Badalassi leather jacket photos.

[Cogerrunt]

Photos a friend of mine sent me. Bought from American classics covent garden. More photos available. I love the colour..but in an A2.

 

[jeremiah]

Looks great. Is that after the re-working? Still looks thick and stiff from where I’m sitting. Great for that jacket but still looking too much for an A-2.
My BK victory hide Arco is a nice leather for sure but too thick for an authentic repro A-2 in the way the original would drape and look. This badalassi looks the same and drapes the same.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Looks great. Is that after the re-working? Still looks thick and stiff from where I’m sitting. Great for that jacket but still looking too much for an A-2.
My BK victory hide Arco is a nice leather for sure but too thick for an authentic repro A-2 in the way the original would drape and look. This badalassi looks the same and drapes the same.

As far as I'm aware Aero are the only folk (so far) reworking Badalassi so that it's not too thick nor too stiff for most designs

 

[ausreenactor]

Nice hide and finish..

 

[jeremiah]

Thanks Ken.
even my ELC monarch seems thick by way of comparison to an original Aero I handled.

 

[Cogerrunt]

It has American classics label inside. Not sure who made it though..unless there's something inside the pockets. Yes it's thickish stuff. I've not seen it in the flesh, but it softens after wearing it. Then back to stiff after it cools down. Ken, when you refer to reworking the leather, do you mean thinning the leather down?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

There's more to it than just thickness, it's tanned for shoe leather really. Even I'm not 100% sure what's been done (I wouldn't say if I did though, obviously) but it isn't cheap to have done
Results are spectaular
This is a two tone Half Belt made out of two ends of the first lot of reworked leather and the Russet we've just had in

 

[Boyo]

It has American classics label inside. Not sure who made it though..unless there's something inside the pockets. Yes it's thickish stuff. I've not seen it in the flesh, but it softens after wearing it. Then back to stiff after it cools down.

this would be a Bill Kelso Jacket

 

[DiamondDave]

Gents,

Badalassi is very nice hide, we have had a few. But the one thing nobody talks about is what is the animal that provides the hide? Yes Badalassi will NOT work in horse, ever. All Badalassi hides are cow. This is not hyperbole, but a known fact as JC met with them at their big show in Italy.

Just my 2¢ worth, since I know so many of you will only buy horsehide, this may be something to consider.

DD

 

[Cogerrunt]

Any particular reason badalassi only use bovine?

 

[DiamondDave]

Any particular reason badalassi only use bovine?

Unclear, but something they were adamant about. Also this hide is super expensive, even outstripping the cost of Shinki and Vicenza. I know many purists still don’t believe A-2’s were made of cowhide, but we can assure you they were.

DD

 

[Cogerrunt]

Thanks for update Dave.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Any particular reason badalassi only use bovine?

When they were recognised as the World's No 1 tannery Connolly Bros never used Horse either. Badalassi is very similar in appearance to what Connolly made in their prime (1960s-to mid 80s) although the hand is totally different, more American IMO

 

[Cogerrunt]

Very interesting Ken. You can spend years on the leather side of things and forget about actually making a jacket. Connolly I remember did car seats and sofas. Lovely stuff to sit on.

 

[Cogerrunt]

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-1975/26/leather-bound-world-connolly

Found this very interesting regarding Connolly.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/january-1975/26/leather-bound-world-connolly

Found this very interesting regarding Connolly.

Great aricle, it took us ages to get Connolly to supply us with leather for clothing.
It all fell apart in the late 80s with a move from Industrial Caledonian Rd to Posh Wimbledon and the new generation of the family believing the name was enough, there were corners that could be cut and they should be producing their own leather preoducts.
Stick to what you know and do well

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Any particular reason badalassi only use bovine?

Maybe the family are horse lovers?
It's something I've had a personal problem with for the best part of 40 years or more ........especially as Aero are directly resposible for the upsurge in the use of horse leather since 1985