Schott NYC holds an exceptionally strong reputation on r/BuyItForLife, consistently cited as the gold standard for American-made leather jackets and wool peacoats. The Perfecto in particular is treated as a near-canonical BIFL item, with documented multi-generational use and a robust secondhand market. The brand-generic sentiment reinforces this picture, extending praise to the peacoat line and the company's heritage and customer service. The only meaningful divides are internal: horsehide models outshine cowhide in durability praise, the women's peacoat is seen as a lesser value than the men's version, and the motorcycle jackets lack modern safety certification — but none of these undercut the brand's core reputation.
The Perfecto — the highest-volume and most-discussed product line — earns a clear 'Strong recommend' on its own merits, and the brand-generic sentiment across 557 mentions reinforces rather than complicates that verdict. Caveats around price, fit, and motorcycle safety are real but do not reflect quality or durability failures, leaving the overall picture firmly positive.
Schott NYC is praised above almost all competitors for longevity, craftsmanship, and timeless design, with owners regularly reporting 20–40+ years of regular use across both leather and wool product lines.
The main friction points are price, fit, and niche product shortcomings rather than quality failures — no pattern of early breakdown or poor craftsmanship emerges across any line.
Owners regularly describe passing Perfectos down a generation — 30 or 40 years of use with nothing more than occasional conditioning.
The horsehide variants are called 'tanks' — essentially indestructible and only getting better with age.
Schott is frequently used as the benchmark: other leather jackets are compared to it, not the other way around.
Price is the most common hesitation, but commenters consistently point to the warehouse sale and eBay as ways to get the quality without the full retail hit.