Reviewed By Richard “Too Low” Haas

From the Publisher Motorbooks, MBI Publishing

Pinstriping is the signature art of Kustom Kulture,and the purest expression of a customizer's style. Pinstripe Planet, authored by one of the art's most respected practitioners, is a photographic and textual celebration of this unique decorative art form, a genuine instance of motor-Americana now making its mark around the globe. A historical and visual overview of pinstriping culture, the book takes readers into all the great shops - from Circle City Hot Rods and Baron Speed Shop to Romance of Rust and The Paintbox - and right into the action as a variety of rides ranging from hot rods and lowriders to old-school choppers and bobbers are striped up. Today's influential contemporaries are featured, such as Art Schilling, Jimmy C, Steve Chazyeka, and Herb Martinez in the United States; Tom Plate, John Leeson and Neil Meillard in Europe; Makoto Kobayashi in Japan; and Simon Watts in Australia.

Review: By Richard “Too Low” Haas  

When I had just graduated from high school and headed out on my own, I moved to Los Angeles. One of the first things I did in L.A. ( like a lot of young men who ended up in Southern Cal.) was search out the George Barris Kustom Shop. The second thing on my list was to find out where Dean Jeffries worked.

Dean Jeffries was the first of my “idols”. When all the other guys wanted to be just like Elvis or James Dean, I wanted to be Dean Jeffries. The man’s use of colors, his “panel painting” technique, his pin striping, all were incredible, and besides that he looked cool!

“Pinstripe Planet” includes a section on Dean Jeffries, as well as writing up most of the big name pin stripers that ever put a brush in the “One Shot” paint. It includes a brief history of pin striping in general and a history of each of the big names, including their biggest influences, with some fabulous photos of them and their pin striping. And since most pin stripe artists do not confine their work strictly to pin striping, you’ll see some fine examples of their flames, scallops, and lots of “Big Daddy” Ed Roth “Rat Finks”.

Not only does it cover all the big names from the U.S., but it also includes a section on European pin strippers (these guys will stripe anything doesn’t move!), Japanese stripers and Australian pin stripers.

There is also a glossary of terms used in pin striping, a bibliography of other books pertaining to striping, and a list of web sites for most of the artists featured in the book.

All in all, whether you are just getting acquainted with pin striping, or wouldn’t think of owning a rod without some, this is a must have book. 

-Richard “Too Low” Haas

Photos From Book