Skin choices in leather jackets

[handymike]

I think kangaroo would be great!

 

[K-Pants]

Found this while looking up pig skin jackets:
http://leathersupreme.com/pigskin-vs-cowhide-leather-jackets/

This is interesting. Thanks for sharing this. I had heard all kinds of things about pigskin - bad smell, fragile, too shiny due to the hide itself and not the process- so this was an eye opener.

 

[Monitor]

Pigskin, if not seriously top grain'd, will have larger hair follicles that are more spread out. Can't mistake it for anything else...

 

[red devil]

Pigskin, if not seriously top grain'd, will have larger hair follicles that are more spread out. Can't mistake it for anything else...

Thanks, that's the type of info i am looking for!

 

[tmitchell59]

Bison/Buffalo I've seen a lot of nice jackets by major labels using this hide. this is a like new Buzz Rickson. With wear these jackets really change. Nice weight, easy to wear.

 

[handymike]

I love that jacket, Terry.

 

[tmitchell59]

I love that jacket, Terry.

So did somebody else. Sold it here. I'm doing a "study" on mine. I actually am wearing it! Plus I've got pictures from new. So an evolution of sorts. It is pretty much a Coat I grab so it shows it.

 

[rocketeer]

Pigskin was once one of the top hides for suitcases, wallets etc. Not seen so much now. I have a briefcase with a Concord sticker on it though it is a little damaged, and yes, quite shiny. I am reluctant to try to restore it though as the Concord sticker may be damaged or have to be removed.
Kangaroo is one of the preferred hides for modern motorcycle leathers, Pro or Amateur due to its lightness and high abrasion resistance. Not always a 100% Kanga item for biking, it is often used on the high wear points such as the scaphoid part of the hand and hip area on a racing suit. A typical full Kanga race suit would be considerably more than a goat or cow, more often used in professional racing, though some of us Power Ranger riders do 'Have' to have that full race rep look
With the animal welfare folks trying to resist uses of animal products we will probably see less and less of more exotic leathers such as snake and croc. Please don't think I am against the animal people as there are some hideous practices going on in that area. It is just that I cannot see harm in the use of the by products from the meat and culling trade.

 

[red devil]

Pigskin was once one of the top hides for suitcases, wallets etc. Not seen so much now. I have a briefcase with a Concord sticker on it though it is a little damaged, and yes, quite shiny. I am reluctant to try to restore it though as the Concord sticker may be damaged or have to be removed.
Kangaroo is one of the preferred hides for modern motorcycle leathers, Pro or Amateur due to its lightness and high abrasion resistance. Not always a 100% Kanga item for biking, it is often used on the high wear points such as the scaphoid part of the hand and hip area on a racing suit. A typical full Kanga race suit would be considerably more than a goat or cow, more often used in professional racing, though some of us Power Ranger riders do 'Have' to have that full race rep look
With the animal welfare folks trying to resist uses of animal products we will probably see less and less of more exotic leathers such as snake and croc. Please don't think I am against the animal people as there are some hideous practices going on in that area. It is just tI cannot see harm in the use of the by products from the meat trade and culling trade.

A quick search into kangaroo leather for sale seems to indicate that it's about 3 times more expensive than cowhide (both veg tanned), so yeah wouldn't be cheap, but definitely worth trying to get
As for croc and snake, I believe as you say that they are in decline. But while we're speaking of them, are there any vintage jackets made of these skins? Alligator skins have been used for quite a long time in the US haven't they?

 

[Sloan1874]

Bison/Buffalo I've seen a lot of nice jackets by major labels using this hide. this is a like new Buzz Rickson. With wear these jackets really change. Nice weight, easy to wear.

My buffalo A-2 has a very similar grain. It looks fantastic, is incredibly robust and I wouldn't part with it easily.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Put me in the cowhide group, as it is my first choice for a number of reasons. My G&B cowhide looks, and feels as soft and supple as any of my goat skin jackets.

This from G&B:
Cowhide is the most common leather used to make jackets because it is durable, easy to care for, and resistant to water and dirt. Its tough qualities are especially prized by motorcycle riders and police officers. Cowhide is affordable and functional.

And, from U.S. Wings:
Cowhide: Cowhide is well known for its toughness, which is why most motorcycle jackets are made from cowhide. It’s very strong and tends to be heavier than goatskin. Our special VIP Cowhide is an ultra-luxurious “high-end” cowhide with a very pleasing grain and is incredibly soft and supple.

 

[rocketeer]

A quick search into kangaroo leather for sale seems to indicate that it's about 3 times more expensive than cowhide (both veg tanned), so yeah wouldn't be cheap, but definitely worth trying to get
As for croc and snake, I believe as you say that they are in decline. But while we're speaking of them, are there any vintage jackets made of these skins? Alligator skins have been used for quite a long time in the US haven't they?

