Johnson Leather Jacket

[Biff42]

Here I am (posing somewhat awkwardly) with the man himself, Alan.

I recently took a trip to San Francisco and used the opportunity to drop off a few jackets for custom mouton collars, as well as finally meet Alan in person after working with him on a custom JL jacket. Alan is semi-retired and loves working with JL customers across the world. From the outside, the shop gives little indication of the caliber of craftsmanship taking place within.

 

[newtojackets]

5oz goat is going to be something awful IMO. For that matter any 5 oz hide will make for a truly miserable jacket to wear. I have a Golden Bear jacket that’s easily north of 3.5 oz and it’s as thick as I would want to go. It feels like comp weight cow from Vanson and has lost the drape that goat typically affords. I would question the sensibility of such a thing as it will remove all the qualities that make goat attractive. Hopefully these pics illustrate my point and why 3.5oz goat is more than enough!
View attachment 789139 View attachment 789140

Honestly Golden Bear needs some more love on this forum. Highly underrated in my opinion.

 

[Aloysius]

Here I am (posing somewhat awkwardly) with the man himself, Alan.

I recently took a trip to San Francisco and used the opportunity to drop off a few jackets for custom mouton collars, as well as finally meet Alan in person after working with him on a custom JL jacket. Alan is semi-retired and loves working with JL customers across the world. From the outside, the shop gives little indication of the caliber of craftsmanship taking place within.


View attachment 790213

Damn, I should have taken a pic with the legend. Guess I need to go back to SF.

 

[Rossn12]

Can anyone share a little information on the experience of ordering a custom jacket with them? Lead time, prices generally for customization vs their stock, how they do the process? I have made initial contact but Thurston’s is so well explained on their site, Johnson a bit mysterious. Thanks!

 

[jacketjunkie]

Can anyone share a little information on the experience of ordering a custom jacket with them? Lead time, prices generally for customization vs their stock, how they do the process? I have made initial contact but Thurston’s is so well explained on their site, Johnson a bit mysterious. Thanks!

Stock prices you can see on the website, around 850 these days, specialty hides usually up the price by 300-400 USD, minor modifications to their existing patterns come cheap, full custom designs cost more. They are very helpful and forwarding to their customers,they did stuff included in standard price for me in the past that other makers charge for, hefty too. They are great people really, especially Alan. love the man.

Lead time depends on what you want and how busy they are, dont think I ever waited more than 4 months..

There is nothing mysterious about them. They make leather jackets, it isn't rocket science. Just email them and tell them what you are looking for.

 

[Rossn12]

Stock prices you can see on the website, around 850 these days, specialty hides usually up the price by 300-400 USD, minor modifications to their existing patterns come cheap, full custom designs cost more. They are very helpful and forwarding to their customers,they did stuff included in standard price for me in the past that other makers charge for, hefty too. They are great people really, especially Alan. love the man.

Lead time depends on what you want and how busy they are, dont think I ever waited more than 4 months..

There is nothing mysterious about them. They make leather jackets, it isn't rocket science. Just email them and tell them what you are looking for.

I appreciate it! I'm excited to go through their process. Thurston is great and I'm sure they will be as well.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I appreciate it! I'm excited to go through their process. Thurston is great and I'm sure they will be as well.

Word of advice from many years of doing this; their basic hides are great, I wouldnt bother paying extra 400 for anything unless you had a very very specific wish. Their standard 3 oz naked cowhide looks and ages beautifully

 

[ProfG]

Word of advice from many years of doing this; their basic hides are great, I wouldnt bother paying extra 400 for anything unless you had a very very specific wish. Their standard 3 oz naked cowhide looks and ages beautifully

Damn, I needed to hear this! Was considering CXL or Shinki.

 

[ProfG]

Damn, I needed to hear this! Was considering CXL or Shinki.

In fact, can anyone share pics of their house leathers after a few years of aging?

 

[jacketjunkie]

In fact, can anyone share pics of their house leathers after a few years of aging?

My phone has a trash camera and I apologize for the pictures, this is the best I can deliver..

it is a naked hide, so no plasticky top coat that will eventually pop off or flake and leave weird uncolored spots.

