Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Vanson Model B opinion

Messages
16,810
seems like he refused to believe skiving can be done only along the edges where the folding and stitching happens and not necessarily the entire panel
View attachment 481484
example of my jacket's sleeve ends being skived

maybe he referenced skiving machine in the tannery where leather grain and suede is split, and not the skiving by jacket maker, maybe it was a big misunderstanding.

Yeah, I never figured out exactly what did he mean by skiving because obviously, leather has to be thinned in order to be, well, usable. And if he was referring to the edges, difference in weight between a jacket with skived and un-skived edges is negligible.

He kind of went in circles with the different makers, as his dislike for one grew he went back to another that he had previous dismissed only to be disappointed all over again.
I don’t think he ever found a maker that could satisfy his quest for heavyweight perfection for long.

The allure of heavy jacket is a real thing but it's best not to go down that path as no jacket will ever be heavy enough. I've completely given up on the weight and don't even factor it in when buying a new jacket but if it happens, I still do appreciate it and consider it a plus.

Anything over 6 lbs simply must be considered ultra-mega-Trenchfriendkiller-heavyweight otherwise you end up chasing unicorns.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,849
Location
East Java
Yeah, I never figured out exactly what did he mean by skiving because obviously, leather has to be thinned in order to be, well, usable. And if he was referring to the edges, difference in weight between a jacket with skived and un-skived edges is negligible.
he think when a maker skives the panel, then the entire panel is shaved equally so the entire jacket become much thinner than what advertised.

he was thinking this machine or larger equivalent that shaves the entire panel
skiving 1.jpeg

and not thinking about this machine that only shave the edges
skiving2.jpeg

maybe he didn't know the second machine or manual tool to skive the edge exist.

if he knew about the second machine he would probably be OK with it, skived edge then fold into itself and sewn together with another panel like that you still have 4 grain sides joined together that is roughly back to the same thickness of the entire panel, but from what I understand in his rants, he thought the entire jacket become much thinner compared to the leather panel he sourced himself or the maker advertised.
 
Last edited:

TheDonEffect

Practically Family
Messages
623
I always believed there's heavy, and then there's heavy for the sake of being heavy. Like functionally you want something heavier for a riding jacket to give you more slide time, but there's always a trade off in that you have to be able to move and be comfortable to ride. A suit of armor oftentimes gives sometimes a false sense of security in that you're not mobile and the tradeoff is often not worth it.







Oh he knew the difference, I had plenty of back and forth with him, he liked how makers like Aero and some others didn't skive their edges, and then compared that to a makerv skiing edges for his 7+oz leathers. Then again I remember him praising 5* for their work when clearly they skived the edges lol.
 
Messages
17,493
Location
Chicago
I’ve grown to truly hate stiff clothing of any kind. Tossed all my 21oz denim in the back of my closet. Jeans and jackets that are stiff just feel awful to me now. I appreciate a heavy fabric without stretch and without rigidity. Kind of a hard mix to find as more often than not the heavier material is also stiff.
 

Al 916

One Too Many
Messages
1,911
Location
GB
Fabric conditioner clogs the weave (a chemical slime with added neurotoxins)
https://www.hpsmechanical.com/blog/2021/march/dangers-of-fabric-softeners-/

I actually use a small amount of white malt vinegar to clear any conditioner from clothes.

If your denim is stiff from starch or just stiff (Wrangler shirts are a good example) you can loosen them up with a bit of malt white.

I would rather avoid red wine vinegar ....... (particularly on those white jeans Will....)
 

Jasonissm

Practically Family
Messages
590
Nah, I’ll just kick it in 12oz navdungurees or seafarers. Heavy jeans can stay parked in the closet until i list them in the classifieds for $12k a pair.
10-15 oz. is the sweet spot for me. I feel that heavier denims aren't even necessarily tougher/more durable, because they cause high abrasion spots from the stiffness and way they fold and tend to settle.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,119
Messages
3,074,533
Members
54,102
Latest member
TXG8R
Top