Fox Creek Blog

Antti in his Fox Creek Leather Jean Biker Vest

I spent almost an year and a half trying to find a vest that would fulfill my need. I was disappointed more than a once when testing and buying from anonymous sellers.

One day when I actually had forgotten the whole “vest-searching-project” I followed a link from Finnish Harley forum and ended at the Fox Creek Leather web page. I read a couple reviews and faced my dream vest. I decided immediately to buy it.

My past experiences from the Internet-shops and so on were not so good but somehow I decided to try one more time, and now it was Fox Creek. A company I didn´t know, but had read a couple of compliments about it. I thought that I would like to have a vest that would look good when I leave it open when wearing a t-shirt and on the other hand it wouldn´t look too “tight” when wearing a riding jacket. I like the vest a bit short so that my t-shirt would fairly come over the vest from the bottom.
Fox Creek Leather Jean Biker Vest
Fox Creek Leather
Jean Biker Vest

My first problem was the size. While leaving the order on the web page I left text in the info box about the size. I don´t know if the people work in Fox Creek 24/7, but it seemed like it because the answer came way sooner that I expected (actually all the answers to my emails). I exchanged a couple of emails with (Scarlett) Fox Creek. They had me convinced that the size that would fit best would be 46.

Again my expectations were exceeded, the package came so quickly. The shipment took less than a week. I have to say that if you are buying a vest and don´t really know what style and (the main point) where to get it, I will recommend Fox Creek Leather. In my opinion it is a company that exceeds customer needs and provides world class service and products.

Antti from Finland

Designed for safety and comfort
Fox Creek Leather Jacket Sale

When you buy Fox Creek Leather gear, you are not getting apparel created by fashion designers just for good looks. Our motorcycle apparel is designed by an experienced biker who knows what leather thickness and quality best protects you (3.25 - 4.5 oz full-grain leather depending on the jacket, vest or chaps style), what extras keep you most comfortable (strategically placed vents, zip out Thinsulate® lining, internal wind flaps), and which features mold to your riding position (extra long backs, expansion panels in the shoulders, and extra long sleeves). Our motorcycle apparel is comfortable, protective, and crafted from full-grain drum-dyed naked leather.

What is Naked Leather?

Naked leather has only been dyed and has had nothing applied to it that would mask its natural state. Because of this, it is the softest and most supple leather available. It gives the unique natural grain of leather a distinct warm rich glow. With age well conditioned naked leather increases in beauty, growing softer and richer in appearance.

What does Full Grain mean?

The grain of the leather in our leather apparel is unaltered and in its natural state. Hides of lesser quality are often sanded down, obscuring flaws in the leather and giving it a slick more uniform finish. Grain may also be stamped into a hide after sanding in an attempt to give it a more ‘natural’ appearance.

Starting at $345

For maximum protection, comfort and warmth Leather Overpants are the way to go. Overpants go off and on as quickly as chaps, look and feel better and there are certain key components of your anatomy that are not sacrificed to the heartless objectivity of asphalt.

Our Leather Overpants have nice deep front and rear pockets so you don’t have to unzip or unbuckle to get what you need. They are a great alternative for those who prefer overall protection from the elements and asphalt.

Although we have our Overpants listed separately in the Women’s section and the Men’s section, they are exactly the same pant. They feature a full nylon liner to protect your garments, full-length YKK outer zips for easy off and on, snaps for securing around your boots, plus a YKK fly zip.

If you are looking for quality leather and craftsmanship then look no further. You could if you want, but you won’t find better, I assure you. I’ve bought several leather jackets, chaps and pants over the years, and nobody compares to what you’ll find at Fox Creek Leather. I am very happy with my purchase, the fit, the feel and the look. Their leather may cost more than what you’ll find in bike shops, etc. but you get what you pay for and that definitely rings true with these great people. Thank you Fox Creek!!! I truly am impressed.
- D Harvey
Shelton, WA

Last December a buddy and I agreed to take a three week Harley tour out west — sometime around mid to late May. The basic plan was to start at home in Southwest VA and head out to CO, WY and MT, to tour the Rocky Mountain, Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Our plan was to “high tail” it through the east and midwest so that the bulk of our time could be spent enjoying the rugged beauty of the Rockies.

