Was there chaffing? 10 years to break in sounds like cheaply crafted leather or lots of time in your hope chest.

 

Theres nothing cheap about a langlitz. I went down in mine and slid about 100ft. It scuffed it some and thats it. Theyre the best leathers made and not for ******.

 

Haha....mine was broken in after about a year. It was comfortable to wear out of the box, but took a year to get that properly "moulded exactly to your body" thing going on. Ten thousand miles or so and a few rainstorms should do it. It's the only jacket I have had where the lining actually take a while to break in as well....

I did get goatskin rather than the thicker cowhide. For exactly this reason - Langlitz said it's stronger than cowhide on a same thickness basis, more flexible and breaks in easier.

I am thinking about getting another in the heavy weigh cowhide purely for the purpose of having a multi year jacket break in project!

 

Personally i would look local for a great conditioned used jacket. Go try them on. I dont wear a leather jacket but do wear a vest. Made in USA and by chance is HD brand. Made in USA was only thing important to me. Think i gave the $20 for it. Keep a look out and try stuff on.

 

If it took 10 years to break in, that I say it wasn't finished.

But I also think it is their strtegy to dupe people. This jacket is stiff as board it must be expensive school of thought. Do you really need it that thick? Like I have said fox creek puts thinner eather in their womens models. Is fox creek a crap company? No, I suspect it is marketing. But even so, their mens jacket feels great out of the box. I wasn't 100% sold on collar of their grayson, but kept it cause the feel of leather was so good. I also have their standard, which fits my head.


Maybe if you are racing and sliding every week, an extra thick model would be good. But in that case you wouldn't be buying the models we are looking at for the street with all the pockets, belt, or such.

 

Hard stiff leather doesnt grab at asphalt. Isnt that the point?

 

I think you are splitting hairs , or some bs. I've slide down interstate in old jacket.

There may be a reason for this in racing and holding your knee down. Personally I think they are just duping people. Marketting.

You can grease yourself up.

 

Or if you can get it cheap. I got mine for about 25% off because it was the previous year's model. Plus it had just a little scuff on the shoulder, so they knocked it off 30% total. I've had it for years now and it's been very solid, and having the removable lining is nice too. Only thing I wish it had better was ventilation (tough to wear it in the summer here in AZ!)

Vanson and Dainese are pretty solid brands. I'm looking for a good textile/ventilated jacket to wear myself.

 

If you want a good textile jacket for hot summer days - then have a look at the Rukka Forsair Pro (might have a different name in the US). Flows air like a mesh jacket, but is extremely protective as well.

Good review here of the previous non "pro" version - the newer "pro" is a bit more structured but basically the same: Rukka Forsair Jacket Review

 

I wish I could wear some kind of protective jacket during the summer, but no way I can. Sometimes the humidity down here in Dixie matches the 90º+ range temperatures, but even when it's lower, it's still oppressive. When the temp. and humidity are high, I sweat even with just a T-shirt on, so a bunch of vents ain't gonna help at all. The sweating has gotten worse because of a medicine I started taking about a year or so ago, but the meds work to help a very painful and annoying foot condition, so I ain't giving it up (no, they aren't opioids, so save the lectures thankyouverymuch). If I have to go down during the summer, I'm definitely donating a few layers of skin to the state highway department, but you pays your money and you takes your chances. I sure as heck ain't giving up riding.

Most of the rest of the year I can dress "normal." I've got a First Classics leather jacket that fits me perfectly. It's well-vented, which I rarely use because if I'm wearing it, it's really cold outside. It's a Tall sized jacket that fits my knuckle-draggin' arms better'n any other piece of long sleeved clothing I own. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but I think I paid around $270 for it. I know it was under $300 in any case. Bought it from a (fairly) local independent shop. The guy keeps maybe four or five main styles in stock, and if you don't like any of them, he'll use those to figure out sizing between a couple or three of the brands and then show you in a catalog what he can special order in your size. The one I bought was/is one of his main styles that he had in stock.

I've got three leather vests and one Levis vest. I like having choices even when I don't change up which one I wear very often, and during the summer, I don't even wear any of 'em once it gets over 70º or so. Being a sweat-hog on a Hog is obviously my cross to bear.

Blues