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Anyone know anything about Kudu hide?

Davy Crockett

A-List Customer
Messages
368
Location
UK
Aero has some trial HWM's in Kudu hide can anyone tel me anything about this hide (appearance,touch,durability etc').
 

garzo

One of the Regulars
Messages
259
Location
Berlin
I've never seen Kudu leather up close up but those jackets look fantastic. If you like the rugged worn-in vintage look, you can't go wrong. The hides look really abused by the animal's wild life in the bush, complete with bug bites, scratches and probably even the occasional lion claw mark.
 

mattp

One of the Regulars
Messages
161
Location
Australia
Man, those jackets look amazing, if there was one in my size there's be a big red SOLD on it by now! Looks like there's a bit more natural pigment variation, almost like freckling over the front of the jacket. Here's hoping they add it to the list as an option in the future. I'd be interested to hear about the characteristics of the hide from anyone who's handled it, in terms of thickness, stiffness, durability also.
 
Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
When I was at Aero last November, Wills's son showed me one great hides. And Van's buffalo got me really hankering for something off the beaten path. Luckily, the A-1 has given me that for now.
I'd say go for it. Since 2012 is the end of the world, go out in style! lol
 

Sillyrib

Familiar Face
Messages
56
Location
Chicago
kudu

I have kudu alden indys. I believe it is cowhide tanned at horweens. It is dyed darker and has a matte finish. It is slightly stiff with no noticable grain to the hide. this is for shoe leather which may be different from the jacket leather.
 

Tony B

One of the Regulars
Messages
207
Location
Dorset
I was talking with Will at aero last year and he mentioned the stuff , I had never heard of it so asked him what it was like and as it was an antelope i asked him if it was like deer and he just laughed and said "hhmmm yeah a deer that has had a really hard life might not be a bad way to describe it"....like garzo guessed Will said it showed the signs of being an animal that had lived in the bush with lots of insect bites and trees with big thorns.
 

garzo

One of the Regulars
Messages
259
Location
Berlin
Unfortunately it sounds like Aero won't be offering any more kudu-skin jackets any time soon.
 

Davy Crockett

A-List Customer
Messages
368
Location
UK
Garzo,
Do you have any inside information? 'cause it says on the jackets for sale notes that they are considering putting them into full production.

D
 

garzo

One of the Regulars
Messages
259
Location
Berlin
I asked. Aero says they won't be offering any more Kudu jackets in other sizes since they used all they had for those two jackets.

It's a real shame and I certainly hope they get more of that hide in the future, although I imagine it would be difficult to get a regular stock -- it's not like kudus are as abundant as cows and horses.
 

Davy Crockett

A-List Customer
Messages
368
Location
UK
Good to know! I believe they have an annual Kudu cull so maybe they will try to get a stock of this hide, judging by how quickly they sold the samples I think there would be good sales on these, although it may be intermittent with hide supplies coinciding with the cull!

D
 

mattp

One of the Regulars
Messages
161
Location
Australia
I saw a sample of Kudu today at Iron Heart headquarters in Gosport (Aero dealer), and I was disappointed to be honest. It's a nice leather to touch, quite soft and pliable but still quite tough, but it looked average. It was certainly an interesting piece of leather, and knowing it was kudu it would have a certain cool factor in a jacket, but it was so variable with full spectrum of brown to white and to the uninitiated it would look like a cheap jacket from the 80's I suspect. It kind of reminded me of stonewashed denim. It didn't look a lot like the jackets on the Aero website, so maybe the hides are pretty variable.
Sad but true. At least it will save me some money should Aero ever add it to their line-up.
 

Sillyrib

Familiar Face
Messages
56
Location
Chicago
fyi

With the continued popularity of our Alden Ultimate Indy Boots, we present to you our latest version, the Kudu Ultimate Indy. Horween’s kudu leather is essentially heavily oiled and hand treated calfskin, done in the same procedure as shell cordovan. Thicker and more dense than the norm, kudu is definitely a rugged and everlasting leather, perfect for our Ultimate Indy Boots.

Although you may think these are very similar to our standard Ultimate Indys, a closer look will reveal the oiled leather and a different shade of brown. Our Ultimate Indy Boots are made with Horween Brown Cromexcel leather, which has a slight mahogany tone versus these, which are a true dark brown.

maybe there are 2 kudus? who knows? The jacket on the aero site says antelope. Its a pretty roughed up looking leather with a varied uneven grain.
 
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Messages
10,181
Location
Pasadena, CA
Last night, we were watching "Midnight In Paris" and there's a line that made me laugh. The Kathy Bates character says to "Gil" in regards to Hemingway:

"Adriana has left Pablo, and has flown to Africa with Hemingway.

I knew that I had an obsession with that bully!

We talked about all this!I'm sure that she'll come back very devoted.

Muy devoto. Oh, he took her hunting kudu, but she'll be back to him."
 
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