My new non-Indy jacket!

Fatdutchman · Post by **Fatdutchman** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:15 pm

I just got my new Horsehide jacket from Johnson Leather. It's just the bee's knees. I'm pleased as punch! I'm so happy with it, I can't stand that it is now 75-80 degrees, and I won't be able to wear it for another 6 or 7 months!!!

It was a long time in the making. I wanted a 40's-ish leather waist length jacket. I thought for a while that I had no chance of finding such a thing. I thought my only option was Aero leather. I had two problems with that proposition. One, an Aero jacket would end up costing me at least $800. Two, sizing would be an absolute nightmare, with little, if any, chance of ever getting it right, and with a very good chance of losing a lot of money in the process of sending ill-fitting jackets back and forth from Scotland!!! I was just S.O.L. I thought surely there was someone in America that would make me a vintage style jacket. Then someone recommended Johnson Leather.

Johnson has a model "M200" classic style motorcycle jacket. Reasonably priced too. I thought if I could get a few changes to it, it would be just about right. I emailed them and Alan at Johnson responded. No problem. He understood what I was going for. I told him I needed brown, he said he had 6 shades of brown to choose from! One was brown horsehide...AHA! that's what I wanted, and that's what I got. I told him I would like the collar to be about a half inch wider for a more vintage look, and he said that was no problem. The stock jacket has zippered cuffs. I don't like zippers, or buttons, or buckles or anything on my cuffs, because they hang up in EVERYTHING. I asked if he could ditch the zippers and make them plain open barrel cuffs. No problem. The stock jacket also comes with an insulated nylon lining. I can't have that. No insulated anything. I asked if I could send him some lining material to use, and again, "no problem". I got some brown plaid shirtweight fabric to use for the lining.

Now, the hard part. Sizing. Here's where Alan really impressed me. He was VERY patient and helpful with me. He says he'd rather send a dozen jackets back and forth, and get it RIGHT, than just send whatever and have it to not fit well. We ended up sending three jackets back and forth. When I had a size 48, it would zip up and all, but the back was too broad, and that made the armholes too far away from my armpits. Didn't work. We tried a 46. With the jacket unzipped, it fit fantastic. The armholes were high and tight where they should be, I could move around and everything....but there just wasn't enough front there to go around my thick chest. Zipped up, it pulled the shoulders forward and it weren't right. I figured to add 1" to each front panel along the zipper line (and 1" in length, which we always knew we would have to), and it would be right. Alan agreed after seeing photos, and said that he though we had it nailed down.

It only took a few weeks to actually make the jacket and get it to me, and I got it yesterday. I am exceptionally pleased!

I cannot recommend Johnson Leather highly enough. If you ever want something like this, give them a call or email them and ask for Alan. I'll bet he can work out just about anything you need.

Oh, the total cost of the jacket, after shipping and all, was $600 ($100 of that was the horsehide option), which is much more than I have ever spent on any such thing in my life!!! (and likely never will again!) But, I now have a high quality jacket that will probably last my whole lifetime!

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www.johnsonleather.com
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Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:01 pm

That's one your grandkids will fight over, my friend! Just make sure you're not wearing it in the coffin.

Could get embarassing.

She's a beauty!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:02 pm

You look as though you're about to stab someone with a broken bottle.

I love it!

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:20 pm

agent5 wrote:You look as though you're about to stab someone with a broken bottle.

It does?

agent5, we're going to have to have a LONG talk about the company you've been keeping lately.

Regards! Michaelson

Jorenz · Post by **Jorenz** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:35 pm

Michaelson wrote:
agent5 wrote:You look as though you're about to stab someone with a broken bottle.

It does?

agent5, we're going to have to have a LONG talk about the company you've been keeping lately.

Regards! Michaelson

Hey 5, you better not talk or you know what'll happen

It'd be a shame to see anything bad happen to such a neat collection of Indiana jones parafanalia

...

Oh and That is one great looking jacket Dutchman. What's the weight of the HH? It doesn't look to heavy.

