AllanP
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 82
So I thought I would start a new thread by itself for this new (and first) purchase. So this is a SB Oakland in Chocolate Shinki, size 40, Olive Stitching, Standard Tartan Lining.
I caught the leather jacket bug late last year when I discovered this forum researching B3 jackets. I have read a ton of old threads in the past couple of months and finally decided to pull the trigger when I pm'd Ton, who gave me a lot of advice.
I was originally going to order Aero Bootlegger or SB Detroit in Horween steer or horsehide, but I eventually changed my mind. First because I bought a wallet made out of Horween CXL and I thought it was really stiff and heavy and I just wasn't sure if I was ready for something that heavy. The samples I received of the Horween steer also confirmed how thick it was. The SB Oakland caught my eye because I was really drawn towards the D pocket, so I made a last second change when I ordered.
Dealing with SB was very smooth, Debs was really patient and answered all of my 20 something emails back and forth. The jacket itself was finished in less than 3 weeks I believe, and shipped the day the payment went through, and I received it here in Toronto Canada after a long weekend. The customer service was superb and I really have nothing to complain about. Debs will answer your email after a day or sometimes two depending how busy they are, which to some people would considered a bit slow, but I was not in any kind of rush.
As for sizing and specs, I was told to measure myself, and then measure a favorite jacket of mine and send them the specs. I never knew how difficult it was to measure shoulder width tbh, I ended up not sending them any shoulder specs because depending on who's measuring and how you position your jacket it comes out different every time. So I sent them the pit to pit of my jacket, and my chest size, and my desired sleeves and back length and they chose size 40 for me. I was pretty iffy about sizing, because I have never bought a piece of clothing without trying it on in store.
Regarding the actual jacket, as you saw from the pictures from the other thread, I was very impressed. The construction is spot on, and they nailed my back and sleeve lengths perfectly. The leather is the perfect mid weight leather I desire and the stiffness I desire. I think the overall weight is 3kg (labeled on the package) and the jacket does not stand on its own when new like some of the CXL jackets I've seen on the forums. The shinki has a shiny coat, but you can definitely see the grain clearly. It is less waxy and more grainy than the RMC Buco I handled once in store while I was in Japan. I am obviously no expert on leather, but I think it's a safe leather for first time buyers in terms of weight and stiffness.
So enough babbling and here are some pictures I took. I didn't manage to take any good pics outside because it was hot out this weekend and I was sweating just wearing it in the sun. I personally think the fit feels spot on. I know some people like it looser so they can wear a sweater underneath, but I prefer just a t shirt or a thinner shirt.
The only flaw I saw was that the bottom of the jacket is not flush when it is zipped, I think this might bother some people, but I don't wear jackets zipped up so I don't really mind it, but you can definitely feel it when you zip the jacket and you can see it clearly in the picture.
Edit*, I'm around 6'1 and 180 pounds, the back length and Sleeves are both 25 inches (I have short arms for my height)
I caught the leather jacket bug late last year when I discovered this forum researching B3 jackets. I have read a ton of old threads in the past couple of months and finally decided to pull the trigger when I pm'd Ton, who gave me a lot of advice.
I was originally going to order Aero Bootlegger or SB Detroit in Horween steer or horsehide, but I eventually changed my mind. First because I bought a wallet made out of Horween CXL and I thought it was really stiff and heavy and I just wasn't sure if I was ready for something that heavy. The samples I received of the Horween steer also confirmed how thick it was. The SB Oakland caught my eye because I was really drawn towards the D pocket, so I made a last second change when I ordered.
Dealing with SB was very smooth, Debs was really patient and answered all of my 20 something emails back and forth. The jacket itself was finished in less than 3 weeks I believe, and shipped the day the payment went through, and I received it here in Toronto Canada after a long weekend. The customer service was superb and I really have nothing to complain about. Debs will answer your email after a day or sometimes two depending how busy they are, which to some people would considered a bit slow, but I was not in any kind of rush.
As for sizing and specs, I was told to measure myself, and then measure a favorite jacket of mine and send them the specs. I never knew how difficult it was to measure shoulder width tbh, I ended up not sending them any shoulder specs because depending on who's measuring and how you position your jacket it comes out different every time. So I sent them the pit to pit of my jacket, and my chest size, and my desired sleeves and back length and they chose size 40 for me. I was pretty iffy about sizing, because I have never bought a piece of clothing without trying it on in store.
Regarding the actual jacket, as you saw from the pictures from the other thread, I was very impressed. The construction is spot on, and they nailed my back and sleeve lengths perfectly. The leather is the perfect mid weight leather I desire and the stiffness I desire. I think the overall weight is 3kg (labeled on the package) and the jacket does not stand on its own when new like some of the CXL jackets I've seen on the forums. The shinki has a shiny coat, but you can definitely see the grain clearly. It is less waxy and more grainy than the RMC Buco I handled once in store while I was in Japan. I am obviously no expert on leather, but I think it's a safe leather for first time buyers in terms of weight and stiffness.
So enough babbling and here are some pictures I took. I didn't manage to take any good pics outside because it was hot out this weekend and I was sweating just wearing it in the sun. I personally think the fit feels spot on. I know some people like it looser so they can wear a sweater underneath, but I prefer just a t shirt or a thinner shirt.
The only flaw I saw was that the bottom of the jacket is not flush when it is zipped, I think this might bother some people, but I don't wear jackets zipped up so I don't really mind it, but you can definitely feel it when you zip the jacket and you can see it clearly in the picture.
Edit*, I'm around 6'1 and 180 pounds, the back length and Sleeves are both 25 inches (I have short arms for my height)
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