Bought all my leathers from Fox creek and would'nt even think of going anywhere else. Good service, mine all smelled good. I got 2 of their jackets, chaps, vest, gloves and even a wallet.

 

For that price, you could have gotten a lot better than Fox Creek leather.

I did just buy another leather jacket for my collection (not really a collector, I just like leather jackets) on Ebay for $20 (I have found several at that price, U.S. and English made). It was pretty unique - black leather made just like a Levi jean jacket. It also smelled like it had been owned by a smoker, but I'm not going to pay $60-80 to have a $20 jacket cleaned. I read up a little online and, realizing that I have had my leather jackets soaking wet while wearing them and that water is one of the tools used in working leather - I washed it in the bathtup with dish soap. I may wipe it down with some leather conditioner when it dries, but I expect the smell to be gone.

I've been buying used leather jackets since I was a young punk rocker in the 80's - the highest price I've ever paid was for a brand new with tags Schott perfecto from a dealer, which was $250, but I have bought many others, including 4 Schotts for me and my wife for under $100. I just got a $20 excelled that is nearly like new - I may rip out the liner and make a summer riding jacket.

Note: this may not appeal to the kind of people who ride around on new ultra classics (or Goldwings) wearing polo shirts and have their oil changed by a Harley dealer.

 

Yep, and then jacked the price up 500%.
Kinda like what Harley does with the chinese stuff.

 

$500 is more than Paid FXRG Harley Jacket and it's a riding jacket.

 

I've had a similar experience with a new leather jacket (not Fox Creek but another maker of high-quality American-made stuff). I'm not sure why but it smelled like it had been stored with the dead cow carcass for a week in the summer.

I tied a laundry bag full of natural charcoal and hung it inside the jacket. hung up the jacket inside of a plastic laundry bag and tied off the bottom. Left it hanging in the closet for a week and it came out great. Absolutely no stinky smell afterward.

You might be able to use Arm and hammer similarly I'd suppose.

 

the cow was a smoker.

 

Leather from an old cow?

 

Check the inside of the jacket for flesh still attached to the skin.