My brown Natal cafe racer

[Guppy]

I've been wearing this a lot this winter. It's my brown Natal Leather, purchased from ebay. It's made from an extremely heavy, stiff leather, and fits like a custom tailored jacket, and I love it.

When I got it, it had little sign of being used, but I've managed to get the break in process started. The sleeves have begun to develop some really nice creasing.

Around the collar, sweat and oil from my skin has started to burnish and darken the leather where it rubs against me. This is going to develop into a deep, rich brown in time. I hope that the entire jacket will eventually take on a patina like I see developing on the edge of the collar here. I'm not sure if it's natural or dyed, but I don't believe there's a top coat on this leather. Naked leather really is beautiful, especially as it develops character.

I don't have any fit pics yet, but I'll try to get some soon and update here.

If you can find a good Natal in your size, pick it up. You will not be disappointed.

 

[Peacoat]

It looks nice. It is dyed of course. If it weren't dyed it would have a blue color to the hide which wouldn't look good.

 

[Guppy]

It looks nice. It is dyed of course. If it weren't dyed it would have a blue color to the hide which wouldn't look good.

Blue color?

 

[TREEMAN]

Leather looks really thick. Whats the rest of the jacket look like ?

 

[Monitor]

That's the 11oz one, right?

 

[ton312]

Looks really nice. These are all over the place price wise on eBay, like $50-$500! Hard to find much info on the maker. I second the ask for more pics. Don't see too many of these around, especially in brown.

 

[Monitor]

Few makers made these from what appears to be the exact same pattern. There's virtually no difference between this exact same CR made by Natal, Walter Dyer and... Some other brand name I forgot. Every single stitch was at the same place and they were all consistently extremely heavy. Like seriously, 6-7 oz stuff. All were naked cowhide, non-corrected... Just the kind of jacket you can't find anymore from any maker.

 

[ton312]

Few makers made these from what appears to be the exact same pattern. There's virtually no difference between this exact same CR made by Natal, Walter Dyer and... Some other brand name I forgot. Every single stitch was at the same place and they were all consistently extremely heavy. Like seriously, 6-7 oz stuff. All were naked cowhide, non-corrected... Just the kind of jacket you can't find anymore from any maker.

Speaking of WD, I stumbled across this Golden Bear remake of their pattern. Seems ludicrously over priced:
https://www.taylorstitch.com/collec...products/the-moto-jacket-in-whiskey-steerhide

 

[ButteMT61]

Nice jacket. In regards to the neck...if you look at old - really old jackets - you'll notice those neck folds almost are always rotted out. I make a point of cleaning and treating that area in particular as the salts, etc. from your skin will devour it over time. I looks nice for a while, but that will surely happen - maybe long after you're gone and you don't care of course, but if you want to preserve it for some jacket nut to find in 2045, I'd give that a thought...

 

[Monitor]

Speaking of WD, I stumbled across this Golden Bear remake of their pattern. Seems ludicrously over priced:
https://www.taylorstitch.com/collec...products/the-moto-jacket-in-whiskey-steerhide

I've seen it and the CR they did.
http://www.b74.de/product/slim-fit-banded-collar-motorcycle-jacket-black/
The leather is very nice. Horween. And some great, super hi-res photos there but I really don't understand these Golden Bear prices. Weren't they like... Brooks priced? Thought they went under anyway.

 

[feltfan]

Nice jacket. In regards to the neck...if you look at old - really old jackets - you'll notice those neck folds almost are always rotted out. I make a point of cleaning and treating that area in particular as the salts, etc. from your skin will devour it over time. I looks nice for a while, but that will surely happen - maybe long after you're gone and you don't care of course, but if you want to preserve it for some jacket nut to find in 2045, I'd give that a thought...

I actually had to replace that part on my 20 year old Johnson. What do you use to leech out the salts and treat the leather?

 

[ButteMT61]

I actually had to replace that part on my 20 year old Johnson. What do you use to leech out the salts and treat the leather?

Nothing fancy. Just use a wet washcloth (old ones since wife would kill me) and rub it down a few times and let dry.
Then I apply either: Vaseline, Pecards, or Obenauf's Leather Oil.
I don't have any signs of rot or badness on the neck folds, and I think this will keep them clean well beyond my years...
I don't like using soaps, etc. But some may think that's a good idea.

 

[Guppy]

Leather looks really thick. Whats the rest of the jacket look like ?

I'll get some more pics up ASAP

That's the 11oz one, right?

I have no idea the weight of the leather, but it is very heavy leather.

Looks really nice. These are all over the place price wise on eBay, like $50-$500! Hard to find much info on the maker. I second the ask for more pics. Don't see too many of these around, especially in brown.

Right, I don't know what Natal sold these for new, and I don't know when they went out of business. But certainly today a new jacket of this quality would be a bargain at $500. But often you can find Natal jackets for much less than that.

Sometimes I see them with the label spelled "Natel" but they look/feel exactly the same. I'm not sure what to make of that, were they really misspelling their own name? Was there a copycat maker who ripped their brand off? It'd be really great if someone who knew posted a history of the company online somewhere...

Speaking of WD, I stumbled across this Golden Bear remake of their pattern. Seems ludicrously over priced:
https://www.taylorstitch.com/collec...products/the-moto-jacket-in-whiskey-steerhide

That's not the same pattern as my jacket at all... when I get around to posting more photos, you'll see.

 

[ton312]

That's not the same pattern as my jacket at all... when I get around to posting more photos, you'll see.

This was in reference to the Walter Dyer jacket...not yours.

 

[technovox]

I'm really liking the look of the Natal leather. But it's really hard to get a sense of the jacket from only close-ups. Do you have any wide shot photos of the front and back?

 

[ton312]

Here's a nice one for sale:

http://m.ebay.com/itm/232269888624

Quick eBay search shows two for sale around $150 and two for $500. That's a pretty freak'n wide value gap. Wonder what they were priced at originally?

 

[opiusmaximus]

Looks really nice. These are all over the place price wise on eBay, like $50-$500! Hard to find much info on the maker. I second the ask for more pics. Don't see too many of these around, especially in brown.

These jackets look really thick and appear to be a great value in the $50-100 range. OP has one listed in black for $500. Jesus will come back before he gets that for the jacket.

 

[ton312]

These jackets look really thick and appear to be a great value in the $50-100 range. OP has one listed in black for $500. Jesus will come back before he gets that for the jacket.

I saw two for $500...I agree that $500 is priced too high but have you seen that vintage jacket prices getting crazy thread?? Hard to understand how people assign value.

 

[Guppy]

These jackets look really thick and appear to be a great value in the $50-100 range. OP has one listed in black for $500. Jesus will come back before he gets that for the jacket.

Maybe, but it's not like I *want* to sell it. It's what I'm willing to part with it for.

 

[Peacoat]

I actually had to replace that part on my 20 year old Johnson. What do you use to leech out the salts and treat the leather?

Lexol makes a leather cleaner, as well as a preservative, that I have been using for close to 30 years to clean horse sweat out of riding tack. I also use it occasionally on the collars of my leather jackets to clean sweat from around the collar as Butte mentioned. I follow up the cleaning with a light coating of Pecard. Works well.