Price differences between different hides

[Justhandguns]

I need your collective minds here. I was in a discussion with some fashion junkies who think that lambskin is king. I want to find out roughly how much different good quality hides cost, as a raw material. I seriously need to provide some convincing figures to get back into the discussion. Any help? :eusa_doh:

 

[Monitor]

I was in a discussion with some fashion junkies who think that lambskin is king.

Out of mere curiosity, what was the reasoning behind such statements?

 

[Justhandguns]

Out of mere curiosity, what was the reasoning behind such statements?

The reasoning? Ha. their reasoning is that most top high fashion brands make their leather jackets out of lambskins. They like the suppleness, in which I can understand. But price-wise? Seriously? Lambskins more expensive than good cowhides or steerhides? I don't know. That is whY I need to find out the facts.

 

[Sloan1874]

Most fashion leathers are made from split skins that have been sanded and, in some cases, embossed with grain. It's a very economic way for fashion labels to made jackets as it doesn't depend on the original hide being perfect at the start, unlike the top-end makers in the vintage market, who use either full or top grain leather, which increases the number of skins used as they look for unblemished and closely-matched pieces for panels.

 

[Monitor]

The reasoning? Ha. their reasoning is that most top high fashion brands make their leather jackets out of lambskins. They like the suppleness, in which I can understand. But price-wise? Seriously? Lambskins more expensive than good cowhides or steerhides? I don't know. That is whY I need to find out the facts.

Hah..! Quality is the last thing top fashion brands think about nowadays. That stuff isn't intended to be worn; not the way we define the word.

It's a great question, though. I'm very curious about this, as well.

 

[Rabbit]

There's no clear answer to that. Like Sloan, said, it depends on in what way they're making use of the hide. There's lots of possibilities for saving money on hides to get a reasonably good-looking product that doesn't hold up well, which is generally of no concern to fashion brands or their customers.

Btw, lambskin isn't goatskin isn't capeskin. What you meant is goatskin. And if you just take lambskin or goatskin whatever, that still doesn't tell you what tannery it was bought from, made in what process, ordered in what volume, how large the hides were, how much of each hide ended on the cutter's floor, how much of that cutoff stuff was reprocessed by that same brand for other purposes (yes, they do that, like for belts) and thus saved money, etc. etc.

 

[Sloan1874]

Fashion labels aren't that choosy about where they source their leathers from either, which drives down the price as well.

 

[Big J]

I think they choose lamb because it's soft from the get go.
If they choose any other hide, it won't get worn enough to break-in before it's replaced by next seasons must have designer leather jacket.

 

[casechopper]

If they're talking about high end designers like SLP, Balmain etc... I think the choice of lamb is because it's a soft luxurious feeling leather that stretches and drapes in a way that those designers want. The focus with that type of jacket is not on durability or physical protection of the wearer. The focus is purely on aesthetic and how it looks.

 

[ProteinNerd]

I don't think you are ever going to to win that sort of argument. Fashion junkies are looking for completely different qualities in a leather jacket and thus judge it's quality on a completely different list of criteria.

 

[achee]

Lambskin is not necessarily cheaper than horse or cowhide. A lot of it has to do with the quality of the raw skin and the processing done to the skin. Vegetable tan vs. Chrome tan also doesn't necessarily equate into a huge price difference. I don't work much with lambskin I've purchased chrome tanned calf skin from the same tannery that produce leather for Hermes and it costs something like $14/square feet. You can also purchase cheap stuff for like $2/square feet. There's just a lot of variability.

Fashion leather makers like lamb because of its softness and the way it drapes. It of course being thinner will not be as hard wearing as cow or horse but they are definitely softer to start with. I wouldn't say they were were cheaper or of lower quality. They just exhibit different qualities. One that is more appealing to the fashion market than the vintage market.

Andrew

 

[Seb Lucas]

There are people who privilege softness. In some aesthetic circles tractable and accomodating materials are often preferred and seen as superior - think silk, beds sheets, mattresses, carpets. Why wouldn't they apply that criteria to leather? It's just a different lens to ours. You may say that soft leather isn't as strong - they might respond - who cares?

 

[nick123]

I've always wondered if perhaps good lambskin (think Gibson Barnes) is perhaps not as fragile as we think. I know there's that story here of that gent getting his lamb jacket caught in his car door and it tore, but other than that, are there any other horror stories out there?

 

[Seb Lucas]

I've torn every lambskin jacket I've owned (5). But you're right some are firmer and tougher but never the fashion ones.

 

[AdeeC]

I had one of those Schott 4 in 1 A2's in lambskin. Lasted quite well but I did tear a decent hole in the right sleeve near the shoulder. Not sure how it happened. It just appeared.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

As already mentioned, it all depends on origin. If we're talking full grain leather from the the basic farm animals (most leather is a bi-product of the meat industry) industrially tanned, same finish & of equal quality then price per square foot isn't that different. In general, cowhide is the most expensive, followed by calf leather ( a good quality calf leather though will be more expensive than an average cowhide), goat/sheep/lamb hides are around the same price & the cheapest of all is pigskin.
If one starts to add country of origin, tanning methods & quality selection to the equation, the question becomes nearly impossible to answer. Luxury leathers such as Italian lambskin or calf leather from a renowned tannery or export co. will indeed be more expensive than a run of the mill hide.

 

[Justhandguns]

Thanks guys for your inputs!