What Are the Most Popular Leather Jacket Brands on TFL?

[Trickster]

+1 on the Ebay and Craigslist scores/finds.

I have:
1 HD Made in the USA "Shovelhead" Leather cross zip which seems to be made of rat hide. It *****.
1 HD "RPM" White Orange Black cafe style. Nice lightweight summer jacket. Made in China.
1 HD "Speedway" Screamin' Eagle. I had to have it when I saw it new in the '90's, but couldn't afford it. Got it a month or so ago. Made in Indonesia.
1 Just Leather San Jose cross zip biker jacket. Fits perfectly.
1 Just Leather San Jose CHP. Very heavy duty. Fits perfectly.
1 Just Leather San Jose custom vented jacket that is good in the shoulders but big around the waist. Too cool to pass up at $175.
2 Kerr Leather Cafe style.
1 First Racing LA, CA cafe style with armor. Made in USA.
2 Fox Creek Motorcycle Classic: I and II. Oddly the II does not have the arm/bicep vent.
1 very heavy duty set of Glenn Marciel (Hayward, CA) leather chaps.
1 set of medium heavy Custom Shop Fox Creek chaps.
1 set of medium weight Just Leather San Jose chaps.

I ride a 2010 FLHTCUI (Electra Glide Ultra Classic: 850 pounds of malevolent *****) pretty much every day, so my leather is for utility. I don't want to hurt my beautiful leathers, but when it comes down to it, better them than me.

Just Leather was local to us and there seems to be a fair amount of their stuff showing up on the second hand market.

Fox Creek just feels smooth and buttery to the touch and is a joy to wear.

Being a former paratrooper, trusting your equipment is an absolute must. My leather gear inspires confidence that if the worst happens, I'll be fine.

Good leather makes the ride so much more enjoyable.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

Schott x 3
Simmons Bilt x 2
Eastman x 3
Vanson x 3
Aero x 1
Leather trucker x 1
Suede trucker x 1
Wrangler/Levi denim truckers x 4
"Genunine" HD leather cafe racer x 1

Most expensive $500 USD , new Schott 641HH cafe racer a few years back now.
Most WAY less , ebay finds the most part. Even the new Schott 641HH cafe
Some of these I have had over 30 years

AND a fair few have been sold over the piece

 

[newtojackets]

#1 Belstaff / Avirex - 14 Jackets
#2 Vanson / Boda Skins / The Kooples - 9 jackets
#3 Irvin - 8 jackets
#4 All Saints / Acne Studios / Matchless - 7 jackets
#5 Schott - 6 jackets
#6 Blk Dnm - 5 jackets
#7 Aviation Leathercraft - 4 jackets
#8 Aero / Eastman / Lewis Leathers / Simmons Bilt / Reiss / Sandro - 3 jackets
#9 Cal. Leathers / Barbour x Alexander Leathers / The Arrivals / Sam Walker / Willis & Geiger / Selected Hommes - 2 jackets
#10 - Lots and lots others

I own over 200 leather jackets and another 100 or so down filled jackets / parkas

Tad bit late to this, but how big is your wardrobe to fit all these jackets. I have 15ish jackets (leather and non-leather) and I literally have no more space

 

[JMax]

Yes!! After Sir King answers, ask @Jejupe.

Very impressive collections, both of them. They ain’t messing around here. Throw in Mysteryo— the Triumvirate is complete. A few others have large collections- TM, Carlos, Guppy, some others.

I’m with you. Especially now that the boy is growing and the wife has a new wool coat fascination- understandable round these parts but still. I’m slowly losing ground. Trench warfare. Used to have around 45-50, now just 16 or so.

 

[jonbuilder]

I am down to 33 from 38 because I sold some jackets over the past 2 years while restaining from new purchases.

 

[So33]

My leather jacket collection count.
5-Langlitz
2-Cal Leathers
2-Vanson
1-Aero
1-Harley
1-Hillside
1-Brill
Langlitz is closest manufacturer of Vintage Biker Creed style jackets I like to collect.
I like to buy local.

 

[MrProper]

My collection has shrunk a lot and become very one-sided
6 x Aero (4 x leather, 2 x shearling)
2 x Lewis Leathers
1 x FiveStar (Shearling)

1 new Aero Shearling will hopefully be ready soon.

Field Leathers and all 5* are long gone.

A Vanson or Johnson Leathers would be nice at some point. But actually I'm very satisfied at the moment and the desire for more is not there.

 

[zebedee]

I think that, for most of us on here, ten or fewer leather jackets is eminently reasonable.

For normal people, two.

 

[Coriu]

Collecting anything, I find that over time a clear picture emerges of what each individual truly values. For me...

Langlitz/Cal/Vanson-moto jackets

Aero/Thedi-everything else.

If one only focused on these, you could have a fabulous array.

 

[Mister Rivets]

4X Thedi
1X vest by Thedi

 

[zebedee]

9 Aeros and 1 Simmons Bilt (on the way). I probably have a good 6 or 7 tailor-made or bought overcoats; I own a Pike Bros. Deck jacket and a Carhartt Detroit, too.

When the SB arrives, I'm definitely done for a fair while - there's not enough space and I'd like to spend more money on beer.

 

[jchance]

I’d say Cal for vintage, and Aero or Vanson for modern.

 

[ProfG]

For all those who own jackets by >5 makers, please rank them in order from best bang for the buck to worst. For example, is Simmons Bilt better or worse than Aero?

 

[Camel24hrs]

#1 original G1 jackets x 3

#2 ELC A2 RW jackets x 2

#3 five star A2 jacket 1 although I had 5 other ones I sold or gave away.

Also had one cockpit and US wing jackets I sold.

Bad part is I finally figured out I can only wear one jacket at a time. If I go on with jackets as a collection I will be focused on G1 originals. M422a, AN-J-3A and 55J14 would be my future targets.

 

[zebedee]

Best bang for buck:

1) Simmons Bilt (I have 3)
2) Aero (9)
3) Thedi (1)


As I have owned the Aeros for longest (oldest one is 16 years old, brown FQHH Highwayman), I will swear by them in terms of durability and utility. Customer service is very good. Fit is good, although a correctly-fitting Café Racer eludes me, even after three tries at size 42 (a size up, still too small) and 44 (two sizes up, fractionally too big). Exercise may help this. Every other Aero fits well.

Simmons Bilt allows more flexibility in terms of customisation and are a slightly lower price, although more expensive than Aero at the higher ends of hides and customisation. In my experience the fit of an SB isn’t better, but it is different - there is no weight on the neck and I think that they’re more exacting when taking measurements than other makers I’ve bought from.

The Thedi is outstanding in terms of design and detail. Thedis seem to fit tight and, were I to order another (unlikely: I have enough jackets now), I would add 1.5 to 2 inches over measurements taken over a thick t-shirt.

Daughter has a Vanson. Great fit, arrived in 5 days, cost ideal.