A few weeks ago I rode down from my home town to Portland Oregon, via Scappoose, OR (Wesco Boots) to pay homage to Langlitz Leathers Inc. - and to be custom measured for a Columbia jacket. For anyone who is ever in the Portland area I highly recommend stopping in if only for the experience.

A little background on Langlitz - founded in 1947 by Ross Langlitz. Ross introduced so many innovations in design that it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that Langlitz invented the motorcycle jacket as we know it today.








At the shop they put you on a bike saddle to take most of the measurements. No mucking around here - these guys make leathers for bikers, not for wearing around town - and the fit shows. You get to pick from a ridiculously long list of options - basically Langlitz will make the jacket any way you want (for instance I decided to get leather lined outer pockets and the entire jacket is goat skin).

After chewing the fat with the handful of other customers that were there at the same time as me, including a few that just stopped in to visit with the staff it was time to head home. I waited apprehensively for a few weeks for the jacket to show up. Remarkably whereas they often have a 3-6 month backorder list as this is the slow season my jacket arrived this week!

I needn't have worried - the jacket fits perfectly. After years of wearing Vanson (good jackets in their own right) I have to say this is really something else.











No Wesco boots for me this trip - I don't have any spending money left (especially since I bought a new pair of pants at the same time and put a couple of used Langlitz pants that didn't fit too well that I'd picked up along the way "on consignment")!

(shop pictures are from Langlitz website).

 

Nice looking jacket. i have a FXRG i got from Harley im really happy with. 700 bucks, but i really like it and have heard nothing but good things about them. got the gloves too. im going to take out a second on the house to get the wife one soon... lol

 

on the way home go through union and get you some gerbings

 

well how much?

 

not my style but if you like it, that's what counts...

 

Dave, congratulations on your Langlitz! I just placed an order for my first Langlitz this week! No more made in China jackets for this guy. Fox Creek and Vanson are great American made jackets too, but I had my heart set on a Langlitz for over 10 years and I waited till I could do it.

 

Do they have any other styles besides the "off-set zipper" style?
Never cared much for that one, or saw the point.
Otherwise nice lookin' coat. It'll probably outlast you.

BTW; Is that an American asian there or an Asian asian sitting there in that American store? LOLOLL!!

 

Their second most popular jacket it called the Cascade. Check out their products page on the website.

And the offset zipper was invented for blocking wind infiltration. The second layer of leather under the zipper does the trick.

http://langlitz.com/jackets.shtml

 

+1 on Langlitz Leathers. Purchased a pair of insulated leather pants from them in 1982, (thats right 1982), Still use them when it's cold. Never had any problems. Going to get Me a Leather Jacket From them soon.

 

Langlitz makes great jackets. Jeff Decker swears by them.