Arok · Post by **Arok** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:39 pm

That looks like one darn fine riding jacket you have there. I always disliked cuffs with elastic or zippers on them as well. I do get quite a draft when riding with my ToD jacket if I don't wear the right gloves, but that never stopped me. =)

Nice hat too, by the way. Looks alot like the hat I wear all the time. Was it made by the Hat People of Oregon or somewhere else?

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:58 pm

FDM, that is one spiffy jacket i must say. coupled with the 'paperboy' cap just screams the 30's. sounds like it was a long time in the making but definitely worth the wait judging from the results.

cheers

agent5 · Post by **agent5** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:04 am

Oh...I love the jacket. I was just saying he looks like he could be part of Nicholson's crew in the Departed. Nothing at all wrong with that. Half the guys in my neighborhood look just like that.

Chewing Wax · Post by **Chewing Wax** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:16 am

That's a really nice jacket.

I kind of want to just buy USA jackets. I'm thinking of a Lost Worlds Suburban, but that thing looks awesome.

CM · Post by CM » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:20 am

That's a fantastic jacket, man. Love it. The back looks awesome. Not going with Aero paid off big time.

Enjoy - CM

rick5150 · Post by **rick5150** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:27 am

Absolutely my style of jacket in the style of an Aero Highwayman/Lost Worlds Ryder jacket. Well done! Even though it is a non-Indy jacket, it makes a great adventure-looking jacket when you don a fedora.

I had to get rid of a lot of jackets that I really liked because of the additional material in the back. The chest would fit fine and the back would be baggy-looking as if I bought the "size 40 hunchback" style. It is inspiring to see that you can find jacket makers out there that will work with you that closely to get you your perfect jacket.

Please keep posting pictures as this jacket breaks in.

PETER · Post by **PETER** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:40 am

That is a nice jacket. The front of a James Dean/ Jasper jacket and back of a G3 I have both. Well done. It works. Price is a bit high but then as a one off custom maybe not.
Shall I or sharnt I ?
Cheers
Peter

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:50 am

agent5 wrote: Half the guys in my neighborhood look just like that.

That's what I'm talking about.

Just kidding, old friend.

Regards! Michaelson

Technonut · Post by **Technonut** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:00 pm

VERY nice jacket Fatdutchman...

I would have rather had one like that, than my Aero Highwayman.

Maybe someday.....

Fatdutchman · Post by **Fatdutchman** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:29 pm

The horsehide weighs little more than cowhide (very little indeed). While it's a good, heavy jacket, it is not "heavy". The leather is pliable, but it is stiffer than comparable cowhide. It is not nearly as stiff as something like 6oz. oak tanned cowhide. Nothing like that at all. No one should ever be afraid to order horsehide because they've been told that it's "heavy and stiff". It's a 3 1/2oz. thickness, by the way.

The leather smells horrible, though. It smells like...well, it smells like chrome tanned leather. Not the typical jacket leather smell, but like the chrome tan stuff that leathercrafters buy. I'm airing it out outside right now! The leather is "finished", with a medium brown stuff (brown like a Hershey bar). The underlying leather is a slightly lighter medium brown color all the way through (I rubbed off the finish from my little sample swatch with some rubbing alcohol). I would imagine that they have black horsehide too. I didn't ask. I don't like black leather.

Their regular stock jacket (in cowhide) goes for $365, I believe, in the "normal" sizes. $100 for the horsehide option. Add another $135 for custom sizing, custom touches, and shipping for 4 jackets, and you get the $600 total. For all you normally shaped and sized individuals, you will probably not have nearly as much diffculty (and the attendant cost) as I do, and one of Alan's stock sizes will probably fit you just fine. Still it was much cheaper than anything from Aero....especially since I would have ended up being stuck with a jacket that would not fit.....

Alan said he was quite familiar with vintage jackets, as he does a lot of restoration work on them (and then sends them all to Japan.....), and understood exactly what I was wanting. I would bet that he would be able to put a half belt on the back, if one so desired. I CANNOT wear them. They tighten the jacket up in the middle of my back, and I would be constantly tugging the jacket down, thinking that it was pulled up too high. Very unnatural.

