regius
Active Member
Just drove to the Fall River Vanson factory, very impressive, very nice service. They are known for their special heavy weight "competition weight" cowhide. It's not from their own tannery but I do believe they have worked with them for decades and control the quality and specification. They also offer a tumbled, softened version called the Firenzi leather, looks like a Pakistani, pebbled cowhide, but much better in coloration and aging process. Most motorcyclist and vintage jacket lover would prefer the competition weight.
The competition weight is a 2mm thick finished cowhide, black dyed through. It passes off easily as a horsehide, but it softens much more quickly, albeit requires some effort. I had a prior experience with a broken in competition weight Vanson, it was very pliable, warm and rich, it's almost like a Horween FQHH, only creases like a cowhide, and much thicker. This Highwayman, a classic Brando style dress collar bike jacket with full belt, is the first new Vanson I owned, it is quite intimidating at first as it's stiffer and thicker than any jacket, any hide alive.
I had this jacket for a week now, purposefully beating it to break in, with my hand, even with a mullet. The Vanson jackets are cut to true fit, and accommodating at all the right places, so there is no awkward, vintage adaptation period, so even though it's stiff, all the joints are mobile and comfortable. Shallow creases starts to show already.
A major complaint, however, is with Vanson's hardware. The belt buckle is solid brass, no problem, but all zippers are YKK, embossed with Vanson, not sure who makes the snaps, but the snaps just don't stay on the jacket! The hide is too thick and strong, they actually reject the snaps. my belt loop snap fell out, and my lapel snap just popped out.
Vanson offers repair, I guess they need it. No previous complaint about their quality was heard, but this is quite disappointing.
Will post pictures soon.
The competition weight is a 2mm thick finished cowhide, black dyed through. It passes off easily as a horsehide, but it softens much more quickly, albeit requires some effort. I had a prior experience with a broken in competition weight Vanson, it was very pliable, warm and rich, it's almost like a Horween FQHH, only creases like a cowhide, and much thicker. This Highwayman, a classic Brando style dress collar bike jacket with full belt, is the first new Vanson I owned, it is quite intimidating at first as it's stiffer and thicker than any jacket, any hide alive.
I had this jacket for a week now, purposefully beating it to break in, with my hand, even with a mullet. The Vanson jackets are cut to true fit, and accommodating at all the right places, so there is no awkward, vintage adaptation period, so even though it's stiff, all the joints are mobile and comfortable. Shallow creases starts to show already.
A major complaint, however, is with Vanson's hardware. The belt buckle is solid brass, no problem, but all zippers are YKK, embossed with Vanson, not sure who makes the snaps, but the snaps just don't stay on the jacket! The hide is too thick and strong, they actually reject the snaps. my belt loop snap fell out, and my lapel snap just popped out.
Vanson offers repair, I guess they need it. No previous complaint about their quality was heard, but this is quite disappointing.
Will post pictures soon.
