BSMC Gear Guide #50
By Gareth Roberts - 14 Mar 15

This week's Gear Guide features some terrific new-old-stock Buco helmets, warm and pretty Navy grade sweaters, a bright and beautiful backpack, a handsome twist on the classic engineer boot, and good looking no nonsense leather jacket.
PRODUCT REVIEW - NORTH SEA CLOTHING SERVICE SHAWL COLLAR JUMPER
Motorcycle shops and outdoor stores are full of the latest technical fabrics that claim to be this layer and that layer, offering protection from sand-storms and blizzards, keeping you cool when it's hot and hot when it's cold. In my mind all of them fall short of good old fashioned wool.
Wool has so many advantages over man made fibres: it is environmentally friendly, is biodegradable, renewable, long lasting and robust. It's a breathable insulator, has high UV protection, and is naturally flame retardant. It's natural elasticity helps keep the garment in shape after continual wear and washing.
Neil, of North Sea Clothing, an avid vintage clothes collector and a life-long biker, focuses on manufacturing outdoor wear which is up to protecting the wearer from the harshest conditions. He draws his inspiration from the Original Submariner sweater issued to North Atlantic convoys in WW1 and WW2. He manufactures his sweaters to the exact specifications using the same 100% British wool.
These sweaters were adopted by the cafe-racers and ton up boys in the 50s and 60s, worn under leather jackets keeping them warm as they tore it up on old Brit thumpers.
The Service Shawl Collar Jumper is a variation on the Submariner, and is perfect to wear on the bike underneath a leather or wax cotton jacket. It's ribbed knit creates a snug fit with a long waist and long cuff collars. It sits well under a jacket, and seals all the gaps that otherwise lead to nasty drafts. The shawl collar can be rolled up and fastened when on the bike, and rolled down when off. It's comfortable and insulating whilst not being as all encompassing, and sometimes restricting, as the roll neck collar. It has cotton wear patches on the elbows and shoulder.
I've worn mine all winter, and with a silk base layer this has kept me warm in the nastiest of conditions. As the weather's got warmer, it works well with just a t-shirt underneath, and because of its breathability will be comfortable far into spring.
As well as being practical it's also just a really comfy and good looking jumper. It can be worn all day and night once you've got where you need to be, and if taken off packs down to next to nothing.
The Service Shawl Collar Jumper will last for years, if not decades, and like all of North Sea Clothing's products, is worth the investment.
Photography by Ben Curwen.
http://www.northseaclothing.bigcartel.com/products
ELMC - VINTAGE NEW OLD STOCK BUCO HELMETS.
Vintage motorcycle helmets are a highly collectible, and one of the most sought after manufacturers are Buco.
Gary at ELMC has managed to get his hand on a batch of old new stock. "They have never been used, but naturally, being many years old, there are some slight signs of storage soiling - boxes may have some staining and creasing etc - but generally the condition rating is a good 9/10."
These wonderful lids are the original 'jet helmet' that have the desirable closer-ftting profile, much less bulbous than their modern-day counter-parts.
Buco helmets date back to the year 1933 when the company was founded in Detroit, Michigan, and the company sported the slogan of "Look better, feel better, are better". Buco were very popular helmets in the 1950's and 1960's and were sold by all Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycle dealers.
The Buco met the US safety standards at their time of manufacture, but now 40 odd years later, it's unlikely they meet any contemporary standards. Therefore, Gary sells these helmets as vintage collectibles and he doesn't advise them to be worn on the road.
Gary has stock in candy red, orange, white, yellow and silver.
These are a piece of motorcycle history, and look terrific.
http://www.elmc.co/vintage-helmets-c-65.html?osCsid=8u3sseggnuc3orj3li5djgd1l1
PRODUCT REVIEW - CHIPPEWA CORDOVAN ENGINEER BOOT
During the depression era, The Chippewa Shoe Manufacturing Company, of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, developed a pair of boots with a stovepipe leg that was fashioned over their "English Riding Boot" last. These became the Engineer Boot. These were purposely designed as a stripped back safety boot with a lack of protruding fittings, nails or laces, preventing snagging injury when working around belt drive and line shaft machinery. The straight solid shaft with few seams could be readily waterproofed for those working in wet environments. For these reason they were quickly adopted by bikers, and to this day still remain one of the most effective boots for riding in.
Chippewa are a heritage brand. The company philosophy demands that Chippewa products use only premium raw materials and are hand crafted in the USA. To this day, their boots still carry the "Hand Crafted in the USA" labels as "...homage to the men and women that have built Chippewa."
Today Chippewa still manufacture amongst the finest engineer boots money can buy. They make them in a number of different styles using different materials. I've recently got myself a pair of 11'' Cordovan Plain Toe (as opposed to steel) Engineers. They're made from a premium quality Cordovan hide, and built on a Goodyear leather welt, with a steel shank, Texon and maple leather heel insoles, with a Vibram v-bar black sole.