Horse or Cow Smell Test ?

[442RCT]

A seller listed a "horsehide" A-2 jacket for sale on the bay: VTG HORSEHIDE LEATHER AIR FORCE A2 STYLE FLIGHT JACKET. The jacket didn't appear to be a high quality repro, it had hand warmer pockets. I asked the seller if there was a label that said the jacket was made of horsehide. The seller responded;

"Thank you for your interest in this item. There is no label. I can tell that it is horse hide because it smells like horse hide which smells like an old baseball glove.
Thank you."

This kind of puzzles me since baseball gloves are usually made of steerhide or cowhide, so if the jacket smelled like a baseball glove then logically, wouldn't it be steer or cowhide and not horsehide.

 

[deeb7]

Older baseballs, and gloves were typically horsehide, JA Dubow being one of the well known makers.

.... and the seller is an idiot.

 

[Jason]

I don't think you could tell, even arrive at a 'likely' determination, based on the smell. The smell would be mainly a function of the tanning process, surely?

 

[Tim P]

It would. A colleague of mine who had had a career as a tanner told me that there is no way to tell cow and horsehide apart as they behave the same. Leather odour comes from the urine, pulped treebark and lord knows what else is used to tan it.

 

[Swing]

As a country boy I can tell the difference between cow and horse shit by the smell, but I don't think the same thing would apply to tanned hide.

~Swing

 

[bseal]

Reminds me of a tried and true pick up line:

"Excuse me, but does this Chloroform smell funny to you?"

 

[ausreenactor]

As a country boy I can tell the difference between cow and horse sh*t by the smell, but I don't think the same thing would apply to tanned hide.

~Swing

:lol: I never really dwelled on it. But you got a big laugh from me..Thanks!!

Couchy

 

[TankBuster]

Reminds me of a tried and true pick up line:

"Excuse me, but does this Chloroform smell funny to you?"

:lol: That's so funny and wrong! :?