15 years of leather jackets...

[CM]

Wow! I just did a brief tally of the leather jackets I've owned over 40 - only 2 Indy's which I still own. It was the Indy jacket that got me interested. Most of my jackets have been bike jackets and car coats. A company here called Mars Leathers has custom made me at least 10 jackets. What I have never had is a decent half-belt, like the Bruce Willis Surrogates jacket. You can't find half-belts over here and you almost never see horsehide. By the way, the G&B Indy in goat (I got it 5 years ago) is so good that I have never really wanted to buy another. Thanks for your work on that, Sir.

[Rudolf]

Wow!! Well done in just 15 years, it makes 7 jackets per year And I think I have had many jackets (around 20 since the 80's)

[Ian]

That's a lot of jackets, but I wasn't that surprised about the number considering it's you...

During your study, did you do a graph plotting number of jackets acquired against time? Maybe find out your peak in jacket enthusiasm..

[Hollowpond]

Cool thread idea!

This place is definitely a sinkhole for us junkies. My Indy jacket total is only 6, including Todd's, Westeds, US Wings and a G&B. The G&B is the only one I kept and is the only Indy for me.
A few A2's have come and went, but my stable currently consists of a Vanson X1, the G&B, and a Surrogates Half-belt (based on a 40's Sears Hercules) . The halfbelt is quickly becoming a favorite and is my "Real Indy" jacket...

[IndyOriginal]

All I can say is that's impressive. If I were to tell someone else who hasn't entered into this particularly addictive form of madness that I know a guy who has purchased 101 leather jackets in the last 15 years...they simply wouldn't understand that there is method behind the madness. You're a jacket scholar, _.

I've only got 4 leather jackets (Wested circa '97, USW LE Cow, USW US SL Legend, and a black cafe racer in cow), but I'm still young...give me time. In the future I'd like to pick up a Magnoli LC in cow, and probably a GB if I can ever find one in veg tan that someone wants to give away.

Hats off

[Tennessee Smith]

Todd, you set a watermark that will be hard to beat!!! And gave me a person to cite as an example to my wife for my next purchase


Then again, if I were in your shoes I'd probably have gotten more. It's a sickness


...and Travis, post a pic of the back of that half-belt


-TS

[ReturningSon]

really LOVE that surrogates style halfbelt

[theman]

Wow, nice tally P! I'll have to run through mine at some point, but I am afraid it will scare me, and give the wife way too much leverage!

Hollow - the Surrogates is a straight up Californian halfbelt based/actual jacket, not a Sears... but awesome jacket non-the-less. Sorry, for my anal-ness...you know I can't help it.

[Illinois James]

Great! Just as I had convinced myself that a First Avenger jacket was something I couldn't justify.

The inner turmoil begins again.

I thought telling yourself "NO" was supposed to be empowering??!!

All impressive collections. Thankfully, you guys pass along what you learn to those who share your appreciation for this stuff.

[Hollowpond]

Hollow - the Surrogates is a straight up Californian halfbelt based/actual jacket, not a Sears... but awesome jacket non-the-less.

I knew that at one point! Wonder why I mixed those up...

Sorry, for my anal-ness...you know I can't help it.

I know...I know...

[Hollowpond]

...and Travis, post a pic of the back of that half-belt


-TS

Missed that...

[CRB]

I've owned along the way a total of 42. But only really been collecting for about 4 years.

[Michaelson]

I have absolutely no idea what so ever how many jackets I've had come and go in and out my closet since the beginning.

9 times out of 10 a sample was sent to me by one of the vendors for review, and after a few weeks, the jacket was passed on to a new member who didn't have a jacket.

I saw every Wested jacket made from around 1996 until several years ago, introducing them for Peter either here or at the summits, then Peter had some of the local COW members find his door, and that was the end of that.

....but an actual number....I honestly don't recall. There have been too many.

How many iterations of USW jackets have there been before the Legend series came out?

I had one example of each come through my door (with the exception of the 'roo), and since Weston has stepped into the picture supplying photos for USW for the Wings site, all those jackets now go in his direction, even though David promised one example of each would come through my door for review. That never happened.

Ah well. Times change. I guess they don't need their old friends anymore.

Just as well, I suppose.

