How Many Hides to Make a Jacket?

[kronos77]

I have heard it takes 30-50 hides to make a leather jacket. Is this so? If it is, what the heck are they doing with all those hides? There is a front panel, back panel, sleeves and details. Where does all the leather go? Is the 30-50 number wrong?

 

[Monitor]

Nooo... I heard they make two to three jackets from one animal hide.

 

[casechopper]

To use 30-50 hides you'd need one of: terrible quality hides (where you can only use a very small amount of each), a very small animal from which you're taking the hides or an enormous jacket.

 

[kronos77]

See, that is what i asked the person. If it took 30-50 hides on average to find a few that were suitable. He said it was 30-50 hides used for one jacket. He himself makes clothing for reenactment groups so i thought he might know something. Seemed incredible to me.

 

[Bunyip]

30-50 ferret hides sounds about right? From memory when I asked a maker a few years ago, for a 48-50 possibly 2 hides? They might reject several hides with scars or inconsistent thickness etc in order to find the right quality, but 30-50 hides seems crazy?

 

[Monitor]

You could probably make 30-50 jackets like this from one hide.

 

[Sloan1874]

For my BR, I went through the skins with Murray - just to look at the grain - and if I remember, there was around 15. With goat, you go through a lot more, and god knows how many you need to make a kangaroo jacket. More panels = fewer skins.

 

[handymike]

30-50 square feet per jacket.

 

[Sloan1874]

Yeah, that sounds right.

 

[kronos77]

30-50 square feet per jacket.

Square feet is more like it. The guy who told me this was an Aspegers sufferer. They are usually dead on accurate with numbers. Not this time.

The only thing I can think of is it might take a few extra to perfectly match hides.

 

[pawineguy]

I can't come up with any more than 15 square feet or so of leather in one of my sized 42 jackets, would be more if it was long or had overlap like in an asymmetrical moto jacket. Obviously that wouldn't include any waste, and I'm sure that's substantial. Then it's a matter of whether you are talking goat, lamb, cow, horse, etc...

 

[mr_lits]

I keep coming up with roughly the same numbers. In between 15-20 sq ft depending on cut and size, plus waste.

 

[avique]

I recall a similar number being used in a Himel Brothers blog. I believe he indicated that it took between 30-45 sqft to construct a jacket depending on the length. I assume that this includes waste.

 

[nick123]

I used to know the number Alan at JL called for for a size 40 and it was something in the neighborhood of the above posters sq ft wise. No idea how many animals that is. Hopefully not too many.

 

[AdeeC]

I have read on the Aero website that they get more mileage out of their leather in their "real deal" A2's because they they can use unmatched and NQR pieces of leather. Making jackets with an expansive one piece back will also create more wastage. I imagine a Grizzly will use less leather because all the big bits are mouton and the arms are of only modest leather acreage. And if we look for Japanese perfection, that may waste even more than usual.

 

[Sloan1874]

You can just imagine Buzz Rickson's factory floor: "This skin looks as though it's owner had poor personal hygiene and a bad attitude." "Chuck it!"

 

[Dickie Teenie]

One cow hide averages 24 sq ft. 16-18 sq ft after the belly is cut off. Not sure how many jacket makers trim the belly off tho.