Silver Surfer
Well-Known Member
anyone have any experience with 5* shearlings, specifically their b-3s? fit, sizing, quality, soft, stiff, etc?
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- Thread starter Silver Surfer
- Start date
Cocker
Well-Known Member
Not B-3, but I have a custom D-1 with lengthened sleeves and the heavier shearling like the B-3, and it's been my go to winter jacket since I have it. Nothing but good things to say about it.
Silver Surfer
Well-Known Member
thanx, brudda. anymore? please chime in, guys.
Southoftheborder
Well-Known Member
I bought one of the D=1s on eBay a couple of years ago and this is a review of it I posted on a thread about then. I moved it on quite quickly because although it was a comfortable jacket and having got rid of the crap bonded so called leather straps it was okey - apart from the zips. But I like decent quality things really and it wasn't that.
It was brand new and unworn and I got it for £250. For that money it's a good jacket but at the full price imported into the UK with VAT I would much rather pay a couple of hundred more and get an Aero.
The Five Star has very good hide. The fleece is nice - a bit too long for accuracy but I don't mind that; and the surface finish is slightly crinkled a bit like Eastman broken hide but not so extreme. That's the best parts and the sheepskin may have been tanned in Pakistan or it might be from China who do a lot of it now. It feels about as good as Eastman or Aero IMO.
The bad parts are the details. The zips are cheap crap which need to be used carefully. The bindings are goat and they should be horse or steer. And the straps aren't even what I would call leather at all. They appear to be bonded leather on top glued to a piece of split underneath to give the thickness. Bonded leather is just pressed and glued leather dust then spray finished. It is classed as leather but it isn't really.
I took them off and used them a a template to cut straps from a piece of real hide and hand sewed them on using the existing stitch holes.
I might look for some good repro Talon pulls to replace the rubbish one that they put on. The pocket ones in particular are a pain because they twist and it's hard to undo the zip with the pull at right angles.
But with the crap - not really - leather replaced it's very good for what I paid for it. But I had a RMNZ D1 a few years ago and there is no comparison. Particularly in the quality of the bindings, belt quality straps and thick leather zip support hide. Similarly with Aeros and Eastman and SB sheepskins I've had; but the RM was in a class of its own really. All more expensive new of course, and the RM much more if I had bought it new.
I don't think the FS is worth the money new with taxes into the UK but elsewhere it might be. So as I said above for me I would pay the extra and buy an Aero if I was in the market for a new one. Or a SB if you don't mine it not being quite so accurate.
It was brand new and unworn and I got it for £250. For that money it's a good jacket but at the full price imported into the UK with VAT I would much rather pay a couple of hundred more and get an Aero.
The Five Star has very good hide. The fleece is nice - a bit too long for accuracy but I don't mind that; and the surface finish is slightly crinkled a bit like Eastman broken hide but not so extreme. That's the best parts and the sheepskin may have been tanned in Pakistan or it might be from China who do a lot of it now. It feels about as good as Eastman or Aero IMO.
The bad parts are the details. The zips are cheap crap which need to be used carefully. The bindings are goat and they should be horse or steer. And the straps aren't even what I would call leather at all. They appear to be bonded leather on top glued to a piece of split underneath to give the thickness. Bonded leather is just pressed and glued leather dust then spray finished. It is classed as leather but it isn't really.
I took them off and used them a a template to cut straps from a piece of real hide and hand sewed them on using the existing stitch holes.
I might look for some good repro Talon pulls to replace the rubbish one that they put on. The pocket ones in particular are a pain because they twist and it's hard to undo the zip with the pull at right angles.
But with the crap - not really - leather replaced it's very good for what I paid for it. But I had a RMNZ D1 a few years ago and there is no comparison. Particularly in the quality of the bindings, belt quality straps and thick leather zip support hide. Similarly with Aeros and Eastman and SB sheepskins I've had; but the RM was in a class of its own really. All more expensive new of course, and the RM much more if I had bought it new.
I don't think the FS is worth the money new with taxes into the UK but elsewhere it might be. So as I said above for me I would pay the extra and buy an Aero if I was in the market for a new one. Or a SB if you don't mine it not being quite so accurate.
CBI
Well-Known Member
FreddyF9
Well-Known Member
I’ve owned (for a short period of time) the HLB Corp one. The leather was ok, a bit inconsistent in thickness (some areas were almost paper thin) but still felt durable enough to withstand a bit of abuse. The fit was kind weird on the standard sizes (very large shoulder width), so mine was a custom size.
It was a nice jacket, very comfortable to wear. The only issues I had with it were the sleeves, which were too tight and that flimsy cheap Talon replica zipper.
It was a nice jacket, very comfortable to wear. The only issues I had with it were the sleeves, which were too tight and that flimsy cheap Talon replica zipper.
