Looking for a Leather jacket

[Marc mndt]

I would have except for their leather selection.

I agree, their current leather selection doesn't look very appealing to me personally. But their older jackets' leather is world-class.

Here's some of the nicest ones I've handled...

 

[TheDonEffect]

Embarking on a new jacket makes for exciting times!

I have experience with both 5* and Johnson, so here are some highlights:

5* price is unrivaled. Their workmanship is better than their price and will make some of the higher end makers blush some. Their leather quality is good, and continues to improve, the stock steer and notably the premium goat are as good as anything else you'll generally get. The gift and curse is that they will make whatever you want to your specifications, but that also means you need to really know what you want, and you will own it. The geometry and therefore wearability of jackets is very much a formula, lots of nuances to get jackets to work for certain specifications. It is not as simple as measuring your body and making a jacket to those numbers, because a mm here, a couple degrees there makes all the difference between a wearable jacket and a costume piece. For guys with bulk, this point cannot be understated as we have mass that shifts around and such. If you have alot of ideas and enjoy the creative process, 5* offers a unique opportunity to do so without breaking the bank.

JL offers great value especially if you're able to visit them. They're one of the few makers that will make you a full custom jacket. Where their real value is though is selecting one of their base designs and then altering/tailoring it to your size, even better if you find one off their rack and going from there. There is no end on what they can do, and they have a ton of leathers available. They're one of the suppliers for CHP and other LEO agencies, and are a go to source for alot of track bois getting their suits made/fixed, so they make legit, proven riding gear, so their stock steer and such may be what you're looking for, good battle tested stuff that wear and feels luxury. I sometimes regret giving away my first 3oz steer jacket I had, for such a simple jacket it just felt quality.

For me, and others can attest, they just seem to nail the shoulder area, and they have a knack for functionality, just makes jackets wear lighter than they actually are with good mobility. If you can visit them, they can measure you up and you can specify what you want, so if you find something off the rack, Damon and staff are really good at making suggestions to get the perfect fit.

I stopped by during the holidays and they had these in stock on special, IIRC they were like 600 or 700 something after the holiday discounts, in their Masaye Horsehide leather. Add in a few alterations and you'll essentially get a tailored jacket to your specs.

I currently have two Horween jackets and a stock lightweight steerhide, and the steerhide is starting to replace my hoodies because it's so damn comfortable to the point I kinda wish I went with a slightly heavier leather, maybe even back to their tried and true 3oz steer. Funny enough, I've been kicking around the idea of getting a half belt as well.