58panheadfan
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,649
- Location
- Switzerland
Intro:
When I saw the rainbow country "Santa Clara" on the homepage of the japanese reseller Mirror Ball, it was all over for me. Especially since I had not yet a leather jacket made of buffalo leather, tanned in Japan, in my jacket collection (which I have rigorously reduced to one well-known jacket manufacturer each, e.g. RC, FW, Himel, BK, DH, Protech and yes, 5Star in various types of leather).
Ltd. Edition:
According to Mirror Ball, this was a special run for the store in sizes 36 - 44, so there should only be 5 jackets from this series worldwide, because as far as I know, only one jacket was made per size. The jacket is now sold out. It would be cool to know if anyone else from this forum owns the "Santa Clara".
Details:
Manufacturer: Rainbow Country
Label: California Manufacturing Company
Type: "Santa Clara", 40s Sports Jacket
No. RCL10084 MB
Color: Dark Mahogany
Leather: 1.2mm Buffalo Hide
History:
The history of the jacket can be found on the Mirror Ball homepage (unfortunately no longer listed because the advertising was deleted after the Jackets were sold): Remake of an original 1940's sports jacket ordered from Sears Roebuck for California MFG based on an hercules jacket but named as "Santa Clara".
Ordering/Shipping/Price:
Mirror Ball's customer service was, as always, reliable, fast and excellent. On customer's request, Mirror Ball also declare a lower value of goods in the customs declaration. This had the advantage, I didn't have to pay any customs duties. After deducting the Japanese tax (for export) and shipping to Europe via PayPal (with their poor but currently still low exchange rate), I paid ¥ 222,850 (€ 1,300.00 or US-$ 1,450.00) incl. shipping for the jacket. The jacket was delivered with EMS after about 5 business days from Japan to Europe.
Overall Impression/Processing:
Rumor has it, RC also makes FW's leather jackets. This jacket actually says so. The workmanship is very good, the seam/stitch length (olive thread) is short and tightly sewn. The folds are tightly folded. The front consists of a horizontal zipper and a slightly slanted breast pocket chain ball zipper. There are also two slanted front pockets. The collar is a little higher (due to the throat latch) and there are two waist panels on each side. The back of the jacket has a half belt with side adjuster straps at waist height. There are also three pleats which break up the one-panel back a slightly. It gives the back section a little more drape.
The Leather:
The Leather is a vegetable tanned buffalo leather in the color mahogany. The leather thickness is stated as 1.2 mm, but it feels thicker. It has a lighter brown core, which will pop up over time.
As with all my leather jackets, I first wore this one in a rain shower and the jacket developed a beautiful "patina and wrinkles" on sleeves in no time. According to Mirror Ball, the leather comes from a tannery in Japan (not Shinki and not Nitta). I am aware of the leather processing factory, but at the seller's request I have promised not to provide any further information. Thank you for your understanding.
Hardware:
The main zipper is a talon with eyelets at the end of the zipper tape. It is well known, this type of zipper requires careful handling when operated. The chain ball chest zipper has the lettering "CAL MfG" on the ball, a nice little detail. The waist adjusters are also in a classic rectangular design. All the hardware is nickel. A throat latch with button closure is attached to the collar.
Lining:
The body and sleeve lining is a mid-weight wool fabric in olive color. It has three grommets under the armpit. There is an inside pocket on the left side, which is on lower position than usual and slightly slanted. Very comfortable to grab something in. The California MFG Co. logo with the size tag is attached to the inside pocket. The front pocket lining is made from a nine wale green corduroy. There is also a leather kidney panel in lower inside section of jacket to prevent the lining frayed out by wearing a belt etc. The cuffs have a two-button closure and are made of a double leather layer.
Fit (Pictures see below):
The jacket pictured is a size 42", which fits me close to my body (especially in the shoulder and chest area) at 5'11" (180 cm) and 185 lbs (84 kg). I am wearing an LS shirt in the pictures. I can wear the jacket with a light sweatshirt e.g. Merz b. Schwanen, but it isn’t a jacket meant for layering. I am in the fortunate position many OTR jackets (also from Japanese production) correspond to my body type. However, I think the proportions of this jacket are not for everyone.
Conclusion:
I am very satisfied with the jacket. It certainly wasn't a bargain but reflects good value for money, especially with the current weak yen exchange rate.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review and thank you for your interest.
When I saw the rainbow country "Santa Clara" on the homepage of the japanese reseller Mirror Ball, it was all over for me. Especially since I had not yet a leather jacket made of buffalo leather, tanned in Japan, in my jacket collection (which I have rigorously reduced to one well-known jacket manufacturer each, e.g. RC, FW, Himel, BK, DH, Protech and yes, 5Star in various types of leather).
Ltd. Edition:
According to Mirror Ball, this was a special run for the store in sizes 36 - 44, so there should only be 5 jackets from this series worldwide, because as far as I know, only one jacket was made per size. The jacket is now sold out. It would be cool to know if anyone else from this forum owns the "Santa Clara".
Details:
Manufacturer: Rainbow Country
Label: California Manufacturing Company
Type: "Santa Clara", 40s Sports Jacket
No. RCL10084 MB
Color: Dark Mahogany
Leather: 1.2mm Buffalo Hide
History:
The history of the jacket can be found on the Mirror Ball homepage (unfortunately no longer listed because the advertising was deleted after the Jackets were sold): Remake of an original 1940's sports jacket ordered from Sears Roebuck for California MFG based on an hercules jacket but named as "Santa Clara".
Ordering/Shipping/Price:
Mirror Ball's customer service was, as always, reliable, fast and excellent. On customer's request, Mirror Ball also declare a lower value of goods in the customs declaration. This had the advantage, I didn't have to pay any customs duties. After deducting the Japanese tax (for export) and shipping to Europe via PayPal (with their poor but currently still low exchange rate), I paid ¥ 222,850 (€ 1,300.00 or US-$ 1,450.00) incl. shipping for the jacket. The jacket was delivered with EMS after about 5 business days from Japan to Europe.
Overall Impression/Processing:
Rumor has it, RC also makes FW's leather jackets. This jacket actually says so. The workmanship is very good, the seam/stitch length (olive thread) is short and tightly sewn. The folds are tightly folded. The front consists of a horizontal zipper and a slightly slanted breast pocket chain ball zipper. There are also two slanted front pockets. The collar is a little higher (due to the throat latch) and there are two waist panels on each side. The back of the jacket has a half belt with side adjuster straps at waist height. There are also three pleats which break up the one-panel back a slightly. It gives the back section a little more drape.
The Leather:
The Leather is a vegetable tanned buffalo leather in the color mahogany. The leather thickness is stated as 1.2 mm, but it feels thicker. It has a lighter brown core, which will pop up over time.
As with all my leather jackets, I first wore this one in a rain shower and the jacket developed a beautiful "patina and wrinkles" on sleeves in no time. According to Mirror Ball, the leather comes from a tannery in Japan (not Shinki and not Nitta). I am aware of the leather processing factory, but at the seller's request I have promised not to provide any further information. Thank you for your understanding.
Hardware:
The main zipper is a talon with eyelets at the end of the zipper tape. It is well known, this type of zipper requires careful handling when operated. The chain ball chest zipper has the lettering "CAL MfG" on the ball, a nice little detail. The waist adjusters are also in a classic rectangular design. All the hardware is nickel. A throat latch with button closure is attached to the collar.
Lining:
The body and sleeve lining is a mid-weight wool fabric in olive color. It has three grommets under the armpit. There is an inside pocket on the left side, which is on lower position than usual and slightly slanted. Very comfortable to grab something in. The California MFG Co. logo with the size tag is attached to the inside pocket. The front pocket lining is made from a nine wale green corduroy. There is also a leather kidney panel in lower inside section of jacket to prevent the lining frayed out by wearing a belt etc. The cuffs have a two-button closure and are made of a double leather layer.
Fit (Pictures see below):
The jacket pictured is a size 42", which fits me close to my body (especially in the shoulder and chest area) at 5'11" (180 cm) and 185 lbs (84 kg). I am wearing an LS shirt in the pictures. I can wear the jacket with a light sweatshirt e.g. Merz b. Schwanen, but it isn’t a jacket meant for layering. I am in the fortunate position many OTR jackets (also from Japanese production) correspond to my body type. However, I think the proportions of this jacket are not for everyone.
Conclusion:
I am very satisfied with the jacket. It certainly wasn't a bargain but reflects good value for money, especially with the current weak yen exchange rate.
Hope you enjoyed reading this review and thank you for your interest.
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