Brown, taken from a fairly little worn car coat:

Black, taken from a jacket I had custom made 12 years ago that has seen LOTS of wear, surely 2000-3000 days on either mine or my brothers back.

 

[Rossn12]

My phone has a trash camera and I apologize for the pictures, this is the best I can deliver..

it is a naked hide, so no plasticky top coat that will eventually pop off or flake and leave weird uncolored spots.

Brown, taken from a fairly little worn car coat:
View attachment 790806 View attachment 790807 View attachment 790808

Black, taken from a jacket I had custom made 12 years ago that has seen LOTS of wear, surely 2000-3000 days on either mine or my brothers back.

View attachment 790810 View attachment 790809

Wow that looks great

 

[ProfG]

My phone has a trash camera and I apologize for the pictures, this is the best I can deliver..

it is a naked hide, so no plasticky top coat that will eventually pop off or flake and leave weird uncolored spots.

Brown, taken from a fairly little worn car coat:
View attachment 790806 View attachment 790807 View attachment 790808

Black, taken from a jacket I had custom made 12 years ago that has seen LOTS of wear, surely 2000-3000 days on either mine or my brothers back.

View attachment 790810 View attachment 790809

Thanks so much for these pics! I'm impressed with all the grain and texture that appeared over time. Do you prefer hides around 2oz or around 3oz?

 

[Bozbag]

Word of advice from many years of doing this; their basic hides are great, I wouldnt bother paying extra 400 for anything unless you had a very very specific wish. Their standard 3 oz naked cowhide looks and ages beautifully

interesting -- If I remember correctly you had a jacket made out of the mystical 5oz goat. would you get it again or go with house leather if you had to do it over?

 

[digdiss]

Damn, I needed to hear this! Was considering CXL or Shinki.

I was looking to get something like the Aero long half belt, but wanted to see what other options were available before committing to that $$ for a remote job. I was also worried about fit. Being local to the bay area I went to Johnson to see what they could do and talk options.

Like you, I was initially thinking CXL or Shinki HH - but I wanted a jacket that was wearable for much of the year and i was concerned that the HH would be too heavy (I'm not in SF proper so we actually get summer ).

After talking to Damon i ended up going with a Steer that he split down to 2.5oz. While the jacket may end up on a bike at times, it's primary function is not a riding jacket. That said, he did a few things to make it more rider friendly like making sure the arms were a little long, extending the tab behind the zipper for wind protection and putting a double zipper in. Of course, he also customized the fit (a little more here and a little less there) - which i definitely needed.

Jacket was ordered Mid-April. I should have it end of this month. So far, the process was super easy. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

All this to say - don't get stuck on HH. And Johnson is a pleasure to work with (so far).

 

[ProfG]

I've me

I was looking to get something like the Aero long half belt, but wanted to see what other options were available before committing to that $$ for a remote job. I was also worried about fit. Being local to the bay area I went to Johnson to see what they could do and talk options.

Like you, I was initially thinking CXL or Shinki HH - but I wanted a jacket that was wearable for much of the year and i was concerned that the HH would be too heavy (I'm not in SF proper so we actually get summer ).

After talking to Damon i ended up going with a Steer that he split down to 2.5oz. While the jacket may end up on a bike at times, it's primary function is not a riding jacket. That said, he did a few things to make it more rider friendly like making sure the arms were a little long, extending the tab behind the zipper for wind protection and putting a double zipper in. Of course, he also customized the fit (a little more here and a little less there) - which i definitely needed.

Jacket was ordered Mid-April. I should have it end of this month. So far, the process was super easy. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

All this to say - don't get stuck on HH. And Johnson is a pleasure to work with (so far).

I've met Damon a few times, he seems like a great guy. I'm torn between getting something heavy, for the classic leather jacket look, and something more lightweight, which I think will drape better and be more comfortable to wear... I'm fortunate that the Del-66 block in medium fits me perfectly, so I'm not super stressed about the fit.

 

[TheDonEffect]

It's been a while since I posted and I saw the recent questions about the Del66 and leather choices, so I think I can offer some perspective/experience.

