Yakboy Equals Nurturer

I have a question for you fixed gear nuts. Im a roadie but want to build a vintage track/fixie. Im lost one where to go and look for parts. Are there any good online sources for vintage components?

Ideally I would want to end up with something like this:

The frame on that build is by Alien Bikes http://www.alienbikes.com/gb.html and the drop bars look like Nitto B123s http://store.somafab.com/nib1crtrbar.html

You'll have to do some searching to find a quill stem that looks quite as nice as that. I'm not sure where the forks are from, but I don't think they're Alien.

Partially relevant, as some of the jackets are flight jackets, but Lost Worlds are direct selling some overstock on eBay at the moment and looks like there might be a couple of bargains as far as bomb-proof horsehide jackets are concerned.

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/grapemoby_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZQQ_sopZ1

Here's a good example...found a picture of a Lost Worlds customer wearing their replica Buco J23. It looks like fits the dude OK around the chest, but the top of the sleeves seems way to 'blousey' for the rest of the jacket....

Compare that with the Real McCoy's Buco J24. I don't know shit about tailoring, but the proportions seem way different and - I think personally - the cut looks a lot better. If I were in the market for a Buco replica I reckon I'd look to Japan.

I have heard that Lost Worlds is very good, but that the owner is a bit of a nut. I am pretty sure John Chapman has started making his own jackets, but I couldn't find anything about it. For a cheaper alternative, with less authenticity take a look at Gibson and Barnes.

If I had to get another jacket, I would probably go with G&B.

The dude who runs Lost Worlds does indeed come across as a bit of a nut based on some of the rants on his site (not to mention some of the experiences people seem to have had with him as described in posts in other forums) but I found him to be totally fine to deal with when I bought a jacket from him a few years back. His email responses were quick and to the point and making an exchange for a different size jacket was hassle free.

The construction and materials on the jacket I bought are first rate. If you're looking for some kind of replica the attention to detail (authentic era zippers, etc) is probably higher on jackets made for the Japanese market by companies like The Few or Buzz Ricksons, but I doubt the materials used are quite as tough. The toughness may be a negative point for some: two years on and my jacket is still nowhere close to being properly broken in. Another possible negative is the cut of the jackets. From my own and others I've seen online they tend to be kind of 'boxy'. If you're looking for something fitted, I get the impression that you won't find it at Lost Worlds (and, from experience, getting them adjusted is expensive). On the other hand, if you're looking for something that'll keep you in one piece if you come off a motorbike I don't think you'll find better.

Not exactly on the fashion frontier, but I'm thinking of picking up something from Filson this winter:

Filson's tin cloth jackets are amazing for the rain, and keep out cold wind very nicely, but you'll need to layer up if you're going to rely on it in proper winter. Go for a proper wool mackinaw if you need to keep warm. You'll not regret it.

so motorcycle boots w/o a motorcycle..lame?

Well, technically they're engineer boots. But I don't think you have to be an engineer to wear them on your motorcycle.

Been DJing since the early- to mid-90s. Used to play in clubs and bars before moving to NYC, but these days I generally just spin at home or at the occasional house party. The scene here seemed to have so many more people who wanted it more and I always had a day job to pay the rent. Still kind of miss it though, despite the fact that at the last club I played at I got into a fist fight in the DJ booth and the promoter ripped me off

Tastes have moved around over the years and depending on mood I'll drop anything from acid house, Chicago house and Detroit techno to old school rave, darkcore and early jungle to 2-step, grime and dubstep to bleepy German shit to dub. I genuinely don't think I'd still love music as much as I do now if I hadn't spent time DJing. No matter how shitty a mood I might be in, going record shopping or digging through my crates and mixing for an hour or two never fails to cheer me up. Have never been able to scratch for shit, although I'm sure I could've put more of an effort into practicing

haven't worn these yet, considering putting half soles on them...

You should definitely do that. Get taps on the heels as well. I found the leather on the soles of C Diems to wear through really quickly if not protected. $20/$30 to replace the vibram and taps as they wear out and the boots will last long enough to make the price tag worth it

That's a fucking shitty situation. I don't know if you feel like dropping the entire thing or not, but you'll be doing all of NY a service if you work on ensuring those lazy racist assholes get shitcanned.

Try Atelier New York. No idea if they'll be able to help you, but they have the best selection of Carpe Diem that I know of, are friendly guys, and are passionate enough about the brand that they may be willing to work something out over the phone just to get more of it out there...

http://www.ateliernewyork.com/

Some more images of that B-1...

And on a side note...what the hell is it that they do on Japanese clothing websites to get the images they use so...pornographic?

I never really understood the weird adults playing dressup WWII repro leather jacket thing that Aero, Eastman, Lost Worlds etc seem to cater to...and then I found some pictures of recent Buzz Rickson repros of 1920s and 30s era flying jackets.

No idea if these are as 'authentic' as the fancy dress brigade demands (and the price point is likely to be just a little high after exchange / proxy / shipping from Japan) but these are some fucking fine looking jackets. I kind of need to have the B-1 right now...even though I'm technically still working on breaking in a horsehide police jacket I picked up last winter. Drool, slobber, want, etc.

B-1:

A-1:

That first Belstaff one upthread is sweet too...

Give them a few weeks of wear and then decide then whether or not to get them tapered if you're still not crazy about the fit. Bring it to a tailor you can trust and make sure you both know exactly what you want. Have the person who'll be making the alterations measure while you're wearing them and don't let yourself be rushed through the process.

