Langlitz Leathers USA in der Presse

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Seit dem Bestehen ist Langlitz immer wieder im Interesse und Mittelpunkt von Berichten in den Medien gewesen. Mehrere Fernsehsender haben Reportagen über unseren Betrieb gemacht, und man hat uns sogar im Radiosender Voice Of America als Beispiel für ein erfolgreich operierendes Familienunternehmen vorgestellt. Dieses Interview wurde über Kurzwelle weltweit ausgestrahlt.

Eine ganze Reihe von Büchern beschreibt ebenfalls unseren Erfolg mit den ursprünglich von Ross Langlitz entworfenen Designs und berichten über den lang anhaltenden Erfolg, den wir mit der Fortführung seiner konservativen Geschäftsprinzipien seit mehr als einem halben Jahrhundert haben. Die beste Veröffentlichung zu diesem Thema ist sicherlich das Buch "Motorcycle Jackets: A Century of Leather Design" von Rin Tanaka.

Ausserdem haben wurde über uns in einer endlosen Anzahl von Reportagen und Artikeln in den verschiedensten Magazinen und Zeitschriften berichtet, zum ersten Mal im Jahre 1953 im "MOTORCYCLIST". Dieser Artikel war der erste Bericht über Ross Langlitz in den Printmedien und begründete seinen frühen Ruf weit über die Grenzen von Portland hinaus.

• MONO (Japan)
• VG (Deutschland)
• WELT am SONNTAG (Deutschland)
• VIBES (Japan)
• MÄNNER VOGUE (Deutschland)
• MA-1 (Japan)
• GULLIVER (Italien)
• CAFE RACER (Frankreich)
• MOTORRAD (Deutschland)

Ausserdem haben wir haben Ihnen hier eine Auswahl interessanter Artikel im Original in englischer Sprache zusammengestellt:

MOTORCYCLIST (September 1953)

"As the firm has grown from the basement days at Ross's home, it has moved three times, each time to a larger salesroom and workshop, each time picking up more employees. Ross is the first to tell you that custom work will never permit any big establishment, for the moment you get into the big league of the garment trade, you cease to be custom made; he knows from experience that motorcycle leathers should never be mass produced and that most riders appreciate having their leathers fit them, not merely an "average size"."

MOTORCYCLIST (February 1968)

"Ross Langlitz of Langlitz Leathers, Portland, Ore., has a similar story to Krizman's. Langlitz, a motorcycle enthusiast 'since I was in the eighth grade' once ordered a high priced leather jacket from a distributing company. 'The jacket was supposed to be custom-fit. I'd paid two weeks wages for it. But the arms were two inches too short and I had about four inches of bare back showing when I wore it. I got mad. I thought 'if this is supposed to be a custom jacket I can make a better one myself.' This was 22 years ago."

"It was a challenge and Langlitz already knew about challenges. In 1936 he had lost his left leg in a traffic pile-up. He easily adopted to the use of an artificial limb (he still scrambles on a chopped and lightened Honda Super Hawk). So becoming the 'motorcyclist's tailor', as he was called when he started turning out a line of leathers in 1945, was easy for him."

"Today he does business much like he did in the beginning. He does not deal in volume 'because you sacrifice quality that way.' He turns out five to seven leather garments a day, using four employees and himself. Still, long ago he moved from the basement of his home into bigger, more spacious quarters."

"Bulk of his business is mail-order. This he likes because he can maintain quality. And he firmly asserts 'My favorite hobby is still motorcycling.'"

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (March 1968)

"Each Langlitz garment is a masterpiece of ingenuity fashioned by a man who first climbed on a motorcycle when he was in the eighth grade."

MOTORCYCLIST (May 1969)

"After sampling the work of this artisan of leather, we can certainly recommend that you write Ross Langlitz at [2443 SE Division, Portland, Oregon 97202], and obtain his catalog. Ross has been turning out leathers of exceptional quality for the past 22 years."

THE OREGONIAN (May 24, 1983)

"When you've got style that doesn't go out of fashion, why mess with it?"

....and....

"A scrapbook of letters from clients includes these remarks: 'This jacket is the finest and best-fitting piece of clothing I've ever had. I have only taken it off to bathe and sleep.'"

THE BUSINESS JOURNAL (May 28, 1984)

"The word 'reputation' keeps surfacing with Dave Hanson of Langlitz Leathers, makers of custom-fitted motorcycle jackets and pants."

"The kind of reputation that lures Swedish bikers to the leather shop at 2443 S.E. Division St."

"The kind of reputation that makes fleets of motorcycle cops from Las Vegas to Tacoma covet a Langlitz jacket."

