experience. Let me know if you see one in the US, I will help get it to you. Bates are awesome!!

 

[Marc mndt]

I had a pair of these made up as a custom MTM order with LL in London last year - one in orange HH, the other in their green veg tan sheep - these were trimmed in both sleeve and body length, so probably a bit more like the original Phantom that Marc has, rather than the longer Super Phantom that is the OTR/MTM version Lewis offer as stock. The green sheep is a really lovely leather - v thick but soft hand and it drapes really well, with an amazing patina up close. I prefer it to pretty much all the other hides I have - including FQHH and heavy steer CXL, Vicenza and even Badalassi. The orange HH one is v nice but not such a stunning leather in that sense, but I got it primarily for the unusual retro colour - I have only ever seen these in black or blue “in the wild” - the leather is relatively light in weight and smooth in grain but v tough and ideal for the warmer weather. I would highly recommend them both!

Very nice jackets indeed. The square badge (instead of oval), is that because they're mtm or do all Lewis Leathers come with such a badge nowadays?

 

[Monitor]

Reunion vibes.

 

[Marc mndt]

Reunion vibes.

Damn that Super Phantom looked good on you.

 

[Salmosalar]

Very nice jackets indeed. The square badge (instead of oval), is that because they're mtm or do all Lewis Leathers come with such a badge nowadays?

Hi Marc,
I think it varies depending on the model - I have a Super Sportsman from 2020 in the vintage turquoise with an oval badge, but both these were rectangular - I am sure you can request either, or request to leave it off entirely these days?

 

[Edward]

This Bates looks cool. Not too pale. Don't know how old it is.

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Red leather tends to fade a little in my experience, but not to the point of going pink the way a denim shirt might. There are plenty of products that can fully restore the original colour, such as this: https://www.buffaloleather.co.uk/le...r-restorer-cream-easy-wipe-on-application.htm You don't tend to hear so much about that sort of thing round these parts given the prizing of 'patina', but I've seen a lot of that sort of thing in use in the vintage car world (a wide range of coloured leather seats having been a standard there forever). I've seen some incredible results. Many years ago, my dad set to an old bike jacket owned by a now long ex-girlfriend; it came up incredibly well, without looking overly new, if you follow me. A red version would do this nicely on a jacket like that.

Very nice jackets indeed. The square badge (instead of oval), is that because they're mtm or do all Lewis Leathers come with such a badge nowadays?

AFAIK, the oblong labels came first and were later replaced by the ovals. I've never been able to find date information for this, though my best guess is not before 1968.

Reunion vibes.

Pretty much. A few badges and a 59club patch would complete the revival look...