Looking for a particular shearling bomber jacket

[Levistathe]

I've been looking for a shearling bomber jacket or adjacent product for a while, and recently came across this product from DORJAN. The style is perfect, it is exactly what I want, but it isn't a full shearling. It only has fur at the collar, the lining is just quilted. I inquired with the manufacturer about having a custom lining and they said it may be possible, but only with a thin Black shearling lining that is separately stitched in. I am considering going with that option, but wanted to inquire about similar alternatives anyone might recommend that resemble this item.

 

[Edward]

A leather jacket with a sewn in shearling lining is a different proposition than a shearling jacket like an Irvin or a B3. A shearling lining within a leather shell will be a heavier item. A jacket like a B3 or an Irvin isn't lined as such: the outer is the treated / coated/ dyed other side of the shearling itself, if you see what I mean. Like the difference between an unlined denim jacket and a denim lining sewn into another shell material.

Both are good options depending what you want, though personally I'd be wary of going through a company that suggests what you want "may be possible", as it suggests they haven't done it before, and you'd end up paying full retail for their learning process.

I'm not familiar with the brand you mention, though you'll find plenty of discussion of shearling jackets on here from brands like Aero, Eastman, Goldtop and many others. Aero, for one, will also (at an appropriate upcharge) make a wide range of their leather jackets with a shearling liner. Worth having a think about which it is you want. A shearling jacket (where the shearling is both liner and shell in a single layer) can be wonderfully light as well as warm, though sometimes also fragile. A shearling lined leather can be quite a beast, but if you want a tough jacket that is very warm and don't mind heft, a good option. A B3 or ANJ4 can be a good compromise option in between - the benefits of a shearling, with the added elbow protection of the horsehide stopping elbows from getting accidentally torn.

 

[Levistathe]

A leather jacket with a sewn in shearling lining is a different proposition than a shearling jacket like an Irvin or a B3. A shearling lining within a leather shell will be a heavier item. A jacket like a B3 or an Irvin isn't lined as such: the outer is the treated / coated/ dyed other side of the shearling itself, if you see what I mean. Like the difference between an unlined denim jacket and a denim lining sewn into another shell material.

Both are good options depending what you want, though personally I'd be wary of going through a company that suggests what you want "may be possible", as it suggests they haven't done it before, and you'd end up paying full retail for their learning process.

I'm not familiar with the brand you mention, though you'll find plenty of discussion of shearling jackets on here from brands like Aero, Eastman, Goldtop and many others. Aero, for one, will also (at an appropriate upcharge) make a wide range of their leather jackets with a shearling liner. Worth having a think about which it is you want. A shearling jacket (where the shearling is both liner and shell in a single layer) can be wonderfully light as well as warm, though sometimes also fragile. A shearling lined leather can be quite a beast, but if you want a tough jacket that is very warm and don't mind heft, a good option. A B3 or ANJ4 can be a good compromise option in between - the benefits of a shearling, with the added elbow protection of the horsehide stopping elbows from getting accidentally torn.

Style, durability and warmth are my prerogatives over weight. If the products accomplishes all these things but weighs a kg or so more, I am happy with that. You say that a leather shell with a separate lining would likely be more durable than a full shearling piece? I would have thought the opposite. If that is the case, I am leaning more towards purchasing the item I mentioned and going with the custom lining.

 

[Oil Tanned]

You say that a leather shell with a separate lining would likely be more durable than a full shearling piece?

I have an Aero leather jacket with a sewn in shearling liner. A jacket that's full shearling would be soft and warm. My Aero is (I think) steer leather and as the temps drop the shell stiffens. It also doesn't have shearling inside the sleeves as that would be too bulky to fit w/ out making the sleeves appear huge. It's a little like wearing a very warm and heavy vest with hard, cold and stiff sleeves.

From that description you might get the impression that I don't like it and that's not true at all. I've worn both types. Each has its place and they're vastly different from one another.

 

[dinhnguyen57]

There’s a lot of leather jackets that you zip in and zip out liners that might be versatile. Some jackets will line the sleeves either way fur and others with Thinsulate and others will nothing.

your custom orders sounds expensive. Did you get a quote?

 

[Zoro]

I think we're missing the most important detail: OP's budget.

The jacket linked in the first post, honestly, looks quite poor. Like a flimsy leather jacket sold on Amazon for 130€ under a random brand name. I'm sure they can customize it and do whatever OP does, but I doubt about their quality and about it actually being real shearling.

 

[Edward]

Style, durability and warmth are my prerogatives over weight. If the products accomplishes all these things but weighs a kg or so more, I am happy with that. You say that a leather shell with a separate lining would likely be more durable than a full shearling piece? I would have thought the opposite. If that is the case, I am leaning more towards purchasing the item I mentioned and going with the custom lining.