"Hanson said such notoriety is the result of founder Ross Langlitz's dogged insistence on uniformity and absolute refusal to compromise the original business principles upon which he started the firm in 1947."

....and....

"In spite of such fame, you won't see the Langlitz name adorning the suits of bigtime professional racers."

"'We don't want to be in that league. That's not our way of doing things,' he said. 'Our leather stands up for what it is, not the patch on the sleeve.'"

WILLAMETTE WEEK (March 19-25, 1987)

"Here's a 40-year-old family-owned business that knows its product, its customers, and the nearly lost art of personalized service and quality workmanship."

ESQUIRE (December 1987)

"Aficionados like to debate the fine points---which hide is the toughest and which kind of stitching is the most durable---but there is no question that the Langlitz jacket is the prototype and stands, despite its unlooked-for associations, as an American classic."

STATESMAN-JOURNAL (March 6, 1988)

"Some people might be intimidated by a tattooed biker dressed in black leather and riding a KSS Velocette motorcycle."

"But to Jackie Hansen, it was Dad."

"'I thought everyone's dad had a wooden leg and tattoos,' she said. 'It wasn't until I went to school in Texas that I realized how famous my father was.'"

THE OREGONIAN (October 26, 1989)

"The Portland-based Langlitz shop has handcrafted jackets and other items since 1947, earning a loyal following that includes motorcyclists and celebrities."

....and....

"'There isn't anyone in the world who makes motorcycle leathers the way they do,' declared 49-year-old Barry Clune, who became a customer in 1965 while in Toronto. He went on to live and work in Europe, Washington, New York and Southern California before settling in Portland. 'Ross was a very meticulous man. I don't want to say stubborn, but a stickler for detail, and he just didn't have any patience with doing shortcuts if it meant sacrificing quality. In this country, people are not used to quality. They're more concerned with price.'"

PEOPLE (May 7, 1990)

"Ross started to tinker. He designed cuffs with zippers, made the sleeves and back longer to accommodate a biker's reach and replaced the straight front zipper with a weather-resistant diagonal. He also chose a leather heavy enough to protect shoulders and elbows when a biker hits the pavement. Little did he know that the jacket he designed, which he called 'Columbia' and sold for $38.50, was to revolutionize the motorcycle jacket market. 'Nowadays there is such a status thing with Harleys and leathers, says Hell's Angel Robert Sandy, whose own red-and-white death's-head patch adorns a custom-made Langlitz vest, 'but for quality workmanship and a fit that's right for riding a motorcycle, not just walking around on the street, it's Langlitz.'"

....and....

"As John Hartung, owner of a Portland vintage-clothing store and 20 Langlitz jackets, says, 'It's one of the few delayed gratifications left.'"

ALL THE RAGE (1992 Time/Life Books)

"Such imagery mattered little to serious cyclists, who tended to be less villainous than simply cold and wet. For them, Langlitz Leathers represented comfort and safety. Never one to compromise quality, Langlitz found it a struggle from the beginning to keep pace with the flood of orders."

HACK'd (Spring 1994)

"Langlitz Leathers are designed to meet the needs of the serious rider. Since they're not in the leather fashion business, their jackets and pants have changed little over the years."

VQ (Summer 1995)

"Like most riders, I've tried on every jacket I could get my hands on over the years and nothing has yet matched the built-in fit and finish of the Langlitz."

SMART MONEY (October 1995)

"One of Langlitz's customers was browsing in a leather shop one day while a salesman was trying to sell a 'fashion motorcycle jacket' to another customer. Recognizing the Columbia jacket on the Langlitz man, the salesman taunted, 'What's so great about that coat that it should cost $300 more than this one?'"

"The Langlitz man removed his jacket, threw it on the floor and put his foot on the shoulder. He grabbed the sleeve with both hands and pulled with all his weight. Nothing happened."

"He then threw the salesman's jacket on the floor, assumed the same position and ripped the sleeve right off the jacket."

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (November 22, 1996)

"The Rolls-Royce Of Leather Jackets Is Hard to Come By"

....and....

"Quality is the biggest concern. Going slow enables Langlitz to fit each order to its buyer."

LOS ANGELES TIMES (January 2, 1997)

"Langlitz, arguably the finest leather jacket in the world, is no longer the leather of choice for just hard-core riders committed to a tough hide that will save their skin on long trips. In recent years, orders have erupted from all over the planet---20% of the shipments go to Japan, a large number to northern Europe---and a lot of them come from artists, lawyers, stockbrokers, anybody who looks in his wallet and finds $800 and looks inside his soul and finds a rebel."