Hopefully those folks who are out there reviewing items for vendors are doing what several of us did and continue to pass the prototypes along to new members, or those who can't really afford a good example of a good jacket. It was, and still IS, a good practice.

Anyway, I'm rambling....I have a few in the back of my closet that have sentimental connections for staying, and 3 workhorses for seasonal use.

Regards! Michaelson

[Michaelson]

Details on the remaining collection:

1. G&B Veg Goatskin Expedition: The final prototype before the Expedition went into production in 2000. Its twin (born shortly after) is hanging in Michaelson’s closet and as I understand it, she sees a good amount of wear. Mine never comes off the hanger anymore. It’s a bit snug these days.

Actually, it's on my back as we speak. Got cold here in Tennessee today.
The feeling's mutual, old friend.

Regards! Michaelson

[FLATHEAD]

6. Avirex G1 (circa 1966-67 NOS): This is an old warhorse that I take down when the weather gets REALLY cold. The knits and the mouton keep me warm and toasty. The goatskin is beautiful and the mouton just gets better each year. 45 years young and kicking!

I am curious about this one.

From what I can find, Avirex was formed in 1974/75 by Jeff Clyman as a maker of repro military
jackets. I don't recall that there was another company with that same name that made Vietnam
era G-1 jackets.

Can you post pictures of the tag in the jacket?

Thanks.

Flathead

[Indiana Jeff]

Loving this half-belt! So much so I have one on order from Rick.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[FLATHEAD]

If there is an Avirex tag in your jacket, I have feeling you have a repro, not an original
military G-1 jacket. Avirex didn't make jackets for the military when it was started in the 70's.

You probably have a repro from the mid 80's or possibly early 90's.

Once you post the pics of the tag, I can show some of my friends who
are into the whole military jacket market, and who know how to read
the tags.

These guys are even worse than people are here with Indy jackets when
it comes to stitch Nazi's!

I found this out the hard way when I bought what I thought was an
old WWII A-2, and it turned out to be a very convincing repro with
an original tag sewn inside, and I showed it to one of my friends.

Thankfully, my repro was made by Eastman, and it was worth what
I paid for it. But I was a little miffed that I got had by the seller.

Flathead

[Michaelson]

As I recall, USW has/had a LOT of old 'Brill Brother' etc. NOS jackets in the back room they picked up from Cooper when they handed over the inventory, including old Avirex labeled jackets of indeterminable age.

Most of them were pushed out the door with new USW tags, though the tags are/were nothing like regular USW tags you see in their standard jackets.

Regards! Michaelson

[FLATHEAD]

Sarge lined up the purchase for me and tells me it was originally made by Brill Brothers? And I seem to have misinterpreted the dates - the contract date is 1965. The fulfillment date was in 1969.

A Brill Brothers G-1 sounds more like it.

If you do indeed have an NOS Brill Brothers, you have one fine jacket there!

What size is your jacket? I see alot of people having to size up their jackets
in order to get one that fits.

You are a big guy, so I bet your jacket is a HUGE size in order to fit your chest
and arms!

I always liked the G-1's for the bi-swing backs. It makes them alot more user
friendly to wear over alot of other types.

Thanks again for the info.

Flathead

[FLATHEAD]

Nice!

Do you have much room to move around in it when you wear it?

Flathead

[Indiana Jeff]

To the sewing basket, stat! Inquiring minds want to know.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[FLATHEAD]

Gotta thank you, bud. Feels like your one question sent me down a little path that made a favorite even cooler. Please accept my gratitude and thanks!

Note: Kelly walked in while I was scrounging through her sewing room looking for the stitch puller. "Uh... What-cha doin?"

That is such a cool story, to find a nice jacket, peel off the label, and find out its a
real, unused, mint USN jacket! And then to have to pay next to nothing for it is priceless!

For a jacket fanatic, that is like a dream come true!

For me, it would be like finding a pristeen 1986 Jeep CJ-7, the last of the
true breed of Jeeps, in an old barn, and the old man who was selling it
saying its just an old car, and that is not big deal, as it has been sitting
there for the last 26 years unused. And then he tells me that I can have
it for a hundred bucks if I want it!

If that is how you felt with the G-1, then I can understand completely...

Flathead

[Flyderf]

I don't feel so bad about 5 indy jackets, 5 historic A-2s and new A-1 on the way.