Concerning those hardcore jackets

[Zaxxon]

Metatron, since you wrote the jacket should become your trademark over the years the choice imho comes down very much on the question what kind of trademark you want to have.
Many kinds of hides make great jackets, but (as mentioned) to name just two examples, goat is nice to wear and stays the same over a long time without showing too much wear or patina whilst FQHH on the far other side takes a while to break in but gets a perfect patina continuously over time. So if you want your trademark to be like new through the years go with goat, if you want it to age with you and look worn and like an old, vintage jacket after all, go with heavy steerhide or FQHH.

 

[TheSnark]

... you own too many jackets!

I do NOT have too many jackets! I just have too few closets.

 

[Cooperson]

Don't despair quite yet. I have heard from European sources, mostly Eastern European, that a few of the creatures were kept in captivity and bred for their hides and their horns even after the turn of the century. There were, of course, none left in the wild, only on the breeding farms. This isn't widely known outside of Eastern Europe. There was so much upheaval there during the war, that the story of the domesticated Unicorn before WWI has mostly passed from European memory.

Mr Peacot is correct and here is the proof:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXGCDi4BLb8-vO_4OJGxIUR7x1kzbWJ_Mb56jO1QaH5y_riFVnEw

The main problem with this particular hide was that if you got a panel where the horn was then you had a rather unsightly hole showing

 

[TheSnark]

Mr Peacot is correct and here is the proof:
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTXGCDi4BLb8-vO_4OJGxIUR7x1kzbWJ_Mb56jO1QaH5y_riFVnEw
The main problem with this particular hide was that if you got a panel where the horn was then you had a rather unsightly hole showing

I have often suspected that the real problem is simply the shortage of virgins required to lure and capture the beasts. Unicorns, after all, are not hunted nearly as zealously or relentlessly. (I also suspect unicorns run faster in their attempt to escape.)

OK, enough of this (though it is fun)... it really is a rather rude to hijack a legitimate thread. My apology for starting the off-topic silliness; I didn't really think it would go anywhere when I first mentioned it.

 

[Metatron]

You can redeem yourself by posting some pics of your Hg-5 [huh]

 

[TheSnark]

You can redeem yourself by posting some pics of your Hg-5 [huh]

Alas, I must compound my indiscretion by posting photos of rather low quality. Full redemption must await the weekend, when the light shall shine round about me (and the HG-5), and the glory shall be made manifest. Meanwhile, these scant details must suffice:

 

[1087]

Yep, I have a couple deerskin jackets for summer use (supple, lightweight, and light color to beat the heat), and it's great stuff. I recently asked Stu at LW about the possibility of a deerskin jacket, and unfortunately, they do not currently have a source... nor do they expect to get one. Apparently demand just isn't enough to warrant ordering a batch large enough to be economically feasible, so LW won't be making any deerskin jackets in the near future. Aero does offer a "not-deerskin deerskin" jacket (whatever that is... Calf? Goat? Llama? Unicorn?), so I suppose you mignt contact them and ask....

He offers the Finnish Moose, which is exceptional IMHO!
It is my understanding that a Moose (alce,elk) are from the deer family, right?

 

[Metatron]

Thanks very much for the HG-5 pics! (looking forward to some where it's being worn!).

This is more or less what I have in mind for a point in the future:

Hg5 but with a half-belt back/waist details. No chest pocket but instead one or two inner ones, and a mouton collar.

My reasoning is that I like the A-2 style streamlined design with the outer wind-flap (but sans large 'pouch' pockets), and I want to further add to that look by removing the chest pocket. (not fully decided on this). The mouton collar (probably like the CBI A-2 one) will give it an extra classic aviation element to it, plus extra coziness for the winter, and the half belt back will add some vintage styling to prevent the whole thing from being boring.

Here is a photoshopped image to show you the look I'm after:

What do you think?

 

[TheSnark]

I'll try to get some shots tomorrow morning in good light, and try to include some close-ups of the front. The wind flap is pretty thick and actually protrudes a bit. It may not be as streamlined in appearance as you're imagining, so I'll try to get some shots and angles to give you a better look.

I like the collar and removal of the chest pocket; a really clean look. Personally, I'd think twice about adding the half-belt... the one-piece back of the HG-5 isn't boring to me; it's a larger canvas to show off the quality of the hide and retain the clean look without a yoke or belt. I have an Aero HB too, and I like it, but my HB has A2-style front pockets, so the front of the HB isn't as clean, and the half-belt on the back doesn't seem incongruous. I also have a preference for zip sleeves (better for riding), and I've always found elastic cuffs to be a bit irritating (I'm also aware that many people like storm cuffs, so suit yourself). Anyway, that's just my take on it, and you shouldn't put too much weight on someone else's preferences.

 

[Metatron]

You may be right about the half belt idea being incongruous...
I'm pretty much letting my imagination run wild, maybe everything will become clearer when I see the fit.

 

[JLStorm]

As previously mentioned the steer is no easier to break in than horse. In fact, horse will break in easier than steer, it is also thinner and Im guessing will conform to your body over time more than steer will. I have a 1 year old Aero steerhide jacket that still stands up on its own. I love it to death, it weighs 5.5kg exactly (about 12 pounds) and its far stiffer than wearing body armor. Its my favorite jacket, but I definitely have to be in the mood to wear it. I also have an Aero b3 fully overlayed in 3.5oz horsehide that is much less stiff than the steer. When I told Amanda I wanted the heaviest, stiffest, and thickest hide they had, she pointed me away from FQHH and told me to get steer. So if your goal is easier break in, I wouldnt get their steer.

 

[TheSnark]

I'm pretty much letting my imagination run wild, maybe everything will become clearer when I see the fit.

Don't let me put you off on an idea you really like; I was just stating my preferences. Letting your imagination run wild is not always a bad thing.... Anyway, here are the oft-promised photos, and these are much better. Good light makes all the difference (I'm no expert at Photoshop, but I am trying to learn a bit).

Hope this helps, and good luck with the jacket. I promise to harass you for photos when you get it!

Oops! Guess I should mention that the only mods to this jacket are zip sleeves and adding a leather a strip to the lower inner lining. Other than that, this is a standard HG-5.

 

[Cooperson]

That's a great looking jacket, I don't think I've seen one before - similar to the Highwayman but definitely different. Love the overall design of it and the color of the hide is stunning. Also, a perfect fit - very, very nice indeed!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Metatron]

Thank you very much for the photos! Wow it really is a very nice jacket, and it's as I imagined, ideal for what the alterations I have in mind.

Is that the brown version?

 

[TheSnark]

Thank you very much for the photos! Wow it really is a very nice jacket, and it's as I imagined, ideal for what the alterations I have in mind.

Is that the brown version?

Yes, this is the brown. I tweaked the color in Photoshop just a little until it looked true-to-life on my computer, but the fact is, most computer monitors (including mine, most likely) are significantly out of calibration. By adjusting the color for my monitor, it is entirely possible I turned the jacket green on your monitor, and orange or purple on someone else's. Unfortunately, there's no real fix for this unless we all buy color charts and start calibrating our monitors every couple of days, as the graphic/visual arts professionals do. I once ordered (what I thought was) a tan-colored deerskin from Johnson Leathers, but Alan insisted on sending me a swatch of the leather before starting on the jacket. I'm glad he did, because when I got the sample, it was closer to pumpkin orange than tan, LOL. I have replaced my monitor since then, but there's still no way of knowing how colors compare on different uncalibrated screens.