....and....

"No one bumps into you when you wear a Langlitz jacket. You know, I wear this thing, and everyone else gets kind of umphed around [at rock concerts], but in a Langlitz, you end up with a 1-inch reserve around your body. Like the aura around the jacket literally keeps people away."

....and....

"These days, true motorcyclists, who remember the late Ross Langlitz as a savvy rider who lost a leg racing at the age of 18, tend to argue a lot about whether a synthetic riding suit like an Aerostitch isn't better for long-distance cruising, or whether a Vanson isn't a more practical alternative. But when it comes to which brand conveys cool, the bickering ends."

"'If you really want to be cool, you cough up the big bucks and buy a Langlitz. It is a status symbol. It sets you apart as a serious biker,' explains John Hafen, a fighter pilot turned software consultant, and a longtime motorcyclist, from Bellevue, Wash."

....and....

"'They do business the old-fashioned way', says BMW rider Shannon Kelley of Newberg, Ore. 'They deliver a quality product in the time frame promised, stand behind their work. They only make a set number of garments a day. No more, no less. They do not work Saturdays.'"

ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE (September 1997)

"In the casual lexicon of the world's premier maker of custom leather motorcycle jackets, 'just another customer' could mean a movie start, a rocker such as Neil Young, a company CEO or even a regular biker. They arrive from all points of the glove to buy a Langlitz."

....and....

"Indeed, the embarrassing fit of some mass-produced jackets has stamped Langlitz with a reputation as the perfect fitting garment---a jacket so precisely tailored, it suits each rider's style and bike."

"While measuring tape flies up, down and around his chiseled frame, Carsen Linker---an emergency medical technician and Langlitz customer---reflects on the leathers that neither fame nor bribe will hasten from the cutting room."

"'I've wanted a set of Langlitz for as long as I've been riding,' he says. 'They're simply the best in the world.'"

MOTORCYCLE MANIA (1998 Universe Publishing)

"The Columbia jacket, a classic that has stood the test of time. Ross Langlitz's design---an evolution from the less practical leather jackets available to bikers in the 1940s---has become an industry standard."

AMBASSADOR (September 1998)

"Langlitz 'was a perfectionist,' David Hansen says of his father-in-law. 'There were jacket companies before us, but they tended to shoot for the bottom of the market. Ross' idea was to make the best.'"

AMERICAN WAY (May 1999)

"Washington County, Oregon Sheriff's Office corporal Gil Gregg can't recall what make of car knocked him off his motorcycle. It was red. He remembers that. And he remembers sailing through the air, ricocheting off a pickup truck, and skittering across a fair portion of pavement.

Fortunately for Gregg, he was wearing a Langlitz. The leather jackets are standard issue for motor officers across much of Oregon. He walked away from the accident and, a few days later, paid a visit to Langlitz Leathers in Portland.

'I thanked them for putting together a product that kept my hide intact,' he says. 'If I hadn't been wearing that jacket, I would have gotten torn up pretty good. I'd rather give up my bulletproof vest than my Langlitz.'

If Gregg's allegiance to a simple jacket makes you wonder whether he was wearing his helmet when he hit the pavement, then know this: A Langlitz is not simply a jacket. It is the finest leather motorcycle jacket in the world. In fact, so well-built is a Langlitz that no fewer than two customers claim their jackets have stopped bullets."

MAXIM (May 1999)

"When the blue-hair in the Buick runs the red, you know there's no way to avoid broadsiding her on your hog. While skidding toward the unavoidable impact, you think, Thank God for my Langlitz, the finest motorcycle jacket ever made."

VME NEWS (May/June 1999)

"I bought my Langlitz Leathers jacket and pants in 1992, and although it took me a year to save up the money for them, I've never been disappointed."

....and....

"Recently, I had surgery that demanded that my Langlitz Leathers pants be customized. Dave Hansen, president of Langlitz, did this job for free, too. Many people think that Langlitz Leathers are too expensive, but the custom tailoring and extra service that they provide can not be beat by anyone."

SUNSET MAGAZINE (November 1999)

"To the uninitiated, slipping inside a Langlitz custom motorcycle jacket is like finding yourself at the controls of an F-15. you sense you may have placed yourself in a situation that is more than you can handle."

....and....

"Ross Langlitz did not invent the motorcycle jacket, but he honed it to perfection as a garment that could withstand open highways at 75 mph."

VQ (December 1999)

"Ross founded Langlitz Leathers in 1947, and became a pioneer in the concept of specialized motorcycle gear. A perfectionist, Langlitz started with a classic design and didn't change it much, which explains why his family-run factory is still cranking out leather in portland, Oregon."

