Show us your leather

[smittybat]

seriously WTF

[Bradapalooza]

got a good deal on a schoot horse hide perfecto for 200$

was really stiff, kinda shiny, smooth and a bit too big, but i was actually gonna wear it riding my motorcycle so no biggie.

finally got around to wash it after.

first i hot soaked it as much as i could in the bath tub with the hotest water possible then threw it in the spin cycle to drain then machine dried as much as i could. still didn't change much.

then decided i would boil the jacket in a big pot on the stove top. i ment to leave it on low for a while but i had it set to medium heat at first but than forgot about it. actually left it on a medium simmer for about 2 hours OOPS.

when i took it out, the leather was actually blistered.... was a little mad at myself at first but then just threw it in the spin cycle to drain than machine dry again, then air dried in front of a fan for a day for completed drying.

the blistering wasn't that bad, and actually pretty cool IMO, fit is down at least .5 to a full size and fits way better. i wish i had better before pics and measured

close ups of blistering:

now i should do a nice conditioning. will mink oil work?

Bickmore Bick's number 4.

It's not very expensive and its a great conditioner - it should fix quite a bit of the damage. You'll be able to find it at any western store almost for sure if you don't want to order it. Cavenders or someplace that sells saddles.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Bradapalooza

[bruised]

thanks du. will get some of that stuff.

i can understand how wtf this is to you denimbros. but i'm over the whole raw break in bull shit, it fits a lot better now, thats why i did it, not to clean it. also, it wasn't a vintage jacket, they use a vintage style tag on the horse hide jackets. it was brand new last year.

[bruised]

i got the idea here: http://www.stylezeitgeist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11700

[Bradapalooza]

i got the idea here: http://www.stylezeit...ead.php?t=11700

thanks du. will get some of that stuff.

i can understand how wtf this is to you denimbros. but i'm over the whole raw break in bull shit, it fits a lot better now, thats why i did it, not to clean it. also, it wasn't a vintage jacket, they use a vintage style tag on the horse hide jackets. it was brand new last year.

Lots of people here seem to forget that one should consider "fit > pretty much everything"

I think it'll be a great looking jacket after you hit it with the bicks. It'll really bring back the glow of the leather and as a plus usually makes whatever you treat feel softer. It's the secret behind pretty much every great looking pair of cowboy boots/anything leather on a ranch.

It is not a waterproofer afaik (though I never use one you probably want to on your jacket) it is just a really good conditioner - so if you want to waterproof you'll need to do that after you condition it.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Bradapalooza

[mikecch]

^ In the leather thread, leather > everything

Vintage horsehide, dammit, use something delicate or make your own "preservation" recipe.

Don't mess around with cheap commerical stuff.

Don't machine wash it or machine dry it either.

From the photos there's already a little bit of irreversible grain damage, and horsehide is all about the grain.

Edited January 17, 2012 by mikecch

[lazybum]

thanks du. will get some of that stuff. i can understand how wtf this is to you denimbros. but i'm over the whole raw break in bull shit, it fits a lot better now, thats why i did it, not to clean it. also, it wasn't a vintage jacket, they use a vintage style tag on the horse hide jackets. it was brand new last year.

Its not about the raw break in bull shit. You just don't boil leather like that. Leather, especially when wet are just not meant to whistand high temperatures. By cooking your jacket like that you have effectively ruined its lifespan.

[Cobblers]

Good Wear RW 1401-P

[brightbill]

Lots of people here seem to forget that one should consider "fit > pretty much everything"

so buy the goddam right fit in the first place, don't cook your schott jacket in a gumbo pot

[Bradapalooza]

so buy the goddam right fit in the first place, don't cook your schott jacket in a gumbo pot

Well obviously you should buy the right fit. But the point of fit>pretty much everything is that if you have the absolute best leather in the world and the fit and cut look like absolute shit on you, then you're going to look like absolute shit. I'm not saying boil your leather - I'm saying even though its fucked up it will probably still look pretty decent if the fit is good. It won't look like ultra high quality leather - but the jacket itself will still look good.

[smittybat]

^ Sell it and buy something else, not turn a $600 jacket into tonight's stew.

[Bradapalooza]

^ Sell it and buy something else, not turn a $600 jacket into tonight's stew.

Yes, this is what he should of done (assuming there wasn't already significant damage to account for the deal he got on it in the first place).

But since he didn't he should just condition it and then wear the fuck out of it because it'll probably still look pretty nice.

