Cheap vs Expensive Leather Biker Jackets 

When did you buy yours and what did you use it for

I bought it back in 2015 and used it for general wear and tear. Was my winter coat till about 2 years ago when I bought my Schott. Now I’m not saying that the Milwaukee is high grade leather, and they might’ve changed the way they make them since I bought mine. I’m just saying for the price, it’s not bad. Also, if you live in the northern climates, it’ll do a good job at keeping you warm.

@@seths.8135 I’ll be honest I can’t agree. This ain’t a warm jacket. I wouldn’t recommend it. Going for a used jacket is a better bargain and quality

@@DudsByDelNot all of us can afford a thousand dollar jacket. I have that Milwaukee with the removable lining and it is warm and fits well. You’re dismissing a lot of good points because you’re biased. You work for Schott. You put on that Milwaukee jacket and said it wasn’t your size, then you blamed the poor fit on the design. You’re all over the place man.

@@Dreamscreamermusic the size has nothing to do with the criticisms. But it can help folks who are looking to know that the Milwaukee runs large. The fact that the arms stick out like leather tubes would be true whether I sized down for example. Neither the Schott nor the Milwaukee jacket is particularly warm- leather isn’t warm on its own and neither liner is all that warm. The liner in the Milwaukee feels much cheaper and flimsier than the Schott one, which is matches my overall impression that the Milwaukee is made of significantly cheaper materials, put together much less well than the Schott. Price wise, I always encourage buying used when the new price is too high, and I’ve said many times that I buy used often. The Schott jacket I review in this video was bought used for about $350. I would not personally want to buy a $140 jacket like the Milwaukee when I can save and wait for a used Schott jacket in my size. Do I include an affiliate link to buy from Schott? Yes. I also include one to buy the Milwaukee. I don’t work for Schott but I honestly like their jackets. I wear my perfecto all the time, plus I have a few other Schott jackets that also get a lot of wear time. If you’re upset that I don’t say great things about the Milwaukee jacket, that’s up to you. But I think it’s misplaced.

I think it can be instructive to compare cheap vs expensive items so that you can make an informed decision. Folks are free to buy what they want. I don’t believe the cheap jacket is worth it, but the calculation may be different for you

They make a genuine USA 3mm thick one for around 800 but he choose to compare the cheep stuff like a shill.

@@markbaum3388 what maker are you referring to? I’ll check em out. I reviewed Thursday’s $350 racer jacket and will soon be posting a review of the $450 Master Supply Co jacket. Neither review is supported by affiliate links or anything. Did you actually watch this whole video? Or any of my others? My most common advice for “cheap” jackets has been to buy the used version of what you want. I paid $350 for my Schott 618 for example. I understand some folks don’t want to deal with used which is why I’m working through mid tier and less expensive brands

Apples to Oranges/ if you are already paying an affordable price--then it's also CHEAP for you. And you're not a celebrity. You would be paying $5000 for overpriced quality. I couldn't see your Pinhole flaws--REALLY!?!

Thanks Herme!

Congrats man, glad I could help!

I plan to do so! But a lot of people appreciate the clear differences with such a big gap.

Yeah that’s a good idea. I figured it would be nice to see the differences in an obvious way.

Some is in the history and name, yes. But take a company that’s less famous but also makes great jackets like Vanson. their C2 crosszip goes for $750 (but can be had for 10% off at times). $750 vs $915. But it’s not just in the name, Schott jackets have wider appeal because their styles tend to look somewhat more approachable off the bike, whereas Vanson really goes more into jackets that are great on the bike. So with higher demand from the larger audience, Schott can ask a higher price. All that to say, more comparison sounds like a fun and informative idea…any brands on your mind? Thursday is popular and I’ve considered comparing them

@@DudsByDelI live in Europe, so we might not have many brands in common. I just bought an OSX perfecto jacket (my first ever), made from cowhide, originally priced at 275 euros and it seems decent. The only thing I dislike is that it's a couple of inches longer than I'd like to (currently getting it shortened though), and the back is a bit more roomy than I'd like it to be. I believe it's meant to be this way and not a result of factory mistakes or bad design. I guess I just wasn't informed or decided enough when I bought it (hadn't seen your videos haha). So, basically, just take any decent 300 dollar jacket and compare it to the Schott. Would the difference be worth the 600 dollars?

