What do you think of this New Flat Head Leather Jacket

[Damon141]

Due to their wide shoulders on the larger sizes (if they make a larger one for the western market)
It probably wouldn’t fit me but I like the design

 

[handymike]

IMHO you should go to Johnson Leathers and order the @Mrfrown Jacket. It is much cooler with the longer collar strap... and... custom fit!

What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

Buco J 31 repro by RRL Comme un fan des TURBONEGRO !

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[Bfd70]

I don’t like the mandarin cross zip.

 

[Damon141]

IMHO you should go to Johnson Leathers and order the @Mrfrown Jacket. It is much cooler with the longer collar strap... and... custom fit!

What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

Buco J 31 repro by RRL Comme un fan des TURBONEGRO !

www.thefedoralounge.com

That is pretty close, I also liked the Addict Butterscotch collaboration cross zip with mandarin collar and D Pocket.

In the future I will might order from Johnson Leather but I saw the blue one below on his instagram I wanted to reproduce with a stand collar.

But with the hassle of communicating with custom makers my next jacket will be off the rack even if I have to alter the sleeves.
Keep in mind the past week I reached out with short questions to Himel, Simmons Built, and Addict and have not heard back from all three. Over a week.

I don’t know if I have the patience for custom jackets until I receive my Field’s jackets. With him I knew the wait and I don’t mind. Communicating was easy.


The problem is communicating, most makers won’t answer unless you purchase. Johnson is one that will answer though, he was very nice when I emailed.

I simply want to enter my credit card and have a tracking number. I also don’t want to settle, if I pay $1,500-$2,000 it needs to be perfect. Im not going to look at it and wish the stitching was better, in that case I would hit up Bates for their competition jacket, nice shape but cheap looking leather and staple gun construction.
I just need a jacket with a 47”-48” chest, 18”-20” shoulder, and 24”-25” sleeves (this might be the problem) I can live with them being slightly long for a while then send them to someone capable to shorten.

 

[JMax]

IMHO you should go to Johnson Leathers and order the @Mrfrown Jacket. It is much cooler with the longer collar strap... and... custom fit!

What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

Buco J 31 repro by RRL Comme un fan des TURBONEGRO !

www.thefedoralounge.com

+1. Or have Vanson tweak their Chopper or Portland.

 

[dannyk]

+1. Or have Vanson tweak their Chopper or Portland.

Yeah I think people forget sometimes that Vanson will tweak patterns or even do full customs. And of course it’s not cheap but their up charge or build charge really is not bad compared to where prices are at these days for so many makers.

 

[Damon141]

I love that Vanson Cross zip, in fact my favorite jacket by looks is the Durable 1 star, but maybe it’s because I’m new to the jacket world, I am looking for something conservative. Preferably a J100 style or possibly a half belt or sports jacket if I can find one in my size.

I will look at the Vanson website again though from the recommendation, the prices are reasonable atleast.

I swear I’ve looked at every retailer like self edge, rivet and hide, etc 1000 times and nothing measured up so to speak but they are low on stock and new models will surely hit the rack before fall.

 

[dannyk]

I love that Vanson Cross zip, in fact my favorite jacket by looks is the Durable 1 star, but maybe it’s because I’m new to the jacket world, I am looking for something conservative. Preferably a J100 style or possibly a half belt or sports jacket if I can find one in my size.

I will look at the Vanson website again though from the recommendation, the prices are reasonable atleast.

I swear I’ve looked at every retailer like self edge, rivet and hide, etc 1000 times and nothing measured up so to speak but they are low on stock and new models will surely hit the rack before fall.

Vanson is so good. Only issue for the past couple years is leather quality. They don’t use anything bad, super ugly, or weak and flimsy. Don’t mean to give that impression. They have just had the worst run of luck ever with multiple tanneries, one burned down, one close due to Covid, and one leather they were using the tanning method was known by one dude and he unfortunately passed. If they have any good stuff at all in stock; you can’t go wrong with them for the price. They hit a real sweet spot for materials, build quality, function, and form. They may not be the single best at anything but they do everything well enough for just the right amount of money.

 

[El Marro]

+1. Or have Vanson tweak their Chopper or Portland.

Yep. A Chopper without the padding would come pretty close to the mark. I worry that the stitching might not be impeccable enough for the OP though. The contrast stitching on my custom chopper (shameless copy of the one owned by you @JMax ) is very good but there are flaws to be found if you go looking for them.

 

[Damon141]

For the price the of Vanson the stitching looks good to me. I only expect better if you are in those higher price brackets. Plus Vanson are tough jackets that obviously are built to last.

