Tips
This page has a number of sections related to Lewis Leathers items.
The Museum
The museum is a hobby project and not a trading company, therefore does not sell any Lewis Leathers garments.
If you have any items that you think may be of interest to the Internet Museum please get in touch with me by email.
Buyers Guide
If you wish to purchase a brand new item, go directly to the manufacturer. Google Lewis Leathers London
If you want a pre-worn / secondhand garment then Ebay or similar Internet auction sites may be a good idea. I am aware of only one company 'Hi-Star' who have a shop in London and visit specialist motorcycle shows too.
The majority of sellers on EBay are honest and straight forward but a few are unscrupulous. Look out for private individuals selling their own secondhand garments as they are often more reliable. Some 'Top Rated Sellers' and EBay shops have proved to be less than honest in their description of items especially when describing the gender of the garment. Here are a few tips for buyers.
Always make sure you can see the labels in the pictures. If the advertiser hasn't shown the label do not buy it.
Check the garment is advertised as the correct gender. Women's clothing is more abundant but attracts a lower price. Be careful as it is not unusual to see Women's clothing advertised as Men's. Often 'Top Rated Sellers' do this, as they are running a business we have to assume they know the difference but are just unscrupulous. A man won't want to turn up at the motorcycle club wearing a woman's jacket.
Beware of Keyword Spamming. This is where the seller use the word 'Lewis' in a manner unrelated to the article being sold. Use of many manufacturers names (Belstaff, Lewis, Highwayman, Mascot) in a single description is indicative of this type of seller. Avoid these people.
Caution especially to non native English speaking people. The words 'Lewis Style' means nothing, many manufacturers produced garments of a similar design but they were not copying Lewis so don't be fooled by the description. Who knows, Lewis may have been copying them? Do not buy anything called 'Lewis Style'
Another common ploy is to say 'Maybe a Lewis Leathers' garment. If there is no label then it cannot be Lewis leathers. The same applies to 'Lewis Quality' in a description. It may be good quality, there were a number of good quality leather manufacturers in the Seventies and Eighties but these would be branded with their own name.
Do not rely on sew on patches of the type below. Anyone can buy one of these and attach it to a jacket of a different manufacturer. Not all garments had an external oval or square leather 'Lewis Leathers' label, so it is important to check the internal label too.
This type of label was designed to sew onto a bag, or a leather or denim waistcoat worn over the leather jacket.
Distinguishing Gender
On a Man's item of clothing the part of the garment on the wearers left wraps over the top of the right hand side and presses down (on press-studs) or zips up. This applies to the front, collar or flies on trousers.
The way to distinguish the gender that a jacket has been made for is easy if it has a 'Lancer' or crossover main zip. If the top of the zip is on the wearer's right hand side, its Men's. If the top is on the wearer's left hand side is a women's jacket.
Vintage Lewis Leathers jackets were made at a time before 'Unisex' clothing made an appearance. Modern bikers gear in Unisex style fasten the same side as men's. If they fasten the women's side they are always women's not men's or unisex.
If the jacket has a centre zip, then inspect the way the collar fastens. Men's flap crosses to the right hand side of the wearer.
Don't forget that the wearer's right side is on the left in a photograph.
Leather Care
If leathers are exposed to the wet they should be allowed to dry naturally and not placed near a heat source. Regular treatment with preservative will help prevent the leather becoming hard and dry. If the leather has become hard with age it may be successfully restored by applying large amounts of preservative.
I have found 'Neatsfoot Oil' or 'Neatsfoot Compound' usually sold in equestrian shops very easy and clean to use. Unlike some of the sprays or pastes, it doesn't leave the leather sticky. The oil is a natural product made from boiling cows hoofs hence its name Neat = Cow, Foot = Hoof, so it would seem an ideal substance for treating cowhide leather. I have used it on sheep leather too. I like to apply it using a small piece of sponge.
Suggestions that it rots the stitching on the garment seems unfounded, as a friend has used it on his leathers for 50 years, although the originals won't fit him, he confirms the stitching is still good.