You paid for the jeans, you can do what you like with them. There's nothing more frustrating than getting almost but not quite what you want when you drop a shitload of cash on something. Good alterations have turned around a couple of purchases that I might otherwise have regretted. Just don't wing it when measuring though.

doesnt like MIA

Ha! Had forgotten about the MIA hate of 2005. She's kind of grown on me since (Diplo's still a fucking tool though)

My Bloody Valentine - Thorn

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Pachuco Cadaver

DNA - Not Moving

The Fall - Disney's Dream Debased

The Locust - Halfway to a Worthless Ideal Arrangement

The Exploited - Never Sell Out

Orbital - Chime (Single Version)

Trumans Water - Habits are Spirits

Half Man Half Biscuit - Seal Clubbing

Black Strobe - Me and Madonna (2 Fairlight Bitches remix)

I carry a mini Leatherman at all times (well, except when going through airports). Most useful thing attached to my keychain after the keys to my apartment.

I have to say that I really don't really get the military knives at all. Sure the design that goes into the Microtech stuff is cool, but it's much less useful a day-to-day tool* than a Swiss Army knife or something like the Laguiole (beautiful pics up top, by the way). Why anyone would carry a knife primarily for personal protection use is beyond me...if you pull one on someone and they respond by producing a gun, you're fucked. If someone pulls one on you, do you really want to get into a knife fight? Just get the fuck out of there.

* Unless, you know, you're an EMT or Jack Bauer.

Yeah, I figured it'd be a pain in the ass to do (particularly with leather as heavy as on the jacket in question)...but I also figured that there'd have to be at least a couple of tailors in NYC that do it. I'm pretty sure Ramon Diaz works with leather but I'm not sure if he does proper alterations or just does re-lining and cleaning. I need to find someone who can, at least, open the side seams and taper the jacket a little.

I recently purchased a leather jacket from Lost Worlds Inc. The construction is great and the 4oz horsehide is way heavier than I could have imagined. (It's going to take years to break this thing in.) The thing is, I'm not 100% happy with the fit. It's fine across the shoulders and chest and the sleeves are plenty long enough, but the cut of the jacket is just kind of boxy. I could probably live with it, but want to see what kind of adjustments are possible / how much a decent tailor who works with leather is likely to charge for making the jacket a little more tapered / fitted and the armholes tightened / raised slightly. Anyone have any experiences in getting heavy leather items - jackets in particular - tailored?

Nice. Cheers for posting.

I'm not even white or black.

maybe I should have put down sometime more like...if a white person celebrates his white heritage it would be seen as racist compared to black heritage, asian heritage, hispanic heritage, even if that person wasn't celebrating the and denounced the racist, ignorant parts of his heritage.

Sometimes, but that's because there are far too many instances where white people claiming to be celebrating some kind of homogenous 'white heritage' are in fact using it as a thinly disguised opportunity to shit on everyone else. If white Americans are celebrating a heritage specific to a particular country of origin (German, Irish, Polish, Italian) it's a less loaded scenario (not to say that you can't find bigots at a St. Patrick's Day parade as well).

Random observation on racism...whenever you have a person saying Black Power...hey its ok. White Power? Nah its super racist.

Random observation on statements like this: They will often be interpreted as an indication that the person making them is either ignorant or being disingenuously racist.

'Black Power' is about empowering a historically disenfranchised part of society. 'White Power' is about subjugating other races. The terms have those meanings because of the context in which they are used and the people who use them.

Next class: Why the fact that the Nazi's called themselves 'national socialists' does not in fact mean that they were a socialist political movement.

Oh, and in response to original question: of course there's nothing wrong with dressing like a skinhead. Educate yourself about the history of skinhead culture so that if someone assumes you are a racist because you look like a skinhead you can set them straight.

for those of you that like it a little deeper....

Christine Vaccine - Medicate With Bass Weight Mix February 2007

Very nice indeed. Kind of stopped listening to dubstep a year or more ago, but this mix is getting me very interested in what's been going on in that time. The sound really has matured and diversified nicely. Cheers for posting.

It gets better: About two hours after I posted, I get a call from the 45prm store to say that the jeans are ready to pick up (in under 24 hours!). The repair is way better than I could have hoped for. They completely rebuilt the pockets including the opening that had frayed away to nothing using pieces of denim that matched the shade of the jeans as closely as possible. The only part of the patch that is likely to remain all that noticeable after some wear and washing is the section covering the tear that went down the leg (and it even kind of adds to the character of the jeans more than it detracts from them). Once again, all in the store were extremely friendly and appeared to be genuinely happy to be able to help out. Outstanding service.

@ gaodatong: I don't have any photos of the jeans that I can think of. Digital camera did a vanishing act on NYE but if I can borrow one will put some up and PM a link or somehting.

I brought a pair of Sorahiko's that I've had for about 2.5 years into the 45rpm store in SoHo on Sunday to see if they could / would repair as rumored. The damage to the pockets was pretty severe (lot of wear and fraying, both pocket bags long shredded, exterior of the right pocket with a bad two inch rip going down the leg) and my hopes were not all that high. I was thinking that they'd basically tell me that I should have come by months ago when the damage was less pronounced. Instead they promised to "give them some love" and asked if I wanted reinforcement / preventative repairs done to other areas that tend to get a lot of wear (hems, crotch). I happily said yes and they told me the jeans would be as close to new as they could make them in about a week. At no cost. Great, great, great service. Even if the repairs turn out to be crappy I'll still be pretty pleased just because of how friendly and helpful the staff are in that store.

45rpm denim may command a premium price, but its certainly worth it if the way they treat customers can be found throughout the company.

Looks like its just a Supreme cover over a Kryptonite chain (probably the New York, which is a beast of a chain and well worth picking up). Still, if Supreme charge anything over $80 for this then all the markup is just going into a cheap piece of fabric with a Supreme logo on it.

Oh wait....