Different weight/type hides and warmth

[gtdean48]

Leather drying, whether water or alcohol & beer is both, will result in loss of oils from the pores of the leather.

 

[MuyJingo]

Leather drying, whether water or alcohol & beer is both, will result in loss of oils from the pores of the leather.

Without the oils it will start to become damaged?

 

[gtdean48]

Without the oils it will start to become damaged?

Correct. Leather conditioners replace these oils so the leather pores don't collapse & breakdown.

 

[Sloan1874]

But we're talking decades before a good quality new jacket should need conditioning.

 

[gtdean48]

But we're talking decades before a good quality new jacket should need conditioning.

Right. My saddles get conditioned & oiled regularly because of use & washing & elements.
Some of my leather jackets have never been conditioned in 10+ years. Totally different finishes ...

 

[pak]

I would disagree that abuse makes a jacket look better. In my eye there is a big difference between worn in and abuse.

 

[Worf]

I would disagree that abuse makes a jacket look better. In my eye there is a big difference between worn in and abuse.

That my friend is what they call.. "the eye of the beholder"!

Worf

 

[Sloan1874]

It depends what you're looking for, and what you term abuse. One persons hot water treatment is another's act of vandalism.

 

[Jeff M]

It all boils down to personal taste and the quality of the leather.
There are wonderful and crappy examples of all types of hides out there.
I generally prefer horse hide or steer to goat. Most of the goat hide I've come across has a "plasticky" look and feel to me, and doesn't break in like steer or horse. Having said that, many vintage M422's/G1's have wonderful goat hides, and some current manufacturers like Good Wear have some wonderful goat hide.
Re; warmth....hides come in varying weights/thicknesses. You can't really say that one kind of hide will be warmer than another..other than the generalization that lamb and goat hides are generally not available in the weightier versions like steer and horse.
If looking for warmth...look at the lining more than the hide. If REALLY looking for warmth...go synthetic.

The only way to really tell what you will like is to personally experience what is out there. What you THINK you may prefer based on comments of others will very likely not be what you end up liking most when you get your hands on it.

 

[MuyJingo]

Does anyone have experience with the biker steer from AL?

It's meant to be very light and durable also...

It all boils down to personal taste and the quality of the leather.
There are wonderful and crappy examples of all types of hides out there.
I generally prefer horse hide or steer to goat. Most of the goat hide I've come across has a "plasticky" look and feel to me, and doesn't break in like steer or horse. Having said that, many vintage M422's/G1's have wonderful goat hides, and there are a few manufacturers that use some great goat hide.
Re; warmth....hides come in varying weights/thicknesses. You can't really say that one kind of hide will be warmer than another..other than the generalization that lamb and goat hides are generally not available in the weightier versions like steer and horse.

The only way to really tell what you will like is to personally experience what is out there. What you THINK you may prefer based on comments of others will very likely not be what you end up liking most when you get your hands on it.

Hi Jeff, Thanks!

I've been focusing on the design so far, but am going to explore some leather shops this weekend to settle on what hide I want.

Goat sounds attractive to me because it is durable and lightweight, making it versatile.

Of course I've heard horse is extremely durable also and jerky horse is meant to be lightweight...so that also might be an option.

I'm going to have to wait until I try them all on I guess.

 

[Sloan1874]

I have a jacket made of seal-colour mid-weight shinky horse that's got a lot of character but saw a lot of use during summer. No break-in was needed either. So many choices...

 

[MuyJingo]

The Biker Steer leather seems very interesting.

From the same tannery as the crazy steer in Brazil, using Brazilian cowhide.

Visually, with its full grain appearance, the Biker steer is perhaps what most would associate with a high quality leather jacket. Soft and supple but still around 1.3-1.4mm, so still a good weight, this is for the customer who wants as little pain as possible breaking in their new jacket.

This steer is pretty much as lightweight as Alexander leathers prefers to go but still heavy enough that most manufacturers would opt for a 1.1mm version.

It sounds like it's very soft and lightweight....I'm wondering how durable it is..

 

[winterland1]

Does anyone have experience with the biker steer from AL?

I don't see Biker Steer on AL's website. My Roadster is Smooth Steer.

I found it on their info page. I just didn't see it in the leather options for the actual jackets. Might be a new thing.

 

[Bunyip]

Re the goat....Langlitz use it as their upgrade from cow. They believe it's more durable, wears better etc etc. the hh is about $2500 usd upgrade. Crazy! They sell truckloads of it in Japan, but really recommend the goat to do,estic customers. Ie got some samples and it feels fantastic.

 

[simonc]

Anyone know anything about this hide, type, feel, weight, etc http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=1519

 

[Sloan1874]

It's very soft, but I wouldn't describe it as overly-light, it's still got a decent drape on it. The odd thing is, I remember looking at it and thinking it was made of melton rather than suede because of the finish. [huh]

 

[wdw]

I had a good feel of it and maybe try-on at the April show but don't remember much other than thinking it was a good relatively lightweight alternative to the usual FQHH. It would be a nice addition to a wardrobe full of leather. Pretty sure it had a soft, suedey feel to it

 

[wanz]

It's very soft, but I wouldn't describe it as overly-light, it's still got a decent drape on it. The odd thing is, I remember looking at it and thinking it was made of melton rather than suede because of the finish. [huh]

I just received a Fontana Racer in this suede... had to look up "melton" but that is a good description. From a tactile perspective, it's a great material. It is thick, but still light weight and easy to move in.

From a visual perspective, it doesn't have the sheen or textural variance that I would normally associate with suede. It's just kind of flat. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that any of this would come across well with pictures.