@@enzeru97 sure I’ll try for it! Look for an Aero Leather when they do sales, great jackets made in Scotland

@@DudsByDel Thank you, I'll check it! Keep up the good work!

Definitely. A tough blank canvas waiting to be worn in!

Great way of putting it

If by generations you mean one generation maybe until it doesn't happen to fit anyone and gets thrown out into a thrift store and then flipped online by someone. Nobody is keeping bags full of their dead parents clothes if they don't fit properly and jackets aren't watches where you can get a new band sized to your wrist from pretty much anywhere without causing any damage to the watch itself. For that matter unlike small sentimental items where you can throw them in a jewelry box a Schott jacket is taking up a decent amount of room in your closet and you see it literally every time you go in for a coat so you can think "Man I should just give this away and open up some space in here for something I can actually wear."

@@gnomersy1087 interesting perspective. You must be very young. If you’re older than you haven’t lived a very rewarding life.

@@sofakingphat8087 I am neither very young nor particularly old. But suffice it to say I've never lived the kind of life where I had the space to keep a pile of useless junk from people dead and buried. Like I'm all for buying something nice that will last your lifetime(or at least I respect that as a personal choice) but when you die your kids probably don't want your musty mothballed clothes that you hadn't worn for 10 years by that time because you made it up to 90 and were in a wheelchair and wearing diapers. And even if you hand it off earlier you still run into the exact same problem which is clothes don't fit everyone the exact same and most of these things aren't easily tailored so there's a solid chance that your kid can't comfortably wear clothes that are sized and in the cut that make you comfortable.

@@gnomersy1087 well, I guess age doesn’t really reflect on maturity.

Hey Dan. I don’t. But I’m planning to review one of their biker styles. Working on a Thursday jacket review currently. Have heard their fit is alright but arms may be tight if you’re muscular

Haha thanks man. Got a better idea to show details and comparison for my next VS video

Vanson has some models you can get with armor. Johnson Leather does great jackets and you can get armor for them. Not too knowledgeable about this area though

Sure thing Ernesto!

@@DudsByDel you know it is, you buy a leather jacket when young, then you gain weight don't use it anymore so you store it. Then maybe 20 years later you find it at your parents house, it fits now. So it is time to care for it since it seems to be in perfect condition but somewhat dry. You find a YT video and here we are. Learning about leather, craftsmanship and how to care for it. Hehe

@@ErnestoJSilva A wonderful little chain of events!

Hahah thanks man! The phrasing came to me when I was making the video but it’s an idea I’ve carried around for a while

Appreciate it Chris!

Yeah I don’t really evaluate these based on safety. Any model with armor will do much better. I’ve heard great things about Goldtop as you mention. Vanson makes jackets with armor as well and for less than Schott. I believe some of their textile models can have armor but am not 100% sure. Thanks for stopping by

Thanks 🙏

Yeah man! You know, for some folks buying used just isn’t something they want to do…so I get that it can be tough when you see a huge price tag. I’ve actually been considering returning to this jacket and really wearing it hard to see how it does…

Hah! Thanks man. That arm like a stovepipe

Hey thanks Pete!

When I wear enough layers I cannot zip the sleeves. But I don’t think that’s a problem.

@@DudsByDel i had a jacket once that had these airlocked sleeves but i realized it was a problem for me later cuz i like layering sweaters with jackets and that airlocked sleeve did decrease my hands mobility substantially. I used to keep the zippers open all the time when i was layering cuz of the tighter fit

Interesting. I have wondered about their pre-mallification quality levels but haven’t tried one myself yet

Honestly I want to return to this review and compare more made in Pakistan jackets near this price point

Thanks man. The Milwaukee is on its way back

Cannot agree here. If anything the difference is much more obvious in person

Schott jackets fit like no other. You feel badass when you wear one.

