Leather Quality and Properties

[ykurtz]

There have been a lot of threads lately around leather quality and its attributes, as well as topics around tanning, full vs top grain, et al. I found this link on StyleForum which has a wealth of objective information culled together by people with an interest in these and related topics.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/354137/leather-quality-and-properties

Probably more information than most would care to know, but potentially interesting and edifying to others.

 

[Monitor]

Still have tons of pages to go through but so far I've learned more about leather in one night than in years I've spent looking online. Though, the 'ignorance is a bliss' phrase comes to mind right now... Nonetheless, excellent thread, thank you for sharing!

And yes, I am sitting in a pile of jackets, checking for wrinkles...

 

[ykurtz]

Still have tons of pages to go through but so far I've learned more about leather in one night than in years I've spent looking online. Though, the 'ignorance is a bliss' phrase comes to mind right now... Nonetheless, excellent thread, thank you for sharing!

And yes, I am sitting in a pile of jackets, checking for wrinkles...

It's like getting educated about wine. You start with 'red wine goes with beef; white wine goes with fish' and then find yourself slipping and falling into the rabbit hole....

 

[thor]

The days of merely choosing "black or brown" or "goatskin, cowhide or horsehide" for a leather jacket purchase are long gone. Now it's all about tanning processes, dying techniques, thickness in mm, weight in ounces per square yard, top vs full grain and which quadrant of the hide and which breed/species of a specific animal your leather comes from.

 

[tmitchell59]

The days of merely choosing "black or brown" or "goatskin, cowhide or horsehide" for a leather jacket purchase are long gone. Now it's all about tanning processes, dying techniques, thickness in mm, weight in ounces per square yard, top vs full grain and which quadrant of the hide and which breed/species of a specific animal your leather comes from.

Well said.

 

[rocketeer]

I have been buying Aero for over 30 years now, plus a few Eastmans and some modern 'Power Ranger' bike gear along the way, but I have never weighed a jacket, enquired about hide thicknesses or tanning methods etc etc. I am pleased with all these jackets and whats more all of these items of clothing, including the modern bike gear will probably outlive me.

 

[ykurtz]

I have been buying Aero for over 30 years now, plus a few Eastmans and some modern 'Power Ranger' bike gear along the way, but I have never weighed a jacket, enquired about hide thicknesses or tanning methods etc etc. I am pleased with all these jackets and whats more all of these items of clothing, including the modern bike gear will probably outlive me.

I think that's ultimately the healthiest approach. Amen, sir.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Yeah, for me it's like that old saying about art, "don't know nothing about it but I know what I like". I don't want to become a leather geek.

 

[Bunyip]

Great thread. Very informative....

 

[thor]

AL has 18 different choices of leather for their Roadhouse model jacket; Aero has 7 different colors/types of FQHH for the Highwayman, plus a heavy steerhide and mid-weight HH option. Once you ask yourself "what's the difference?" you open Pandora's Box! That's where TFL becomes invaluable as a reference tool.

 

[hpalapdog]

The video link on page 1 from Grenson shoes was interesting. I've got some Grenson Chelsea boots made of fine calf. Note the one piece upper, most boots like these have an additional side seam. They have been making footwear since 1866.

I remembered at the time of purchase bewilderment at why UK buyers were getting the equivalent Australian RM Williams which were more expensive.
The UK market place is a bit strange like that. Lots of companies beavering away making quality stuff that is more appreciated in export markets.
Talking of which, why do Aero still import shearling from the States when there appear to better suppliers at home ?

 

[scrawlysteve]

Nice boots --and more handsome calf than the ones I saw at RM Williams recently.

 

[rocketeer]

Great looking boots, not seen these for sale in the uk myself. Buying something like this is to me always something I would want to try on if possible. I loved the RM Williams, yes they are expensive but I could try on lots of different styles without having to return any(A Hume, Kelso Scotland)

 

[ykurtz]

AL has 18 different choices of leather for their Roadhouse model jacket; Aero has 7 different colors/types of FQHH for the Highwayman, plus a heavy steerhide and mid-weight HH option. Once you ask yourself "what's the difference?" you open Pandora's Box! That's where TFL becomes invaluable as a reference tool.

Pandora's box was lined with leather. Pretty sure it was brain tanned black FQHH.

 

[hpalapdog]

There have been a lot of threads lately around leather quality and its attributes, as well as topics around tanning, full vs top grain, et al. I found this link on StyleForum which has a wealth of objective information culled together by people with an interest in these and related topics.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/354137/leather-quality-and-properties

Probably more information than most would care to know, but potentially interesting and edifying to others.

I've been working my way through the thread. Certainly learned a few things about shoe leather and some useful links for UK based leather suppliers.

Crockett and Jones make nice chelsea boots. In general I'd rate them a bit above Grenson quality wise.

Nice making of video here (make sure you watch it full screen HD) Warning this may damage your wallet

http://www.crockettandjones.com/inthemaking

 

[Seb Lucas]

In terms of footwear, I don't get the RM Williams thing. They are made here but you almost never see an Australian actually wearing them. They are ridiculously expensive and, from my experience, are not robust and wear out very quickly. Much better to get a pair of Blundstones for $60.

 

[Fanch]

As far as I can determine, Alden of New England makes the finest shoes in the US, maybe the entire planet.
http://www.aldenshoe.com/DrawStandards.aspx?PageID=5

 

[ykurtz]

In terms of footwear, I don't get the RM Williams thing. They are made here but you almost never see an Australian actually wearing them. They are ridiculously expensive and, from my experience, are not robust and wear out very quickly. Much better to get a pair of Blundstones for $60.

I own a pair of chestnut RM Williams. I like the fact that they're wholecuts, and come with a chiseled toe (as an option). I only wear them once or twice a month, so I can't speak to the wear and tear, but they appear comparatively well made...albeit not as good as my M.L. Leddy's.

 

[Grayland]

In terms of footwear, I don't get the RM Williams thing. They are made here but you almost never see an Australian actually wearing them. They are ridiculously expensive and, from my experience, are not robust and wear out very quickly. Much better to get a pair of Blundstones for $60.

I have a pair of each. I paid about $135 for the Blundstones and about $200 for the RM Williams (when the exchange rate really worked in my favor). The RMW are the Craftsman model which is much dressier than the Blunnies. I do understand that RMW makes several more heavy-duty boots, but I wear mine in more of a dress boot type setting. Not suits, but everything else. I would imagine the soles of those would wear out pretty quickly if I wore them as my main footwear - and that does seem to go against the RMW rugged image that the ads suggest.

The Blunnies seem pretty durable and they are fairly comfortable - but are pretty ugly. I still like them and this is my second pair, but sleek they ain't.

 

[ykurtz]

...Blunnies seem pretty durable and they are fairly comfortable - but are pretty ugly. I still like them and this is my second pair, but sleek they ain't.

You can get RM Williams with the brass screwed soles. The sleekness is pretty impressive. Here's an RM Williams boot with a brass screwed sole (left) versus a John Lobb Goodyear Welted sole (right). Note the difference in lip jutting: