GauchoGermanico
New in Town
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I hope you find your holy grail of Jackets! Share your experience once you get to visit Vanson!Good Morning !
Been reading & perusing quietly in the background, since my research and ultimate purchase of my Schott 618HH almost three years ago (…wow…) on November 28, 2023 (pic below). Three years later, I’m considering a Vanson C-2 or Thurnderbird….not because I don’t love the horsehide in my Schott, but because I’m now looking for something that not only comes close to the elusive Hero Cut of the Durable, but will also protect me as much as possible when riding - if (God forbid) things go south or sideways. Hence I’m re-focused on the Vanson.
Just for public consumption & comparison, I’m sharing my research & journey here, hoping it informs & helps
First, the “Gold Standard” or “North Star” of The Durable, in size 40, credit to dmoser1978 who has this jacket in his collection:
Durable 40:
P2P: 21"
Waist: 18"
Back Length: 22"
Sleeve shoulder seam to end: 23"
Middle collar to sleeve end: 34"
Shoulder: 21”
Taper: 3"
SCHOTT N.Y.C. - 618HH: Horsehide Perfecto® - 46
I had to size up dramatically for this jacket, due to the "restrictive shoulders & chest” as Tom71 cited. Same experience with my body, but “your mileage may vary." Also, I’m personally still trying to come as close as possible to the “Holy Grail Hero Cut” look of The Durable, and I wanted enough room in the chest to allow for my thickest hoodie. As a result, I’ve got enough room in the waist of this jacket that I’ve considered having it professionally tailored/tapered.
P2P: 24.25”
Waist: 22”
Back Length: 25”
Sleeve shoulder seam to end: 26”
Middle collar to sleeve end: 36”
Shoulder: 19.5”
Taper: 2.25”
Of all the jackets hagning in my collection (both riding gear and not), my personal “North Star” whose proportions come as close as possible to the Durable and which I enjoy wearing the most:
P2P: 24.25”
Waist: 21”
Back Length: 24.5”
Sleeve shoulder seam to end: 25”
Middle collar to sleeve end: 35”
Shoulder: 20.5”
Taper: 3.25"
As I understand it, the specs on the Vanson C-2 or Thunderbird in a 42 are:
P2P: 23.5”
Waist: 21”
Back Length: 24.5”
Sleeve shoulder seam to end: n/a
Middle collar to sleeve end: 35”
Shoulder: n/a
Taper: 2.5”
Unlike some other posters, who may have different proportions: I’ve always preferred the shorter center back length & shorter (resaonable) sleeves on a motorcycle jacket, especially since both of my bikes are cruisers.
Hoping that the Vanson be the instersection of “Durable Hero Cut + High Quality American Made Leather + Certified PPE C-2 Riding Gear”
That being said, I am concerned about the “hides” comment above, if anyone can elaborate/embellish more. I know from my initial research that a few years ago Vanson faced challenges getting American hides, and as of this writing, their website currently cites: “Each Vanson is designed, engineered, cut and hand made in the U.S.A. of imported and domestic materials."
After speaking to a few local veteran Vanson retailers, I’m planning on a road trip to Vanson in the next few weeks to have them measure & fit me, giving consideration to the body armor, which they are more than happy to install, but treat as a “Custom” order.
If that’s the case, without seeing them in person yet, I’m envisioning my custom to be an armored Thunderbird with the Brass Hardware of the C-2
The journey continues….
View attachment 816761
In regards to the meassurements of your Schott, the shoulder width you shared is the cross shoulder right? It's adevertised on Schott's page as 20.5''. Is it really one inch shorter in reality? It's quite a big difference!
