Ordered the Braided Two-tone Nickel Vest and a belt. Got the UPS tracking info today.

Still have a 15+ year old Hein Gericke California II jacket which is in good shape. Doesn't fit as good as it use to thou.

 

I've had the Nevada for 18 months now. It has a removable liner and vents and lots of pockets inside. Just saw one on ebay with a starting bid at 175. I think I paid close to 500 for it.

It's a great jacket.

 

Found my current jacket on the clearance rack at a bike showlast year = $50 w/scratches and a nice heavyliner ... but I'm cheap.

 

In case anyone on this old thread is still looking for a jacket, Legendary USA is a good site to buy USA-made jackets, mostly Schott Perfectos and other jackets made by Schott. They're much better-looking jackets than the Fox Creek ones. You can use iwjkt in the coupon code box and get ten percent off and if you have an old Perfecto you can trade it in for seventy five bucks.

 

I'm old school. I prefer a well broken in Schott Perfecto or old Buco J23 horsehide jacket. My Perfecto is 40 years old and still tough as nails. I have a Sears Oakbrook that is 50 years old that is still in excellent condition, it is my favorite daily wearer. My point is if you buy a good quality leather jacket it doesn't matter how much it costs if it will last you the rest of your life (and your son & grandson can continue to wear it too!). Plus, a 50 year old leather jacket looks just plain awesome!


My 50 year old Sears


My 40 year old Schott

 

After reading through this entire thread and I was surprised to find that one of the things not being debated is what type of hide is preferred. Someone mentioned having goat skins but it seems just about everyone else is talk'n cow or steer hide.
How about fit. Seems to me that most people I see on 2 wheels these days are wearing jackets 1 or 2 sizes too big. Motorcycle jackets are suppose to fit snug. I don't care who makes it, in a spill a loose fitting jacket is going to bunch up, make you tumble as appose to slide and very possibly peel right off of you. That is after the tumbling breaks your bones...
I was lucky enough a while back to find a late 40's early 50's vintage horsehide CHP style jacket that fits like a glove and feels just about bullet proof. Lucky meaning: First off I wear a 48 jacket with a 31"-32" waist. Off the hanger don't work for me usually and finding vintage jackets in that size ain't easy. Being a CHP style (like the Langlitz Columbia) the sides lace up so I can get it snug. Second off it did not cost me a fortune that I ain't got. Third, it was in almost mint condition and well cared for when I got it.
This jacket turned me into a huge horsehide fan. Very thick, very dense hide and it very well might outlast me. The workmanship and the stitching are all top notch and the jacket very high quality all around.
I did look at Langlitz at one time but the Columbia starts at $900 before adding options and having one made out of horsehide (that is if you can source a hide that meets Langlitz standards) is a $1200 option. Way outta my price range. Not taking anything away from Langlitz. I've heard nothing but good things about them aside from cost. I've heard good reviews of Fox Creek as well not to mention several other coat makers. I have owned Schott, Brooks, Bates and a few others in the past but my "Star Glove" horsehide is the last one I hope to ever have to buy. Even the guy that sold it to me was impressed with it. Made me wonder why he was selling it at first but I guess it would not have been a good idea for him to be seen wearing it. He was after all the Production Manager for Langlitz...

Here is my 60 yo jacket. It'llmeet or beat the quality of anything made today.


BTW, Buco's and Schott's rock but I can't find one of either that will fit. Usualy too short and or too big in the gut.

 

Flat Top - Tell me more about your Star Glove. I've had one for years and only heard of 2 people with the same maker on the label. Is the company still around, I had no luck finding them online.

 

Welcome to the forum Tony. You're responding to a post that was made over 2 and a half years ago. You'd probably have better luck if you just went ahead and started a new thread.

 

I had my jacket and chaps made by a company in Burlington Vt. called Champlain Leather. I stopped into the store in Burlington one day. They measured me and made custom fit leathers. Same price as the leathers on the shelf.

 

Thanks Boogaloo . It was a long shot to think Flat Top would see this, but I will post a new thread. I'm interested to find out what I can about this jacket maker as they did a hell of a nice job on it.