Selecting the appropriate parts of the hide question

[Striker]

Let's say a leather jacket manufacturer has an excellent, grainy horsehide or cowhide. What if they use poor sections of the hide? Does this greatly affect the overall quality of the jacket?

Also, what about carefully selecting what parts of the hide are used for certain parts of the jacket?

Should the sleeves, for example, each be cut from a part of the hide that has similar grain pattern, so that when wearing the jacket both sleeves look similar? Meaning, would a jacket be considered poor quality if one sleeve had little grain and was thicker/stiffer, and the other sleeve had a great amount of grain detail and was thinner/softer?

To me, it would make sense that a leather jacket could be considered poor quality if great care is not given to what parts of the hides are used and where they area used on the jacket.

Thanks,

Striker

 

[T-Bolt]

Striker,

I agree with you 110% about have leather thickness and grain match up as much as possible in most cases. But, I am sure many members have a differing opinion on the subject. I like sleeves, body front panels and the like to be similar.


Ted

 

[better duck]

To me, it would make sense that a leather jacket could be considered poor quality if great care is not given to what parts of the hides are used and where they area used on the jacket.
Striker

Striker,
Your reasoning would make sense (perfectly so) if we were talking about just leather jackets. But we are talking vintage leather jackets and modern repros of those. Then another variable comes into the equasion: what did wartime manufacturers do? And they did not, didn't do often or didn't do always what you suggest as signs of quality.
So the question then is: wartime manufacturers made poor quality jackets (mind you: according to your definition of quality): when is a repro a high quality jacket? If it is faultless as per modern jacket with no historical connotation, or if it is made "warts and all" as a facsimili of a wartime jacket? I think many forum members would be disciples of that second school, as am I.

Mind you: I like a matched, symetrical jacket too, but I like a mismatched original or a "warts & all" repro better for the history attached to it.

 

[rich]

On the ELC DVD there's a cutter working on a sheepskin - the pelt is laid out flat on a large table with the pattern traced onto it in a thin white line (chalk?!) I think they say it could take up to 3 adult sheepskins to create a B3. The placement of each part ie arm section, collar section is the cutters choice, wherever he thinks that piece of leather will work or look the best. So I suppose it must be down to the skill of any individual cutter, or how aesthetically shrewd he is. In war time though, this cannot have been much of a consideration, surely they were bashed out as quickly as possible hence the often seen mis-matched hides.

 

[jacketimp]

depends on whether you want a repro or an original...........

 

[jacketimp]

Let's say a leather jacket manufacturer has an excellent, grainy horsehide or cowhide. What if they use poor sections of the hide? Does this greatly affect the overall quality of the jacket?

Also, what about carefully selecting what parts of the hide are used for certain parts of the jacket?

Should the sleeves, for example, each be cut from a part of the hide that has similar grain pattern, so that when wearing the jacket both sleeves look similar? Meaning, would a jacket be considered poor quality if one sleeve had little grain and was thicker/stiffer, and the other sleeve had a great amount of grain detail and was thinner/softer?

To me, it would make sense that a leather jacket could be considered poor quality if great care is not given to what parts of the hides are used and where they area used on the jacket.

Thanks,

Striker

what are the forum members experience with the top repro makers........their hide qualite' control......

 

[airfrogusmc]

If you want something that really kind of matches originals as far has hide grain and weight I think like my good friend Paul Sanders once said Aeros real deal is hard to beat and our own John Chapman does and EXCELLENT job on getting great hide weight and grain wise and doing just the right amount of miss-matching to match originals allot of originals. Most folks don't really want jackets made like that though.

 

[fishmeok]

I like the mis-matched hides, so I don't worry about what matches what when I cut out a jacket. The grainier parts of the hide tend to be near the edges so you do have to be a little careful about things like stiffness, etc. The main thing that concerns me is the weight and texture of the leather. The weight in particular will vary across the hide. I know John is very careful to make sure he uses the heavier bits on the shoulders, etc. as those will probably see the most wear.

Just for reference it takes about 7 goatskins, 2 horsehides, or one half cowhide to make a jacket. John uses about 27 sg/ft per jacket, I have to use over 30 since I'm new to this and tend to make mistakes...
Cheers
Mark

Like this:

 

[jacketimp]

I like the mis-matched hides, so I don't worry about what matches what when I cut out a jacket. The grainier parts of the hide tend to be near the edges so you do have to be a little careful about things like stiffness, etc. The main thing that concerns me is the weight and texture of the leather. The weight in particular will vary across the hide. I know John is very careful to make sure he uses the heavier bits on the shoulders, etc. as those will probably see the most wear.

Just for reference it takes about 7 goatskins, 2 horsehides, or one half cowhide to make a jacket. John uses about 27 sg/ft per jacket, I have to use over 30 since I'm new to this and tend to make mistakes...
Cheers
Mark



thanks for thumbs up.........

 

[catinhat95]

I think I would rather have mismatched hides as well. I am sure that during the the war the contractors certainly were not worrying about matching the hides. They were probably trying to be as cost effective as possible using every bit of the hide. I think a mismatched jacket has character.