VansonRider
A-List Customer
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Another thing to keep in mind is that the type and degree of finishing can vary a bit when talking about top grain leather.
Please feel free to correct me, I'm not a tanner, but Full Grain is uncorrected hide while Top Grain has been sanded to remove imperfections and inconsistancies.
The following is about the competition leather only, I'm not familiar with the other grades they sometimes use for Thurston Bros.
Vanson "polishes" its leather to impart a harder finish that will slide on asphault without grabbing and to make leather, a natural product, into something that will withstand years of weather exposure with minimal change to it's surface. Whatever is used to polish is minimal, since I can see grain and scars on the hides they use, both on vintage pieces and on newer examples. Because of the jackets I have, I think they use top grain only in the sense that it's been smothed and hardened, but character marks are certainly present.
And the revealing of character marks is how I think of patina. A freshly dyed hide will have an even finish that camouflages grain and scaring that is on the animal skin. It will also make different sections of hide from different cuts look the same. As the jacket ages the dye migrates a little, wears off of different cuts of hide at differing rates, and the inconsistancies show through. The jacket develops character. Competition weight leather absolutely develops this character. Eventually.
Some hides are dyed using a combo of oils and waxes that are chosen with the idea of showing character sooner in the wearing process. Vanson Comp weight was really made, almost, to prevent changes in the hide since it’s protective gear first and you want that to be as consistent and long lasting as possible.
Please feel free to correct me, I'm not a tanner, but Full Grain is uncorrected hide while Top Grain has been sanded to remove imperfections and inconsistancies.
The following is about the competition leather only, I'm not familiar with the other grades they sometimes use for Thurston Bros.
Vanson "polishes" its leather to impart a harder finish that will slide on asphault without grabbing and to make leather, a natural product, into something that will withstand years of weather exposure with minimal change to it's surface. Whatever is used to polish is minimal, since I can see grain and scars on the hides they use, both on vintage pieces and on newer examples. Because of the jackets I have, I think they use top grain only in the sense that it's been smothed and hardened, but character marks are certainly present.
And the revealing of character marks is how I think of patina. A freshly dyed hide will have an even finish that camouflages grain and scaring that is on the animal skin. It will also make different sections of hide from different cuts look the same. As the jacket ages the dye migrates a little, wears off of different cuts of hide at differing rates, and the inconsistancies show through. The jacket develops character. Competition weight leather absolutely develops this character. Eventually.
Some hides are dyed using a combo of oils and waxes that are chosen with the idea of showing character sooner in the wearing process. Vanson Comp weight was really made, almost, to prevent changes in the hide since it’s protective gear first and you want that to be as consistent and long lasting as possible.
