Do all leather jackets distress the same?

[westinghouse]

I was looking through the racks of leather jackets at the stores and saw some nice cowhide jackets with a pebble grain look, sort of like an American football. I was wondering if these jackets will show age and wear characteristics over the years similar to horsehide. Or will they age like lambskin or goatskin and stay smooth?

Do all leathers age the same?

 

[Bonneville]

I was looking through the racks of leather jackets at the stores and saw some nice cowhide jackets with a pebble grain look, sort of like an American football. I was wondering if these jackets will show age and wear characteristics over the years similar to horsehide. Or will they age like lambskin or goatskin and stay smooth?

Do all leathers age the same?

Don't quote me on this but I do believe a pronounced "pebble grain" often means that the leather has had it's grain (surface) sanded off and that pebble grain texture pressed into it (normally due to the leather's relatively poorer quality to begin with).
I suspect alot of it has to do with how it was dyed; drum dyed usually means dyed right through, cheaper methods are sprayed on pigments which eventually show white/grey in heavily worn spots (cuffs, elbows etc.)
In short, leather that hasn't been "surface corrected" will age (character/patina) much better than "corrected grain" leather.

(For those more knowledgeable in leather please do correct any of the above if I'm off base here.)

 

[Dav]

Hi
I do own one of those cheap pebble grained leather 3/4 length coats, I've had it for about 5 years but it wasn't new when I got it. Apart from a few scratches which reveal a light grey underneath it has no sign of age what so ever.
When I read about Griffdelagriff's and Han Solo's goat hide aeros which also apparantly haven't aged much I thought it might be of better quality than I thought (wishfull thinking) but no, it dosen't look like it will ever develop any patina at all.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Yes leathers or different hides distress differently. And even the same leather can distress differently, depending on the climate and what's done to it and how it was processed. In general, goat and horse wear toughest, but depending on the dye process, the colour chosen and the tanning itself, the same types of hide can differ very much from each other as they wear.

As for pebble or grain - it may be real grain/pebble or stamped during a process. Hides can be treated to create an effect.

It often takes an expert to tell what is what.

It's one of those questions like, "Do all cars last as long?"

 

[Edward]

I believe goat 'ages' the least over time. Those much more expert than I will be able to confirm this, but as far as I am aware, the pebbled grain is characteristic of goatskin. Later USN G1s made from cowhide (when the spec was changed from goatskin only) had the grain stamped onto them to give them the goat look. I don't think that automatically means that it was cheaper hide that was used, but it has been used to give cheaper hide the look of something more expensive.

 

[Peacoat]

Edward is spot on about the later issue G-1 jackets as well as the fact that goat ages the least of all common hides. I have a mid 60s G-1 in goat, obviously, and it shows little, if any, wear although it has seen a lot of use.