Aero leather choices/options (End of 2022)

[semolina_pilchard]

Thanks. Yeah I have a Hooch Hauler in Kelpie and that's as thick as I would want to go in that style. Will keep an eye on the thread to see what you find out.

 

[TartuWolf]

@Edward
I think there's several sides to this question. One is the batch the Aero would use for the jacket from existing ones. Another one is having a hide skived down (on the flesh side) to a specific thickness requested by a customer.
Either way the hide will have variation, but there should also be a certain tolerance, especially from reputable jacket makers.
Full grain refers to the finishing (or lack of) on the top side of the leather. In terms of thickness it is skived down on the flesh side like any other leather.

 

[TartuWolf]

Thanks. Yeah I have a Hooch Hauler in Kelpie and that's as thick as I would want to go in that style. Will keep an eye on the thread to see what you find out.

Have you posted / reviewed it? If so, please give me a link, would like to see it. Mainly I've seen @Canuck Panda 's CR in green Kelpie. Also @3.14nche s gorgeous Ridley

 

[Edward]

@Edward
I think there's several sides to this question. One is the batch the Aero would use for the jacket from existing ones. Another one is having a hide skived down (on the flesh side) to a specific thickness requested by a customer.
Either way the hide will have variation, but there should also be a certain tolerance, especially from reputable jacket makers.
Full grain refers to the finishing (or lack of) on the top side of the leather. In terms of thickness it is skived down on the flesh side like any other leather.

Tolerances definitely - though I doubt anyone will ever be able to get it as exact as folks in these parts would often like! I would expect there always to be some level of variation with an organic product. Be interesting to hear from a tannery on this re variations and what sort of tolerances they can hit.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I feel kinda bad for talking about 1.1mm CXL FQHH now. Horsehides are natural material. They will have variance from batch to batch. Once the hides leave the tannery, the only thing that the jacket makers can do is cut them and sew them. And since the horse fronts are basically bi product of the shell business, there isn't much incentive for the tannery to overwork them. So everyone, basically gets what they get, when they get. The maker can return the hides, but that just means the next maker will pick them up or they end up on the retail market and I pick them up.

My only advise is to just wait for the next available batch that fits your requirement.

 

[3.14nche]

Have you posted / reviewed it? If so, please give me a link, would like to see it. Mainly I've seen @Canuck Panda 's CR in green Kelpie. Also @3.14nche s gorgeous Ridley

I was just wearing the Ridley today, here's how it's evolving.
Not a lot of daylight these days so today's pictures are a lot warmer.

 

[TartuWolf]

Hey folks, fun update from my side.
As there was a big delay in getting my Aero samples I asked about them again and they sent them out again.
Now I received the second set of samples and oh boy am I surprised.
The differences in the same leather can be quite huge sample by sample.
Here's how it looks and what I think about it.

Tumbled brown CXLFQQ
Rather similar texture, but rather different shade of brown. Right one is darker and smoother, slightly more reflective.
Not a big difference.

Brown CXL FQHH
This is the one that shocked me most.
Look at how gorgeous and full of depth in terms of color the right one is and how comparatively dull the left one is.
Also left one has almost no pull up, while the right one has beautiful pull up.
Otherwise both are similar smoothness and reflectiveness.
I'm definitely requesting the one on the right.
Crazy..

Badalassi black steerhide
Quite a big difference here as well.
Left one has a way more reflective and I would even say plasticky feeling top coat compared to the right one.
Left is also more smooth in general and has more of the stretch/striation type marks/grain that I prefer.
Right one has more typical grain and is a little less smooth.

Natural CXL FQHH
Not much difference, slightly different shade of tan.

Brown Kelpie HH
Another one with very noticeable difference in all aspects.
Firstly the colors are very different as you see. Left has more browns and blacks while right has more of a cordovan type shade going on.
Secondly from the scratches you see that the flesh side is lighter one the left while being more reddish on the right.
Lastly left one has much looser grain / texture while right one has the very tight grain and texture which I would associate more with horsehide.
I much prefer the right one for the cordovan shade and the tight grain.

Fascinating!

 

[Marc mndt]

The differences in the same leather can be quite huge sample by sample.

This is why I don't ask for swatches anymore. The only exception being when I want to know about general characteristics of some leather.

I'm definitely requesting the one on the right.

I don't think it works that way. I think they'll let you choose between grainy or smooth but that's it.

 

[TartuWolf]

This is why I don't ask for swatches anymore. The only exception being when I want to know about general characteristics of some leather.

