Sourcing your own leather

[dep126]

My wife recently got me a Heimie's leather briefcase made in Horween Chromexcel for our anniversary. The leather is absolutely gorgeous. I believe he uses 3-3.5 oz.

Aside from Aero or Alexander leather are there any USA makers who make jackets from this type of hide?

After reading some posts about Johnson leathers making jackets from customer supplied leather, I'm considering trying to source my own.

Does anyone have any links to places where I can purchase quality hides, such as naked cow or Horween products.

Finally, how much would I need to make a jacket?

Thanks everyone.


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[Bunyip]

Hi mate, there is a site called the tannery or something, that sells Horweens...I think Fanch a member on this site has done it. I sent a few emails to them when I was getting Johnson's to make a jacket( Alan at Johnson's is a tremendous man to deal with), however, they never replied to any of my enquiries, of which there were 3.. As I said others here have done it, so hopefully one of them will respond. Good luck.

 

[HDRnR]

try this http://thetanneryrow.com/default.html

 

[technovox]

Hi mate, there is a site called the tannery or something, that sells Horweens...I think Fanch a member on this site has done it. I sent a few emails to them when I was getting Johnson's to make a jacket( Alan at Johnson's is a tremendous man to deal with), however, they never replied to any of my enquiries, of which there were 3.. As I said others here have done it, so hopefully one of them will respond. Good luck.

I also tried contacting The Tannery. Left a few emails, and a voice mail.
Never heard back from them either. Maybe there's a secret handshake or something we're missing.

 

[nick123]

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 square feet for a 40 if I remember correctly. Before going to Aero, I was all set to get a HH jacket done at JL. I checked my old emails for this. Eric at Horween was the guy I talked to.

 

[Bunyip]

I also tried contacting The Tannery. Left a few emails, and a voice mail.
Never heard back from them either. Maybe there's a secret handshake or something we're missing.

Glad I'm not the only one....Was beginning to take it personally.

 

[pauleway]

How much better are you going to do than the choices that Aero and Alexander are already giving you? I think the choices you have are as good as you get for type of leather,and color variations they offer. Why go through the hassle when you have so much choice already![huh]

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

My primary contact at Horween's Tannery Row was Eric Frank. I believe that it took me a few calls to track him down. I also contacted John Culliton at one point. Contact information for both are posted on the Tannery Row website.

As to the "why" question: After purchasing jackets from both Aero and Johnson Leathers, I found that I simply preferred JL's product. The first jacket that JL made for me used one of the hides they had on hand and I was very impressed with it. After realizing that JL was the jacket maker for me, I decided I wanted something pretty specific for a second jacket and therefore decided to source my own hides. If I didn't have faith in JL's ability to carry things out on their end, I would not have gone to such trouble.

I knew exactly what i wanted and after all was said and done, I received exactly what I asked for - for less than it would have cost me to purchase a jacket from Aero. So while I did have to go to some extra effort, to me the results were worth it. Still, I realize that sourcing hides from a tannery wouldn't be the way to go for a lot of people and with that in mind I tried to be pretty specific about this particular experience in my original posts here on the forum.

 

[Peacoat]

How much better are you going to do than the choices that Aero and Alexander are already giving you? I think the choices you have are as good as you get for type of leather,and color variations they offer. Why go through the hassle when you have so much choice already![huh]

I think what Forrest is saying is that he wanted a Johnson's Leather jacket in FQHH, but Johnson doesn't source its own HH. So, he went and got his own. At least that is the way I have read his posts in the past.

If I'm not mistaken, it was Forrest who first made me aware of JL several years ago when he posted a picture of his recently acquired jacket. I called Alan talked to him, he sent a test jacket, we tweaked a measurement or two and a few weeks later I had my first JL jacket. Been a fan ever since.

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

I think what Forrest is saying is that he wanted a Johnson's Leather jacket in FQHH, but Johnson doesn't source its own HH. So, he went and got his own. At least that is the way I have read his posts in the past.