I cannot recommend Johnson Leather highly enough.

The hat, by the way, is the "Irish 8pc. cap" in brown herringbone from Noggin Tops. www.noggintops.com I think it goes great with the jacket...I'm like sort of a giant version of "Red" in "Seabiscuit"....

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:35 pm

and I won't be able to wear it for another 6 or 7 months!!!

Do like I did to break it in for cooler weather. Turn the AC down to 60 degrees, and put the jacket on.

That was one time, I wanted to soften up a stiff hat years ago, with rain, but we were in in drought at the time. Solution? I took a long shower with it!!! My wife at that time looked at me incredulously. A few years later she filed for divorce. I always thought there may have been a connection there!

Fedora

Bjones · Post by **Bjones** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:59 pm

That is a very nice jacket. I tend to prefer the darker shades, but 3.5 oz as you quoted is a very nice weight for a jacket like that. Thick but not too heavy.

PETER wrote:That is a nice jacket. The front of a James Dean/ Jasper jacket and back of a G3 I have both. Well done. It works. Price is a bit high but then as a one off custom maybe not.
Shall I or sharnt I ?
Cheers
Peter

Peter, have you ever thought of sourcing some different horsehides? I have your indy jacket in horse and an Aero bootlegger in front quarter horse. I like both, but the horse you use is a bit light (not quite sure the oz. you use) and the Aero is very heavy. Something in between like this would be great for many different types of jackets. A jacket like this (Fatduchman's) but below the hip with a halfbelt and side straps would be great with that leather.

Fatdutchman · Post by **Fatdutchman** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:11 pm

Vanson makes a REALLY good looking horsehide 30's style below-the-waist jacket with a belt. Pure 30's styling. It's about $700-$800 though.
It's called the "Model J", I believe....

Bjones · Post by **Bjones** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:17 pm

Yeah, it and the Aero long half-belt are very similar. I'm wondering if Peter can duplicate something like that but with a different horsehide than what he uses for the indy jackets. The weight of your jacket looks to be a good choice for a tough jacket that doesn't quite get that "suit of armor" feel that my Aero has.

Technonut · Post by **Technonut** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:37 pm

_ wrote:Actually, a well used method with the vintage flight jacket crowds is allpying hot water via towels, etc... It does work, but takes steel testicles...

LOL...

I read this right after I removed my G&B historic HH A-2 out of the clothes dryer...

(Jacket pulled inside-out)

Before that, I ran it through a complete (No soap) hot wash cycle in my front-loader washer....

I must say that I practically kept my nose against the washer window for half the cycle, making sure nothing bad was happening. 8-[

Not vintage, but still an expensive jacket... I think it came out GREAT! The collar lies down better, the grain is more pronounced, and the sleeves have a set wrinkling in the forearms...

Bjones · Post by **Bjones** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:01 pm

Technonut wrote:
_ wrote:Actually, a well used method with the vintage flight jacket crowds is allpying hot water via towels, etc... It does work, but takes steel testicles...
LOL... I read this right after I removed my G&B historic HH A-2 out of the clothes dryer... (Jacket pulled inside-out)

Before that, I ran it through a complete (No soap) hot wash cycle in my front-loader washer.... I must say that I practically kept my nose against the washer window for half the cycle, making sure nothing bad was happening. 8-[

Not vintage, but still an expensive jacket... I think it came out GREAT! The collar lies down better, the grain is more pronounced, and the sleeves have a set wrinkling in the forearms...

You are a brave man...

Magnum Jones · Post by **Magnum Jones** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:25 pm

I have a horsehide also, this was my first Indy jacket. Nowhere screen accurate, but that was in the days way before the internet and I had no clue what a real Indy jacket was. It is all natural distressed and very heavy. I think you could almost use it for balistic armor. It has seen many rugged days and still has alot more to come.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w92/ ... 1177028438

independent · Post by **independent** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:11 pm

Great jacket. Never was a fan of that chest pocket on leather jackets though.

Enjoy it in good health,

Cheers!