[jichan]

[Cold Summer]

Anyone ever see these guys before? What a joke. Any of the small makers here (Obbigood, Hollows, Blackacre etc.) can make a far nicer wallet than this for half the price. This looks like it was bought at a cheap Chinese flea market. But no, it was made in New York City! Amazing!

http://cavalieressentials.com/collections/cavalier-essentials/products/cavalier-leather-wallet

[lucaas]

will be replacing my old wallet...made from the Hermann Oak saddle leather.

still got little square feet left on that leather so the owner can use it

[Cold Summer]

Voyej has got to be one of the best values out there. They could easily charge three times as much cash for such nice leather, burnishing, and cow tendon thread. The only reason I haven't already picked up one of their mid-wallets is because I don't like the button coin pouch, if it was a zipper we'd be game.

[mikecch]

@ lucaas: Hermann Oak leather looking good!

Anyone ever see these guys before? What a joke. Any of the small makers here (Obbigood, Hollows, Blackacre etc.) can make a far nicer wallet than this for half the price. This looks like it was bought at a cheap Chinese flea market. But no, it was made in New York City! Amazing!

http://cavalieressen...-leather-wallet

I don't get it either, looks pretty pedestrian...

The look of the leather and overall design doesn't seem to match their 'lifestyle' concept either.

They emphasize improvement with age, but the leather has been artificially distressed way too much for any notable personalisation.

haha, and don't get me started on their belt.

Edited January 18, 2012 by mikecch

[kayodic]

^this is the man behind the cavalier... http://vimeo.com/32433022

[mikecch]

^ thanks kayodic!

He mentions "passing on", "better with age", etc which I reckon are great philosphies, but IMO leather choice needs re-thinking, as well as the over-all specs and design for the leather goods - at that price-range I expect some well thought out stuff.

Edited January 18, 2012 by mikecch

[kayodic]

^indeed mike.... he didnt explain specifically what kind of leather he used for wallet and belt but at least he said something about his inspiration and he showed his lifestyle which is reflected on his design/concept maybe... i like the vid tho'

[mikecch]

^ Yeah, nice video indeed! My spam is based on the website photos - they ain't bad, I'd just expect better at that price range from a small project start-up.

E.g. on a $200 belt I'd expect the pin-holes to be elongated in shape, better hardware, a more polished burnish as well as a more professional stitch-job (yeah, I know it's leather threading...)

I see guys here making better belts and mostly charging less than half the price of the Cavalier's.

Edited January 18, 2012 by mikecch

[w11114m]

lucaas

Cas, if you have more of that, please let me have some.

kayodic

Nice video but not sure about the product.

[wgmds]

that's actually just sewn with wax thread....

[straightxedge]

Today I want to introduce you my new wallet.

Made by the little leathershop here in Dresden, that made my belts too.

I made the patterns out of paper and they made it after my advice.

It was the first time they made something like that and it´s not perfect in all details but I´m very happy with the result, especially for the price I had to pay.

The zipper is from a old pair of Levis.

Edited January 18, 2012 by straightxedge

[TheBlackGoat]

will be replacing my old wallet...made from the Hermann Oak saddle leather.

still got little square feet left on that leather so the owner can use it

Wow man! Loving the revised design!!!!

[lucaas]

TheBlackGoat

thank you Ray! Yeah, managed to do just a simple billfold with this size. I'm not a big fan of keeping coins in the wallet.

Cold Summer

that Cavalier wallet indeed has an insane price (although it's MTO), the leather also looks rough, well then again it depends on customer's preference.

Anyway, about the threads, I'm using Ramie thread for this one.

Edited January 18, 2012 by lucaas

[redragon]

Small sharing...

Had the fortune to own this beautiful work of art by lucass

Voyej Vessel I Americana X Horween Cordovan Shell (~2 weeks of usage, much buffing and brushing already )

I actually like the indigo stain on the wallet, adding to the character.

[mikecch]

^ whiskey is a good colour

X-post from belt thread:

Got myself another harness leather belt, by unlucky.

The leather is a 16 oz Triple C harness, a pure vegetable tannage from Chahin that's been stuffed with oils but manages to retain the "natural" colour.

Pics taken after one coating of Sedgwick's leather feed:

Edited January 19, 2012 by mikecch

[baldy]

I'm definitely looking for something like that redragon, anybody know where I can get something similar to that? (shell bifold type)

[mikecch]

^ I think you might find some folks here who would be happy to make you one:

http://supertalk.superfuture.com/index.php?/topic/44077-leathercrafting-creations-pyc/