Jerky Horse

[Seb Lucas]

Did a search on this but didn't quite find the right answers.

How does jerky horse wear and is it a lighter hide than FQHH?

I am also concerned that it might be surface painted which might wear off in ugly patches.

What's the truth about this hide?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The only jerky horse that I have is an A2 weight Aero. It has no 'heavy' painted on finish..but does have a lighter colored undercoat that will show through with wear. Not a stark contrast,however...but gives it a very nice burnished appearance in a short while. I'm assuming the outer dye is evenly sprayed on. Seems to wear with a quite natural look. Mine is russet. Not sure how a darker brown would do. I'm assuming it would have a darker base coat that would also show more blended wear rather than an ugly contrast.
HD

 

[gtdean48]

My jerky HH cafe racer is much lighter than my FQHH 50's HB...not even close...

 

[majormajor]

I've upped this before, so my apologies, but this is midweight Jerky FQHH.

An excellent hide - lighter than the really heavy stuff, but seems (to me) to be a touch heavier than the A2 stuff. Surface is perfectly solid - no odd coatings on there

 

[DiamondDave]

Gents....another misnomer here...ALL Horsehide is FQHH! Front Quarter was a name used in the past in an attempt to make it sound special. All HH's are actually the front 3/4 of the horse, from the rump forward to the neck and some leg. Oft times these are delivered to us as "splits", which are split at the spine, but many times we get "whole hides" depending on the tannery and what is ordered.

Just thought I would clear this up.
DD

 

[coloradorider]

Gents....another misnomer here...ALL Horsehide is FQHH! Front Quarter was a name used in the past in an attempt to make it sound special. All HH's are actually the front 3/4 of the horse, from the rump forward to the neck and some leg. Oft times these are delivered to us as "splits", which are split at the spine, but many times we get "whole hides" depending on the tannery and what is ordered.

Just thought I would clear this up.
DD

There's pictures of what you're talking about at Horween's site - here.

 

[Windward]

AERO jerky seal brown FQHH....

yes, an excellent hide - and yes - much lighter than the heavy FQHH ... after wearing in the rain / under the shower - yeah its buttery soft ... love it!

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like a great option for me. Cheers.

 

[schitzo]

but Seb, what style of jacket is it that you're eyeing up in jerky horse?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Not sure yet. Probably a new half-belt. But wanting something less fitted. Still pondering.

 

[rocketeer]

Gents....another misnomer here...ALL Horsehide is FQHH! Front Quarter was a name used in the past in an attempt to make it sound special. All HH's are actually the front 3/4 of the horse, from the rump forward to the neck and some leg. Oft times these are delivered to us as "splits", which are split at the spine, but many times we get "whole hides" depending on the tannery and what is ordered.

Just thought I would clear this up.
DD

Showing my ignorance, I always thought it was the front part of the horse including the sides up to the back legs. So thanks for that bit of info
Now then, whats this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50s-Vtg-FRONT-QUARTER-STEER-HIDE-Black-Leather-Police-Motorcycle-Jacket-Sz-40-/261216321737?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd1b4c0c9
Is there such a thing or is the seller just trying to confuse buyers with a dodgy description thinking they are getting front quarter horse?
Johnny Tee

 

[pipvh]

Looks more like the original maker trying to big-up plain old steerhide. Presumably the principle is the same though, so perhaps not actually wrong?

 

[Dav]

I've been thinking of ordering a jacket in the jerky seal HH for some time now, I think this pic has finally persuaded me to go for it!

 

[Windward]

Nick - I can tell you it won't be too long to achieve these look and the best ... all without artificial treatment.

 

[Plumbline]

I had a LONG conversation with Skip and Nick Horween about this .... and NEITHER of them HAD EVER HEARD OF "JERKY" HORSE. In fact, I was asked to give the Aero description. Their view was the more traditional tanners view re. quarters, sides, shells and splits ..... the word "Jerky" was a new one to them.

Only a portion of the Horsehide that goes into jackets is actually "Front Quarter" ... in fact about a quarter of it .... typically the Aero order is sides ( which include the front Quarter) ... I have seen it being produced, being put into boxes and shipped from Horween. I imagine the rest will also get the same ... sides or full hides. Other suppliers may vary ... but of the three horsehide suppliers / producers I have visited neither of them knew what "Jerky" Horsehide was !!!!!!

From what I have seen "jerky" is a jacket manufaturer term for lighter weight horsehide ( including Chromexcel) ... I used to have an Aero "Jerky" horsehide Highwayman ( they were selling them cheap @ 2005 ) and it was just a touch lighter than my Heavy FQHH Highwayman ... and a little easier to break in.

 

[ButteMT61]

All the HH jackets I've owned from different tanneries have pieces that are thinner and very grainy/wrinkly. I imagine a "Jerky" jacket is one made with mostly those pieces. I think it's just "where" it comes from on the hides. I can take some shots of the pieces on my Shinki Ventura hide to show it.Probably indeed a marketing term... but it always makes me hungry when I see it lol

 

[Jonst]

Windward, thanks for the great photos. Do you have any shots of the whole jacket? Thanks, Jon

 

[DiamondDave]

I had a LONG conversation with Skip and Nick Horween about this .... and NEITHER of them HAD EVER HEARD OF "JERKY" HORSE. In fact, I was asked to give the Aero description. Their view was the more traditional tanners view re. quarters, sides, shells and splits ..... the word "Jerky" was a new one to them.

Only a portion of the Horsehide that goes into jackets is actually "Front Quarter" ... in fact about a quarter of it .... typically the Aero order is sides ( which include the front Quarter) ... I have seen it being produced, being put into boxes and shipped from Horween. I imagine the rest will also get the same ... sides or full hides. Other suppliers may vary ... but of the three horsehide suppliers / producers I have visited neither of them knew what "Jerky" Horsehide was !!!!!!

From what I have seen "jerky" is a jacket manufaturer term for lighter weight horsehide ( including Chromexcel) ... I used to have an Aero "Jerky" horsehide Highwayman ( they were selling them cheap @ 2005 ) and it was just a touch lighter than my Heavy FQHH Highwayman ... and a little easier to break in.

Good to know...I will start throwing away the rest of the hide
From behind the front leg...or ya know NOT! LOL!

This is of course what the tanners and jacket makers want
You to believe, but I am here to tell you that NO one-pieced
Back was ever made from just the front piece of a HH....all stop!
It is just not possible!
DD

 

[ButteMT61]

Here's some pics of the stuff I mentioned above. I love this stuff, and it's thinner than the rest - my Aero's are like that too in smaller places that don't matter. It's actually very neat.

 

[frussell]

Plumbline, Butte, my thoughts exactly regarding "jerky." It's another way of saying "wrinkled bits." We've seen lots of posts on here for a few years with someone asking about a particular patch on their jacket, or sleeve that they thought was graining up different, or "dry," that just seems like what Aero calls Jerky. My Teamster has one shoulder that is very stiff, and the other shoulder is most definitely "jerky," even though they are one piece of the same hide. It's all in what part of the horse it comes from. Too bad the pieces I used to get for tooling leather called "horse butts" were always too small to make anything other than short belts or spur straps, because that was some dense, tough stuff. It came in narrow strips, best in the center. I have to think it would have made excellent jackets, but they would have been many-paneled. You gotta love the spin of taking a potential negative and making it a whole separate category. Personally, I'd love a whole jacket in jerky, as I like the random way it marbles and grains up as it ages. Waiting for the rest of a jacket to catch up to the "jerky" parts is another matter. Frank