A lot depends on how and where you wear it, but yes, the treated flesh side of the shearling that forms the exterior of an Irvin will always be more easily damaged than a leather shell with some heft to it, like a thick steer or horse.

 

[Levistathe]

There’s a lot of leather jackets that you zip in and zip out liners that might be versatile. Some jackets will line the sleeves either way fur and others with Thinsulate and others will nothing.

your custom orders sounds expensive. Did you get a quote?

It'll be like $900 with shipping and duties.

 

[Levistathe]

I think we're missing the most important detail: OP's budget.

The jacket linked in the first post, honestly, looks quite poor. Like a flimsy leather jacket sold on Amazon for 130€ under a random brand name. I'm sure they can customize it and do whatever OP does, but I doubt about their quality and about it actually being real shearling.

That jacket is normally ~$650 and the custom lining would put it at about $900. My budget was under $1000. The jacket is made by DORJAN in collaboration with an Italian design studio under the name Carlo Monti, with the leather sourced from a local tannery.

Edit: the leather is 0,7mm top grain lambskin.

 

[l0fielectronic]

It took me a while to find it and while the DORJAN website. It looks just like a dropshipping website, complete with dozens of AI images. But I can see they have been in business for some years and they appear to be a genuine company in Poland. It looks like 'Carlo Monti' was their own brand, you can see that website with the wayback machine.

There are lots of reviews on Google (search DORJAN Kurtki Skórzane Janusz Jabłoński - Polski Producent) and a lot of them with photos.

Looking at those photos, to me, these jackets look erm not so great. They do not look like they justify the prices you mention. They look more like what you do get from dropshipping websites and normally at around the $100-$150 price point. I think even the Five Star thread would give you better than what I see in some of those photos.


What it is about this jacket you like? Maybe if you describe what you are looking for people can help with some suggestions which offer better value for money.

Are you just after a black bomber jacket with a full brown shearling lining and collar?

 

[Levistathe]

It took me a while to find it and while the DORJAN website. It looks just like a dropshipping website, complete with dozens of AI images. But I can see they have been in business for some years and they appear to be a genuine company in Poland. It looks like 'Carlo Monti' was their own brand, you can see that website with the wayback machine.

There are lots of reviews on Google (search DORJAN Kurtki Skórzane Janusz Jabłoński - Polski Producent) and a lot of them with photos.

Looking at those photos, to me, these jackets look erm not so great. They do not look like they justify the prices you mention. They look more like what you do get from dropshipping websites and normally at around the $100-$150 price point. I think even the Five Star thread would give you better than what I see in some of those photos.


What it is about this jacket you like? Maybe if you describe what you are looking for people can help with some suggestions which offer better value for money.

Are you just after a black bomber jacket with a full brown shearling lining and collar?

I really wanted a shearling bomber or bomber-adjacent jacket/coat that didn't have fur at the cuffs and the hem, but it feels like almost all of them do. I prefer darker leather colors paired with non-black, non-white furs, which this one accomplishes with the grey-brown collar. I like the hardware, brass/copper-colored hardware has huge appeal to me, and the amount that is present is perfect (I don't like excessive or minimal hardware). This product checked so many boxes for me visually/stylistically, but it had a quilted lining, so I emailed them about having it made custom with a different lining. And now, I am here, seeing if there is anything similar or better than it before I pull the trigger.

 

[Zoro]

That jacket is normally ~$650 and the custom lining would put it at about $900. My budget was under $1000. The jacket is made by DORJAN in collaboration with an Italian design studio under the name Carlo Monti, with the leather sourced from a local tannery.

Edit: the leather is 0,7mm top grain lambskin.

That's a lot of insane mumbo jumbo that means absolutely nothing. It basically says it is made by nobody in collaboration with an allegedly Italian studio under nobody's name with allegedly local (Italian?) leather. Like @l0fielectronic said, it just looks like dropshipping cr.ap.

Plus Italian sounds good, but there's no magic spell in Italy that grants quality and power to its leather. The only thing that's relevant is that it is lambskin (which is often flimsy and not as durable as other hides) and 0.7mm (which is quite thin).

With your budget you probably got better options. What do you think about a Schott B3 or D6 (both full shearlings)? Would they fit the bill?They're around 1500 USD but you can very likely find a used one for 400-800.

 

[Levistathe]

That's a lot of insane mumbo jumbo that means absolutely nothing. It basically says it is made by nobody in collaboration with an allegedly Italian studio under nobody's name with allegedly local (Italian?) leather. Like @l0fielectronic said, it just looks like dropshipping cr.ap.

Plus Italian sounds good, but there's no magic spell in Italy that grants quality and power to its leather. The only thing that's relevant is that it is lambskin (which is often flimsy and not as durable as other hides) and 0.7mm (which is quite thin).

