Russet Goatskin: untouched and monkeyed with

[schitzo]

I'm not sure you're right about your capacity to wear in the goat. As I wrote above the Al goat I have has worn in without much effort at all. But let me clarify; it has faded and worn quicker than any of the dozen's of jackets I have ever owned over 30 years. The seal brown is now showing light russet undertones all over the wear areas. And I have not worn this thing hard. I think it's the veg tan process.

I am not doubting the wear that is visible on your jacket Seb, I believe you of course. But the seal goatskin sample I have upstairs has been abused hard by me and seems to be bullet proof. Though I haven't wet it, perhaps that would accelerate the process. Has your jacket been rained on?

 

[pauleway]

My vote is "unmonkeyed". I also have a russet goat jacket from AL and love the grain and softness of my jacket. I think you will be very satisfied with this hide if you choose to get your jacket made by AL!

 

[Seb Lucas]

My Al goat hasn't had much rain - a sprinkle or two. But the level of wear on it so quickly almost makes it look like an artificially distressed surface. So far I don't mind the look but I wonder how it will look in a few years. I've only worn it lightly over a few months.

 

[JanSolo]

That's Aero's or Alexander's goat, right? It's straight veg tanned, so washing doesn't only take the clear aniline glazing off the top but also washes the tannage out of the leather. Vegetable tanning agents don't bond as permanently to skin fibres as chrome tanning salts do. Repeated washing of veg goatskin will leave you with parchment in the end. You don't want that!

My suggestion:

Leave it as it is and use the spray bottle method instead on the finished jacket....additionally you can use a bit of acetone to highlight certain areas. That works well. Try the acetone on your sample first, though...

 

[pipvh]

I say yes to monkeys. The more the merrier. I have a thing about the look of very old goatskin and the piece you've done the business on looks great.

 

[schitzo]

That's Aero's or Alexander's goat, right? It's straight veg tanned, so washing doesn't only take the clear aniline glazing off the top but also washes the tannage out of the leather. Vegetable tanning agents don't bond as permanently to skin fibres as chrome tanning salts do. Repeated washing of veg goatskin will leave you with parchment in the end. You don't want that!

My suggestion:

Leave it as it is and use the spray bottle method instead on the finished jacket....additionally you can use a bit of acetone to highlight certain areas. That works well. Try the acetone on your sample first, though...

Thanks for the suggestion I had not heard of acetone. It's AL's which i think is combination tanned. Getting one in 'monkeyed with' isn't an option anyway, which takes care of that dilemma. One other observation I can add is that the untouched piece feels softer and more malleable

 

[simonc]

You know on the other hand you could just wear the **** out of it.

 

[schitzo]

You know on the other hand you could just wear the **** out of it.

Ok, when I get it let's have a fight. You can wear your Herc, zipped up

 

[Seb Lucas]

The goat Alexander's chose for me is odd. It is fading and wrinkling faster than any leather I've owned but it is refusing to soften up. It still has a firm almost hard surface to it. I like it and it is definitely goat but maybe I got a strange batch.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I should add, does anyone know is Alexanders goat the same hide Aero use?

 

[schitzo]

I should add, does anyone know is Alexanders goat the same hide Aero use?

I learnt yesterday that AL are using the same supplier as did many of their workforce whilst they worked at aero.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Ok. Whilst they worked there... does that mean they've changed suppliers since?

 

[schitzo]

Ok. Whilst they worked there... does that mean they've changed suppliers since?

It means I don't know if aero have. I'm inclined to suspect they have not

 

[Rudie]

Aero have some new goatskin. I don't know if additionally to the one used before or instead of.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Fair enough, it'd be good to know more about goat hide suppliers and jacket makers.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Too much monkey business.

-- Chuck Berry

 

[Edward]

Aero have some new goatskin. I don't know if additionally to the one used before or instead of.

The impression I got when I was up there is that they have switched over to the new stuff, which they consider to be a better hide than what they had before. That said, I've got an Aero goat A2 I boguth usedc a few years ago, and it has aged comparatively little despite a lot of wear. This is one of the things I really like about the goat - that it stays 'newer' looking than some hides.

 

[Seb Lucas]

This is one of the things I really like about the goat - that it stays 'newer' looking than some hides.

Unless you have the goat my jacket was made from which ages faster than any hide I've ever had...

 

[Sloan1874]

Well, the suede goat is from a newly sourced supplier, so I wouldn't like to say for sure that Aero is still using its old ones.

 

[Rudie]

I wonder if they have switched completely, because the new goatskin comes in seal, black and mid brown, but not in russet. I imagine that they still need russet for A-2s.