Only the most expensive motorcycle gear is full Kanga.
I have only ever seen one jacket made from full croc or alligator. It was in a Paris department store/boutique alleries Lafayette if I remember), all alarmed up of course and at around €5000. Purely for Hollywood or that sort of thing.
I don't know what hides are available in the US. I guess if it lives and breathes, walks and talks it's game for a jacket.......well maybe not 'talks' but you never know(Thinking Ed Gien here)

 

[K-Pants]

Kangaroo leather seems to have found favor among some top football (soccer) players for footwear. Not sure of the attributes in that arena though

 

[handymike]

I saw a beautiful pigskin jacket on eBay a few years back, but couldn't get past the bumps...a bit like ostrich.
It was weird IMHO.

 

[Edward]

If you like leather jackets you need to try kangaroo, it's a light and incredibly dense and tough leather. Makes goatskin look like fragile lambskin.

I've always fancied the idea of a 'Summer leather jacket' in Roo. If I could fall in with some at a reasonable price, I'd consider having an Indy-style made with it.

What about Bison? I've heard of it being used but never seen it myself in person.

My Aero Dustbowl, made in 2014, is Horween Bison. They'd just gotten a few of the hides in at that point, and were consdiering it before putting it on the website (among other things, Aero don't like to offer a hide online until they're sure there's a ready, reliable supply of it available to them). It's an interesting hide. Works nicely on halfbelt styles. Softer than FQHH, but at the same time thicker. I've had a small amount of dye transfer into the drill cotton lining, which I must clean out at some point. The hide looks fantastic, a lovely grained finish not a million miles away from the grain on Sloan's buffalo A2, or some of the grainier goat I've seen at Gala. Talking to some of the Aero guys at Goodwood Revival last year, however, it seems they've decided they're not so keen on the hide as they found it wore a bit faster than they liked. Mine does have a patch on the back where I've carried a bag, where some of the black dye has worn thorugh to a coppery look below. If it gets too extreme, I'll just redye the jacket all over, but for now it looks fine. I can see it appealling to the guys who liked the 'teacore' look - i.e. 20 years of patina in a few months.

Now yer talkin'....best with hair on.

I'd love something like that. Might not be easy to wear out in town, but it's really cool.

I see no mention of lambskin, which is probably a close second to cowhide in terms of sheer number of jackets manufactured. Lambskin is thinner/softer than the other hides, and more fragile, with lower tear resistance. But it is not as poor a choice for jackets as the general attitude against it here (e.g., "it's only good for high-fashion jackets") might indicate. Sure, it isn't near-indestructible like goatskin, but it's still legit leather. And that same thinner/softer aspect makes it drape beautifully and feel luxurious.

Storses for courses, innit? The great thing about the range of leathers available these days is the availability of choice. I cut my teeth on bike leathers in the eighties, and for a long time had no interst in a jacket that wasn't like armour, but in more recent years I've come to appreciate having a range of options for different circumstances. I'm too much of a klutz for lamb, but my really light Wested Raiders proved to be a joy in places like Dehli and Beijing in the warmer months when a jacket is *just* welcome in the evenings. I'm always amused by the Indy - only designed to look good on screen, and with no more notion of utility than 'let's add a couple of slits to make the whip-belt more accessible', and yet it's such a practical travel jacket! I'm even tempted by the notion of one in the cotton version....

Pigskin was once one of the top hides for suitcases, wallets etc. Not seen so much now. I have a briefcase with a Concord sticker on it though it is a little damaged, and yes, quite shiny. I am reluctant to try to restore it though as the Concord sticker may be damaged or have to be removed.

I know what you mean. Sometimes it is better just to let a vintage item carry honest wear, lest 'restoring' it leave it little more than a replica... Saddleback line all their briefcases and such with pigskin - I have it in a couple of their wallets. I've also got a Stetson eight panel cap that I believe to be pigskin, done in a 'roughout' style. It's very nice. Light, but tough. I've often heard of it used for hogskin gloves as a luxury back in the day.

With the animal welfare folks trying to resist uses of animal products we will probably see less and less of more exotic leathers such as snake and croc. Please don't think I am against the animal people as there are some hideous practices going on in that area. It is just that I cannot see harm in the use of the by products from the meat and culling trade.

It makes logical sense to me that if we're going to take al ife from nature, we should use as much of what we take as we can, and waste as little as possible. I have a good friend who is vegetarian and who buys a lot of leather shoes as she sees it as a byproduct that would otherwise be wasted. I've always been surprised that we don't see more goat leather around, givne that it's the world's most commonly eaten meat.

 

[nick123]

 

[willyto]

Nubuck? Beautiful jacket

 

[rocketeer]

Hey Willy! Want to buy my welders jacket? Only needs a couple of squadron patches, may start a trend

Well that Aeromarine?(Not quite but damn near) certainly is different.

 

[ton312]

I think kangaroo would be great!

Like this!

 

[handymike]

^^^Yup! I'd like to see it now.
I wish I could get a pair of Kangaroo Sambas here in the U.S.
By the time mine stop squeaking it's time for the rubbish bin.