One more, always one more...

[Imuricecreamman]

Seems like a situation where a girl becomes exceedingly more desirable and attractive when she tells you that you can't have her

 

[Monitor]

Pretty certain "lightweight" and "not chrome tanned" were words he did not want to hear. I can accept his disposition.

I respect that, actually. Literally nobody on this forum can tell chrome from veg tanned leather with any amount of certainty, so as a maker, I'd be a bit irked as well.

 

[Kuro]

I respect that, actually. Literally nobody on this forum can tell chrome from veg tanned leather with any amount of certainty, so as a maker, I'd be a bit irked as well.

I never intended to make anyone unhappy with my requests. Up until this point every single custom jacket maker I have talked to, or looked at online offered both forms of leather. I made the error of assuming everyone offered a variety of leathers.

 

[red devil]

It is actually quite funny, because I came into leather jackets from the other direction, I initially wanted chrome tanned leather because I thought it was a better fit for me. Didn't know much back then.

I remember asking Thedi leathers for chrome tanned leather and being told that they only work with veg tan leather. lol

Edit: Now, I dont worry too much about the leather as long as it is top end. With Thedi, I simply ask him to choose the leather.

 

[El Marro]

Right or wrong, it sounds like Stuart has pegged you for a difficult customer and decided to pass. I had a similar experience myself a few years ago with a different maker and I have to admit it stung a bit.
I would suggest that you turn your attention in a different direction. See what Thedi and Johnson Leathers have to offer you. After all, this is supposed to be fun and the person making your jacket should be happy and eager to do so.

 

[sweetfights]

I am going to reach out to Stuart today, just to wrap my mind around the legend. I will update.

Here is my current J-100 homage for refernence.

View attachment 347236

Stu's 3 oz "lighter" horsehide is very nice. I had a J100 in it!

I know from experience that Stuart hates FW and Aero, so mentionning them to him doesn't really score any points in your favour.
After your exchange, he probably is convinced you are not going to like his jacket and decided he would rather not make the sale rather than having to deal with a client that wants a refund on a non refundable jacket.
Maybe try again in a month or two.
I have in the past asked for specific things, only to be told it was impossible and they would not do it, but then a month later it was suddenly possible and he acted like it was never a problem.
You have to catch him on a good day for certain things, Stuart works in mysterious ways sometimes...

As Red Devils says, might be worth calling him, he is very easy to talk to.

Carlos!! LOL. You have his number!! Love it!!!!

 

[Kuro]

Stu's 3 oz "lighter" horsehide is very nice. I had a J100 in it!

That is something that I think is a little funny about all this. My Aero Board Racer in this photo is 3oz leather. I just made the mistake of calling it lightweight when talking with Stuart, because it is so supple and easy to wear!

Seems like a situation where a girl becomes exceedingly more desirable and attractive when she tells you that you can't have her

I can't press the like button more than once!

 

[Kuro]

Right or wrong, it sounds like Stuart has pegged you for a difficult customer and decided to pass. I had a similar experience myself a few years ago with a different maker and I have to admit it stung a bit.
I would suggest that you turn your attention in a different direction. See what Thedi and Johnson Leathers have to offer you. After all, this is supposed to be fun and the person making your jacket should be happy and eager to do so.

I never have any intention to make someone make me something they don't want to make, I know this as a life principle. I did attempt three times to work with Stuart, not to make him make me a jacket, but to ensure I was correctly communicating with him. It was pretty obvious from his first and second reply to me that I started on the wrong foot, and the dance was over before the song ended.

 

[Carlos840]

Stu's 3 oz "lighter" horsehide is very nice. I had a J100 in it!


Carlos!! LOL. You have his number!! Love it!!!!

So does the rest of the world, he is always the one answering.
I once called him on a saturday and had a four hour long conversation about leather jackets, if you think the average TFL user likes leather jackets you should talk to Stu, he REALLY likes leather jackets!

 

[Monitor]

I never intended to make anyone unhappy with my requests. Up until this point every single custom jacket maker I have talked to, or looked at online offered both forms of leather. I made the error of assuming everyone offered a variety of leathers.

I'm not saying you've intended to make anyone unhappy, it's just that not even Stu can be 100% sure what leather's what and he ain't about to bs you like many other makers who offer both options, having no clue about either. I've had bad experience with Stu but I know he stands 100% behind his product and doesn't want to offer you something that won't fulfill his guarantee.
He's right about us reading too much on line and making assumptions based on incomplete or downright faulty information, passed on by people who themselves don't understand what they're talking about, which is why he brushed you off, 'cause he'd rather not deal with people demanding a refund or whatever, just because their unrealistic expectations weren't fulfilled.