That more or less sums things up. While JL did have some horsehide on hand, I specifically wanted Horween's Chromexcel tannage and the rest is history.

 

[dep126]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not totally set on sourcing my own material, just looking into the option. I spoke yesterday with Alan at JL and got a few prelim questions answered. Seems like a really great guy.

Although I really like the offerings I've seen from JL and will most likely go through him for my jacket, are there any other shops I should be considering? I don't have the funds for Aero or Alexander, so they are out. I looked at Vanson, but didn't see too much about custom work. Does anyone know if you can get their stuff in different hides or colors? I'm pretty much set on something in brown.

Thanks again for the help.


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[tblay]

That more or less sums things up. While JL did have some horsehide on hand, I specifically wanted Horween's Chromexcel tannage and the rest is history.

I'm in a similar boat. Thanks to the hospitality of folks here and the reputation of JL, and also after speaking with Alan on the phone, I'm dead set on asking Alan to make me a jacket. However, after riding in Horween FQHH, it's really difficult to "settle" on another hide. Nothing has ever kept me so dry, warm, and all around comfy as the Horween FQHH (from Aero, I should say).

I also haven't had much luck getting in touch with Horween about buying my own sides. Guess I'll keep paddling in this boat... :coffee:

 

[ykurtz]

One approach might be to identify a particular hide Horween has available, and ask other members of TFL if they'd be interested enough for sufficient leather to sponsor a jacket themselves. If you get enough interest, you could pool resources to get sufficient square footage to cover all the requests. If this works, and TFL does it often enough, Horween might consider reducing the entry square footage for future purchases.

Of course, that will probably mean that someone has to take financial responsibility. So it's up to you.

 

[jon11]

A lot of bother to me and that's assuming you get what you pay for. The big jacket makers are giving Horween tons of money and will get first choice fact of life in anything. Too many good jacket makers such as Aero who do all this work for you. Would love to know what you actually save?

 

[technovox]

I'm in a similar boat. Thanks to the hospitality of folks here and the reputation of JL, and also after speaking with Alan on the phone, I'm dead set on asking Alan to make me a jacket. However, after riding in Horween FQHH, it's really difficult to "settle" on another hide. Nothing has ever kept me so dry, warm, and all around comfy as the Horween FQHH (from Aero, I should say).

I also haven't had much luck getting in touch with Horween about buying my own sides. Guess I'll keep paddling in this boat... :coffee:

I'm currently having a jacket made by Alan over at Johnson's leather, and I've been looking into alternative sources of horsehide as well. So for anyone who has experienced frustration in trying to contact The Tannery Row (Horween's custom leather division) to source some horsehide for a custom jacket, here is what I've discovered. Emailing or calling the phone numbers on Tannery Row's site did not work for me. After much research, (and patience, dead ends, and trial and error, ) I finally tracked down a viable email and contact person at Tannery Row.
Her name is Shelley and her email is: shelleyhuard@thetanneryrow.com.
Shelley has been very responsive, knowledgeable, and even promptly sent me some leather samples of some of their horsehides available- Horween's legendary Chromexcel FQHH in both brown and black. And she also included a sample of their "Vermont" line of horsehide.

Side note:
Interestingly, the "Vermont" horsehide feels far more supple, and much softer than the hide on my heavier Horween FQHH Aero jackets. So for someone like me who is looking for a mid-weight horsehide it might be a good alternative. The color of the Vermont sample she sent me is "Espresso" and looks to be somewhat of a deep cordovan/brown in shade. And it shows potentially to have some of the rich character, depth, and subtleties I see in my Aero Chromexcel FQHH brown jacket. The Vermont tanning treatment was described to me as a "combination synthetic and vegetable tanning process." (Here's a link- http://thetanneryrow.com/vermont.html)
But I'm only looking at a small sample, and I have no idea how it will hold shape, or change over time on a custom jacket. I'd love to hear from anyone else who has experience with the Vermont horsehide.

