A Softer Hide?

[InsOma]

Hello All,

I've owned a customized vintage FQHH Aero Highwayman for almost 5 years now, and it's almost to the point where I feel like it's broken in a little. I love the jacket, and while I'm happy with it and wear it often, I often find myself thinking about what kind of leather I'll invest in next. Since I've already got a tough-as-nails black horsehide MC-style jacket, I'm thinking that maybe the next one should be completely different, maybe something in a nice brown or even cordovan, something with a lot of character; and longer, more 3/4 car coat-ish, long enough to cover my buttocks when standing.

Has anyone tried ordering something like an Aero Cheyenne or Stockman in a soft or lightweight leather? Years ago I had a deerskin jacket that was tough but still very soft, and I think I'd like to go in that direction with the next jacket I buy.

Any advice?

 

[Peter Mackin]

Try aeros mid weight horsehide.i have a seal halfbelt made with it..by far my favourit jacket..

 

[Cooperson]

Like Deerskin, nice brown, soft, character? Might I suggest Kudu

Downside - might not be possible to make long style coats :-(

 

[ForestForTheTrees]

My advice: check out the custom jackets made by Johnson Leathers out of San Francisco.

Like you I already had a tough as nails black MC style jacket (made from Horween's Chromexcel steerhide) that JL had made for me in the past. More recently, I too wanted something longer for my second jacket, although not as quite as long as what you're contemplating. Before I decided on Horween's Brown Chromexcel FQHH for my custom half belt, I nearly went for the buffalo hide that JL offers. It is an unbelievably tough hide (I put the swatches I received through an unreasonable amount of abuse and they survived to the point of disbelief on my part), yet it is also a very supple hide and sure to be instantly comfortable.

Johnson Leathers is very accomplished at full-on custom work and is capable of making just about any type/style of jacket that you could come up with. Based on my personal experience, the quality of JL's workmanship is every bit as good as that of Aero and Langlitz which I've also owned. If the style you're interested in is close enough to one of the stock models they regularly produce, they'll be able to send you a test fit jacket to try on. Based on the fit of the stock jacket, they'll be able to determine the modifications needed to ensure a great fit for the custom jacket that you'll receive. Pricing for a custom jacket based off of a stock model runs less than a comparable jacket from Aero or Langlitz and turnaround time is about 5-6 weeks. If you have something even more unique in mind, for an additional charge they'll actually create a cloth mockup jacket to send to you first to ensure that they get the leather version just right. In addition, their customer service is truly spectacular.

 

[Plumbline]

Mid-weight horse is GREAT ( I have a brown Long Half Belt in it with sheepskin liner .... my winter jacket of choice) ... also look at oilpull steer ( my brown highwayman) very pliable and a great leather - half way between mid weight horse and FQHH. If it's flexibillity you want and light weight ... goat ia a GREAT choice ( very supple, light yet strong and VERY hard wearing .. might be tough to make a Long jacket ... they're not Steer sized hides).

Then to the exotics .... Buffalo is thick yet pliable, Deer is soft and strong and better still Elk is AMAZING ( but difficult to get in a lot of finishes ... I have a Vintage Chevignon Elk Buckskin jacket which is incredibly soft to wear) ... The Kudu Aero had looks AWESOME ( very grained and with lots of "character" ... like a grainy deerskin) but is hard to get in good quality.

For me though .. in terms of colour choice and finish ... it's hard to see past a mid weight vintage steer or oilpull steer ... which drape great, wear great and have a good range of colours / finishes - aniline, semi aniline, chrome tanned etc. etc. and commonly available from a good jacket manufacturer near you ( or not so near)

Choices, choices ...

 

[InsOma]

Can of worms indeed. I'm still in the very early stages of planning for my next jacket, but already there's one I'm really liking the look of, a Joe McCoy "70s Leather Jacket." If you do the Yen conversion, it's kind of pricey, and I find myself wondering if there'd be much chance that another jacket maker (maybe one in San Francisco?) could come up with something similar at a more competitive price point.

To make matters worse, I've really gotten myself into trouble by looking at the Horween/Tannery Row website, and pondering the possibilities of using a self-sourced hide for the jacket, in the same manner FFTT described above. A 70s jacket, possibly in a Horween caramel-colored Vermont or Essex leather, made to order by a company 10 hours away sounds intriguing . . .

 

[jlanderson]

InsOma, that website has me salivating! The possibilities are endless.

 

[Highwaymanman]

I have a highwayman in oil pull horse and I love it. I bought it last autumn in 'like new' condition from a guy who'd bought it in Galashiels ten years ago and evidently wore it about twice. The hide is extremely substantial but in around four months of regular wear it's broken in so nicely and is forming to my frame. It's my only Aero and when I read about the armour like qualities of heavy FQHH I kind of nod.... but then when guys on here end up despairing that they'll never break a jacket it's something I just didn't have to deal with.... or at least only for the first month.

Not to do down heavy FQHH (my jacket has the same FQHH label in it too funnily enough), just to say that the oil pull hides are a nice compromise between heft and ease of wear.

 

[InsOma]

Reviving my own thread here, but I'm still wondering about hide options and thought I'd pose a more specific question:

What is the softest hide that leather jackets can be made of and still handle getting rained on?

 

[ButteMT61]

Reviving my own thread here, but I'm still wondering about hide options and thought I'd pose a more specific question:What is the softest hide that leather jackets can be made of and still handle getting rained on?

I'm going Bill Clinton on you here...What do you mean by "handle"? Any leather can handle water, but it's really the finish or lack thereof that makes one better than another. Sheep and lamb and goat can all be soft. So can steer or HH. Deer/elk/Bison are soft, but generally I don't like getting those wet - unless there's a finish on them to accommodate it. There's so many variables that t's not easy to just say this or that...

 

[Dr H]

I wear capeskin in the rain often without any problems.

 

[tblay]

I wear capeskin in the rain often without any problems.

How do you wear capeskin in the rain without it spotting terribly?! Please tell me. I want to do this, but my capeskin jacket spots like crazy.

 

[feltfan]

My GW A-1 simply soaks up rain. Probably depends on how it is tanned.
I have seen a Lost Worlds deerskin long coat that was impressive.

Personally, I find my supposedly FQHH Aero Hercules to be if anything too soft.
Limp dishcloth soft in some places. I wish I had the troubles the original poster describes.
The veg tan horsehide d-pocket jackets I just got from Johnson are pretty soft,
but to some extent it just seems that way due to the action back.