With your budget you probably got better options. What do you think about a Schott B3 or D6 (both full shearlings)? Would they fit the bill?They're around 1500 USD but you can very likely find a used one for 400-800.

I've thought about the B3, it was relatively high on my list before I came across the item in the pictures. I am very particular when it comes to the exact style, I've been on-and-off looking for a jacket/coat like this for over a year, but nothing I came across ever felt compelling enough to pull the trigger, and I'll explain. I love the style of bombers like the B3, but I hate having fur at the cuffs and hem, and most options I've looked into have that. Color is another thing, I want a darker color for the shell, but I don't want black or white fur, so that also narrowed things down a lot. I also LOVE brass or copper colored hardware, which was easier to find. I got to the point where I was considering buying something close and just having alterations made to it to bring it in line with what I was looking for, but then I found this jacket.

 

[dinhnguyen57]

I would recommend getting on the classifieds forum and placing a note saying what you want to buy, your size ( height, weight, chest measurement) and you might be surprised at the different jackets that may be offered for sale, that’s better quality and looks better And cheaper. Why not, it’s a free posting.

 

[l0fielectronic]

I really wanted a shearling bomber or bomber-adjacent jacket/coat that didn't have fur at the cuffs and the hem, but it feels like almost all of them do. I prefer darker leather colors paired with non-black, non-white furs, which this one accomplishes with the grey-brown collar. I like the hardware, brass/copper-colored hardware has huge appeal to me, and the amount that is present is perfect (I don't like excessive or minimal hardware). This product checked so many boxes for me visually/stylistically, but it had a quilted lining, so I emailed them about having it made custom with a different lining. And now, I am here, seeing if there is anything similar or better than it before I pull the trigger.

Have you looked at the ANJ-4 Flight jacket? That sounds kind of close to what you are talking about here and there are lots of makers and options, some with dark shearling. The Coach brand do a lot of dark shearling jackets too, never had a jacket by them but what I've seen on here they look good quality.

For the price you are talking about you should be able to get a good quality jacket.

 

[Zoro]

I've thought about the B3, it was relatively high on my list before I came across the item in the pictures. I am very particular when it comes to the exact style, I've been on-and-off looking for a jacket/coat like this for over a year, but nothing I came across ever felt compelling enough to pull the trigger, and I'll explain. I love the style of bombers like the B3, but I hate having fur at the cuffs and hem, and most options I've looked into have that. Color is another thing, I want a darker color for the shell, but I don't want black or white fur, so that also narrowed things down a lot. I also LOVE brass or copper colored hardware, which was easier to find. I got to the point where I was considering buying something close and just having alterations made to it to bring it in line with what I was looking for, but then I found this jacket.

I also rather not have the fur at cuffs and hem, so I got a custom. But that will set you back much more than your budget. Honestly, if I had to choose between that dubious company or a standard B3 with fur at cuffs and hem from a reliable maker, I would rather have the fur at cuffs and hem.

 

[Levistathe]

Have you looked at the ANJ-4 Flight jacket? That sounds kind of close to what you are talking about here and there are lots of makers and options, some with dark shearling. The Coach brand do a lot of dark shearling jackets too, never had a jacket by them but what I've seen on here they look good quality.

For the price you are talking about you should be able to get a good quality jacket.

I have looked at the ANJ-4 jackets and they also come real close, like the B3. They solve the fur at the cuffs and hem problem but many of them have massive pockets/pouches on the front that I don't like and I've struggled to find ones that have a good color combination that appeal to me. Here's a picture of one that I was looking at, it is REALLY close but I just wish it had zipper pockets at the chest instead of those large pouches at the bottom.

 

[Levistathe]

I also rather not have the fur at cuffs and hem, so I got a custom. But that will set you back much more than your budget. Honestly, if I had to choose between that dubious company or a standard B3 with fur at cuffs and hem from a reliable maker, I would rather have the fur at cuffs and hem.

Nice, how much did that run you? Who made it, and have you had it for a while?

 

[Zoro]

Seems you're after something very, very specific. The price would be higher, but I would honestly just save or spend more in a proper custom.

If you're in US, from what I'm aware of Johnson Leathers would be your best option. I'm in Europe, so I went with Thedi leathers. I've had mine for a year and a half, don't recall exactly how much I paid but it was north of 1500€ and I believe he has increased his prices (like everyone else).

 

[andreasnorden]

What about that one? It´s a copy of a German "Kanaljacke" (Channel-Jacket) in Black Leather. Noble House in Germany supplies good quality for reasonabel prices. The Jackets are made from argentinian leather and made in south america.
https://www.noble-house.eu/fliegerj...schland/kanaljacke-winterversion-schwarz.html