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Simmons Bilt jacket advice
- Thread starter Asaha
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Asaha, the jacket looks so heavy it's unreal! That collar is half an inch thick! Man, looks heavier than that LW a few threads down.
Asaha
Familiar Face
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- 90
Tell me about it..
This is my first experience holding anything other than soft lambskin. Now I know why everyone says it's like putting on an armour.
ProteinNerd
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Looks great but you will definitely have to put in some work to tame that beast!
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I find the best way to break in the shoulder, arm and armpit area of a jacket is to drive while wearing it. I learnt that reading these forums of course. I also like to keep the jacket zipped up while breaking it in so it learns to stay in the correct position when unzipped too.
BobJ
Practically Family
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That is a damn good-looking jacket! It fits you perfectly and seems to suit your style. And it will do nothing but get better and better with the years. If you grow to love it over the next year or two, you're going to love it even more in thirty to forty years when you have a lifetime of memories in it.
Strong, heavyweight leather isn't for everybody. You're going to find that you either: Begin to love it, wear it all the time, to the exclusion of your other jackets, until it has molded to you and become part of your life... Or find that when you open your closet, you quail at the thought of lugging it off the hanger and putting it on your body, to the point that you never ever wear it and should probably sell it and get something lighter.
The question (according to Stu) is: "Are you a man my son?"
Just kidding! lol! I probably shouldn't even say that, for fear of injecting confusion, self-doubt, or guilt. The truth is, the heavy stuff isn't for everybody. I'm a big guy - 48 long, fit and active, and live in a cool climate - and I don't enjoy anything heavier than the mid-weight leathers.
BTW - what size is it, and how much does it weigh?
Strong, heavyweight leather isn't for everybody. You're going to find that you either: Begin to love it, wear it all the time, to the exclusion of your other jackets, until it has molded to you and become part of your life... Or find that when you open your closet, you quail at the thought of lugging it off the hanger and putting it on your body, to the point that you never ever wear it and should probably sell it and get something lighter.
The question (according to Stu) is: "Are you a man my son?"
Just kidding! lol! I probably shouldn't even say that, for fear of injecting confusion, self-doubt, or guilt. The truth is, the heavy stuff isn't for everybody. I'm a big guy - 48 long, fit and active, and live in a cool climate - and I don't enjoy anything heavier than the mid-weight leathers.
BTW - what size is it, and how much does it weigh?
Asaha
Familiar Face
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Thanks for your kind words Bob. I have been wearing it everyday even indoors, and it's getting there slowly.
Btw this is size 38 and weight I is about 3.2kg(7lb).
3.2kg is heavy, cool looking jacket though wear the hell out of it
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jacketjunkie
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7 lbs in a size 38, wow. I want some of that!
galopede
One of the Regulars
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Hi Asha
Your jacket is the same as the Drifter I bought from SB's outlet a few years ago, same leather too, except yours is rather narrower than mine, me being on the large side! Mine is slowly getting there but still quite stiff!
Mine doesn't have the lining in the cuffs though, straight leather. Sometimes I wish it did have that lining but it is getting better as it softens. Was quite irritating on the wrists when they were rock hard!
Looks good on you!
Gareth
Your jacket is the same as the Drifter I bought from SB's outlet a few years ago, same leather too, except yours is rather narrower than mine, me being on the large side! Mine is slowly getting there but still quite stiff!
Mine doesn't have the lining in the cuffs though, straight leather. Sometimes I wish it did have that lining but it is getting better as it softens. Was quite irritating on the wrists when they were rock hard!
Looks good on you!
Gareth
Asaha
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Thanks Gareth. This is a Drifter too with Horween CXL steer. I love this color depth of the leather and the character, it just a bit heavy. However, after wearing it for last three 3days, I must say it's breaking down better than I expected. Cuff linning or shoulder seem joint doesn't hurt as much. Just the torso area is still bit too thick, I could've left the cargo pockets out if I had known leather would be this heavy. And I absolutely love the fit, can you imagine I still can layer a thin jumper if I have to?
OK, now I'm starting to think I'm a wimp for considering ordering a goatskin jacket. I want a summer light weight jacket. Is goat just not up to par?
In my experience it's not so much the hide that dictates warmth in a jacket, but more what it's lined with. Having said that my CXL jackets don't get a single day of wear in the summer (lined with cotton Drill).
I have a new Vicenza HBD with Ross Hunting Weathered lightweight wool tartan lining and It is too heavy for much of the year here in Oakland CA. Thats why I was working up a goatskin jacket. I know that many of the old A-2s were goatskin, but I never hear anyone talking about it. Hear plenty about various horse, steer, cow, even lamb occasionally, Horween Shinki, on and on. but no goat.
I was tempted by goat on more than one occasion. What pushed it out of interest for me was the uniformity of color and lack of patina. I think goatskin stays fairly new looking for most, if not all it's life.
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Friend gave me his 30 years old goatskin leather vest, I literally thought it's plastic at first 'cause it didn't have any signs of wear. Then I realized it's goat. It's clearly an extremely tough wearing hide. Too tough for its own good.
Its a little funny that I'm sure that once if you bought a new jacket and wore it for 30 years and it still looked new, it would have been considered very good quality. Now we want things that are instantly old. Of course i don't want a jacket that looks like plastic either.
El Marro
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Jonesy,
Goat is a beautiful hide and it is quite strong for its weight. I think you have hit the nail on the head as to why it is not more popular aroun here though. I have an L.W Foster G-1 that was made in the late 1950's and the goatskin looks and feels almost new. It will likely never develop the kind of wear and patina that is so prized by many of us here at TFL.
Having said that, I think goat would make a great summer jacket because of its light weight. I also find that it has a bit more stretch than horse or steer which makes it easier to move around in.
Goat is a beautiful hide and it is quite strong for its weight. I think you have hit the nail on the head as to why it is not more popular aroun here though. I have an L.W Foster G-1 that was made in the late 1950's and the goatskin looks and feels almost new. It will likely never develop the kind of wear and patina that is so prized by many of us here at TFL.
Having said that, I think goat would make a great summer jacket because of its light weight. I also find that it has a bit more stretch than horse or steer which makes it easier to move around in.
No. I think that is true for some chrome tanned goat - eg Cooper's cheap A2's that you see everywhere. I have had goat jackets that were veg tanned or combined veg tanned and chrome tanned. The wear started to show almost immediately. One was made from the same goat Aero uses. The hide began to fade and wrinkle right away, with light undertones coming through. And it was pretty heavy too. I personally prefer goat to all the others.
Goat is not always a summer weight hide unless you get a lighter variety. Some goat I've had is 3oz and bloody heavy. I guess it also depends on by what you mean by summer.
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