You don’t want to pay $2,000 for a jacket and see stitching worse than a $180 5 star jacket. That’s when you know something is missing, skill, proper equipment, training? Who knows

I do just hope I can find something close. So far there is a model in Japan that has similar measurements to my 5 star but the sleeves are 2” too long.

 

[Damon141]

I don’t like the mandarin cross zip.

Purest?

 

[Guppy]

Everyone is talking about Vanson, but I see the Flat Head taking inspiration directly from the Langlitz Cascade. Which is already such a good jacket that I can hardly imagine that Flat Head has any improvement on it.

 

[Damon141]

Everyone is talking about Vanson, but I see the Flat Head taking inspiration directly from the Langlitz Cascade. Which is already such a good jacket that I can hardly imagine that Flat Head has any improvement on it.

I’ll be perfectly honest that if I bought a flathead it would be purely for brand recognition. (Flexing) I mean they don’t have the highest stitching count, or do the patterns look any different to me than let’s say the Field’s Manhattan but every time a Delraiser is posted people go nuts and all I can think of is that the Field’s has higher stitch count, cost half as much and is custom fitted with customizable options like leather choices, liner choices, thread choices. But for some reason people drool over the Flat Head.

I am hoping since I gave my wife a baby that’s almost here then I might get lucky and have a IOU for a custom Himel Kensington that I can’t get over since I had the used one that didn’t fit. Fair trade I have to say.

 

[MrProper]

Cross zip with Mandarin collar I find cool.
Therefore, I would have liked to have a Monza from LL, but just without padding. But they do not.

 

[Damon141]

Cross zip with Mandarin collar I find cool.
Therefore, I would have liked to have a Monza from LL, but just without padding. But they do not.

I like it without the padding also.

This one has really caught my eye also.
I don’t know what it is, I looked at the Langlitz cascade and maybe it’s just the pictures I came across but it just doesn’t have the finished look that this Flathead and this Addict has.
It’s not about Japanese versus American, it’s about craftsmanship.

 

[JMax]

It’s been said 1000 times— don’t go to the Langlitz, Vanson, JL websites to find photos and make determinations about the brands. Craftsmanship looks ok to me. Langlitz has been around a minute or two.

And one of my two favorite Langlitz.

 

[Guppy]

I like it without the padding also.

This one has really caught my eye also.
I don’t know what it is, I looked at the Langlitz cascade and maybe it’s just the pictures I came across but it just doesn’t have the finished look that this Flathead and this Addict has.
It’s not about Japanese versus American, it’s about craftsmanship. View attachment 427177 View attachment 427176 View attachment 427175 View attachment 427174 View attachment 427178

LOL, Langlitz is in no way inferior to Japanese craftsmanship. Just look at what used Langlitz sell for in Japan. They're more expensive than new Freewheelers or Flat Head in many cases. The grass is always greener.

 

[Marc mndt]

The Flathead isn't known for their clean stitching. But these examples were from a year ago, maybe by now they've fired the machinist who made these.

 

[Damon141]

LOL, Langlitz is in no way inferior to Japanese craftsmanship. Just look at what used Langlitz sell for in Japan. They're more expensive than new Freewheelers or Flat Head in many cases. The grass is always greener.

I don’t think I said anything about inferior, check again before trying to call someone out.

I just said the lacked a finished look, details that make them look special. This is subjective but I think the flathead took the cascade design and cleaned it up, removing the shoulder quilt and adding subtle details like a better collar, double stitching in areas, the French seams at the hem to finish out the bottom.

I don’t care about green grass or Freewheelers prices I just think Flat Head took a design and improved on it.

 

[Aloysius]

IMHO you should go to Johnson Leathers and order the @Mrfrown Jacket. It is much cooler with the longer collar strap... and... custom fit!

What Jacket Are You Wearing Today?

Buco J 31 repro by RRL Comme un fan des TURBONEGRO !

www.thefedoralounge.com

You're not wrong, but I think @Damon141 has been reading certain blogs and online posts, and is fixated on getting a Japanese jacket. (There are certain tells, like mentions of stitch count, or the notion that anyone would understand that TFH is actually a flex. Anyone outside of denim subcultures would think it's a hardware brand.)

Once he gets one, I think he will realize that, even size issues aside, there's nothing inherently better about them and get it out of his system.

This is affectionate ribbing; there are versions of this in every hobby/collection/interest. I know I certainly had my own equivalents when getting into tailoring.