TL;DR: The stock 2oz goat is great as is the 3oz steer, if you plan on moving in this jacket, get the stock leathers, if you're planning to pose on IG, get CXL, Shinki, etc etc. Jacket is great.

A couple years ago I decided to give riding a second shot, and I largely got out of jackets having secured my Shinki Del66, a supposed exit jacket, but since I'm back into riding, well another one was inevitable.

I never did wear the Shinki that much, it's much better than CXL for wearability, but my lifestyle and non-fashionable general sense of style never really afforded much opportunity to wear it. Plus it still needed more breaking in, even though it's supple vs CXL, it still doesn't drape being a overdye HH, so I always felt like the tin man wearing it, you really need to spec it skin tight and have single digit body fat % for it to look good and be comfortable. So it mostly just hung in my closet, made my closet smell great though.

Long story short, decided to get pretty much the same jacket for my riding jacket- Del66, shoulder gussets/action back, windflap, and armored.

I've had JLs in their stock 3oz steer, CXL, CHL, and Shinki, been there, done that, learned alot.

This time I prioritized function, wearability and safety, tired of uncomfortable "show" pieces. I was pretty sure I was going to spec the house 3oz steer, but while consulting with Damon he recommended the 2oz goat which he noted would be ideal for my east bay climate where we get sustained heat unlike San Francisco where it runs cooler. But it's still thick enough to deal with our cooler climate. Avoided the need for intentional vents and perforation.

Most importantly, being goat, even at 2oz, is still has all the slide protection I need, so with the armor, all my safety needs were met. Added bonus, goat is a bit unique to help justify the cost without the CXL/Shinki upcharge.

I did opt for the Japanese Sevenberry liner, Damon said it's not as robust as their usual MC riding jackets but since the sleeve liner was, I should be fine.

Ordered, received, fast forward two years, here we are. First impressions were great, they nailed the fit, everything felt like it was made for me. Only adjustment I made was going from a full wind flap to 3/4 flap.

Looking at, never would think it's a riding jacket, no visible technical features, it's not even a cafe/crosszip jacket, and the liner just makes it look like a nice custom jacket.

Everyday wear it's great, a welcomed change from CXL and Shinki. Drapes well, feels comforting, like a heavy hoodie, I regularly consider taking the armor out and relegating it to everyday use, I finally found a jacket I want to wear more.

But on the bike the JL magic shines. I often said JL's shoulder pattern is probably the best, it looks tailored but has a remarkable amount of freedom to move. No resistance when reaching for the bars, sitting up, tucking down, everything stays in place, it just cuts through the wind. I have a mesh summer jacket which has sat in the closet every since this jacket came along. It's weird to say, my leather jacket is more comfortable than my mesh jacket.

So much so that a few weeks ago I did a 1600 mile road trip from the bay area to AZ, doing route 66, and hitting Vegas on the way back. 380-580 miles a day, most of which through triple digit desert sun, and without hesitation I took this jacket. So glad I did, because at highway speeds, with gusts of winds, semi trucks, etc, the leather did its job cutting through the wind and making me slippery. My top zipper down 1/4 and my sleeve zips 1/3 open was all the venting I needed to remain reasonably comfortable.

All in all I could not be happier, good gear has a way to disappearing and blending into the experience, you don't notice it because it's not creating a friction point, and this jacket does that. Don't get me wrong, it's still a substantial leather jacket, and armored, you won't forget you're wearing it, but it became a companion during this trip. I didn't baby it, threw it on the ground, balled it up and threw it on benches, and all the usual stuff that comes with traveling/riding, and it never gave me a reason for worry.

Below are pictures of it when I got back, covered in bugs, and pics of it after a quick saddle soap and conditioner, everything cleaned off super easy.


Fresh off the road:

After some saddle soap/conditioner:

Particularly proud of these creases/stacking because this is what being tucked on your bike passing semis will do, lol.

I think this jacket is going to outlive me.

Apologies for the photo, I should've unstuffed my hand pockets with my gloves.

 

[red devil]

It's been a while since I posted and I saw the recent questions about the Del66 and leather choices, so I think I can offer some perspective/experience.