I am, of course, not saying you'd be a difficult customer or that you yourself have unrealistic expectations but a LOT of people do and I'm willing to bet he's had a fair share of dealing such customers. My point is, it's best not to be overly focused on trivialities such as what kind of tanning process the leather's been subjected to because it makes zero difference and Stu knows that. He just won't pretend to go along with this game just so he'd sell a jacket. Which I respect.

 

[Blackadder]

I'm not saying you've intended to make anyone unhappy, it's just that not even Stu can be 100% sure what leather's what and he ain't about to bs you like many other makers who offer both options, having no clue about either. I've had bad experience with Stu but I know he stands 100% behind his product and doesn't want to offer you something that won't fulfill his guarantee.
He's right about us reading too much on line and making assumptions based on incomplete or downright faulty information, passed on by people who themselves don't understand what they're talking about, which is why he brushed you off, 'cause he'd rather not deal with people demanding a refund or whatever, just because their unrealistic expectations weren't fulfilled.

I am, of course, not saying you'd be a difficult customer or that you yourself have unrealistic expectations but a LOT of people do and I'm willing to bet he's had a fair share of dealing such customers. My point is, it's best not to be overly focused on trivialities such as what kind of tanning process the leather's been subjected to because it makes zero difference and Stu knows that. He just won't pretend to go along with this game just so he'd sell a jacket. Which I respect.

Unless one wants raw veg tanned brown. No dye can turn a chrome tanned jacket into that color.

 

[Monitor]

Unless one wants raw veg tanned brown. No dye can turn a chrome tanned jacket into that color.

Hook me up with an example of the color you mean, please.

 

[Kuro]

I'm not saying you've intended to make anyone unhappy, it's just that not even Stu can be 100% sure what leather's what and he ain't about to bs you like many other makers who offer both options, having no clue about either. I've had bad experience with Stu but I know he stands 100% behind his product and doesn't want to offer you something that won't fulfill his guarantee.
He's right about us reading too much on line and making assumptions based on incomplete or downright faulty information, passed on by people who themselves don't understand what they're talking about, which is why he brushed you off, 'cause he'd rather not deal with people demanding a refund or whatever, just because their unrealistic expectations weren't fulfilled.

I am, of course, not saying you'd be a difficult customer or that you yourself have unrealistic expectations but a LOT of people do and I'm willing to bet he's had a fair share of dealing such customers. My point is, it's best not to be overly focused on trivialities such as what kind of tanning process the leather's been subjected to because it makes zero difference and Stu knows that. He just won't pretend to go along with this game just so he'd sell a jacket. Which I respect.

No worries.

I can say this with complete clarity and understanding of the leather I have in my hands. I do not enjoy chrome tanned leather that is not dyed through. I put up with this on off the rack jackets as I fewer options. If I have an option between the two, I won't purchase the chrome tanned version. This is from my own learning experience. But I will purchase it if I love it and have no other option available to me. But I have also learned I do usually have other options.

And there are differences, mostly environmental, cost... Can the untrained tell? Of course not.

 

[Blackadder]

Hook me up with an example of the color you mean, please.

Take a look at Tenjin's jackets. Chrome tanned or combination tanned leather would not have colour like that. Raw hide is simply undyed.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-your-natural-leather.90836/

 

[red devil]

Take a look at Tenjin's jackets. Chrome tanned or combination tanned leather would not have colour like that. Raw hide is simply undyed.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-your-natural-leather.90836/

You can get that colour, it is just a matter of getting the correct balance, but you will not have the darkening with sun exposure if this what you had in mind?

 

[Kuro]

Take a look at Tenjin's jackets. Chrome tanned or combination tanned leather would not have colour like that. Raw hide is simply undyed.

I always thought the combination dyed process was interesting.

I believe what you are saying, is that you can not have natural colored leather if you veg tan it, as the process colors the hide.

If you chrome tan a hide, it can stay the natural color? That is the only way to have natural leather, is to chrome tan it?

 

[Canuck Panda]

Chrome tanning isn’t bad or worse than veg tan. You’d be surprised what gets passed on as veg tan these days. The only way to know for sure is burn a match stick sized of the leather and see what remains after burning. If there are salt like crystals in the ashes then it’s got some chrome. If you did this to some of the so called veg tanned leather you be surprised to find different results. Veg re tan over chrome is just a quicker and less expensive way for the tannery to get that brown core customer asks for, but it’s still chrome tanned. And is not bad!

