Schott 689H Horsehide jacket - opinions and suggestions?

[jimmer_5]

Hey all!

I am new to the forum, and looking into purchasing my first Horsehide jacket. I found a good deal on a Schott 689H jacket in my size, but I haven't been able to find any of their jackets in my area (UT) to check the quality, workmanship, and fit.

Has anyone here owned a Schott jacket in Horsehide or Cowhide? How do they compare to Vanson, Aero, etc? How is the fit?

I am aware of the "felt lining" that Schott applies to the back of the horsehide, and I am willing to give it a try. Other than this, how does Schott's HH compare to Aero or Lost Worlds HH?

Basically, any information you can give me would be appreciated. I'd eventually like to get a brown Aero Highwayman with zip cuffs, or a Lost Worlds Suburban, but it's gonna take some time to get the wife to warm up to the idea. She just about passed out when I suggested the idea of a $700 leather jacket......

I am hoping that the Schott will bridge the gap between the Fieldsheer Deuce that I currently wear (very nice thick pebbled leather, Made in Pakistan) and more expensive made to order options like Aero and Lost Worlds.

Thanks! - Jim

 

[OneEyeMan]

If you're buying this strictly as a motorcycle jacket, may I recommend you look at Vanson first.
I've got one of their Mark 2 CSRX jackets and it's absolutely beautiful in all respects. Plus, it's cut to fit you in the riding position.
Next, if you're looking at the jacket for casual around town use, I'd recommend Aero if you can afford it.
The Schott's are nice, but I've heard some differing opinions on their construction and quality. As for their Horse Hide, I've never seen one in person. However, I can't imagine it'd be as nice as the FQHH in my Highwayman. And the Aero FQHH breaks in nicely and quickly.
As for Lost Worlds , I've never seen one, but I've heard their quality is outstanding. The FQHH they use is beyond thick and stiff and may take a very long to break in from what I've read.
Take this all with a grain of salt as I've never seen a modern Schott in person.
That being said, I love the styling of the 689H.
Whatever you do, please let us know your final decision, and of course, post pix when it arrives.
Lenny

 

[Fiver64]

schott quality

I've had 2 Schott jackets and, while on the craftsmanship end they were decent, I've always found their lining (mine were both quilted) to be too puffy. To accomdodate the linings, it felt (IMHO) that the rest of the jacket had to be made bigger as well. I got rid of both soon after realizing that I didn't like feeling slightly "bloated!". Good leather and excellent stitching though. The linings also limited when they could be worn. Too warm for normal spring/fall wear for me.

 

[Tommer45]

Hey Jim, I own a few of brands you mentioned. I have a Schott 641 in HH, which is very similar to the 689 but without the full collar, and while the construction is great I don't think the hh even compares to my Aero. I find the Schott hh to be a little spongy or plastic feeling, even after removal of the felt backing. There's just something about it that I've never really liked. Enough so that although I love Schott I probably wouldn't spend the money for their hh again.

I also own a LW Suburban in heavy horse, which has a completely different hh feel, but like the Schott I also don't think I'd buy LW again. The finish on the leather is just too heavy duty for me (btw, what size Suburban were you looking at? Mine's a 48 if you want a deal!).

My hh Aero is by far the nicest leather I've ever felt. I have a ton of jackets and nothing compares to the Aero.. I am hooked. I wanted to dislike the Aero when it arrived just for the fact that everyone loves and praises them so much.. but they love 'em for a reason.. beautiful horsehide and great quality. I'd say if you're thinking about the 648, save up a bit more and go with an Aero.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

Tommer

 

[jimmer_5]

Thanks for your advice everyone! I decided that I would order the jacket from Sterling Leather and check it out. If it doesn't meet my expectations, I can return it for a full refund. I ended up paying a little more than I wanted to (some people have gotten this jacket for fantastic prices), but not full retail either.

I will definitely post my thoughts when I receive it. Getting an Aero isn't out of the question (just have to close my eyes and bite the bullet), but I thought that since I could return the Schott with no questions asked, I might as well check it out and get a broader experience. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I thought it was worth a try.

Tommer, thanks for the advice - I tried to PM you but the forum won't let me do it yet - maybe I'm too new? Your LW's jacket is tempting, but most likely too big for me - I generally wear a 44.

 

[Peacoat]

I have a Schott Cafe Racer and find the sizing is especially small in that style. I wear a 42, but went up to a 46 to get a decent fit in the Schott. May just be the Cafe Racer, though.

Mine is cowhide with quality construction. For a serious motorcycle jacket, I would want a thicker leather, such as an Aero, or one with armor in the elbows, such as Fox Creek. I have both of those, among others, and would characterize them as serious motorcycle jackets.

The Schott gets more wear as it lives in the garage next to the bike, and usually gets picked for the quick local ride to the store or to a buddy's house in the neighborhood.

 

[piranha]

I have a Schott, Lewis Leather, Lost Worlds and Aero and if you want my opinion get a Lost Worlds though it will take you a year to break in the horsehide and I'm not kidding about that but you'll be more than protected.

 

[OneEyeMan]

Does Lost Worlds allow any customization of their jackets?
Or is Stuart really the Leather Nazi as I've heard?
Lenny

 

[jimmer_5]

Jacket arrived yesterday....

Okay,

I got the jacket yesterday when I got home from work. I decided it would be best to sleep on my impressions before writing them down...