I don't think it works that way. I think they'll let you choose between grainy or smooth but that's it.

Well, let's see, if I end up ordering from Aero I'll report on how flexible they were in terms of choosing not only the leather graininess, but the batch. I don't see why this should not be an option, especially seeing how different the leather can look between several batches.
For me the main question is whether there would be enough leather of the specific batch that I like to make a full jacket.

 

[MrProper]

Well, let's see, if I end up ordering from Aero I'll report on how flexible they were in terms of choosing not only the leather graininess, but the batch. I don't see why this should not be an option, especially seeing how different the leather can look between several batches.
For me the main question is whether there would be enough leather of the specific batch that I like to make a full jacket.

This will be precisely the point. Do they even have this batch when you are ready to order? That can change on a daily basis. If there are several options, they will also try to take them into account. I am confident about that. But you probably won't get a guarantee.

 

[Marc mndt]

I don't see why this should not be an option, especially seeing how different the leather can look between several batches.

It's not just differences between batches, even within a batch one hide will differ from another.

Also, how do you expect them to match a specific swatch? You'd have to send the swatch back to them.

 

[TartuWolf]

I don't expect them to match, but I'll send them a photo and explain "more like this than this please" and add details.
I have 0 expectations regarding how much they would accommodate my request, but let's see.
The main thing for me is the thickness - if they don't have thin / thinner CXL FQHH then I'm going for Kelpie most likely.
I asked them to send samples of the thinner CXL FQHH, but I have no idea from the swatches whether this is the thinner kind or not.

 

[sarevook]

I've just ordered jacket from them in brown CXL steer and in the same batch they had thicker and thinner leathers in 5 different shades of brown. If they cannot identify the exact piece the batch was cut from, it will be hard to communicate it back because of how colors differ on photos depending on the light and screen settings.

 

[Canuck Panda]

The makers aren't gonna cut the small color swatchs from the center /prime areas of the hide that's used for jackets. They will most likely selvage whatever the scrap that's leftover and send that out as swatchs. These are usually around the perimeter of the hide and is very different than the rest of the hide that actually gets used for jackets.

This is why I never ask for color swatch anymore. Unless I can see/feel the whole hide there is no point other than a keepsake or used for replacement zip pulls.

I've got a brown CXL steer highwayman coming this week. Either this friday or next monday. I will take some photos and post here. It's from the most recent batch so you can get an idea. I believe it was cut and sewn last week so quite recent.

My vote is still for CXL. Thick or thin. There was another thread where a CXL jacket drapes and fully broken in with oiling. I haven't had the luck of getting there. But I try.

 

[TartuWolf]

@Canuck Panda Looking forward to seeing your CXL steer highwayman My 5* should also come next week.

 

[Canuck Panda]

@Canuck Panda Looking forward to seeing your CXL steer highwayman My 5* should also come next week.

Black (permium) goat is Shawn's best leather. You can get them hot wax pressed to have that CXL look.

 

[TartuWolf]

Black (permium) goat is Shawn's best leather. You can get them hot wax pressed to have that CXL look.

Yup, that is exactly what I went for - black waxed premium 1.4mm goat. Even asked them to look for the stretch mark / striation type grain that I love seeing in black leather. He charged me a bit extra for that and said that they will have to go through 100+ hides and select ones that meet that request. Can't wait to see the result. And after this jacket I'll be very confident with what measurements I need where.

 

[TartuWolf]

I'll add this info to this thread as well as I find it quite interesting and informative in terms of leather education and current state of affairs in the world:
https://www.trumpler.com/fileadmin/.../news/LN-Guide_to_leather_making_COMPLETE.pdf

 

[Edward]

I'll add this info to this thread as well as I find it quite interesting and informative in terms of leather education and current state of affairs in the world:
https://www.trumpler.com/fileadmin/.../news/LN-Guide_to_leather_making_COMPLETE.pdf

Leather being - not always, but so often - a by-product of the meat industry that would otherwise be wasted has long been a big part of why I like it, on reflection. I like the idea that if we're going to take from nature, we don't waste anything and use all that we can. Goes for goathide as much - maybe moreso? than cowhide - although not as common in the UK / US, I believe on a global level goat is the most commonly eaten meat.

 

[TartuWolf]

@Edward
Yeah, but according to some other reports that I've read, which were more related to social attitudes towards leather, not that many people know that it is a by-product. A lot of people avoid leather and go for vegan alternatives because they think animals are killed specifically for leather.

Here is the Baltics eating goat mean is basically unheard of. Maybe in very poor rural farms.