Horse Hide 2.5 oz or Naked Cowhide 3 oz?

[Seb Lucas]

Hi,

I'm having a cafe racer jacket made but I can't decide between the two leathers. Any views as to what would be tougher/better? I don't ride, so overall thickness isn't a safety issue, just a question of quality.

Was 2.5 oz horse used in any of the classic 1940's-50's half-belts? Is it on the "too thin" side?

The 2.5 oz horse is from the Horween tannery, just wondering if anyone else uses that thickness.

I imagine the naked cow would weigh more.


Cheers - Seb

 

[pjstrass]

horse vs. naked

horse is pretty water resistent ..naked is not...horse is less fragile and eventually more character...and takes longer to break in ..naked has no break in....horse probably easier to treat with protectant ..you have to be more careful with the naked....tougher seeming horse vs. more luxurious feeling naked....you will likely feel more protective of the naked and more take it anywhere do anything to it with the horse....

 

[apba1166]

I think pjstrass sums it up just right. Except I do go anywhere, do anything with a naked I have...so it grays out a bit here and there and weathers a bit, but I don't care, I like the heft and feel. If you want to try to keep it deep black, however, there is a treatment from Fox Creek that helps...

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I agree with pjstrass
I have a few friends that I ride with that have naked cowhide jackets...but heavier than 3oz.
2.5 oz HH falls into the A2 relm. I think most A2 makers now use a thickness usuallly around 3 oz on their repros. In my view.. many origional A2s leaned more toward 2.5. After owning/handling quite a few vintage utility type jackets..I would suggest that 3 oz + was more the standard. Not near as heavy as Aero's FQHH as the norm...but quite heavier than an A2.
HD

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks for responding guys, interesting - I need to think some more about this choice. I have a naked cow blazer in 3oz and it is soft and wonderful leather and certainly water resistant as I have been out in the rain with it many times with no ill effects.

 

[Tony B]

Not taking the mickey but down where you are would kangaroo not an affordable option, tough as old boots and not too thick and heavy.

It is rare as hens teeth here ,the most common use being falconry gloves, but I would imagine in your part of the world it would be more available. Looks good "naked" or at least minimally finished as well.

Deer is a fantasic leather as well if you can afford it and in the darker colours the dirt issue wouldn't be such a problem especially if you have it leather side out.

 

[dortiz]

After owning both I could never see buying cowhide over HH again.

 

[fedoralover]

Also not mentioned yet is the resale value of the horse will be far greater than the cow if you ever decide to get rid of it.

fedoralover

 

[Pegasus jackets]

Hi Seb,

Having handled my share of vintage jackets, I would say that 2.5oz is a bit on the thin side for horsehide. 2.5oz could be anywhere from 0.8-1.0mm in thickness. Most vintage jackets tend to be between 3-3.5oz. If you don't ride, I guess it would be fine in terms of protection for a "mid-season" jacket (and I guess summer is not too far away in Australia) but it is a consideration in the overall look and feel not to mention the "hand" of the leather jacket.
Another consideration (and maybe even more important than the weight) is the tanning meathod and finish. There is chrome tanned, vegetable tanned, and combination tanned and within these there is "pull up" and "normal" depending on the oil content and then there is corrected or natural grain. All have their own attributes and effect the way the leather moves, looks, and feels. Be sure to ask about this before ordering your jacket. If the leather is from Horween, try to get the name of the particular leather and post it here. I can give more input then.

Hope this helps.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hi Seb,

Having handled my share of vintage jackets, I would say that 2.5oz is a bit on the thin side for horsehide. 2.5oz could be anywhere from 0.8-1.0mm in thickness. Most vintage jackets tend to be between 3-3.5oz. If you don't ride, I guess it would be fine in terms of protection for a "mid-season" jacket (and I guess summer is not too far away in Australia) but it is a consideration in the overall look and feel not to mention the "hand" of the leather jacket.
Another consideration (and maybe even more important than the weight) is the tanning meathod and finish. There is chrome tanned, vegetable tanned, and combination tanned and within these there is "pull up" and "normal" depending on the oil content and then there is corrected or natural grain. All have their own attributes and effect the way the leather moves, looks, and feels. Be sure to ask about this before ordering your jacket. If the leather is from Horween, try to get the name of the particular leather and post it here. I can give more input then.

Hope this helps.

Good advice. Thankyou.

Kangaroo leather? Almost impossible to get here these days. It's mostly exported and the few jacket makers left here don;t tend to use it these days. I had a kangaroo jacket. It took 15 years to break in - very stiff and unpleasant.

 

[Tony B]

Cant get kangaroo leather in Oz.........I think I know the fella who has most of it, he makes falconry gloves and few years ago I was in his shed playing with some of his stache of leather which was almost all roo skin and he offered me one, which I had no use for at the time. It was a nice soft leather and it was roo, he buys veg tanned and in an order he got a chrome tanned hide which was so soft it was useless for his purposes so you can get soft roo but as you said it is probably more available over here than over there.

Having felt the veg tanned stuff if that is what you had a jacket made of I don't know how you ever managed to wear it in the first place let alone managed to ever break it in.

Sending you a PM