Hide Matching on Leather Jackets

[Benj]

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[pawineguy]

I'd say in general, yes, hides should be matched as closely as possible and most of the better producers do a good job at that. Unfortunately, sometimes when you are starting with a fairly smooth hide that looks evenly matched, one panel or another may develop much differently than the others. I'm not sure how that can be predicted or prevented. The jacket should arrive to the buyer fairly well matched, but what happens after that is up to nature.

 

[Sockeye]

Parts of my FQHH highwayman, vicenza sheene and steer cafe racer have panels with irregular grain, that frankly I love. It almost lends a fingerprint or identity to each jacket, which I translate as character.

 

[Carlos840]

I think it can be bothering when the jacket is new, but in my experience after a few months of wear things blend in naturally and even out. I do agree though, that the matching on this perticular jacket is pretty poor...

 

[Benj]

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[handymike]

Tough subject. Each hide has grainy, smooth, and will be grainy parts. Perfect matching means a lot of waste. Bigger factories might be able to make all smooth and all grainy jackets, but the smaller guys who make a jacket from a whole hide will give you a jacket that has some of each.I think the key is how the maker assembles the panels to minimize the effect of a grainy piece next to a smooth one. Even in the old days when Sears was pumping out jackets, there are Mis-matched parts.

 

[Blackadder]

I would expect slightly mismatched hide say on a Rainbow Country single rider since I have seen quite a few but I rarely see that on a Real McCoy's. I have a Buco J-100 and a Buco J-24 from McCoy's and quite a number of my friends have the RM Buco and I don't remember seeing any one of those HH jackets having such grainny surface (right side panel) as that in your first photo. Having said that, these are off the rack and we did try to pick the best one.

 

[jacketjunkie]

My Aero, Johnson, Vanson all have that bad matching, which I personally do not care much about. Jacket with best matching grain is matter of factly my Simmons Bilt "Highwayman" in Horween Bison.

 

[Benj]

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[thor]

Grain-wise that jacket is certainly inconsistent, but at least the color/shade matches. Some of the hides used by some are all over the place color-wise and one panel of an A-2 may be solid russet while another adjoining it is reddish or almost a seal brown shade in contrast. I don't know if it's the method of tanning or the dye process used, but to me it just looks bad when panels are so unmatched in color/shade.

 

[Blackadder]

Just go to show that you cannot just trust the brand. Even Mercedes has QC problems. I wonder if the recent expansion into the international market has put a strain on their production line that in order to meet the demand, they have to lower their requirements. As to bad words about RM, I hear many times about how the RM jeans are not what they used to be and many even go on to advise against buying the current ones. Personally, I would choose the Few or Aero B-3 or B-6 jacket over a RM. As to other products, I can't say that RM is better than say Buzz, Pherrow's given I own tanker jackets from all three brands.

 

[Capesofwrath]

My Aero, Johnson, Vanson all have that bad matching, which I personally do not care much about. Jacket with best matching grain is matter of factly my Simmons Bilt "Highwayman" in Horween Bison.

The Bison grain is pressed according to Debs at SB so would be uniform. That did surprise me a little and she may have had the wrong end of the stick...

 

[dan_t]

It can happen.
I had an Aero goatskin 1930's HB which had different characteristics on the front panels. I actually saw it as a unique, defining feature.

 

[Fanch]

I just checked my jacket collection - mostly Aero but also two G&B's and a Cooper G-1 - and failed to see any mismatched anything but not something that would be on my radar anyhow. I have seen a number of Aero jackets on their sale page that described mismatched panels which was why they were on the sale page in the first place. Somewhat surprising to hear QC issues with Real McCoy's jackets, although I have no personal experience there having never even seen one in the wild.

 

[feltfan]

Sometimes I muse on how persnickity people can be on this forum. But then as you say a jacket with a price tag
north of a grand should be pretty nice. Over 20 years ago when I bought my first Johnson jacket I was bothered
by the way the front panels matched. Alan said it was the last of the brown they had. At this point I think the jacket
looks great and the variety does not detract. Look for yourself:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/johnson-leather-jacket.35355/#post709405
That said, it was south of $500. The Johnson D-Pocket I am wearing as I type this seems to have remarkably
well-matched leather and is almost too uniform for my taste. I'll have to keep beating it into uniqueness.

 

[Justhandguns]

Here is my Vanson House Model B, pretty even through out the body. The sleeves have a slightly smoother though.

 

[nick123]

It's a matter of not being aware of the nuances of the jacket in advance. Can't fault you or anyone for that, because it's a detail that is probably not listed in the description, and most people would probably not think about hide matching prior to ordering. But I think the mismatched panels are more of a characteristic of the jacket than a mistake. Although you did not get what you envisioned, I think the leather will grow on you. The thinner parts are not inferior, or if they are, not in any significant way. I imagine even thin leather from a good tannery will last a lifetime.

I had a similar experience regarding how I was concerned the 2.0oz goatskin was flimsy. But after a few years I've decided it's incredibly strong despite being thin. There are several accounts of people here experiencing thin (A-2 leather) for the first time and feeling like they didn't get their money's worth. But trust me, your concerns will vanish. Your jacket is made from some of the best leather in the world. It's safe.

 

[feltfan]

Nick123 I'm not sure I agree with your generalization. My Good Wear A1 shows some serious wear in the capeskin.
It's good quality, but it will wear holes sooner or later. But the original poster's concern was aesthetic, not practical.
In that sense, I agree- ordering an expensive jacket sight unseen seems like a lot to ask at those prices.

 

[nick123]

Fair enough, practical experience surpasses speculation.

 

[Monitor]

Here is my Vanson House Model B, pretty even through out the body. The sleeves have a slightly smoother though.
View attachment 39346

Man, that could just as well be mine Mod. B, only a lot more broken in. Makes me happy to know how good it will look! How old is your jacket, 'guns?