As we refined the details, I quickly realized my old riding gear wasn’t up to the task. Going online, I checked the weather statistics for the twelve states on our route. I discovered that the temperature range we would probably encounter was from a low of 30 degrees to a high of 90 degrees, and many states averaged 4 inches of precipitation during the month of May. Continuing to research my options for quality gear up to the wide range of weather extremes, I eventually came to Fox Creek Leather. Much to my surprise they were located in nearby Independence, VA less than two hours away from my home in Blacksburg.

I was immediately impressed that Fox Creek Leather offered not only very well made, thick yet supple leathers, but also backed it up with world-class personalized customer service and a solid lifetime warranty. Never before had I found a company that performed so admirably to earn 100% positive customer reviews. I was unable to locate ANYONE who didn’t like their FCL gear. That confirmed my decision that FCL would be the source of my gear.

Fox Creek Leather Vented Reflector Jacket

After reading everything in the FCL online catalog and mulling over the styles and features, I bought the FCL Vented Reflector Jacket. It offered generous venting on the front and back and sleeves. The removable Thinsulate Liner and fleece neck warmer seemed like they would provide a great deal of warmth for the bitterly cold days. To layer up, I planned on merino wool long underwear, long sleeve shirt, and if needed, a layer of fleece under the FCL jacket. The reflective piping across the front, back and around the sleeves hopefully would provide added visibility at night and in the fog. I decided to add a Frogg Toggs rainsuit layer over the FCL in case of heavy or long rains.

Fox Creek Leather Lined Chaps

In addition to the jacket, I also added a pair of FCL Lined Chaps. The quality and thickness of the leather paired with the quilted Thinsulate® zip-out liner seemed to offer the flexibility for this tour out west as well as for my daily commutes to work. At the end of March I drove down to FCL store in Independence, VA and found that everything I had read online about them was completely accurate! The friendly salesperson took my measurements and quickly retrieved the correct size jacket and chaps from the storeroom. Everything about the jacket and chaps was crafted perfectly. The leather was soft and buttery, yet was quite hefty with the 1.4-1.6 mm (jacket) and 1.6-1.8 mm (chaps) thicknesses.

Steve at St Mary Lake

Of course I had to test out my new purchases locally, well before the big trip, to see how cold I could comfortably ride. So I headed out on a 4 hour ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains on a crisp 38-42 degree early spring day, wearing only jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt under the lined FCL jacket and chaps. I arrived home cool but not frozen. With this benchmark I knew I could handle much longer and colder days out west once I layered up. Our adventure began May 21 as we left VA and rode as far as Evansville IN. The temps were in the mid 80’s so I wore just the jacket and chaps (no liner). I had all vents opened. It was warm when not moving, but comfortable while riding the HD Electra Glide, I directed air from the air diverters under the fairing to the chest vents and up the sleeves, and out to the sleeve and back vents.

The next day we rode to Abaleen KS and the cool morning temps again warmed to the mid 80’s. Continuing with no liner and the vents zipped, as the day warmed up I was easily cooled by opening the vents. The third day we dodged many Kansas spring thunderstorms as the day wore on. The FCL jacket and chaps waterproofing easily repelled the light rain we encountered. We rode on to Greeley, CO and saw massive storms ahead so we quickly found a motel.

Day four we were faced with rain covering most of Colorado with heavy low clouds. Checking the Weather channel we decided to not ride into Rocky Mountain National Park as we had hoped. The Trail Ridge road was going to ice up again, get closed again, and the views obscured by clouds. The weather seemed better to the north in eastern WY, so we rode on to Casper WY. The light rain closed in as fog and we ended up riding in the nastiest white-out soup. Visibility was bad, and seeing the road was becoming exceedingly difficult. While I was glad my jacket offered reflective piping, the fog was so thick nobody could see much of anything, so we pulled into a truck stop for an hour or so to allow the fog to lift before proceeding. We dodged and rode through a few rain showers heading west across WY Rt 26. We passed Hell’s 1/2 acre and I was perfectly dry and comfortable in the cool 60 degree air.

In the late afternoon we began seeing the glory of the Wind River Range, and Red Rocks cliffs. After refueling, we headed out of Dubois WY on Rt. 26 and over the pass near Breccia peak through temps in the mid 30s, with snow still on the road shoulders, and face stinging sleet as we pressed on to the Tetons. Once again, the FCL gear passed with flying colors. I was extremely comfortable and only slightly inconvenienced by the sleet on my glasses.

