Five Star Leather Jackets

[red devil]

Really not convinced that deerskin at all - And if it is, it's heavily processed one.

This sums it up

 

[MrProper]

I asked Shawn about this and if I got it right ...
It is 100% real deerskin leather from Italy, but milled plated from 5*
If I understand it correct, then there is a difference between printed and plated.
I'll try it out anyway and make up my own mind about it.

 

[Jin431]

freaking awesome. perfect fit. been messing around with my Levis buffalo one, but don't think it'll ever look as good as this

Thanks man. It really fits well and comfy to wear. I do want another trucker in the future made from a different hide. Those Levi's/gap ones look cool as well

That looks fantastic! I've seen the other one and this one looks much better. I feel the same about the hand pockets, don't like them bulging out after a while.

Thanks, this is a properly sized one for sure. Agree but I won't do that for every jacket, maybe just for lighter weight ones that are not as stiff as some leather.

Jin 431 that jacket looks superb and the fit on is nailed..congratulations.

Zippered side pockets isn’t a bad shout...will keep valuables safe when needed.

My Trucker drops Friday, still waiting on vintage brass buttons I ordered through Etsy to arrive..going black and brass but love your all black stealth look...

Thanks man. Hope you get yours soon and complete the look. Really liked the zippers they used on this one, it's not so scratchy. I nearly went with a black and brass combo as well but that's how my old trucker looked so I went with black hardware this time.

Exceptionally well fitting trucker, @Jin431

Thanks man! I'll use your zippered design version for my next order in a different hide maybe HH.

What were the differences measurements wise between this and the first one? Trying to figure out things for my order.

Shoulders from 18 down to 17.5. Chest is the same at 20". Waist from 18.5 down to 17.5". Bottom hem the same at 18". The waist fit/feel is the biggest difference as it made the jacket look leaner.

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but are you sure that is deerksin?
It doesn't look like any deerskin i have seen before... Almost looks printed!

I was wondering about that, it reminded of that one RMC jacket. I've never handled/seen much of deeerskin aside from what I saw at the JL store. I hope it's deerskin but maybe is goatskin lol if it printed there's probably no way to tell anymore. I'll send an email to the 5* rep.

Isn't that what deerskin usually looks like... Pebbly and matte?

That's a nice hide!

Yeah, I dunno. When I zoom in on Jin's jacket I get the same feeling of the deeper, "porous" pebbling I associate with deerskin grain. Although it is very uniform in size and depth.

Yes, I double looked it up. It's very uniform grain, I think it has a finished top coat too because it repelled water well when I did the hot water treatment to shape the collar.

Even though deer are farmed, they are still much wilder than cows. And this shows in their hides that come with much more imperfections. Printing deerskin to hide these blemishes is quite common. So it might still be deer, but the printed version.

Got it, I'll confirm with Shawn at five star. That's a bummer if it's printed, I still quite like it to be honest but if it is printed I may not get another project from this specific hide.

 

[Jin431]

I asked Shawn about this and if I got it right ...
It is 100% real deerskin leather from Italy, but milled plated from 5*
If I understand it correct, then there is a difference between printed and plated.
I'll try it out anyway and make up my own mind about it.

Don't know what is the difference between the two process. I still like the leather even knowing that. It's still soft and drapey. I wonder if they also do the mill process for their goatskin

 

[Carlos840]

I asked Shawn about this and if I got it right ...
It is 100% real deerskin leather from Italy, but milled plated from 5*
If I understand it correct, then there is a difference between printed and plated.
I'll try it out anyway and make up my own mind about it.

What do you mean by "milled plated"?
A google of the term brings nothing, is it really what it is called or is it a translation problem?

 

[MrProper]

What do you mean by "milled plated"?
A google of the term brings nothing, is it really what it is called or is it a translation problem?

I have no idea. I was hoping you pros knew that lol
I could imagine that it means embossing?

 

[Carlos840]

I have no idea. I was hoping you pros knew that lol
I could imagine that it means embossing?

Actually, i found a definition:

"PLATING/ PLATED LEATHER –

The process of using a hot metal plate to press leather under high pressure, this is another way imperfections can be covered"

So this leather is definitely printed/corrected.

Also:

"Milled Leather

Milled Leather is the Surface Structure of the Hide.

The leather is during the production put into the milling machine where it is rotated, comparable to a large clothes dryer just with the absence of air and heat. Through the soft falling action the natural fine lines in the leather are intensified. The industry then speaks from "dinstinctive Milled Leather"."

So milling and plating are two different processes, i guess the leather is milled/tumbled for softness and then plated for grain... Definitely highly processed.

 

[Carlos840]

And from another website:

Plating: Plated LeatherPressing leather with a heated metal plate under high pressure. Most furniture leather is usually sanded, pigmented and plated to cover imperfections.

