So I realize I misphrased my point in the original comment too. I was working and typing. Yeah it makes it sound like they are always expensive and you get lucky to get one cheap. When in reality what I meant to say was they can go for a fortune when someone knows what they have/want. But they are not as hot with the general RMC wearer or J-24 wearer. I should learn not to type while on a work zoom. Gets my thoughts all mixed up!
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Which RMC Buco jacket is this? [J24 content]
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I was admittedly scared to reach out because of stories here. Honestly the website is so all over the place I still can’t figure out if his jackets are sized for you or if you just tell him your weight, height, chest and arm measurements and he puts you into a jacket that is close to your measurements.
Some say he doesn’t taper his body down, then I read he won’t give you standard measurements.
Obviously this is all just board talk but I wouldn’t want to end up with a jacket with 24” p2p with a wide hem opening.
Why makers keep adding inches on the hem because of a large chest, it’s like they assume everyone is overweight. The stock Himel Kensington had 24” p2p with a 23” hem. I never understood that, you have a 46”waist then there are better choices than a cafe racer.
One thing I find funny / puzzling is RMC's disownment of this jacket. I guess the current British instance of the company doesn't necessarily affiliate itself with the older products from Japan/ NZ. Or, perhaps they don't have an extensive archive of the brand's older pieces and history.
Blackadder
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LW has in the past made some seriously oversized and undersized batches that had supposedly been sold as seconds. I guess that caused some confusion.
I bought a LW A-2 marked size 34 RTW at great discount on their website (they had a few of these back then). No actual measurement listed and no warning. Presuming it would be just standard RTW size, I did not ask for measurement (I don't know if he would give them had I asked). It turns out to be closer to a size 38. I ended up selling it to a fd and fellow lounger who had wanted a replacement for a black size 38 LW A-2 he sold a little earlier. He told me it is pretty much the same size as his size 38.
I have also seen some seriously undersized LW Trojan and PJ-27 on ebay. Those are not only too narrow for the marked chest size, they are also very short like made for people who are under 5'5.
On the other hand, I also bought and sold a size 38 LW J-23 to another fd who wears standard size 38 Vanson C-2. That J-23 is pretty standard size 38.
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LW like the LT A/B, J23/24 and some others taper. Others, like the Trojan have minimal taper but can still work on many body types.
Best is to call him. He normally opens up. Don’t focus on jacket measurements but on your height, weight, body type, purpose of jacket, desired fit, etc. It can be unsettling if one is used to providing all sorts of measurements. Not his way. Some degree of trust is required, especially on that first jacket. Not easy, I get it. My favorite maker.
Best is to call him. He normally opens up. Don’t focus on jacket measurements but on your height, weight, body type, purpose of jacket, desired fit, etc. It can be unsettling if one is used to providing all sorts of measurements. Not his way. Some degree of trust is required, especially on that first jacket. Not easy, I get it. My favorite maker.
Yeah the Y2K era Horsehide from Japan was like suitcase leather. Prone to peel, crack and split. Thick but something wasn’t right about it.
El Marro
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Here is a cream mouton collar that Johnson Leathers made for my LW CHP.
They did a great job and I would highly recommend them. I should add that the jacket was ordered with a brown mouton collar from LW that is also very nice, I just wanted to mix it up a bit.
They did a great job and I would highly recommend them. I should add that the jacket was ordered with a brown mouton collar from LW that is also very nice, I just wanted to mix it up a bit.
photo2u
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The USPS and other shippers love it when we do this. We only know how some jackets have "floated" around until a jacket found it's final home.
I'm not badmouthing LW… I share his preference for chrome tan, and quite like the aspects of his interests and demeanor that so offend people.
I just think sending him a thin veg tan jacket might not be the best move, if OP (like me) wants to order from LW someday.
No, the original Real McCoy's went out of business. The people who were affiliated with it are still at Buzz Rickson's, Freewheelers, Toys McCoy, possibly Rainbow Country as well.
There is a lot of bad blood between them and the reborn Real McCoy's under new ownership.
I just think sending him a thin veg tan jacket might not be the best move, if OP (like me) wants to order from LW someday.