MOTORCYCLE JACKETS: A Century of Leather Design (2000 by Rin Tanaka)

"Langlitz Leathers in Portland, Oregon has the reputation of making the 'best' motorcycle leathers in the world."

WILD RIDE (2000 TV Books)

"Ross Langlitz is widely credited with making the first real leather motorcycle jacket."

MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS (June 2000)

"Langlitz Leathers Kudos"

"I've never written to a magazine before but a recent experience has made me feel it necessary to do so. Over a year ago I placed my name on the waiting list for a Langlitz leather coat. I was quite nervous about getting the fit right (I'm 6'7") when order a coat by mail. Dave Hansen of Langlitz assured me that the fit would be exactly as I wanted or they'd make me another coat. At the time I was skeptical of this (the coat was an unusual custom size and expensive) but I went ahead and ordered."

"When the coat arrived, it was a testament to quality. I did notice that it seemed to fit a little short in the body and had an option (which I requested) that I did not like. In all other aspects the coat was perfect and I wore it for several weeks in the hope that I could adjust. In an e-mail to Dave I thanked him for the coat but mentioned my two problems. Feeling the problems were of my own creation (my wife took the measurements and I had asked for the option), I asked if I could pay to have the problems fixed. Immediately Dave e-mailed back, refused any payment, and asked me to return the coat and let him make another one for me. I was stunned! I even phoned Dave to ask if he was sure he wanted to do this. Dave was as friendly as ever and insisted I return the coat. I did so, and two weeks later I had an exact replacement for my first coat that now was a perfect fit! On top of this, I chose to leave the problem option off this new coat and received a check reimbursing me for deleting the option."

"This kind of service, a desire to make customers happy no matter what, and making products of the highest quality is almost non-existent nowadays and deserves mention. The coats are expensive but their quality and the service that comes with them make them a great value." Robert Jones

PORTLAND TRIBUNE (June 22, 2001)

"Langlitz's credo, that quality matters more than quantity, still reigns."

....and....

"'These leathers are serious, this isn't for poseurs,' Butler says. 'They're fitted so they fit right when you're riding.'"

....and....

"Owners say it's easy to recognize a Langlitz garment, although they don't carry any exterior labels. Some Langlitz wearers go further, they even boast that the company's leathers provide a kind of invisible armor, invoking instant respect in the toughest bars."

THUNDER PRESS (September 2001)

"From the very start, founder Ross Langlitz always placed quality above quantity. Today the company continues to resist any temptation to expand or be lured into mass production."

....and....

"But if some customers want to come in the modest shop with the hushed reverence of pilgrims entering a virtual motorhead mecca, well, that's all right too. The family has helped out by casually displaying one of Ross Langlitz's bikes together with early examples of his jacket designs. Hung high on the walls, amidst many pictures of Ross racing and riding through the years, these black leathers seem to form stations along a path of secular devotion. But whether a true believer or not in the mystical quality of a Langlitz jacket, most visitors appreciate that the display chronicles some 50 years of perfecting an American icon. They know too that each new jacket embodies the spirit of innovator Ross Langlitz. A family tradition continues."

ROBB REPORT (May 2002)

"Part armor, part swagger, Langlitz riding jackets are 100 percent cool."

ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE (February 2003)

"But what they lack in volume, they make up in quality. 'They fit right. They're cut right. And the quality of the leather is just absolutely beautiful,' says Hess, who is still an active rider.

That's the kind of remark that makes Hansen stay committed to Ross Langlitz's original vision for creating a world-class product without compromise."

BORN TO BE WILD (2003 Simon & Schuster)

"For guidance about bikewear, we went to the creme de la creme of jacket makers: Langlitz Leathers, which operates out of a small Division Street shop in Portland, Oregon. It was at Langlitz that the motorcycle jacket was, if not invented, at least refined into the classic hybrid of style and utility that it is today."

MOTORCYCLE JACKETS: Ultimate Biker's Fashion (2003 by Rin Tanaka)

"Needless to say, Langlitz Leathers has achieved the enviable reputation as the 'King of the Motorcycle Jacket." And as can be expected, their prices are commensurate with their reputation. But that doesn't prevent bikers from around the world going the extra mile to obtain a genuine 'Langlitz'"

REUTERS (August 16, 2003)

"While Langlitz makes stock for its inventory, many garments are customized for consumers who order online or travel halfway around the globe to its store in Portland, Oregon."

PRIVATE CLUBS (July/August 2003)

"If you've got the bike and the swagger, you gotta have a Langlitz."