Langlitz leatherman

Click here to visit Dainese54's YouTube channel to see more of his great Langlitz gear.

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Berliner Ledergott

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Ledergott

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Ledergott

Patrick: For whatever reason, the system isn't letting me post a response to your comment, so I'm putting it in here:

Totally agree with your comment, Patrick. Officer Tom is EXACTLY the kind of man this blog holds in highest esteem. This clip encapsulates many of the virtues the Locker values most:

• the exaggerated hypermasculinity
• the incredible leather gear and boots
• the subtle WW II codes
• the not-so-subtle suggestions of power, intimidation and control
• the tone of respect and worship by the filmographer
• even the all male chorus.

Look for another worshipful clip from this series next Sunday morning.

Langlitz Leathers Shop

Stopped by the Langlitz Leather shop in Porland, Oregon not long ago to get some gear made, and see how they make their world-famous leathers.

Portland's an easy city to navigate, whether you're driving or doing transit. I came by train and had no trouble at all getting from the city center to the Langlitz shop, which lies just across the Willamette River in Portland's Sunnyside District.

The shop is smaller than you might think, but don't let the size fool you: Langlitz Leathers casts a pretty big shadow in the leathergear world.  Founded by Ross Langlitz (the 'Langlitz' in Langlitz Leathers), the business has been in continuous operation since 1947 – going on 65 years. 

The shop is now run by David Hansen, Ross' son-in-law, who was extremely helpful to me, explaining options, processes and details. John and Scott also spent a lot of time doing their best to get me the customized Padded Columbia leather jacket and rangers I wanted.

Langlitz Leathers is nestled in an older, mostly residential, neighbourhood made up of single family homes, small shops, a few bars and coffee houses.

A heady aroma of leather, glue and chemicals hits you like a brick as you enter the shop, and everywhere you look is shiny black leather - black leather jackets, black leather pants, black leather vests and black leather gear - on hangers, on counters and piled almost to the ceiling.

They do sell off the rack leathers – but their stock in trade is custom-built leather jackets, pants, vests and rangers. Many of the items you see around the shop have shipping slips poking out of a pocket, on their way to clients around the world.

Behind and around the front office area are four cutting tables and eight sewing machines – and piles and piles of leather.

Dave suggests you come in for measurement and see the gear in person and have them explain options to you, then they can ship the finished product to you a few weeks later. I was leery about making a special trip just for a fitting, but in retrospect I'm glad I did.

Dave went through various options on the design of my jacket and rangers before taking my measurements, and made helpful suggestions regarding why or why not I might select a wide range of options. 

You might want to let them know in advance if you're looking for bike wear or 'uniform' wear. Bikers gernerally do't get their gear made skin tight, but some of us who are more into the uniform aspect of the gear may want a tighter, more military-looking fit.

As an added bonus, Portland was fun. It's a cool little city straddling the Willamette River, and I stayed at a motel not far from the shop, so it was easy to get around.

If you live close by or happen to visit Portland, stop by their shop, a short five minute drive from Portland city center. The store's open Monday to Friday and closed weekends.

LANGLITZ LEATHERS 2443-A SE Division Portland, Oregon 97202
Website: http://www.langlitz.com/
503-235-0049 (Phone)
503-235-0959 (Fax)


To request a catalog, email Catalog@Langlitz.com
For general questions, email Question@Langlitz.com
To contact the owner directly, email Dave@Langlitz.com

Langlitz leather jackets

Langlitz Leathers in Portland Oregon makes, quite simply, the best leather jacket in the world (although as the owner of a custom-made jacket, I have to confess I might be a little biased). They've been making custom leather jackets (and pants and gear) for almost 50 years.

Columbia

• Langlitz's Columbia jacket is the epitome of the traditional leather biker jacket. It has a heavy-duty adjustable band at the bottom, strong enough to support the weight of a heavy policeman's gun belt, and the back dips down to give better pant overlap.
• The jacket has a heavy duty offset front zipper made of brass. In fact, all the zippers on the jacket are high-quality brass. The sleeves cant forward for easy handlebar reach, assisted by semi bi-swings on the back.
• The Columbia comes standard with a dress collar, but you can easily substitute a fur or cassock collar.
• Shoulder epaulets are a popular option, as are diamond-quilted shoulder and elbow pads.
• You can also order the Columbia with belt loops and a Sam Browne belt if you want desire a bit more support or need to use the jacket for police work.
• Badge patches are also available if you plan to wear an outside badge and don't want to punch a hole in the leather.

Pocket Columbia

• The Pocket Columbia comes with four inside pockets (map, wallet, gun and hidden) and six outside pockets (two outside hand pockets, one each on the right wrist, left biceps and chest, and a small watch pocket on the lower left front.)
• It also comes with belt loops and a Sam Browne belt.
• The Pocket Columbia also includes epaulets on the shoulders.

Padded Columbia

• The Padded Columbia comes with the same four inside pockets (map, wallet, gun and hidden) and six outside pockets (two outside hand pockets, one each on the right wrist, left biceps and chest, and a small watch pocket on the lower left front.)
• Like the Pocket Columbia, the Padded version also includes belt loops and a Sam Browne belt.
• The difference between this jacket and the Pocket Columbia is that diamond-shaped shoulder and elbow pads (not the epaulets) come standard on the Padded Columbia.

YouTube's Leatherbyker shows off his Padded Columbia, Sam Browne and red-striped Rangers from Langlitz:

You can of course customize a jacket however you want it to be configured. The guys at Langlitz Leathers are happy to oblige if at all possible. For example, I ordered both epaulets and pads on my jacket. I also ordered leather lining on some pockets, and skipped the inside map and hidden pockets (but kept the wallet and gun pockets).


The jacket seems quite stiff and armor-like for the first few months. Langlitz staff advise you that their cowhide garments can take a few months of wear to soften up, and that's spot on. I've been wearing mine since August, and it's just starting to feel 'right' now.


Tip: Ask for 'finished edges' on your shoulder and elbow pads (with the edges folded under and sewn rather than leaving a visible line of suede).


LANGLITZ LEATHERS 2443-A SE Division Portland, Oregon 97202
Website: http://www.langlitz.com/
503-235-0049 (Phone)
503-235-0959 (Fax)


To request a catalog, email Catalog@Langlitz.com
For general questions, email Question@Langlitz.com
To contact the owner directly, email Dave@Langlitz.com

If you live close by or happen to visit Portland, stop by their shop, a short five minute drive from Portland city center. The store's open Monday to Friday and closed weekends.

Sarge D