Get out the goats!

[Aloysius]

Feel rather silly asking this but here goes. Goat is generally considered lighter than horse however Aero's midweight horse is listed as 2.5oz while the goat is 2.75oz. I'm assuming, then, their goat must feel heavier than their midweight horse right? Or is there something else going on here that I'm missing?

Feels completely different.

Aero's goat is substantial but has no stiffness whatsoever, which could be a plus or minus depending on the person but I enjoy it. If you have tried Schott's "naked cowhide", it's a similar feel except lighter.

 

[Nalazo]

What do you need the perfect range of motion for? A sports jacket would probably be more sensible.
In this respect, I would say that if you like the look of gussets, take them. If not, don't.
Does Aero offer underarm gussets at all?

Just wanted to set the record straight as there was some confusion in my communication with Aero about this. Although I initially thought that they were willing to add underarm gussets to a civilian jacket, in the end they were not. The underarm gussets are only offered on their military jackets.

 

[Nalazo]

So I ended up going with a Seal Goat Sheene. Unfortunately, it was too trim for my tastes so I returned it. However, I figured you guys would appreciate some pics anyways.

 

[Aloysius]

So I ended up going with a Seal Goat Sheene. Unfortunately, it was too trim for my tastes so I returned it. However, I figured you guys would appreciate some pics anyways.

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Beautiful! My only problem with my seal Aero goat jacket was that it turned out being a black jacket, not a seal one. I do want to enquire with Aero at some point if it’s actually just a depot redye dark seal rather than a mislabel, but I’m very happy with the jacket itself.

 

[Nalazo]

Yea they did a great job. I asked them for the lightest shade of seal brown available. Wonder if it actually differs at all from the normal seal batch since they said the seal goat hides are all pretty uniform.

 

[Rudie]

This is the same jacket. Brand new and broken in. The buttons were changed. I bought this jacket 11 years ago and I am still very happy with it.

 

[jglf]

Beautiful! My only problem with my seal Aero goat jacket was that it turned out being a black jacket, not a seal one. I do want to enquire with Aero at some point if it’s actually just a depot redye dark seal rather than a mislabel, but I’m very happy with the jacket itself.

My Aero seal goat is like a milk chocolate color. I wish it was darker. Guess there is a lot of shade variation with their goat.

 

[Commisar]

View attachment 482755 My Aero seal goat is like a milk chocolate color. I wish it was darker. Guess there is a lot of shade variation with their goat.

Well I think it looks good

 

[CombatWombat]

My favourite hide is goatskin
It just feels good to wear in the usually hotter and humid weather we have in my part of Australia....even in winter it rarely dips below 65 percent humidity.
I have a minor love affair with the Swedish goatskin brewer's tails jackets of the 40-50's though my brother in law has picked up a Portuguese army jacket that looks almost like the lovechild of a Cossack and a Hartmann/cyclist jacket in a beautiful olive colour that I can't wait to get my hands on

 

[TartuWolf]

5*
This is after being worn for about a month pretty regularly.
Very happy with the leather.
Not too happy with the pattern and lack of mobility.

 

[CombatWombat]

5*
This is after being worn for about a month pretty regularly.
Very happy with the leather.
Not too happy with the pattern and lack of mobility.
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I love the look of the pattern but I'd never be able to wear something like that without a Centerline gusset back or atleast the "V Cuts" on the hem so it doesn't bind up when you're getting in and out of a car

 

[TartuWolf]

@CombatWombat
Yeah I'd add some upper back mobility features if I were to order this jacket again from 5*.
Now I am a bit wiser in this regard
But the members here usually say that if the pattern is good then extra mobility features are unnecessary unless you plan to ride with it.
From that perspective the pattern is not very good.
Needs higher/smaller armholes. Underarm gussets. Maybe shoulder gussets or center back gusset. Gusset/pleat in the lining.
The hem is fine, works nice while driving a car as the jacket is short enough.

Got caught in heavy rain with this jacket today (rather intentionally), soaked it quite good. Curious to see if it will change the look/feel of the jacket in any way.

 

[ton312]

5 Star Crystal brown, stripped and dyed with Fiebings cordo/resolene for topcoat. 5 stars thick goat is great and borders on 4oz. and you can see how thick it is in the behavior of the sleeves. This is a 6lb jacket. The problem isn’t the leather but the pigment choices. I’ve found with 5 Star you need to be willing to DIY the finish to get a decent result. As to the pattern issues, it’s all about the sleeves imo and this area is a persistent struggle for them, despite it being so rudimentary to jacket construction.