It’s short. But too short is a matter of opinion. I actually made a video about this because it comes up so often.

It’s a 618

Not sure. If it’s the made in USA model it’s the same everywhere. If it’s made elsewhere the specifications can vary quite a bit

Nothing wrong with liking what ya like!

That hwk jacket you got, I have the older model of it and the quality of the older one is much better than the replacement one I just purchased.

​@user-sb9hz4sr9q for 35 dollars , real leather, it's not bad. If you got the Brando one, the leather is even better​@@user-sb9hz4sr9q

Sorry I’m not sure

Well it’s not modern safety gear. But you have to know crosszip leather jackets have been worn for protection on motorcycles for decades. That being said, I don’t even wear it on a motorcycle.

Yeah either that or just using each other’s stock photos! Or taking them from higher tier makers 😡

I really think Schott nails a good spot between price and quality. Love their jackets!

Neither of these jackets has particularly large lapels in my opinion

@@DudsByDel cheap one has bigger, thats why I like it. Also has bigger panel on main zipper, when you zip it, the panel is inside. Schott jacket has the panel cut close the main zipper line. It makes me feel less protected when I am in mosh.

Get it used for $400 or so if you’re patient!

100% true

Thanks for checking out the video

No. A lot goes into pricing. Marketing, overhead for building and support staff, QA, returns, shipping. Consider also that Schott is a manufacturer who sells at wholesale price (generally half of full price) to retailers. Do you pay for the brand? Yes. But it’s not 50-60%. Besides if cost is a concern there’s a thriving used market. I don’t think Schott is the very best, but I do think they make good jackets

@@DudsByDel you can get a better, true biker jacket, with AAA certification for half the price from Goldtop, example the one Tom Hardy was wearing in Venom 2, its 1.5mm cowhide, meanwhile at Schott you just get the styling without a true certification.

​@@iNFiN3yes, and Goldtop doesn't have stores in NYC, the Bay Area, etc. Schott has a lot more overhead cost. Does this justify a higher cost? Answer depends on you and your budget.

I would say it’s both!

@@DudsByDel haha. I guess so

Cat attack definitely not on my list of preferred ways to develop wear on a jacket! That being said gotta do what makes sense for your work environment

@@DudsByDel The cat clearly needed to go somewhere, so it crawled up the jacket to get there... I keep the jackets I care about far away from the cats :)

At least it’s an intentional choice for function. I made a video about it being so short. If you’d like a longer model Schott makes many including the 118 and 519

@@DudsByDel okay, I'll check it out. Your videos are good and this was quite informative. Thanks!

Cannot parse if comment is intended to be positive or negative. Will take it as a positive. Thanks for stopping by and watching the video. Of course I have my own perspective but I do try to be open minded. I think if the materials from the cheaper jacket, were put together with the same exact design as the more expensive one It would actually be an OK jacket.

What’s the context here. Do you like that conditioner?

I think it’s deceptive to brand your company as Milwaukee Leather when it’s not made in Milwaukee, let alone anywhere in America. Otherwise I speak about the specific issues on the jacket itself. E.g. small hole punch circles in a new leather jacket, cheap feeling materials, arms with no curvature etc. I’m not sure how pointing out that a poor copy is a poor copy is gate keeping snobbery, and poor copies are hardly creative expression… Go and read the product description. Do you really think this is a “Negan jacket that will stand the test of time and stand out” That being said, I think this jacket is actually probably a fair value at $139. I don’t think I clearly communicated that in my video. I still think you’re better off buying a used Schott or Vanson. Which is what I recommend.

I’m with you in liking Vanson (I’ve had several but none currently). Lost Worlds quality and craftsmanship is well-regarded but I haven’t had one myself. Would like to have a Leathertogs A from them. I have a jacket and a vest from Johnson Leathers and both are fantastic. Really cool guys over there too. I’ve been pretty active on FedoraLounge up until recently with their site issues, if you’re not over there much a lot of what you’re saying mirrors the collective knowledge there. Good thing about liking Schott is that you can find the popular models used pretty easily. Thanks for the comment I enjoy talking about leather jackets!