Himel Brothers Leather Co.
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Looks GREAT Davito!!! My Canuck is being made as I write this.
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Thanks Davito. I think your Canuck may be my favorite!
The Score racing shirt was at least one size too small, so hard to get a feel for. The hair on hide heron fit perfect, and I really like that jacket. I'm really tempted by that one. Would like to see a pointed collar and not-black hair version.
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I had been looking for a slightly longer engineer/railroad/chore style leather jacket for awhile. Last Fall, RRL released the Stratton. It fit the bill and I pulled the trigger. Then, in December, Nick posted photos of his new Himel Canuck in brown Shinki. The jacket was/is epic and I was awestruck. Unfortunately, I had just purchased the Stratton, which was also dark brown. Therefore, I contemplated a black Canuck. I discovered that Himel was attending Inspiration in February. Therefore, I went to Inspiration to meet the master and seal a deal for a black Canuck. Himel had a black Canuck at Inspiration in my size. As I was trying it on, Nick pulled up wearing his brown Canuck. Damnnnnnnnnn! Nick's jacket was an order of magnitude more stunning in person. Now I was really regretting buying the brown Stratton. Thus, I pulled the trigger on a black Canuck. While I was waiting for Himel to make my black Canuck, I could not stop obsessing over Nick's brown Canuck. My Stratton no longer fit the bill. Thus, I sold my Stratton and ordered a brown Canuck from Himel to join my black Canuck.
Himel's Canuck is based on a 1910 Shanhouse and Sons railroad workers jacket.
I recently received my black Canuck. I love this jacket. The black Shinki is fantastic . . . sturdy and rugged, yet not excessively rigid, with a wonderfully subtle grain. The stitching and craftsmanship are first rate. Most importantly, the jacket fits light a glove. Now, I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the brown Canuck.
The departed RRL Stratton:
Nick's inspiring brown Canuck (posted with Nick's permission):
My black Canuck:
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Beautiful jacket, careful with the shinki if your rough On your jackets though. It is a gorgeous leather but it's finishing takes a beating QUICK. My Kensington looked 10 years old in <6 months
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It is a gorgeous leather but it's finishing takes a beating QUICK. My Kensington looked 10 years old in <6 months
And how exactly is that a bad thing?
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There may be nothing left of it in 10 years… Tat, can you post up some shots of your old kensington? Interested to see the leather after it's taken a beating.
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It's been sold. But the old pictures posted just a few months after I bought it in this thread wil show you some of the wear indications.
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I don't think it's bad thing, others aren't into this as much and freak out over the quick patina of this leather. I dealt with MANY questions from buyers about the wear/age ratio of my Kensington
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Himel (and RMC) offer two different black Shinki. One is black all the way through – this is called "oil tan." The other is black on the surface, but brown underneath -- I think this is called "tea core". The tea core black Shinki scratches easily and thereby reveals the brown leather beneath the black. Many love the resulting vintage look. The oil tan black remains black even after being scratched and, therefore, takes much longer to develop a vintage look. It all depends on what look you prefer.
The following are two photos of a tea core black Shinki Kensington:
http://instagram.com/p/mqOmnwKT6V/
http://instagram.com/p/mqOwI2KT6e/
I went with the oil tan on both my RMC and my Himel. While I love a vintage look, I personally think the tea core develops too dramatic a vintage appearance too quickly. I want a slower and more subtle evolution.
Tat's Kensington may have looked worse off than it actually was, and may have had plenty of life left notwithstanding the premature vintagization . . . OTOH, maybe not.
All of these well made jackets -- e.g., Himel, RMC, Alexander, etc. -- will survive well after my demise. I do not expose my jackets to extreme/harsh wear. Moreover, living in a desert-ish climate, I do not have opportunities to wear my jackets with the frequency that I would prefer.
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Will oil tan eventually show brown, or pretty much stay black? If oil tan looked like the tea core, but after a longer period of time, I think that'd be perfect.
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Bumping TTT's post to the same page for relevance.
Warning, chrome tanned lovers may not appreciate this, or it may cause you to reconsider your allegiance.
here is a glimpse at how the veg tanned semi aniline dyed Shinki HH patinas…. this is going to be a very interesting jacket to watch over time. enjoy
