Schott Brothers, An American Classic: The P-663 Delivery Jacket in Horween Chromexcel Leather

 

Schott Brothers is an American institution at this point, producing high-quality leather jackets and other mens and womenswear out of their factory in Union, New Jersey. As it turns out, the facility is only about 10 minutes from my home so I've been meaning to check out the annual Factory Sale, which is spoken of frequently as something not to be missed! 

I left early on the appointed day but still found a healthy line wrapping around the factory when I arrived about two hours early. Ultimately, the powers that be ended up letting people in about 45 minutes early, so I'd say things worked out well for me. This year, due to the pandemic, the sale was held outside in an open area on the side of the Factory building. There was a decent supply of just about everything one could imagine, from leather motorcycle jackets, to leather military-issue gear, to wool bombers and overcoats to sweaters and accessories. Everything was organized by gender, size and style. There were also a few racks of random items and custom orders that I guess were never picked up. Finally, there was a large section of items all priced under $50.

I was on the hunt for the discontinued model 563, a cowhide delivery jacket in a vintage 1950s design that features a half-belted action back with side gussets. I couldn't find it in the odds and ends racks but there were many other styles that fit the bill so I was not disappointed. At one point, I saw a very tall gentleman trying on a lovely delivery jacket but the sleeves were just way too short for him. He added it to his pile of discarded items, so I asked him if he was going to get it. He said no so I asked him if I could try it on as I was about a good foot shorter than him. 

 

He handed the coat over and and I tried it on and I have to say that it was just about a perfect fit. I was looking to purchase two leather jackets - one with a close fit to be worn with tailored clothing, and something a little roomier to wear with baggier clothes. This one fit the bill for the former and exceeded my wildest dreams. Most leather jackets from Schott, for some reason, have long sleeves but this particular coat was a custom order that had the sleeves shortened to an almost perfect length for me.

 

And the details on this jacket were just spectacular: a custom order P-663 delivery jacket featuring a sun-panel design on the back that has to be seen to be believed. Even more impressive, the P-663 Perfecto model eschewed the traditional cowhide leather that most Schott delivery jackets are made from. Instead, the P-663 is made from Horween Chromexcel leather, which shoe aficionados will be familiar with as a staple of Alden shoe offerings.

 

The prices at the Factory Sale were pretty impressive. This particular jacket retails for about $1,250 on Schott's website; other websites such as Bison Trading list this model for $1,650. So it was a bit of a coup to find a model in pristine condition that was basically already tailored to fit for significantly less, i.e. roughly 75% off the Schott retail price. 

Finally, a brief word on Schott sizing. The P-663 was a size XL but it fit me pretty well. I'm typically a size medium or large if I want something a little roomier. In fact, the sweaters that I purchased at the sale were all size medium and fit very well. So something to keep in mind when purchasing Schott leather jackets, you might have to size up one size or even two to get something to fit that you might be normally accustomed to. As an aside, the 546 lightweight cowhide delivery jacket that I also picked up (and will post images of at some point) was in a size XXL but I'd describe the fit as roomy enough to wear with a sweater underneath, not gargantuan by any means.