No, the original Real McCoy's went out of business. The people who were affiliated with it are still at Buzz Rickson's, Freewheelers, Toys McCoy, possibly Rainbow Country as well.
There is a lot of bad blood between them and the reborn Real McCoy's under new ownership.
Mich486
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Agreed. And also yes I think it was a different product than the 2010/2020 era RMC and so potentially the customer base.
Yes the leather on some of those early 90s RMC looks pretty terrible. The antithesis of “nice leather”, whatever one’s preferences may be.
Hmm, hopefully this jacket on the way to me isn't horrible I'm terms of leather quality. Pics look nice and I actually hadn't heard this about any Real McCoys products before, generally more that they are held in high esteem. Sounds like this one is likely very early 2000s. Again, good info on the overall trajectory of the brand's leather from everyone, thanks.
I think the 90s early 2000s are hit or miss. Not much is known about who their leather supplier was or if they used multiple sources. I’ve seen some look great, and some really not great at all. So nothing you can do except inspect it when it arrives. I mean the pictures look good though nothing looks terrible about it from photos. I think it will be fine.
Great, the knowledge on this forum is putting me at ease. The current RMC folks said it wasn't one of theirs but looking at photos of the 90s and 2000s era jackets, I'm confident it's a real one from then. Of course it helps that Blackadder can corroborate that with one of his buddies owning the exact same piece.
I wasn't too worried as I bought it from a Japanese seller, but another seller in Asia also has one of these for sale, so it seems it was just a limited run from the old Real McCoys days.
I am looking forward to getting it in hand and will post a proper review followup in this thread.
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You're going to be just fine. That jacket is not made from the crappy horse from that era. You would have seen it and not bought it if it was. The older RMC stuff is actually my favorite. The brand was more pure then and had far better vision (and execution) than the current iteration of the company. The Japan/NZ RMC was outstanding IMO, particularly the wool offerings. I also feel the patterns were better all the way around, even if I couldn't wear them.
Someone much more versed in Japanese leather jacket history can do a much better job explaining the history of them all; But if remember correctly RMC NZ was one of the first. Then it moved to Japan and Joe McCoy and Toys McCoy were product lines of RMC; then they broke off. Now a lot of the shops popping up at one time worked for or under the people who started the first few brands. Similar to American Pacific Northwest boots. Whites was first and someone from whites left and opened Nicks. Someone from Nicks broke off and started JK. Now there’s a couple again I forget which ones that all work out of the same studio sharing space and machinery. It gets really complicated and hard to follow haha. But I have 0 doubt it’s real. 0 doubt it’s 90s-early 2000s and it’s most likely NZ period or right when they had they shifted to just Japan. So you should feel great you found this for a decent price and proud to wear it.
AeroFan_07
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I agree with Tony and Danny, wherever this was made, it's a legend of a jacket and you will be relly fortunate to own it! Enjoy it and looking forward to the review when you have it!
Blackadder
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Like what Ton said, the early RM were made by The Few/RMNZ and are quite good. Although RM went into financial difficulties in 2001 and had to turn to the current owner, the break up did not happen right then. The founder and his associates including the founder of the Few stayed on for a while. AFAIK, the eventual break up led to some problems that include quality management, design and sourcing because main designers like FW founder and main suppliers like the Few Founder went their own ways.
Toys McCoy is not a product line but a new brand started by RM's founder when he left RM for good.
Toys McCoy is not a product line but a new brand started by RM's founder when he left RM for good.
I could have sworn it started as a product line to focus outside the scope of the main line and then became its own thing after? Like I said no expert and I believe you ha. Just swear at some point I had read that.
You’re probably thinking of the original Joe McCoy becoming Freewheelers.
Maybe. Like I said it’s all confusing and they all have so many connections. Like according to this 2017 updated 2019 Heddels article https://www.heddels.com/2017/12/the-real-mccoys-history-philosophy-and-iconic-products-2/
Joy McCoy is merely a sub label or RMC focused on western wear and not it’s own thing. But then I have heard it is. I’m sticking with confusing and they all branch off from one another somehow.
