Heaviest leather jacket?

[Harris HTM]

My Danish Englishman friend introduced me to a German leather jacket maker. They sent me an email that they are planning to make my jacket from 4.5mm steerhide.

Keep us informed and please post photo's when ready.
Really interesting project also regarding logistics: can a 4.5mm thick hide actually be bended/folded so it fits a standard shipping box? My thickest leather boots have a thickness of around 2mm and when new it was impossible to bend.
Can you also name the jacket maker, just out of curiosity?

 

[Guppy]

My Danish Englishman friend introduced me to a German leather jacket maker. They sent me an email that they are planning to make my jacket from 4.5mm steerhide.

That's about as thick as my heaviest belt, which is 17oz., or about 0.25" thick. I can't imagine a jacket that thick being flexible enough to move in.

 

[Arrandale]

Keep us informed and please post photo's when ready.
Really interesting project also regarding logistics: can a 4.5mm thick hide actually be bended/folded so it fits a standard shipping box? My thickest leather boots have a thickness of around 2mm and when new it was impossible to bend.
Can you also name the jacket maker, just out of curiosity?

 

[Arrandale]

Wildfangdesign.
A few weeks ago I asked them if they can make the jacket from 4.0mm thick saddle leather. My idea was turned down. They said the leather will crack.
I realized that they are professionals and I’m an amateur so I decided to shut up and stop asking stupid questions.

 

[Will Zach]

Yeah, most of my belts are 4mm, and I think if you wanted to make a jacket out of 4mm leather you'd have to connect the panels with some kind of hinges..., not stitching.

 

[Hh121]

Just wear two 2mm jacket at same time.

 

[Canuck Panda]

I also think a 2mm outer shell with a 2mm zip out vest would work. Its still 4mm jacket, but in theory should be wearable and doable. Maybe airy hides like deer will further help to keep it light(er) while still super thick. The zip out vest can have leather lined pockets for more leather thickness too. Like wearing a leather barbour shell with a leather shooting vest zipped inside...

 

[Arrandale]

You are right. 2 + 2 = 4. But you know, a foolish geek like me prefer 4mm thick leather even it might be unwearable.

 

[Canuck Panda]

You are right. 2 + 2 = 4. But you know, a foolish geek like me prefer 4mm thick leather even it might be unwearable.

Good man! Then it shall be done.

All I know is that for the 4mm thickness, the only leathers available are the bridle and harness leathers. Wickett & Craig and Hermann Oak are the only two tanneries I know that produce these leathers. You’re looking at 10 to 11oz double shoulder leather. The other thing is that these leather are fully veg tanned, so they will be very stiff. Equestrians break in their saddles and tacks by using gallons of Hydrophane, so it’s possible to get them to a barely wearable state. To sew them together would require saddle stitching. So either the jacket maker can subcontract it to a saddle stitcher or a saddle maker has pattern skills. This is all I know. In theory it is very possible. Godspeed!

 

[Arrandale]

Thank you for the valuable information. The German craftsman seems to be having a hard time searching for the tannery. I will provide the information you gave me.

 

[Canuck Panda]

After doing some more researching, the actual horse saddles seems to be made with thinner 6 to 7oz leather, and only the straps are made with the 10oz+ stuff. So essentially your bull hide jacket from Johnson could have been as thick as it can go already.
How are you storing your Johnson bullhide jacket? Hanging or flat? The hanger needs to be screw locked and not those injection molded ones.
Anyways I hope your jacket maker finds a way to do it. 10oz or 4mm. It’d be interesting to see how they sew the seams. Would they skive it down then folded it or just overlap and double/triple straight stitch Like how belt buckles are finished.

 

[Arrandale]

I have a very large heavy hanger made of oak wood. I wrapped a towel on both ends to keep the width of the shoulders of the jacket.

 

[Will Zach]

One of the options might be a moose hide. Indigenous people of Canada as well as some commercial tanneries in Scandinavia tan moose hides, and if not skived, the hide might be 4 mm thick, or more. The upside is that moose hide is soft and flexible, so the jacket actually might be wearable.

 

[Arrandale]

Is moose hide durable as steerhide or bullhide?

 

[Will Zach]

I think it will be similar to deerhide, which, because it is softer, will have less abrasion resistance. But at 4mm, that won't matter much.

 

[Arrandale]

Keep us informed and please post photo's when ready.
Really interesting project also regarding logistics: can a 4.5mm thick hide actually be bended/folded so it fits a standard shipping box? My thickest leather boots have a thickness of around 2mm and when new it was impossible to bend.
Can you also name the jacket maker, just out of curiosity?

Wildfangdesign told me they are after 4.5mm thick steerhide. If they succeeded in making a jacket with this leather, I’m afraid it will be something like a medieval leather armor. I wonder how they will make the sleeves.