Smell of different types of hide

[lapa]

Hi,

I have Eastman A-2 jackets in steerhide and horsehide, B-3 and other jackets in goatskin. I find there is a smell with both horsehide and steerhide (stronger with horsehide) and none with goatskin.

Fortunately I love the smell, but am still interested where it comes from, the hide itself or the manufacturing process. Looking for inputs from experts...

 

[Dav]

I'm no expert but I think its to do with the tanning, both my steer and horse Aeros seem to smell the same whereas my Schott jacket smells totally different. I'm assuming the Schott is vegetable tanned(not sure) and the Aeros are chrome tanned. I must say the Schott was a more pleasant aroma when new than the Aeros.

 

[JanSolo]

Aero's goatskin is veg tanned and spray finished. Upon arrival any of my goatskin Aeros smelled a bit like a goat. Honestly!! Of course there is also a strong scent of bark extracts from the veg tanning but you can really smell that it's goat.
Apart from that I agree with what Dav said. The scent/smell of leather is mainly determined by the way it is tanned and processed. Aero's FQHH is hot stuffed after it's been tanned and I suppose that a lot of its smell comes from the waxes and oils that have been forced into the leather.
I've had a Cockpit G1 for try-on purposes a couple of months ago and its rather flimsy chrome tanned goatskin had no smell at all. The whole jacket felt like an assembly line product.

 

[lapa]

Thanks guys. Really appreciate your comments.

 

[Philalethes]

Thanks for raising the question. I have been wondering myself.

 

[andy richards]

Thanks for bringing this subject up. It is correct that goatskin doesn't smell. My police jacket, which is also goatskin, did not smell at all even when fresh from the maker. The company who made it, Trio Leder in Maarssen, Holland, kept all their hides in the house. When I came there to have my measurments taken of my jacket, about 15 years ago, I wondered why there was not the distinguished leather smell. (I expected an overwhelming leather odeur...). The owner explained that it was all about the tanning proces. Here my police jacket:

 

[lapa]

Andy, your police jacket is a beauty.

I thinking it's right the smell comes from the tanning or finish because my Eastman jackets in steerhide and horsehide and sheepskin all smell the same and only differ in strength.

 

[andy richards]

Andy, your police jacket is a beauty.

I thinking it's right the smell comes from the tanning or finish because my Eastman jackets in steerhide and horsehide and sheepskin all smell the same and only differ in strength.

Thanks for the compliments, lapa.
Happy new year to you as well.
Andy

 

[LocktownDog]

Just gotta say ... this was the oddest thread title I've read in a long time.

 

[kojax]

lol

 

[apba1166]

All smell theories aside, I always thought I was sniffing the glue.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Goat stinks!

Actually its strange that you guys say goat doesn't smell. Amongst leather workers (and in my experience) goat has the strongest smell going.v

 

[kojax]

when i got my a2 real mccoy horsehide jacket the leather did not smell i wonder why. my brother got a new harley leather the jacket smells

 

[ButteMT61]

Actually its strange that you guys say goat doesn't smell. Amongst leather workers (and in my experience) goat has the strongest smell going.v

Are you sure it wasn't e goats, pre-skinning?

 

[Fletch]

If horse isn't too heavily dyed or plasticized, I perceive a slight tobaccoey odor.