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Californian "Surrogates" Jacket

Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
So one of my favorite civilian jackets is the Californian "Surrogates" jacket. I bought mine years ago and never saw another till the movie came out and realized Bruce was wearing the exact same jacket as what I owned. Mine was marked a 44 but really a 46 and was always just a little too big for me. I eventually sold it, as it was just too big but I always wanted another. Goodwear makes the Ventura, which is close, and I think there was some cowhide version somewhere for 200 a few years ago, but now I see Kelso is making one, which is almost right. A few things are missing and added from the actual real one I owned, but maybe the film version is close? Anyone else make this as a repro? Does anyone here have my old one?
 

Southoftheborder

Well-Known Member
So one of my favorite civilian jackets is the Californian "Surrogates" jacket. I bought mine years ago and never saw another till the movie came out and realized Bruce was wearing the exact same jacket as what I owned. Mine was marked a 44 but really a 46 and was always just a little too big for me. I eventually sold it, as it was just too big but I always wanted another. Goodwear makes the Ventura, which is close, and I think there was some cowhide version somewhere for 200 a few years ago, but now I see Kelso is making one, which is almost right. A few things are missing and added from the actual real one I owned, but maybe the film version is close? Anyone else make this as a repro? Does anyone here have my old one?

Eastman sells its Californian which is identical apart from having a seam in the middle of the back. I've got one and I like it a lot. They use a lovely horsehide.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
i have [some several years] a gw cali,, made of russet goat, with a hookless zip, and back pleats. i couldnt be happier with it. yup, aero, bk and some on the land of the red dot companies make em as well. also, i have had several original 1930s-40s-50s calis and other like them. i have sold them all, as they just never fit correctly. usually too narrow or too wide shoulders proportionately to the rest of the jacket. backs that have shrunk up sometimes as much as 2"-2 1/2", short arms, blown out liners, etc. point is, i dont own if i dont wear it.....thus the repro market feeds the beast.
 
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Southoftheborder

Well-Known Member
Yes, I used to buy a lot of original jackets but it's so hard getting good wearable examples now. I've always liked post war civilian jackets, and back in the seventies when I first started buying them they weren't all that old. Forties and early fifties jackets were the equivalent of buying a good eighties repro now and it was fairly easy to find good ones. But over the last decade or so I've bought and almost immediately moved on several as too well worn for me...

The other thing is that now I'm an old fart I don't want to be wearing distressed leather. I'm not the kid who used to kick his new leather jackets around in the gutter to get some wear in them anymore. So it's repros now and has been for a while.
 

Tommer45

Active Member
Haven't been on this forum in a looong time! And looking up the BK Surrogate is what brought me back here. I was surprised to see this post near the top! Happy Hooligan let me know if you pick up another Surrogate. I'm over the heavy duty HH of my Aero and my heavyweight Langlitz weighs a ton. I'm looking for a more comfortable leather and I hear the Liberty HH of the BK is a nice option. I haven't researched a new leather jacket in ages... I forgot how many details there are to look at.
 

Happy Hooligan

Well-Known Member
Haven't been on this forum in a looong time! And looking up the BK Surrogate is what brought me back here. I was surprised to see this post near the top! Happy Hooligan let me know if you pick up another Surrogate. I'm over the heavy duty HH of my Aero and my heavyweight Langlitz weighs a ton. I'm looking for a more comfortable leather and I hear the Liberty HH of the BK is a nice option. I haven't researched a new leather jacket in ages... I forgot how many details there are to look at.
Kelso's is really close to the real thing. I don't like the metal eyelets instead of sewn as the original and the the lining, I'd rather have a rayon style and his sleeves look too short. This jacket is suppose to have long arms.
 
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