Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Is a jacket with thicker leather warmer than one with thinner?

Vespizzare

A-List Customer
Messages
445
Location
Santa Monica, CA
Have you contacted Johnson Leathers? They have a good selection of 3 to 3.5 oz. leather they use in their motor officer jackets. The leather is supple and pretty much broken in out of the box. One of the linings (Thinsulate type) they will put in for you is relatively thin, but yet is warm. I can't imagine you would need anything more than that as you are in Santa Monica. I got a 3.5 oz. jacket with that liner for street wear as I like a heavier jacket for the motorcycle. I liked it so much, I got one of their very heavy jackets for the motor.

Be advised, though, that the jackets are built for guys in good physical shape with a V type body, and they are fitted pretty tightly.

I'm probably a "weather wimp." Southern California can do that to you. Anyway, when it gets much around 60 (and right now it's 54), I'm cold. It's one thing when you're walking around, but sitting on a bike and going 40mph or whatever can get cold. I'm retired now and pretty much use my Vespa to get around the area. I could (and do) layer, already have nanopuff (from Zappo's and still expensive), and strictly speaking don't need this jacket. But i'd just like to have a nice warm jacket with a mouton collar to wear sometimes when it's cold, sometimes on the bike. I dunno, maybe when I was a kid I had one like that and am feeding some deep unconsicous psychological need.

P.S. Can you describe any problems you may have had with the Chromexel stain rubbing off on things.
P.P.S. It's funny, when I got my first jacket from JL, I thought I'd hardly ever use my Vanson Teton again. But it's armored, can cover a wide range of temperatures, and it's still my go-to jacket for riding.
 
Last edited:

Philalethes

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Southern New Jersey, on a Farm
I will agree with the others who said here that heavier leathers are warmer (compare heavy HH to goat or thin suede), but no leather will keep you very warm by itself once the temperatures drop.

As a side note, my oil pull HH does not get very stiff when it gets cold - though I will only wear leather out on cold days (below, say, 40F) if I layer well and will be very active. Otherwise, it is time for heavy wool.

If you are worried about a particular leather's color rubbing off, here is what I did: ask for samples from the batch to be used on your coat. Grab a white washcloth and rub away. See what happens. I posted the results of my experiment somewhere here: some of Aero's HH color rubbed off, and some did not. I went with one that did not.

Philalethes
 

Vespizzare

A-List Customer
Messages
445
Location
Santa Monica, CA
I will agree with the others who said here that heavier leathers are warmer (compare heavy HH to goat or thin suede), but no leather will keep you very warm by itself once the temperatures drop.

As a side note, my oil pull HH does not get very stiff when it gets cold - though I will only wear leather out on cold days (below, say, 40F) if I layer well and will be very active. Otherwise, it is time for heavy wool.

If you are worried about a particular leather's color rubbing off, here is what I did: ask for samples from the batch to be used on your coat. Grab a white washcloth and rub away. See what happens. I posted the results of my experiment somewhere here: some of Aero's HH color rubbed off, and some did not. I went with one that did not.

Philalethes

I've definitely been rubbing and testing. It definitely rubs off. more with hard pressure and very light colors. I'm wondering, real world, if I can't just avoid rubbing it on very light fabric because it really isn't a problem unless there's a fair amount of pressure.
 

Peacoat

*
Bartender
Messages
6,449
Location
South of Nashville
P.S. Can you describe any problems you may have had with the Chromexel stain rubbing off on things.

Ves, never had any problem with dye rubbing off of my jackets on to other objects. Maybe I've just been lucky, but it has never been a problem. Several years back there was a discussion about the Aero cordovan "bleeding," but my Aero cordovan has been colorfast.
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,109
Location
UK
My combination since the 1980's:

IMG_0247.jpg IMG_0269.jpg
 
Last edited:

ForestForTheTrees

One of the Regulars
Messages
293
Location
Pacific Northwest
Ves, It was in the 20's here today and I was out and about in the my JL halfbelt with the wool lining.

jlFrontLarge01_zpsecccf008.jpg

jlHalfBeltLiningLarge01_zpseefa7a43.jpg


I was plenty warm with the jacket and a thick wool sweater on underneath. The leather is only 3.0 oz., but the lining is what makes all of the difference. Highly recommended.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,140
Messages
3,074,941
Members
54,121
Latest member
Yoshi_87
Top