Either way, Alan estimated that I'd need approximately 35- 40 square feet of leather. The Tannery Row price quote was approximately $11.96 to $12.55 per square foot depending on the type of horsehide. (And there is the heavier Chromexcel FQHH available in brown or black.) So ultimately, that could be a considerable investment added to the overall cost of the jacket.

Hope this info helps!

 

[tblay]

I'm currently having a jacket made by Alan over at Johnson's leather, and I've been looking into alternative sources of horsehide as well. So for anyone who has experienced frustration in trying to contact The Tannery Row (Horween's custom leather division) to source some horsehide for a custom jacket, here is what I've discovered. Emailing or calling the phone numbers on Tannery Row's site did not work for me. After much research, (and patience, dead ends, and trial and error, ) I finally tracked down a viable email and contact person at Tannery Row.
Her name is Shelley and her email is: shelleyhuard@thetanneryrow.com.
Shelley has been very responsive, knowledgeable, and even promptly sent me some leather samples of some of their horsehides available- Horween's legendary Chromexcel FQHH in both brown and black. And she also included a sample of their "Vermont" line of horsehide.

Side note:
Interestingly, the "Vermont" horsehide feels far more supple, and much softer than the hide on my heavier Horween FQHH Aero jackets. So for someone like me who is looking for a mid-weight horsehide it might be a good alternative. The color of the Vermont sample she sent me is "Espresso" and looks to be somewhat of a deep cordovan/brown in shade. And it shows potentially to have some of the rich character, depth, and subtleties I see in my Aero Chromexcel FQHH brown jacket. The Vermont tanning treatment was described to me as a "combination synthetic and vegetable tanning process." (Here's a link- http://thetanneryrow.com/vermont.html)
But I'm only looking at a small sample, and I have no idea how it will hold shape, or change over time on a custom jacket. I'd love to hear from anyone else who has experience with the Vermont horsehide.

Either way, Alan estimated that I'd need approximately 35- 40 square feet of leather. The Tannery Row price quote was approximately $11.96 to $12.55 per square foot depending on the type of horsehide. (And there is the heavier Chromexcel FQHH available in brown or black.) So ultimately, that could be a considerable investment added to the overall cost of the jacket.

Hope this info helps!

This is incredibly helpful. Thanks! Hope Shelley is ready for her inbox to swell.

So ultimately, that could be a considerable investment added to the overall cost of the jacket.

Surely the cost of making the jacket would lessen if you provided a hide, right...? The entire cost of production can't be, well...production, can it?

 

[oldcrow82]

I'm currently having a jacket made by Alan over at Johnson's leather, and I've been looking into alternative sources of horsehide as well.

I looked into purchasing leather from tannery row for a couple of side projects and did run into several dead ends, thanks for the leg work.

 

[theundeadkennedy]

I'm also having a jacket made by Alan. His teacore and SFPD leathers are on the way to me right now, but I was also wanting to see some other options. Shelley contacted me back this morning. Thanks for the information!

 

[rocketeer]

Surely the cost of making the jacket would lessen if you provided a hide, right...? The entire cost of production can't be, well...production, can it?

Could I just add a bit here, and it is only my, very humble opinion.
But were I a jacket manufacturer, the customer supplying his own hides may be taking just a little more of my profit away from me, because there is good grounds that as being in the trade, I could purchase my materials at a better rate than Joe public, especially as I bought in bulk. So your jacket may cost more in the end as I may charge that little extra to make up my loss.
And, unless the jacket were to be made using a very unusual hide, I may even refuse to do the work because what is wrong with the hides I use?
Oh well, as I said, only my opinions.
JayTee

 

[thor]

Perhaps it's the same mindset that prompts some people to go to a tailor with some unique fabric for a hand-made fully customized suit?
Personally for me, there are so many options in leather from many different makers that sourcing my own leather just doesn't make sense, but to each his own.