Hideaway fleece neck warmer

The really great (and probably overlooked) feature of the FCL Vented Reflector jacket is the hide-away fleece neck warmer. In warm weather I keep it wrapped around my camera in my left jacket pocket. However when the temperature dropped below 50, wearing it around my neck added a surprising amount of warmth… So much so, that I never needed to add my fleece layer.

Lake Jackson

We stayed at the Lake Jackson Lodge and enjoyed an excellent Buffalo Prime Rib dinner and stuffed mushroom appetizer, and a stunning view of the Teton peaks through the huge windows of the lodge restaurant.

The next day we relished the beauty of the Teton range, Snake river, Jenny Lake, and Lake Jackson. Then we rode up into the still snow covered Yellowstone Caldera. The lakes in South Yellowstone were still frozen, while others further North were partly melted by the active volcanic calderas under Yellowstone National Park. Gorgeous! After a few days hanging out with friends in Paradise Valley, we rode the best one day ride ever: Livingston MT, Bozeman, Belgrade, down the Gallatin river to West Yellowstone entrance, across Yellowstone out Northeast Entrance to Cooke City, over Beartooth Pass, into Red Lodge, back Rt. 78 and 90 to Livingston. Simply awesome! (~400 miles)

Steve at Beartooth Pass

The Beartooth Highway climbs through one of the highest and most rugged areas in the lower 48 states, with 20 peaks reaching over 12,000 feet in elevation. In the surrounding mountains, glaciers are found on the north flank of nearly every mountain peak over 11,500 feet high. The Road itself is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet), and is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies!

The next day we headed up to Glacier National Park and explored all the roads we could in the park. Unfortunately we were too early in the season and the “Road to the Sun” was still closed. Nevertheless, the wildlife and rugged ice carved mountains were stunningly awesome.

We spent a rainy day in Cody, WY enjoying the amazing Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The next day we faced rain, cold, fog and sleet heading over the Bighorn Mountains beginning our ride home. The rest of the ride back east offered moderate to hot 90 degree weather. The worst heat experienced was while sitting in a construction zone traffic jam around Indianapolis. Even that breezeless heat was bearable with the main jacket zipper half opened. Overall, it is remarkable how flexible the lined FCL jacket and chaps perform over such a variety of temperatures and weather conditions. So after 6,400 miles of riding from the low 30’s and sleet, to the low 90s, all I can say is Fox Creek gear exceeded all my expectations providing comfort and protection. Highly recommended in every way! Now to clean all the bugs and dirt off with Montana Pitch Blend…
- Steve Helm
Blacksburg, VA

First off, let me point out that the customer service of Fox Creek Leather is unmatched and way beyond that of what’s expected these days. When I first ordered the vest, it was WAY too small and I called them up to ask about an exchange. They said they would send a larger size out immediately without waiting for me to return the smaller one back to them. I was surprised they would trust a buyer on the honor system, but that just goes to show their level of service!

I ended up keeping the smaller size for my mother, as it fit her great, and I told them to just go ahead and bill me for the larger size. They did so, and I ended up getting the larger size the very next day! Try finding customer service like that anywhere else!

The vest itself is fantastic. A great fit, high quality materials and it looks as good, if not better, than the much more expensive vests you’d get from Harley. I measured a 38 inch chest, but as stated, the 38 was so small I could barely get it on. I ended up going with a size 42 and it’s a great fit! I’d suggest going a size or two larger as they seem to run quite small. I couldn’t be happier with my vest, and I will always recommend Fox Creek Leather to anyone interested in any type of leather product!

Thanks!

Brent S.
Holly Springs, NC

There are few things as iconic to the American culture as a motorcycle and the clothing we wear. “Buy American” is my conviction, and I intend to perpetuate this feeling and support my country and the American ideal. A major factor in my choosing Fox Creek for my riding apparel is that it is made right here, in the heartland of Virginia.* I know, I’ve been to their facility.

There is an innate feel of pride and quality when you wrap yourself in Fox Creek, it’s a knowing that you are supporting American workers and our American economy. It’s a feeling that cannot be realized by inferior products from some unscrupulous overseas manufacturers.

Forget trying to save a few dollars with substandard gear sacrificing quality and the American worker, buy these quality American made products - your reward will be superior goods, a strong economy and a better standard of living.

Wrap yourself in security and impeccable quality, be resolute in this way of life, twist the throttle, and ride an American road with a feeling of national pride.

