What is a "grail" jacket worth?

[Highwaymanman]

If you look at that question logically... you need at least 8 Grail Coats/Jackets. Ahem (Ahem Ah Say):

2 for Fall, one brown one black. Leather lightly lined with wool or alpaca. For me 50's HB and/or Indy.
2 for Winter, probably one shearling lined and one good woolie. I'd go B6 or D1, and a real peacoat or Duffle, mebbe Irvin.
2 for Spring, same line up as the fall, cept you might swap out Hercules, Windward of LHB.
2 for Summer, A2's, A1's with plain cotton drill. Here's where you bring in your "beater" you don't mind sweatin' through and hitting the ground in.

Welp that's my "theory" and ah'm stickin' to it!

Worf

I'm with you in principle Worf, but in practice I see several potential issues at least with regard to my lifestyle. The first naturally, is cost. On one hand I view my jackets as investments and I have noted that a coat purchased by my wife at around the same time as my first Aero has begun to look it's age while the leather... well, you know how that goes. but the money needed to make that 8 jacket investment? Well, I have other responsibilities. When I hit the lottery, I tell myself, it's gonna be a jacket frenzy.

The next is that I want to put time into breaking my jackets in good and proper. One of them is absolutely fantastic and doesn't need any work but I confess my Aero (old oil pull) is a beast. if I had another 6 like it I'm pretty sure I would need to set some longevity records to get them all looking the way I want them to. In a way I'd rather have only a few pieces that I wore hard rather than many I just couldn't get around to wearing.

 

[Worf]

I'm with you in principle Worf, but in practice I see several potential issues at least with regard to my lifestyle. The first naturally, is cost. On one hand I view my jackets as investments and I have noted that a coat purchased by my wife at around the same time as my first Aero has begun to look it's age while the leather... well, you know how that goes. but the money needed to make that 8 jacket investment? Well, I have other responsibilities. When I hit the lottery, I tell myself, it's gonna be a jacket frenzy.

The next is that I want to put time into breaking my jackets in good and proper. One of them is absolutely fantastic and doesn't need any work but I confess my Aero (old oil pull) is a beast. if I had another 6 like it I'm pretty sure I would need to set some longevity records to get them all looking the way I want them to. In a way I'd rather have only a few pieces that I wore hard rather than many I just couldn't get around to wearing.

Hey Brooklyn....

1. You DON'T have to buy em all "new".
2. Sometimes one mans cast-off is another mans treasure!
3. It's only a theory... You COULD git by with fewer jackets... mebbe... if forced to a gun point. (noooooooo)

One of my grail's is turning out to be my Aero LHB bought of the sale page... It was in tumbled FQHH so I had a head start, it's breaking in marvelously now. I REALLY love her, even though she still "sits up" in a chair LOL!

To paraphrase one of my fave lines from the movie "Ben Hur"

"One God I can understand but one jacket... no that is not civilized it is not.... generous. No find yourself many jackets and keep them happy!"

Worf

 

[Seb Lucas]

I don't have a grail jacket - there are 3 or 4 styles I enjoy the look of and I'll alternate them according to mood.

I don't think of them as an investment or as anything fancy. I just like leather as a clothing material because it wears well and looks better with age. Apart from jeans few items of clothing have that special capacity.

It's good not to be a snob about them - I enjoy my worn ebay Brooks more than the Aero I had and I like my my recent Schott cafe racer as much as my superbly made Alexander half-belt.

 

[pipvh]

Grail jackets are all about theory to me: all the obsessing, the hunt... Whenever I actually acquire one, I seem to forget about all of that. If it doesn't work as a purely functional piece of gear, it goes.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

Perfection is an Absolute, and I say never be perfect. Flaunt the Imperfection, It is all to your own taste.

Whatever you do, Know that Life is always subjectional, No matter what someone feels is right for them, might not be right for you.

Thats the beauty of life is that we are all different, the variety is what holds it all together.

Perfection is only a state of mind, and deceptive...sometimes Deluding. Its what most commercials prey upon, They know how to exploit a false sense of perfection to weaken the senses and lure your mind into a fantasy world. Creating the longing and need for fullfilment, Accept that you will never be satisfied if you expect things to be ideal and perfect. Otherwise be willing to accept states of misery and dissapointment---the whole concept that people CAN be Perfect, Life can be TV Beautiful. It doesnt work that way and you cant set your expectations inside absolute terms.

in my experiance this reality is not what It seems.

Hence the *holy Grail* analogy, The Literal Grail does not infact Exist, though you may seek what truly isnt there in vain.

it is an internalized sense of eternity, and not a physical Object.

home is where your heart is so to speak.

