Thoughts on Toyo's (Buzz R, Sugarcane, etc.) 'Bronco' horsehide?

[Iron Horse]

Hello all,

I'm wondering if anybody has any experience/feedback on the Italian veg-tanned 'Bronco' horsehide that Toyo uses in many of their jackets, namely Buzz Rickson's and Sugarcane? From what I gather it's a very soft leather, and in some photos almost looks sack-like. Any thoughts are welcome!

Here are some examples:

 

[John Lever]

Very nice leather, rather thick for an A1 but perfect for my B2. It is shiny and has grain but nothing like Shinki.

 

[Iron Horse]

Thanks for that; yeah, I'm in the process of parting with a too-small Rainbow Country halfbelt in Shinki, and was looking at the Sugarcane halfbelt as a replacement.

 

[Daddyash1]

Hi
Sorry to derail the topic but what size is the the rainbow country? Have you already sold it?
Thanks

 

[HPA Rep]

I find that it's definitely not soft, and that sack-like is one of the last characterizations I'd even remotely assign to the hides. Having said that, it varies with each production and even within the production because it's not manmade, but the thickness is very consistent, with the typical being specified @ 1.2 mm, except for some A-2 Jackets made just for us that were closer to 1 mm and below due to a desire for greater authenticity. Grain will also vary across batches and production years as will degree of sheen, which depends on what is specified for any given production by the brands. This year's 27752 A-2's we have in stock feature some of the most outstanding horsehide BR has ever offered, but this is subjective and based on my taste for matte finishes, a reasonable drape, grain structure, and overall color.

If you are looking for leather like a piece of cardboard, then don't buy this stuff. We'll be viewing and ordering the 2017 Sugar Cane items in April, and Buzz items at month's end.

 

[Iron Horse]

Well, it looks like SC 80384 is my next jacket then.

 

[RiteStuffBryan]

Well it’s been a few years but I did finally get said jacket:

Bought second-hand, was listed as black but is more like a dark seal brown. The leather has some squeak and a somewhat firm temper. Nice grain and teacore potential.

The repro Crown spring zipper:

Convertible wool collar flap:

Corduroy pocket bags:

Hammered-effect half-belt adjusters:

Storm cuffs; body lining is wool, sleeves have cotton drill lining:

The fit is a bit longer and slightly voluminous for a 40 but I’ve tried various SC jackets on in 38 and 40 and the 38s always fit like a child’s size on me, so this is the right size. Shoulder width, chest, and sleeve length are about right. Sleeves and cuffs are wider, not a modern slim sleeve, body is a bit longer:

 

[hieu]

Well it’s been a few years but I did finally get said jacket:

Wow, talk about persistence. That's a beautiful leather and it looks great on you!

 

[RiteStuffBryan]

Wow, talk about persistence. That's a beautiful leather and it looks great on you!

Thanks, will be taking this one out for a spin as much as the weather will allow!

 

[Aloysius]

I’m a huge Sugar Cane fan so it’s quite disappointing that their leather jackets seem to be unobtainable. I get the impression that perhaps even in Japan they’re in store only products.

 

[RiteStuffBryan]

Do you know if they’ve made any leather jackets lately? Looking back, the most recent one I can find is this horsehide one with sprinbok hair on hide from 2018:

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/old-goat/sugarcane80519/

 

[Aloysius]

NEW SUGAR CANE LEATHER JACKET!

Very excited to see this even as someone who's basically out of the leather jacket collecting habit. Sugar Cane is my favourite denim and repro workwear brand. Their leather jacket releases are few and far between but everyone here who has owned one has loved it.

Another great thing about them is that their patterning tends to be true to the original items, rather than a baggy (FCL) or skintight (RMCJ & Himel) modernized fit. (Nothing wrong with modernized fits in and of themselves, but I love when a repro feels like a time machine.)

It's a reproduction of a Rough Wear Rough-In half-belt from the 1940s.

It's sort of a wartime cousin to the half-belt in post 7 of this thread, with the side buckles switched to elastic due to war rationing.

The leather looks beautiful.

Sugar Cane catalogue description:

"Based on the “ROUGH-IN” label horsehide sports jacket that Roughwear— which also served as a U.S. military contractor—marketed to the civilian market during the 1940s. Due to material rationing at the time, the metal buckles on the sides were omitted and replaced with elastic shirring. Furthermore, while wool lining was the norm in the 1930s, this version features a brushed cotton check fabric; the pocket linings have also been changed from solid-color flannel to the same corduroy used in Roughwear’s B-15 jacket. Various updates have been made throughout, such as the addition of an inner pocket that was not present on the vintage original."

 

[Iron Horse]

I like my SC horsehide jacket but it’s too long and the leather is extremely squeaky. The cut would be perfect aside from the length, I’m also not a fan of slimmed down leather jackets.

Interested to see how this one turns out.

 

[Wajidali]

its a really good looking jacket

 

[Aloysius]

I like my SC horsehide jacket but it’s too long and the leather is extremely squeaky. The cut would be perfect aside from the length, I’m also not a fan of slimmed down leather jackets.

Interested to see how this one turns out.

FWIW the length of your jacket looks pretty much like what we see in photos from the time period.

We overcorrect a bit on FL and apply the length of certain kinds of motorcycle jackets to other designs. I burned myself by doing this on some expensive jackets.

 

[Pliksoff]

The pics look good but 300k yen is brutal for a pattern like this, hopefully I can snag one used in a few years down the line. I remember 200k yen being the baseline not too long ago, it feels like there's a coordinated push by JP brands to make 275k+ the new norm.

 

[Aloysius]

The pics look good but 300k yen is brutal for a pattern like this, hopefully I can snag one used in a few years down the line. I remember 200k yen being the baseline not too long ago, it feels like there's a coordinated push by JP brands to make 275k+ the new norm.

You're thinking in terms of the stronger yen. 300k yen now is worth 200k of a few years ago.