I have been doing a bit of research into Leather jackets. HD make some nice jackets, but you sure pay for them. If you go overboard, you can end up looking like a corporate sponsor too. There are a few good threads on this forum on the topic of leathers.
Here are a few of the links I have found.
www.foxcreekleather.com US based. Fox Creek - Has anyone brought a Jacket from Fox Creek? I am very impressed with their products over the Web, but I have never actually seen them. They seem very helpfull. Good Web site too. Have a good range of other leather gear as well.
http://www.waldenmiller.com.au/ A local product. Walden Miller seem to have a good range of product. They are based in Adelaide so I might go in and have a look.
http://www.kazzmazz.com.au/ Another locally produced product.
http://www.schottnyc.com/ US based - Schott.
http://www.heingericke-usa.com/ US based - Hein Gericke
Most of these sites seem to have quality Jackets at about 50 to 70% of the ticket price of a HD jacket.
Mungrel.
I have 2 Schott Perfecto jackets,1 I have had for over 20 years and 1 I just got,I don't believe you get a better quality jacket,and I like the way they wear,they look lived in after a while,unlike the jacket from Pakistan and Korea,which are shiney and black,even when they are old.I also have a Kazzmazz Gascoyne black suede vest,that was custom made and it is extremely good quality,unfortunately they no longer offer a custon made service.Heine Gericke are not an American company,they are a German company,they made the first jackets for BMW and make European style jackets mainly,even though you see them advertised in Ebay as Harley style jackets.Walden Miller jackets are overpriced for the quality of the leather compared to what can be purchased elsewhere in my opinion.FoxCreek looks quite good and have a good reputation in the U.S. and are very reasonably priced,as I am somewhat of a collector of leather jackets,I have been looking at them for my next purchase,the only thing I don't particularly like is that they use a very high grain leather,what I do like is that it is naked leather,so it should wear well and be soft and supple,especially compared to something like Walden Miller.I also have a Harley Jacket,one made in the U.S. and not one made in Mexico or Korea,and it is the most overpriced piece of shit I have ever owned,just sits on a coathanger and never gets worn,unless it is raining,as I don't care if it gets drenched.
nobody
The great Harley Jacket was the "Billings" a naked distress leather, Harley stopped making them a few years ago and have since become a bit of a collectors item, they had the added length the old boys sewed on when they had apes. (one on eBay in the states)
The cutoffs (waistcoats) were made by "Mono" Winzar Saddler in Wangaratta (Vic) think he still makes them m, to m, any style with a single back panel, (the only way) they are as soft as those thighs I still remember but like those thighs they don't come cheap.
Got to go............. I've cracked half a traveler and I don't want to wast it.
Nobody,
Thanks for the info. You're a wealth of knowledge as usual! Did you buy your latest Schott jacket locally?
The FC jacket I liked is $360 USD. That's $500 Au delivered to my door. Seems well priced for the description (strong naked leather, removable thinsulate liner, vents. etc.) ...
Cheers
When I had another look at Fox Creek, I found this undelined link. Does it resolve your possible concern?
Regards, Mungrel.
Our naked leathers are full grain and drum dyed.
Naked leather has only been dyed and has had nothing applied to it that would mask its natural state. Because of this, it is the softest and most supple leather available. It gives the unique natural grain of leather a distinct warm rich glow. With age well conditioned naked leather increases in beauty, growing softer and richer in appearance. [picture: our naked leather (seam on the upper right)]
Our leathers are full grain, which means the grain of the leather is unaltered and in its natural state.
Lesser hides are often sanded down, obscuring flaws in the leather and giving it a slick more uniform finish. Occasionally grain may also be stamped into a hide.
A dying process in which the leather is immersed in a drum of dye and tumbled. This process fully penetrates the leather and produces the most even and long lasting coloration.
Inferior dying processes will not fully penetrate the leather or will spray it on the outside, obscuring the grain of the leather. These processes are evident in older jackets where the black has worn off, cracked or peeled away.
Mungrel
Yeah I read all the info on the web site,and was aware of the difference in the leather from previos jackets that I have owned.I will only buy jackets that are naked leather and full grained,otherwise they tend to look like the cheap leather jackets you see everywhere in motorcycle shops,usually priced between $99 and $299.They are always really shiny black and look almost fake,usually made in Pakistan.They work very well and do the job they are intended to do (save your skin if you happen to hit the road) but are just not as comfortable or last as long as the others.I have one here on the back of the door,I actually cut the buckle off it to use on something else I had,when you see them side by side is when you really notice the difference.
PS but hey these are just my opinions as jackets are just another of my hobbies......no wonder I am always broke
