Eastman house version leather thickness

[Spitfire40]

Hello fellow loungers,
I recently ordered an Eastman A-2 “House Version” and when I received it, the workmanship was very good but I was underwhelmed by the leather itself. It is very thin. Thinner than even my wife’s lambskin jacket from Wilson’s. The leather in the chest area is thinner than the leather in the sleeves. Is this typical?
Considering I have heard so much praise about this brand here and elsewhere, I’m now wondering if I received a one off bad copy. I’m still within the 7 day return period.


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[Psant25]

I had one and sold it. Also was not a huge fan. Many love it. I am sure it is that way for a reason being close to the originals, but I am no expert

 

[El Marro]

I have an ELMC horsehide G-1 and I really love the leather although it is probably the thinnest of any jacket I own. The graininess, and slightly slick smooth hand won me over from the moment I took it out of the box. If you are feeling underwhelmed or unhappy with this jacket I agree with the others that you should send it back while you can. I have never handled the Eastman house A2 so I cannot comment on it. I wonder if the original makers series are made with nicer leather since they seem to be highly regarded by everyone who owns one.

 

[nick123]

Yes, it's typical. Eastman uses 2-2.5oz leather that is noted to be closer in thickness to original A-2s. And the mismatching is also typical. I wouldn't worry, but if you're unhappy, send it back.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Like the others have said, if you aren't happy, send it back. I'd email Rob at Eastman and ask him about the leather. He's always been great at answering questions for me.

I really like the vegetable tanned stuff they use on their ELMC range but I don't know if its the same as their house leather...

 

[seres]

Yes, it's typical. Eastman uses 2-2.5oz leather that is noted to be closer in thickness to original A-2s. And the mismatching is also typical. I wouldn't worry, but if you're unhappy, send it back.

It is natural for leather to vary in thickness in different parts of the jacket. I had the Eastman A-2 "house" version, and it averaged about 2.5 oz. My Eastman Star varies from 2.0 to 2.25 oz. Some A-2 manufacturers use a thicker leather, but if it is stiff, it will not drape as the originals did. I wouldn't worry.

 

[Thuggee]

Like the others have said, if you aren't happy, send it back. I'd email Rob at Eastman and ask him about the leather. He's always been great at answering questions for me.

I really like the vegetable tanned stuff they use on their ELMC range but I don't know if its the same as their house leather...

My House A2 seemed to be the same leather used in both my ELMC Californians, amazing stuff if you ask me can’t imagine these jackets being as good with thicker heavier leather to be honest


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[Spitfire40]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I looked at another Eastman over the weekend and it’s similar to mine. So, I’ve decided to keep this one.
I live in Texas and this lighter weight leather is actually going to be more practical and wearable for better part of the year here. My wife seems to dig this jacket on me as well.
I’ll probably have one made in russet by aero sometime later this year, probably in a heavier hide later this year. Which would be the way to go: thier jerky, goat or Vicenza? Do you guys know what’s the weight of their goatskin?


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[seres]

Keeping in mind that leathers vary from hide to hide…

I have an Aero Leather jacket in the Seal Goatskin, and the leather averages about 3.0 ounces. This Seal Goatskin is the nicest Goat I’ve ever seen. But I don’t know how that compares to their Russet Goat (but the Russet does look nice!)

The Aero Leather Vicenza averages about 2.75 ounces, in Russet, Seal, and Dark Seal. It’s a very consistent hide. Initially the Vicenza will seem stiffer than the Goat, but it works very well on an A-2.

 

[bn1966]

My current ELC Monarch & previous RW A-2 are very light weight jackets compared to some, which is one of the things I love about them & means lots of wear in the UK climate. My ELC Ostmann on the other hand is a very heavy jacket & only comes out in the Fall / Winter.

 

[Spitfire40]

Keeping in mind that leathers vary from hide to hide…

I have an Aero Leather jacket in the Seal Goatskin, and the leather averages about 3.0 ounces. This Seal Goatskin is the nicest Goat I’ve ever seen. But I don’t know how that compares to their Russet Goat (but the Russet does look nice!)

The Aero Leather Vicenza averages about 2.75 ounces, in Russet, Seal, and Dark Seal. It’s a very consistent hide. Initially the Vicenza will seem stiffer than the Goat, but it works very well on an A-2.

Thanks Seres, does the Aero goat patina and/or show wear at all? The reason I want my next jacket to be goat is because I want one jacket to look uniform & retain the color so that I can wear it to the office & be sharp as I'm sure my ELC A-2 will patina in time. I've read elsewhere in the forum that the veg tanned goat wears out quite fast.

 

[Spitfire40]

My current ELC Monarch & previous RW A-2 are very light weight jackets compared to some, which is one of the things I love about them & means lots of wear in the UK climate. My ELC Ostmann on the other hand is a very heavy jacket & only comes out in the Fall / Winter.

This is exactly why I decided to keep my ELC House A-2 finally after initial doubts. I live in warm Texas and this lightweight jacket is actually working well in the North Texan spring.

 

[seres]

...does the Aero goat patina and/or show wear at all?...

So much depends on the conditions of use... wet, rough, etc. In general, Goat shows less wear over time that HH or Cow. I've had my Goatskin jacket about 6 months, and it looks new. But in 6 months the HH ones tend to show small scratches and slight discoloration at wear points. I guess that's "patina".

 

[Big J]

@Spitfire40,
My Aero M442a is goat. I've worn it regularly and treated it bad for 3 winters, and it still looks almost brand new. Originals don't have much patina, so I'm not bothered, but I have seen photos of originals and Aero reproductions with loads of patina, but I don't have a clue how that was achieved. It's a mystery.

 

[Edward]

Thanks Seres, does the Aero goat patina and/or show wear at all? The reason I want my next jacket to be goat is because I want one jacket to look uniform & retain the color so that I can wear it to the office & be sharp as I'm sure my ELC A-2 will patina in time. I've read elsewhere in the forum that the veg tanned goat wears out quite fast.

I've owned anAero A2and anAN6552 in seal goat. They break in wonderfully, imo - I wouldn't say they still looked 'new', but the hide softens and breaks in naturally without, in my experience, losing uniformity of colour. For this reason, I actually found I wore my Aero goat A2 far more than an ELC in horse, which, while nice, 'patina'ed' rather too much for my liking. Certainly to an etent where it looked all sorts of wrong with collar and tie - the way I often like to wear a leather.

In terms of hide weight, the very light ELC goat is closer to most of the originals, though I personally prefer the slightly (not much in it, but perceptible) heavier goat Aero use. I don't think the ELC stuff will be unduy fragile, though - I have owned avery light goat Wested Indy, and it proved surprisingly resilient, despite my initial reservations.