Man that things real nice.
I've actually been into vintage clothing for many years and used to have a number of jackets from the 40's through the 50's. The only one I have left now is an old A1 style from the 50's.
Schott makes some really great products and you get what you pay for - they last a long time. Horsehide is nice and thick and takes a good deal of time to properly break in.
My recommendation to you would be to find some good thrift stores and vintage stores near you and find one from the 50's or early 60's.
Hercules was a company owned by sears, Schott made jackets back then, Buco made nice jackets, Penny's also did. A quick google search will show you the sort of labels you should look for inside, and of course it will be marked with a Quarterhorse Hide or Horsehide label. Almost all the companies back then used Talon for their zippers, which will clearly be marked.
You can honestly find a real legitimate jacket from back in the day for a quarter of what you're paying for that new Schott, and its already stood the test of time, plus it'll be nice and broken in.
I recommend doing some recon on ebay, but not buying anything off of it as the fittings might be a little more strange than you expected. Also, the jackets go for astronomical prices because of the vintage clothing exports to japan.
So if you have some good vintage stores, flea markets, antique shows, etc., stop by and see what they've got. Getting a really nice old jacket is like finding a deal on a great old bike. If you have patience and wait, the perfect one for you will come along.
There's my two cents.
-Seth