 

[CombatWombat]

@CombatWombat
Yeah I'd add some upper back mobility features if I were to order this jacket again from 5*.
Now I am a bit wiser in this regard
But the members here usually say that if the pattern is good then extra mobility features are unnecessary unless you plan to ride with it.
From that perspective the pattern is not very good.
Needs higher/smaller armholes. Underarm gussets. Maybe shoulder gussets or center back gusset. Gusset/pleat in the lining.
The hem is fine, works nice while driving a car as the jacket is short enough.

Got caught in heavy rain with this jacket today (rather intentionally), soaked it quite good. Curious to see if it will change the look/feel of the jacket in any way.

Ahhh well I ride motorcycles so it's one thing that carries over to my other jackets.....I need a centerline pleat/gusset back to feel comfortable wearing a jacket.
I've got a fantastic LW A-1 HH jacket but I instantly regretted buying it as soon as I tried it on.....it's a chore to do anything in and makes me feel like a snail with how restricted you are with movement and comfort, though it atleast can be unbuttoned to sit down in (something that most zippered jackets won't allow with the one way zippers most use)
My annoyance with HH is what lead me to vintage goatskin....drapes like lambskin but is water resistant like horse and wear resistant like steer

 

[CombatWombat]

And I'm definitely not a fan of the "sausage skin" fit that seems to be back in fashion.....

I like a trim fit (comes with riding motorcycles and the idea that it will stick to you in a sliding accident) but when I feel like I'm being restricted in movement then it's time to move it on...... thankfully I've found a few older jackets (back when they were built for work rather than looks) that are designed with movement/lifting your arms in mind

 

[TartuWolf]

@CombatWombat
Even though I do not ride I'm still completely convinced that any jacket benefits from mobility features.
All my future jackets will have some kind. At least high armholes as a minimum.
Learned from this 5* jacket.
Got a Vanson jacket that is too long for me and chokes me when I'm sitting, might go for a two-way zipper if I ever send it for a zipper replacement.
Although I'm still at the firm leather phase, avoiding soft/drapey/thinner leather for now. HH all the way! But that opinion might change when my CXFQHH from Aero arrives and I live with it for a while. Might start to long for goatskin leather too.
I have to say that this 5* goat is quite stiff and thick, maybe not very characteristic of goat. Echoes to what Canuck said recently:

2.5oz horse is not gonna feel too much different than 2.75oz goat in terms of temper. Different grains for sure, but hand feel will be the same.

In terms of fit I think more or less everyone is chasing the unicorn fit - trim enough to accentuate the body shape nicely and feel pleasantly snug, but also roomy enough for great range of motion, comfort as well as layering. The perfect balance as they say.

 

[CombatWombat]

I love the look of horse but I've only got a window of a fees weeks per year where it's cold enough to wear it without feeling like I'm in a personal sauna suit.....

 

[TartuWolf]

@CombatWombat
I've got the impression that the leather itself doesn't have much affect on the warmth of the jacket, almost all of the it comes from the lining.
On the other hand if the leather is stiff and you're kind of fighting it all the time then I suppose you do work up a sweat much more than a drape-y/pliable one.

 

[CombatWombat]

@CombatWombat
I've got the impression that the leather itself doesn't have much affect on the warmth of the jacket, almost all of the it comes from the lining.
On the other hand if the leather is stiff and you're kind of fighting it all the time then I suppose you do work up a sweat much more than a drape-y/pliable one.

It's more the fact that most of Australia (along the coasts) rarely get cold and dry enough to wear HH.
I find goat feels less warm/doesn't trap humidity/breathes better than horse in the environment I'm in
That's why I love the brewer's tails you Sweds made..... lightweight and breathable and button up, which means I can control the airflow better than a zip up (usually quilted) horsehide halfbelt

 

[TartuWolf]

@CombatWombat
Fair enough, in terms of pure breathability goatskin probably wins over horsehide due to slightly looser grain, which makes it more usable in warm weather.
Never heard of "brewer's tails", can you drop a link? Ain't a Swede either haha.
Also it makes sense that a button up would make a jacket more universal in warm weather.
My 5* button up is mainly gonna be used a summer jacket (~15-20 Celsius) because it only works with a t-shirt due to how narrow I specced the sleeve width and how meh the mobility is even with t-shirt only.