Milling: A process that produces suppleness in hides.

Printed Leather :Leather, bearing a surface pattern, produced usually by embossing, but sometimes by other methods, e.g. by silkscreen printing.

Source: http://www.hancockandmoore.com/resources/HM_LeatherGlossary.pdf

 

[jglf]

So it appears that plating and embossing are 2 different processes. Maybe plating removes imperfections by pressure and enhancing the natural grain using pressure. Kind of like how shrunken bison enhances/enlarges its natural grain? It doesn’t appear that plating presses a new artificial grain on the hide.

 

[Riu]

Don't know what is the difference between the two process. I still like the leather even knowing that. It's still soft and drapey. I wonder if they also do the mill process for their goatskin

The jacket looks great really! I was wondering about the goatskin too as it does seem quite even all around in pictures and I planned about ordering a Cafe Racer.

 

[Carlos840]

So it appears that plating and embossing are 2 different processes. Maybe plating removes imperfections by pressure and enhancing the natural grain using pressure. Kind of like how shrunken bison enhances/enlarges its natural grain? It doesn’t appear that plating presses a new artificial grain on the hide.

I don't think so, i think they are synonyms, plating is a form of embossing.
I think the plate is like what you would find on a printing press, a metal plate with a pattern etched into it.
They press it into the leather to emboss grain into it.
You don't enhance grain by pressing it with a blank plate, that's just not possible.

Here, you can see the process here, visible fake grain at 11 min and a bit:

And this chinese website sells the pressure steel plates with the grain etched into them.

https://www.senlong-molds.com/product_category/6707.html

 

[Carlos840]

Interresting pic too showing what happens when a folded piece of leather is embossed/plated:

 

[jglf]

We should probably ask Shawn which of his leathers aren’t plated or embossed. I’m hoping his veg tanned goatskin isn’t corrected.

I also wonder which other “premium” brand makers are using this type of leather? I’m pretty sure my Vanson comp jacket is made from top grain corrected leather. Not saying it’s less durable, just less natural.

I guess you have to look for full-grain aniline or semi aniline to be sure.

 

[Monitor]

We should probably ask Shawn which of his leathers aren’t plated or embossed. I’m hoping his veg tanned goatskin isn’t corrected.

I also wonder which other “premium” brand makers are using this type of leather? I’m pretty sure my Vanson comp jacket is made from top grain corrected leather. Not saying it’s less durable, just less natural.

I guess you have to look for full-grain aniline or semi aniline to be sure.

Vanson does, @dudewuttheheck's new RMC is printed though they say it's deliberately done this way to emulate a certain look and I'm pretty sure at least some of Vicenza is printed. Rest checks out. Schott included. I've never seen printed leather by them, except on Dur-O-Jac jackets which is a budget line, anyway.

 

[jglf]

Here’s a pic of my deerskin gloves. Grain definitely looks less pronounced than 5*’s.

 

[bn1966]

Have had a brief exchange with Shawn about the ‘Mill plating’, he said they use it on their Italian Deerskin to get the hide suppleness. Sounds like the trade off is the loss of natural grain disparity / variation.

 

[Monitor]

Here’s a pic of my deerskin gloves. Grain definitely looks less pronounced than 5*’s.

View attachment 304373

This is what deerskin texture looks like. I've had a whole number of deerskin items, each looked exactly like this. Waiting for a Japanese deer shirt to confirm this but yeah.

Have had a brief exchange with Shawn about the ‘Mill plating’, he said they use it on their Italian Deerskin to get the hide suppleness. Sounds like the trade off is the loss of natural grain disparity / variation.

Deerskin is softer than cow/horse from the get go. Not sure why they'd want it any more subtle. Thing is, ANY embossed or printed (or mill plated) leather, however you wanna call it, is very, very pliable. That's what hot-pressing an artificial texture does to it. I've never handled a printed leather that has been anything but supple.

My made in Italy deerskin gloves...

 

[ton312]

Vanson does, @dudewuttheheck's new RMC is printed though they say it's deliberately done this way to emulate a certain look and I'm pretty sure at least some of Vicenza is printed. Rest checks out. Schott included. I've never seen printed leather by them, except on Dur-O-Jac jackets which is a budget line, anyway.

I think the line of jackets Schott describes as “pebbled” are most definitely printed. They had a few. Pebbled CR and a pebbled CHP.

 

[ton312]

The jacket looks great really! I was wondering about the goatskin too as it does seem quite even all around in pictures and I planned about ordering a Cafe Racer.

I don’t believe the goatskin is printed. My jackets are all over the map with stretch marks, scars and bites. They all have some of these characteristics to a varying degree.

 

[MrProper]

this is what real deerskin looks like