My cross-button jacket from Cidu Genuine Leather Brand (China), or "The Handymike Re-Dye job"

[Monitor]

Hey, maybe I'll get a @bretron/ Bill Kelso collab. next
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/329...1.0&pvid=28829454-91ea-4058-a70b-8604a3b01a2f

Winnie the Pooh must be real proud.

 

[navetsea]

looks great Handymike, sleeve creases are extraordinary, does your redyeing work contribute to the crispiness of the leather to hold those creases?
congrats

 

[dinomartino1]

Mike the jacket looks a lot better dyed, I just posted a thread on the ones I kept that fit me, different makes and leather.
You must be pretty slim mate I am a 38 and that jacket was a bit too tight on me.
I redyed a buzz ricksons A2 a few years ago.

 

[handymike]

I’m usually a 38 too. This fits me perfectly. Win-win

 

[Bat02]

I’m considering their D pocket which they claim is from Shinki with golden talon hardware but dubiously costs less than 200 bucks. It’s offered at a discount right now. Luckily for me, the wife and her family are from China so I can order from taobao and get a refund easily of it’s really bad.

 

[handymike]

looks great Handymike, sleeve creases are extraordinary, does your redyeing work contribute to the crispiness of the leather to hold those creases?
congrats

When I steamed the sleeves, I noticed a lot of white stuff coming to the surface of the leather. I’m assuming it’s wax. I think that is helping the creases set. Doing it again, it might be a good idea to wash the jacket first, then steam out the wax before using any dye.

 

[handymike]

I’m considering their D pocket which they claim is from Shinki with golden talon hardware but dubiously costs less than 200 bucks. It’s offered at a discount right now. Luckily for me, the wife and her family are from China so I can order from taobao and get a refund easily of it’s really bad.

Please do a thread when it comes.

 

[Bat02]

I’ll make sure to do so.

I’m also considering another brand with more believable prices that’s called ray kwok. They do freewheelers, RMC, LL and Alden knockoffs. They claim to be using Shinki HH, Harris tweed for the pockets, YKK and waldes hardware and Horween leather for their shoes. the alleged owner shows videos of him going to the different factories and interviewing with reps so it seems more legit. Prices for jackets are around 600$ and boots: 100 to 200$.

Don’t know if anyone’s familiar with them around here.

 

[handymike]

Links help .

 

[Bat02]

Let me know if you can see it from this one:
- knock-off cyclone: https://m.tb.cn/h.eJnLeXP?sm=a7d9b9
- knock-off alden:
https://m.tb.cn/h.eJAX7l9?sm=397b72

 

[Will Zach]

Blackadder, do you happen to have a link to this suede knockoff jacket?

 

[Edward]

I know someone is selling those on Yahoo Auction Japan at a premium not sure about ebay though.

It's not unknown; there was a European brand a while back set up selling leather jackets at around the EU300 mark that were manufactured in Pakistan; the manufacturer coppoed on quickly to the European market and produced more with their own label and sold 'em for a third of that on eBay. It's a long-established ploy in the fashion business to have stuff made in SE Asia or the Indian subcontinent for buttons and then sell it at a considerable mark-up (but still undercutting the cost of local product) in the West. The difference is that nowadays we have access to the original manufacturer and can buy direct should we so choose. What you then pay the middle man for is, of course, service (ease of exchange if anything goes wrong, some higher level of assurance re conssitency of quality and such). Of course at a budget there are still compromises to be made, as compared to buying from one of the European / US / Japanese brands we favour here. As ever, you pays your money....

I susepct though we're going to start to see more of this sort of thing coming out of China over the next few years.

 

[Mich486]

Let me know if you can see it from this one:
- knock-off cyclone: https://m.tb.cn/h.eJnLeXP?sm=a7d9b9
- knock-off alden:
https://m.tb.cn/h.eJAX7l9?sm=397b72

If you get what you see these are really interesting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Superfluous]

I just purchased a new Ferrari . . . what do you think?

You can purchase knock-offs / counterfeits of most luxury items. Whether it be watches, purses, or leather jackets, I personally disfavor counterfeits and will gladly pay the higher price for the Real McCoy (pun intended). Moreover, no matter how adequately constructed the counterfeits might be, the genuine articles invariably are palpably better, both in terms of materials and construction. I am not arguing that the genuine items are "worth" the delta in price. That is a subjective and personal determination. That said, counterfeits are not an option for me. If I cannot stomach the price of a particular genuine article, I will instead purchase a lower priced item rather than a counterfeit of the paragon piece. But that is just me . . . to each his own.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Not sure about the whole knockoff thing, personally.

That said, that dye job you did looks fantastic! Vastly superior to the original. Nice job. Fits you well too.

 

[Blackadder]

It's not unknown; there was a European brand a while back set up selling leather jackets at around the EU300 mark that were manufactured in Pakistan; the manufacturer coppoed on quickly to the European market and produced more with their own label and sold 'em for a third of that on eBay. It's a long-established ploy in the fashion business to have stuff made in SE Asia or the Indian subcontinent for buttons and then sell it at a considerable mark-up (but still undercutting the cost of local product) in the West. The difference is that nowadays we have access to the original manufacturer and can buy direct should we so choose. What you then pay the middle man for is, of course, service (ease of exchange if anything goes wrong, some higher level of assurance re conssitency of quality and such). Of course at a budget there are still compromises to be made, as compared to buying from one of the European / US / Japanese brands we favour here. As ever, you pays your money....

I susepct though we're going to start to see more of this sort of thing coming out of China over the next few years.

That's true about some of the leather jackets on Taobao that are straight from the factories without even a brand label. Not sure about Bronson and Bob Dong though.

 

[Blackadder]

Let me know if you can see it from this one:
- knock-off cyclone: https://m.tb.cn/h.eJnLeXP?sm=a7d9b9
- knock-off alden:
https://m.tb.cn/h.eJAX7l9?sm=397b72

Their $100 boots are made of split leather or composite leather. Not sure about the pricey leather jackets though. Bought a pair of monkey boots as a test to see the quality more than a year ago. That's the last thing I have ever bought from them.

 

[Blackadder]

Blackadder, do you happen to have a link to this suede knockoff jacket?

They made a few from time to time but currently all sold out. Mine was the type 1 from many years ago. I believe another lounger also bought it. Here is their type 3 the newer one but also sold out.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bronson-Chamois-Western-ranchman-Leather/dp/B078P3TZHX

 

[dinomartino1]

So the Japanese copy American vintage with sometimes minor differences and because it is expensive that is okay, if the Chinese do it cheaper then why does it become an issue.
Thedi made the escape from new york jacket with buttons instead of a zip so no one else can do a jacket he copied off someone else. [ if he designed the film jacket my apologies to him]

This is one of the other jackets my sister got for me when she was in China that fits so I kept it.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/chinese-thedi-knockoff.98797/

I have had five jackets from China, I think it will be hit and miss depending on who made it. Some of the Chinese jackets are cut to asian sizing with tight arms like an A-1 and high arm pits and others are more western sizing but like I said I have not had many.
Only one had a smell from tanning and that was not really strong but is noticeable.
For Build quality the other escape from new york jacket I kept is as well made as any schott I have owned and the soft cowhide leather is good, my only complaint would be the buttons are a little loose.

I have been buying jackets for 34 years and have had aeros, eastman, buzz ricksons, kelso, schott, and at least 100 1950s or earlier vintage jackets.

 

[handymike]

Way to steal my thunder, guys.