Five Star Leather Jackets

[ton312]

This was their response:

Thanks for your email - we appreciate your concern regarding this matter,
please note that we use the same leather Buffalo on the Entire Jacket, i will send you the reference images of Buffalo skin shortly even the grain of above images is Buffalo leather,

I am not convinced that they mixed Buffalo and goat after all. From what I understand they may have mixed top grain with full grain though.

LOL, I'm not surprised by their reply. This is what I'd expect tbh. In the end it's for the best as the environmental impact of these jackets, having them remade, etc is most certainly not worth it. Ask Shawn to send you some goat samples with your next order.

 

[KBlake]

LOL, I'm not surprised by their reply. This is what I'd expect tbh. In the end it's for the best as the environmental impact of these jackets, having them remade, etc is most certainly not worth it. Ask Shawn to send you some goat samples with your next order.

I’ve owned their goat. I agree it looks like goat but I also notice that parts of the same piece look like goat while other parts do not. Look at these photos here and you will see what I mean.

 

[Marc mndt]

From what I understand they may have mixed top grain with full grain though.

Note the visible pores, both the sleeve and the cuff panels are top grain at best.

 

[ton312]

I’ve owned their goat. I agree it looks like goat but I also notice that parts of the same piece look like goat while other parts do not. Look at these photos here and you will see what I mean. View attachment 626051 View attachment 626052

Plot twist, the Buffalo is actually just embossed goat. I wouldn't have been so skeptical if they had'nt done this very thing on my winchester jacket. I was going to blast them here for it but figured it wasn't worth it. I think I have scrubbed my phone of any 5 Star but maybe I can find a pic. I always stripped and dyed the jackets so it was crystal clear.

 

[KBlake]

Plot twist, the Buffalo is actually just embossed goat. I wouldn't have been so skeptical if they had'nt done this very thing on my winchester jacket. I was going to blast them here for it but figured it wasn't worth it. I think I have scrubbed my phone of any 5 Star but maybe I can find a pic. I always stripped and dyed the jackets so it was crystal clear.

For $300 I’m happy with it.

 

[MrProper]

For $300 I’m happy with it.

That's the main thing.
Personally, I find it unsatisfactory when people don't play with open cards. If I know that the leather is from animal x at price y, then I can make a conscious decision. If I buy animal x but get animal z, then I feel like I've been taken for a ride.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Visible haircell usually means a bit of spot sanding to get rid of the small imperfection to get more square footage out of the hide, advertised as top grain leather. But for the 5* price I wouldn't expect Horween level quality (full grain with some unusable square footage due to natural leather characteristic) either. Two sides of Horween leather from Chicago's Tannery Row weekly special is $300, regular price is almost double, and it will barely make one medium sized jacket.
Goatskin grain is totally different than bovine. Under magnification, goatskin actually looks like little squiggly shapes crammed like office workers crammed in a Japanese subway. Goatskins are usually smaller and cleaner so there is no need for "topgrain", and mostly are all full grain. But then it also limits the design. If you want a bigger jacket/coat made out of goatskin you've gotta put some joining seams somewhere. This is where horsehide and bovine beats goatskin, but then they would also cost a lot more... Nothing is perfect...

Edited, my poor choice of words...

5* crystal goat

Aero goat

Johnson goat

 

[KBlake]

That's the main thing.
Personally, I find it unsatisfactory when people don't play with open cards. If I know that the leather is from animal x at price y, then I can make a conscious decision. If I buy animal x but get animal z, then I feel like I've been taken for a ride.

I don’t think they used a different animal, though. The price for Buffalo and goat is the same.

 

[blood_e]

crystal goat looks very nice. do they have that still?

 

[klorel]

I don’t think they used a different animal, though. The price for Buffalo and goat is the same.

As a general principle, I do not see why one should bother much about which animal if the product itself (that is the jacket/leather) is OK. I would say that the quality of the tanning is clearly more important than the animal. But there is a good question: how someone without access to a lab can accurately distinguish between goat leather, buffalo leather, cow leather and horse leather?

 

[spectre6000]

Leather under a microscope

Last weekend, I promised that I'd make this thread pursuant to some comments in the Ask a Question thread. I was sick and it was snowy, so I figured I had the time. Turns out, I was sicker than I realized, so I apologize for the delay. At any rate, here is the promised thread. Various leathers...

www.thefedoralounge.com

Working on it. Pores seem to be emerging as a tell. Visible by eye or with a magnifying glass if your eyes aren't the greatest.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Sri Lanka buffalo hides used in really expensive jackets also has more than 1 hair cell, not as much as the 5* one but also not in the same price bracket.

The Camera on my iphone 13 is more than good enough to capture the details of the leather, damn you 5* thread for making me go find hair cell on my jacket... I guess if I am always out looking for faults, however insignificant they are, I'd find them at 505% magnification...

 

[spectre6000]

I guess if I am always out looking for faults, however insignificant they are, I'd find them at 505% magnification...

This is how I feel about a lot of this thread.