 

[Kuro]

Chrome tanning isn’t bad or worse than veg tan. You’d be surprised what gets passed on as veg tan these days. The only way to know for sure is burn a match stick sized of the leather and see what remains after burning. If there are salt like crystals in the ashes then it’s got some chrome. If you did this to some of the so called veg tanned leather you be surprised to find different results. Veg re tan over chrome is just a quicker and less expensive way for the tannery to get that brown core customer asks for, but it’s still chrome tanned. And is not bad!

Before this gets into a leather discussion, which is not necessary, I want to state this for this thread.

I am not throwing darts, blame, quality etc. of chrome tan or veg tan leather. My interest in veg tan versus chrome is entirely personal, not based on some perceived quality that pits one against the other. I don't want to imply, or have it implied that one's choice in leather, is flawed, or biased, or etc. simply because I do not like it.

Do not panic if I don't like chrome tanned leather!

 

[Kuro]

Some of you may be implying that I can not tell the difference between chrome tan and veg tan, and I would say you are correct.

Here is what I SPECIFICALLY do not like about chrome tanned leather (or what I find as typical features of chrome tanned leather).

1. Depending on how it is done, it is stiff as a board. I don't want this.
2. I don't like painted leather, or pigment finish. I prefer dyed all they way through if I can get it. I realize many leathers are both dyed through AND pigment finish so it is not pigment or painted I have an issue with. I just don't like brown as a color, and therefore will avoid this if possible. Most chrome tanned leather I handle is brown or natural for the core.

I realize that there are probably veg tanned leathers that are stiff as a board, but I have not experienced that in my limited handling of jackets.

So if you offer me supple dyed through chrome tanned leather, I would be happy, but not as happy if there is a veg tanned option next to it with the same qualities. Could I tell the difference? NO, I expect I would not. But it is a lot easier for me when ordering a custom jacket to ask about their veg tan leather, than to get into a technical list of questions about their chrome tanned leather qualities so I can avoid what I know I do not like given an option.

Can I like a chrome tanned leather? Sure! Combination tanning has always intrigued me, for example, but I don't know what that is like in a jacket, and not commonly available I don't believe.

P.S. Before I get called out on my Freewheelers Rude Black jackets

1. I have no option of dyed through same color unless it is their deerskin leather, so I accept it as it is. At least it is not brown.
2. It probably follows their philosophy of wabi-sabi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
3. Vintage veg tanned jackets would have a brown core and painted *yawn*

 

[sweetfights]

Some of you may be implying that I can not tell the difference between chrome tan and veg tan, and I would say you are correct.

Here is what I SPECIFICALLY do not like about chrome tanned leather (or what I find as typical features of chrome tanned leather).

1. Depending on how it is done, it is stiff as a board. I don't want this.
2. I don't like painted leather, or pigment finish. I prefer dyed all they way through if I can get it. I realize many leathers are both dyed through AND pigment finish so it is not pigment or painted I have an issue with. I just don't like brown as a color, and therefore will avoid this if possible. Most chrome tanned leather I handle is brown or natural for the core.

I realize that there are probably veg tanned leathers that are stiff as a board, but I have not experienced that in my limited handling of jackets.

So if you offer me supple dyed through chrome tanned leather, I would be happy, but not as happy if there is a veg tanned option next to it with the same qualities. Could I tell the difference? NO, I expect I would not. But it is a lot easier for me when ordering a custom jacket to ask about their veg tan leather, than to get into a technical list of questions about their chrome tanned leather qualities so I can avoid what I know I do not like given an option.

Can I like a chrome tanned leather? Sure! Combination tanning has always intrigued me, for example, but I don't know what that is like in a jacket, and not commonly available I don't believe.

P.S. Before I get called out on my Freewheelers Rude Black jackets

1. I have no option of dyed through same color unless it is their deerskin leather, so I accept it as it is. At least it is not brown.
2. It probably follows their philosophy of wabi-sabi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi
3. Vintage veg tanned jackets would have a brown core and painted *yawn*

Chrome tanned, LW, works very well with the Suburban style/cut. It is the ultimate utility jacket and very nice looking and easy to wear for a 4 oz plus leather. In most other styles I prefer veg-tanned leather especially shinki.

I love my Mulholland but would prefer black dyed all the way through instead of the tea core. My preference, but since that option is not available I'll keep my Mulholland and still love it.

And I do very much appreciate the wabi-sabi philosophy, in leather and in general life.