TL;DR: The stock 2oz goat is great as is the 3oz steer, if you plan on moving in this jacket, get the stock leathers, if you're planning to pose on IG, get CXL, Shinki, etc etc. Jacket is great.

A couple years ago I decided to give riding a second shot, and I largely got out of jackets having secured my Shinki Del66, a supposed exit jacket, but since I'm back into riding, well another one was inevitable.

I never did wear the Shinki that much, it's much better than CXL for wearability, but my lifestyle and non-fashionable general sense of style never really afforded much opportunity to wear it. Plus it still needed more breaking in, even though it's supple vs CXL, it still doesn't drape being a overdye HH, so I always felt like the tin man wearing it, you really need to spec it skin tight and have single digit body fat % for it to look good and be comfortable. So it mostly just hung in my closet, made my closet smell great though.

Long story short, decided to get pretty much the same jacket for my riding jacket- Del66, shoulder gussets/action back, windflap, and armored.

I've had JLs in their stock 3oz steer, CXL, CHL, and Shinki, been there, done that, learned alot.

This time I prioritized function, wearability and safety, tired of uncomfortable "show" pieces. I was pretty sure I was going to spec the house 3oz steer, but while consulting with Damon he recommended the 2oz goat which he noted would be ideal for my east bay climate where we get sustained heat unlike San Francisco where it runs cooler. But it's still thick enough to deal with our cooler climate. Avoided the need for intentional vents and perforation.

Most importantly, being goat, even at 2oz, is still has all the slide protection I need, so with the armor, all my safety needs were met. Added bonus, goat is a bit unique to help justify the cost without the CXL/Shinki upcharge.

I did opt for the Japanese Sevenberry liner, Damon said it's not as robust as their usual MC riding jackets but since the sleeve liner was, I should be fine.

Ordered, received, fast forward two years, here we are. First impressions were great, they nailed the fit, everything felt like it was made for me. Only adjustment I made was going from a full wind flap to 3/4 flap.

Looking at, never would think it's a riding jacket, no visible technical features, it's not even a cafe/crosszip jacket, and the liner just makes it look like a nice custom jacket.

Everyday wear it's great, a welcomed change from CXL and Shinki. Drapes well, feels comforting, like a heavy hoodie, I regularly consider taking the armor out and relegating it to everyday use, I finally found a jacket I want to wear more.

But on the bike the JL magic shines. I often said JL's shoulder pattern is probably the best, it looks tailored but has a remarkable amount of freedom to move. No resistance when reaching for the bars, sitting up, tucking down, everything stays in place, it just cuts through the wind. I have a mesh summer jacket which has sat in the closet every since this jacket came along. It's weird to say, my leather jacket is more comfortable than my mesh jacket.

So much so that a few weeks ago I did a 1600 mile road trip from the bay area to AZ, doing route 66, and hitting Vegas on the way back. 380-580 miles a day, most of which through triple digit desert sun, and without hesitation I took this jacket. So glad I did, because at highway speeds, with gusts of winds, semi trucks, etc, the leather did its job cutting through the wind and making me slippery. My top zipper down 1/4 and my sleeve zips 1/3 open was all the venting I needed to remain reasonably comfortable.

All in all I could not be happier, good gear has a way to disappearing and blending into the experience, you don't notice it because it's not creating a friction point, and this jacket does that. Don't get me wrong, it's still a substantial leather jacket, and armored, you won't forget you're wearing it, but it became a companion during this trip. I didn't baby it, threw it on the ground, balled it up and threw it on benches, and all the usual stuff that comes with traveling/riding, and it never gave me a reason for worry.

Below are pictures of it when I got back, covered in bugs, and pics of it after a quick saddle soap and conditioner, everything cleaned off super easy.


Fresh off the road:
View attachment 794060 View attachment 794061





After some saddle soap/conditioner:
View attachment 794063

Particularly proud of these creases/stacking because this is what being tucked on your bike passing semis will do, lol.
View attachment 794064 View attachment 794065

I think this jacket is going to outlive me.
View attachment 794066



Apologies for the photo, I should've unstuffed my hand pockets with my gloves.
View attachment 794071

Looking great