Lee Trinity hat, Monarch Colthide jacket, Peavey T-60 (a great workhorse guitar). The jacket has since sold, and is in good hands.
Colthide and a guitar
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Tag Archives: motorcycle jacket
1980s D-Pocket motorcycle leather jacket
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281031648536
This leather jacket was probably made in the 1980s or 1990s, but recalls an earlier 1950s style. It has a D-pocket, with a smaller cigarette pocket. It has snaps on the lapels, but not the collar. Instead of a front belt, it has small adjuster belts in the back, though it does have belt loops. It has zipped sleeves and a yoked back. Relatively lightweight leather, with some staining.
Chest: 22″
Chest: 22″
Sleeve: 24″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Foster Sportswear motorcycle jacket
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281030496790
This vintage leather jacket was made in the 1940s by Foster Sportswear. It has an asymmetrical zip front, a forerunner to the modern style epitomized by the Schott Perfecto. While most jackets of this style turn up in horsehide or goat, this feels like it’s capeskin. Very nice and supple leather. It has slash handwarmer pockets, with flapped cargo pockets and a diagonal zipped map pocket. At the time, this probably would have been advertised as an aviator style.
The jacket has a quilted body lining and flannel sleeves, with knit storm cuffs. It has a conmar pocket zipper and a conmar main zip, though the slider is missing on the main zipper. There is one broken tooth about halfway up the zipper track, which is probably where it would have jumped. Somewhat surprisingly, the jacket does not have the standard half-belt back, opting instead for a paneled design with small elasticized side panels. The leather has some wear and patina, but overall is in very good condition. There is a small section of dropped stitching under the right armpit. The lining has a hole, see the photo.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23-1/2″
Length (collar to hem): 26″
Diagonal Zip Vintage Leather Jackets
The black leather jacket epitomized by the Schott Perfecto wasn’t always the motorcycle jacket default. Here is a small sample of diagonal zip leather jackets, ancestors of the style, which date from the 1930s-1960s. Top to bottom: Monarch, no label capeskin, Foster Sportswear, British Sportswear, no label Columbia. The silver British Sportswear jackets has exposed studs on the lapels, but none on the collar. The Columbia has concealed studs on both. The top three have none. They display a variety of pocket styles and placements, and of cuff styles.
Albert Richard leather jacket
This vintage leather jacket was made by Albert Richards. It is their “Shetland” model, made of “Satintan” horsehide, with a “Beavertex” mouton collar. It has an alpaca lined body and quilted lined sleeves. The main zipper is a post-war Talon. The prong is still attached to the zipper tape, but is coming away from the body of the jacket, so a new zipper may be in order. The pocket zipper appears to have had the puller chain replaced with a piece of wire some time back. The jacket has a one piece back, knit waistband and cuffs, epaulettes and flannel lined handwarmer pockets. The leather is heavily grained with a great patina. There is definite wear to it, and some small light patches of paint, but there are no holes or tears. The knits have some mothing, and it looks from the difference in color that either the cuffs or the waistband are are replacement. The aplaca pile lining shows wear, where bits of the pile have worn down to the fabric. There are three ventilation grommets under each arm.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19-1/2″
Length (collar to hem): 26″
Brown Columbia CHP jacket
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271103006052
This vintage leather jacket is in the “Coumbia” motorcycle style, the type worn by the California Highway Patrol. This one probably dates from the late ’50s or 1960s. Usually they come up in black, so the brown leather on this one is unusual. This style was made by most of the big California makers, Langlitz still makes a nice version. Due to the lack of tags, it’s hard to be positive whether the jacket is horsehide or a heavyweight steerhide. One way or another, it has killer grain and patina. The jacket bears stitch marks from a previous zipper, indicating the current ’70s manufactured one is a replacement. Likewise, it appears the jacket has been relined at some point, going by the different color collar snaps on the inside. The sleeve zippers are Serval, and the pocket zippers have brass chains. The main zipper is missing the prong and is in need of replacement. The zipper on the right sleeve has jumped its track. There is heavy wear to the left cuff, and wear and patina to the leather throughout. There is a half inch stab through the leather near the main zipper which goes clean through the front of the jacket when zipped, through at least four layers of leather. There must be a story there. There are mouton panels in the cuffs to keep the wind out when the sleeves are zipped. The are attachment snaps for a detachable collar, now long gone.
Chest: (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″ = size 42)
Chest: (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″ = size 42)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 20″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″
Length (collar to hem): 27″
Wheels of Man suede cafe racer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271103039663
This vintage leather jacket was made in the late ’60s or 1970s. It is heavy roughout cowhide suede. It has a talon main zipper and talon cuff zippers. The top collar snap bears the logo of the maker, Wheels of Man. The jacket has an action back, two handwarmer pockets and zippped cuffs. There is general wear and staining to the suede throughout the jacket. The left cuff is worn and the stitching at the end of the seam has let go. The right cuff has similar damage, and several small tears around the zipper. The lining also bears the logo of the company and is stained, especially towards the bottom hem.
Chest: 23″ (doubled =46″)
Chest: 23″ (doubled =46″)
Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 26″
Length (Collar to Hem): 28″
Knopf Sportswear Leather Jackets
1941 Knopf Sportswear ad, featuring:
The Pilot – sunburst back, diagonal zipper.
The Montana – biswing half-belt
The Westerner- button front, yoke back