Man, Horsehide is stiff at first! Mind you, this is my first experience with Horsehide, so it was a new thing to me. The first few minutes wlaking around in the jacket felt very strange. Thankfully, after you bend a few times, it seems to soften a tad. Still, I now understand that "suit of armor" sensation that some here have described. It took about an hour before my arms could even move properly.

The leather seems quite nice - it's a little hard to judge because it is so stiff and new, but I think it will break in nicely. I found a raw edge where the bottom hem is rolled up, and measured the thinkness with my calipers - it averaged about .050" inches (1.27mm) which makes the horsehide just over 3 ounces. However, I think that the edge may not be the best representation of the material, because it varied quite a bit - from .044" - .063" depending on where I placed the calipers. The exposed edge did not have the felt "fuseable", just raw leather.

I was initially a little disappointed in the fit. I wear a 44 in jackets, and this model runs small so I ordered a 46 (Schott recommends going up a size). The chest seems a little bulky when unzipped, and the sleeves are a little short for me - the latter came as a surprise since most motorcycle jackets have the sleeves cut long for riding. My other jacket in the same size has 26" sleeves while the Schott is only 25". It would probably be fine for anyone else, but my arms are a bit long. It's at a length where I can probably live with it, but I'll need to think it over for a few days.

The workmanship is good, but there are lots of loose threads hanging I think the cut could be a little less tapered as well.

So overall, I am intrigued by this jacket, but it just may get me to order an Aero...... we'll see. I'm just bummed that if I order an Aero I'll have a 3-4 month wait!

 

[andy richards]

Congratulations with your first horsehide jacket! I hope you are satisfied with the jacket...if not, return it. Do you have some pictures? Love to see the jacket and how it fits you.

 

[jimmer_5]

Okay - here are a few crappy pics. What do you all think of the overall fit and sleeve length? I know it's up to personal taste, but I'm curious to hear what you think.

Front, Unzipped:

Back, Unzipped

Front, Zipped up

Back, Zipped up

 

[Opas Coat]

looks good, what do you ride?

 

[jimmer_5]

I ride a 2002 Honda Shadow ACE 750 - I'd like something bigger, but she'll do for now. And being paid for makes her even better.

Although I'm not sure how much riding I'll do in this jacket for a while - I can't lift my arms very far with the stiffness of the Horsehide!!

 

[goldendawn7]

From the front, it looks like you may need a size up, depending on how tapered and snug you like the fit to be. From the back it looks fine. If you cant lift your arms, it may be because its too tight. Experimenting with sizes through the mail can get expensive with shipping and handling charges, but its still better then not getting what you want. How do you think it feels, fit wise? The sleeves look a little short, but not so bad people will talk about you behind your back. They will definitely ride up your arms on a bike, but if it doesn't bug you, who cares.

Schott sizes their jackets funny. The horsehide/steerhide doesn't always match another size in a cowhide version (Example; a cowhide 44 could be a little larger then a hh 44, but the hh 44 wont be the same as a cowhide 42). Its like the hh runs strange, in-between sizes from the cow, because they use 'older cut patterns' for horse/steer. Who the hell knows why, but what ends up happening is the size printed on the tag is a completely arbitrary number.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I ride a motorcycle most of the spring..summer..fall..and the fit of your jacket would be way too short for me in the body length..as well as sleeves.
HD

 

[P5640blouson]

Regular length, long length.

Looks like a perfect waist length jacket you have there. Looks good. For sport however, IMHO you need the sleeves to reach just aft about 3/4" of your knuckles, depending on how the whole jacket rides up when you reach. The chest and waist fit looks exceptional and the waist body length won't interfere when you sit or crouch on your machine. So for your use, I would imagine that you only need longer sleeves. The body length looks perfectly measured for you against the traditional cafe racer style. My LL cafe racer Sportsman goes just below my waist. Its length was designed for an 5'7" person. I am two inches shorter than that with proportional to average torso so the body length goes just below my waist. This means that when in sitting position, the jacked pushes up some, until it gets broken in, of course, then it will be comfortable. Incidentally the sleeves go just above my knuckles so it rides up perfect when my arms are behind the wheel. Remember the amount of sleeve and jacket ride-up on the body is dependent on its design and fit, i.e. an action back will result in less ride-up of the jacket.

 

[jamespibworth@n]

I am sure if you wear it enough the hide will soften just fine.

The fit does looks good with (I assume just a T shirt that you are wearing) but I it looks like it will be too snug with any more layers.

My Lewis is a good fit also which I really only wear in the summer and I wear a larger jacket when it’s cold so I can layer up.

James

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

Wow that's a beautiful jacket.

I love the tapered fit. Looks very good.
If your gonna use it with just a t-shirt then I would like it
to fit like that for casual use. Sharp looking!
The back is absolutely incredible!

But I have to say that the length of the arms are too short.
The leather will also crease and they will be even shorter in time.

 

[andy richards]

I would say it looks very good on you (but I like a snug fit) The main thing is: you should be 100%happy with it. Have you already tried in while sitting on your bike? You might find it very comfortable when the jacket is not too long in the front. ... Anyway, I think it is a very cool jacket and fits you great.

 

[gtdean48]

I ride a motorcycle most of the spring..summer..fall..and the fit of your jacket would be way too short for me in the body length..as well as sleeves.
HD

:arated: Those sleaves don't look near long enough for handlebar reach to me.