Axel's Deerskin Jacket

Designed as a recreation of Axel's own deerskin jacket, Robert Comstock's aptly named Axel's Deerskin Jacket is exclusive to our collection. Naturally tanned wild Austrian buckskin. Blanket-stitching. Unvarnished cool. 

• Austrian buckskin leather, featherweight lining
• Four horn-button front
• Hand blanket-stitching along seams and edges
• Two exterior pockets
• Two interior pockets
• Fit is true to size
• Model is 6'4", 194 lbs, lean build. Measurements: 41" chest, 32" waist. Wearing size: M (50)
• Made in Italy

When Axel Senior asked me to bring back one of my iconic styles, he did so because of a very personal backstory.

Born into Norwegian aristocracy, yet carrying an unmistakable American Western ease, Axel lived with his family in Vail, Colorado.  Wearing the Robert Comstock jacket while in Florence, his personal style caught the attention of British GQ fashion editors, who dedicated an entire editorial page to the man and the jacket.

When Axel asked me to resurrect the coat, I did so out of friendship and respect. I also promised to name it "The Axel" and make it forever exclusive to Axel’s.  

I chose the supplest skins available: whitetail deer harvested by hunters for their meat in America’s Northeast. The hides, valued as by-products, are traditionally tanned in Gloversville, New York. For more than twenty years, the garment has been crafted start-to-finish in Vicenza, Italy.

From my original sketch, the pattern maker created a hard-paper pattern, followed by a cloth prototype to refine balance and fit.  Each hide is carefully matched for natural color, hand-cut into aligned panels, and sewn into a singular, cohesive garment. Every special-edition piece is constructed by one artisan, start to finish, and hand-signed by me.

The labor-intensive blanket stitching on the placket, collar, pockets, and cuffs is done stitch by stitch. It is a quiet detail, but one that gives the jacket its soul.

We strongly recommend that you never professionally clean this jacket. Time, sunlight, and your own personal experiences will shape a patina entirely your own. Like a trusted pair of boots, the more it is worn, the more it becomes part of you.

This garment is intended to be an heirloom — passed from one generation to the next.

— Robert Comstock