Wade S. Walker
Milner, Georgia

*Wade visited our shipping facility and retail store in Virginia. Our products are contract manufactured for us by facilities from Maine to Florida to Oregon.

Doug Barber bought his first camera and motorcycle in the 60’s, and has been riding and photographing bikers ever since. In the early 70’s he was invited to photograph the funeral of the Sergeant of Arms for a major 1% Club. From that point on he has been hooked. When he isn’t photographing commercially, he is out and about photographing the ever changing biker’s world.
Q-Ball’s Black and White Biker Art

His old school biker photography has been featured in many magazines, along with museum and gallery shows. Hot Bike Japan used his photos on 8 covers and a calendar. In November 2007 Iron Horse Magazine did a feature story on Q-Ball and his life’s work.

About ten years back he created www.VtwinBiker.com where he not only shares his photos, but developed a biker community resource including Builder & Mechanics Forum, Biker Life & Legal Issues Forum, Biker Culture & Art Forum, plus the largest collection of individually submitted biker poetry anywhere.

When you have some time check out his extensive website www.VtwinBiker.com, then sign his guestbook. Tell him Fox Creek sent you.

Harley’s Angels is a group of women motorcycle enthusiasts dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness, research, and education. Our primary fundraising project is the publication of a calendar featuring the women of “Harley’s Angels.” With one out of eight women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, it is no surprise that there are also several breast cancer survivors within our group. The calendar is tastefully designed featuring the women of Harley’s Angels and our motorcycles.

Our first calendar was published in 2003 and after five successful calendar years, you are likely to find our calendars anywhere from bike shops to grandmother’s kitchen. We have donated $360,000 to two of Houston’s finest research centers supporting Dr. Kent Osborne, Director of Baylor’s BreastCenter, and Dr. Kelly Hunt, Chief Breast Surgeon, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Ride for a Cure Bike

Harley’s Angels, Cruzin’ to Cure, is a non-profit 501(c)3 volunteer organization. We would like to invite you to join us in the crusade to find a cure for breast cancer. If you would like to join us in this effort, please visit our website at www.harleysangels.org or contact any of the Harley’s Angels volunteer members.
Harley’s Angels logo

We are Harley’s Angels and we’re Cruzin’ to Cure breast cancer!

Harley’s Angels
Post Office Box 12
Pearland, Texas 77588

No matter how much you are carrying, we have a purse or tote bag that will get your things where you need to go.

Our purses are made in the U.S. from 1.2 - 1.4mm top-grain cowhide and are available in a variety of styles and sizes. If you need even more room, we have two sizes of top-grain cowhide tote bags. We also now carry leather ID badges and cases in a variety of sizes and styles… from a clip-on badge to a folding military-size case. These are crafted from 2mm thick top-grain calfskin for years of use.

If you have a laced-side vest you wear to show your colors but it doesn’t quite fit over your jacket, we have side vest extenders. All you do is lace them into the sides of your vest to add up to 5 inches circumference to your vest.

With more and more motorcycle enthusiasts reaching new levels of rides and performance, positive safety measures and technologies are working to keep apace with all the new developments. Many of us now ride in varying weather conditions and I think more so with all the advances in clothing and materials that keeps the rain and cold out better than ever.

I know that riding with the girls in the Smokey Mountain Thunder Chapter of Women in the Wind will sometimes catch me out in conditions that may be called “less than ideal.”

Really good products are necessary and when you combine the challenges of safety, weather, durability, and comfort, it’s a no-brainer that quality leather rates as high on the list of riding confidence as good tires, or a good maintenance program.

Doris’ Lined Chaps Nothing I’ve tried feels, (or smells) as good as thick and soft leather. Looking at the standpoint of safety I’d rather leave some of the leather from my new Fox Creek Leather chaps on the pavement than my own skin. From the standpoint of comfort with the zip-in zip-out convenience of the linings, I’m provided with warm and snugly cold protection when I need it.

If conditions change I can always zip ‘em out and put ‘em in a saddlebag or back-pack. Being a return customer of Fox Creek I knew that I could expect a good product with a great team to assist with any problems I might encounter. Sure enough my husband ordered the first ones too large, (by his own measurements ;-) and a second pair was sent to us the very day he called to return them. We had to trim the legs some but remember you want them long for the protection and to keep out the weather. You can always cut off some more.

– Doris W. from Fletcher, NC