When you find the Holy Grail Jacket, it is a feeling on the inside, a gut feeling that *this is the one for me!* It could be any Jacket at all, but something inside you said THIS ONE! I am Content with this!

To seek the grail is to discover your own everlasting power of love and spirit. and it is a spiritual and psychic awakening that will last an eternity...or at least be with you for your lifespan to share and bring to others.

To be content within yourself and likewise transfer the compassion and well-being to others, hence metaphorically sharing the cup of eternal Life.

The correct asnswer to what this Holy Grail Jacket of yours is worth---Priceless---

 

[Sloan1874]

Grail jackets are all about theory to me: all the obsessing, the hunt... Whenever I actually acquire one, I seem to forget about all of that. If it doesn't work as a purely functional piece of gear, it goes.

Precisely! It doesn't matter whether it's horse, steer or goat, it's a white elephant and doesn't deserve a place in your collection.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

To me it's reaching the point of a style..hide and 'fit' that leaves you actually wanting for nothing more. Although new styles..pleats..and eye candy can still be enticing..the point has been reached of just wearing the jacket (s) with the satisfaction of continuing compliments to reaffirm that you may have arrived at just where you want to be...if you can just stop and realize it.
HD

 

[ButteMT61]

When you have a jacket that makes you feel good, you know it. You get looks, compliments, etc and you just know it's right.
Doesn't mean you can't have or search for more than one. There's nothing like opening a box with a new jacket inside. The smell and anticipation is as close as I get to being a kid at Christmas again...

 

[Cooperson]

When you have a jacket that makes you feel good, you know it. You get looks, compliments, etc and you just know it's right.
Doesn't mean you can't have or search for more than one. There's nothing like opening a box with a new jacket inside. The smell and anticipation is as close as I get to being a kid at Christmas again...

+1

 

[bretron]

To me, the vintage pieces, and especially the "scores" (eg flea market finds) are as much or more memorable than the full priced MTO bespoke goodies.

 

[ButteMT61]

To me, the vintage pieces, and especially the "scores" (eg flea market finds) are as much or more memorable than the full priced MTO bespoke goodies.

They can be. For us larger sorts, larger sizes are hard to come by.
Someone else's stories are cool if I know the previous owner - like if it were my Dad's or Granddad's. Since I'm way bigger than any family member, sans my uncle, I'd rather create my own memories with a jacket made for me.
Certainly a cool jacket for way less money is awesome, but I find few in my size and well, someone might think mine are cold 50 years from now at some random swap meet

 

[Sloan1874]

Yes, a used jacket can be cool, but it was also new and cool at one point, so they're kinda the same thing, just different ends of the telescopes - it depends which one you prefer looking down.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Yep..after many vintage leather jackets have passed through my hands I've only found one perfect fit after tryng to make several nice Bucos fit (in my mind)among others. Just too tall and long armed for the vintage stuff. Fit means everything. When it fits good..ya feel good. When it don't..often you keep trying to kid yourself that it ain't that bad when you really know it ain't that good either. A good quality repro that fits to my specs is where it's at for me.
HD

 

[Seb Lucas]

To me, the vintage pieces, and especially the "scores" (eg flea market finds) are as much or more memorable than the full priced MTO bespoke goodies.

+ 1

 

[Mark Ricketts]

I would argue that if such a thing as the perfect jacket could exist, pray you never find it. Everything afterwards would seem a second rate, miserable disappointment and you would never have any more joy looking at other leather jackets.
To paraphrase Hollywood, maybe it is better not to look for Mr Right, but just for Mr Right Now.

 

[Sloan1874]

+1

 

[GuyLdeB]

I got my grail jacket the other day and it was nothing like the jacket I have been searching for. I bought it on a whim and its a black Lewis Leathers Dominator and I never realised that a whim could result in me getting my perfect jacket.

 

[John Galt]

Well, mine was $200 when I bought it about 13 years ago, and $65 on eBay when I bought the replacement last week. It's nothing fancy, mind you - I just like it. It's a dark brown Eddie Bauer circa 2000 or so, in a Levi Jacket cut with side pockets, leather cuffs and waistband. Relatively lightweight distressed leather, maybe calfskin or goatskin.

The original was stolen some 10 years back & I've been looking for another one ever since. I finally got lucky. I would have paid much more to have my perfect jacket back.

Can't post a photo, don't know why. I have privileges. It is "Style ID 0868" per the tag.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[Spitfire]

It's worth everything to one person and nothing to a lot of others!

 

[Smithy]

It's worth everything to one person and nothing to a lot of others!

Too true Søren!

Yours wouldn't happen to be a pre-war Irvin in around about a size 50 would it or have you hit it with your Aces High?