Jin431
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,912
- Location
- Bay Area CA
It depends on a lot more than just which maker. There are of course the variations between oil tanned and pigmented hides.
Also, I have been told by more than one source that Freewheelers finish the hides themselves, so of course that makes them quite different than anything Himel or Field Leathers gets.
There also seems to be a sort of hierarchy to choice of Shinki hides. Flat Head tends to take the thickest hides available, then I would imagine the Japanese brands get next choice after that. My guess is that Greg does not have as much choice as others do. I think he gets his Shinki from some other supplier. That doesn't mean he can't get great Shinki and that doesn't mean you can't prefer what he has to what the Japanese makers use. It's just that they get more choice in getting exactly what they want.
Greg seems to be able to get some pretty grainy Shinki though while Freewheelers and RMC seem to prefer smoother hides in my experience.
Last I checked, Himel got his Shinki through John Chapman as John was the go to guy in North America for Shinki. If that's true, Himel's and John's shinki would probably be similar, but maybe that's not the case anymore. Would be worth confirming that. My Good Wear jacket I had for a short period was Shinki and was very dull. My least favorite Shinki hide ever, but I've seen examples of Shinki jackets from Good Wear that look nice.
My personal favorite Shinki horsehide examples I've handled are my Freewheelers Caboose, RMC A2, and Himel Cossack jacket. So I have ones I loved from Japanese makers and from a Western maker.
Thanks for sharing. Nice to have someone in the know especially regarding these sought after hides.