How soft/smooth is goatskin compared to lamb, cow & napp

[blueoakleyz]

So I went to the mall to test every leather I could try. Well they had a lot but no goatskin.

They had a lot of lambskin which was obviously very soft and very smooth. I liked that a lot.
I saw a couple cowhide jackets and I didn't know they were cow until the lady told me. They were definitely stiffer but they were still soft and smooth and shiny. They also had some nappa which was still relatively in the same ballpark of smooth and soft, but more textured.

Then they had a bunch of jackets that had no label specifying which type of leather it was and they were REALLY rough, textured and felt like a rough basketball or something.


So is goatskin still relatively soft/smooth like high quality lamb/cow, or is it more of the rough textured kind of leather?

Specifically US wings' goatskin.

[RCSignals]

Wings Goat hide is soft and relatively smooth

[knibs7]

I really can't say, seeing how I just ordered my first goat last week, but from what I've heard, it is supposed to be quite smooth

Nibs

[Chewbacca Jones]

Those may have been goatskin, but probably not as high a quality. Compared to most leathers, I find goatskin has a pebbly texture. Wings used a nice, thin goatskin, so it's mainly only stiff when it's new. I do not put my jacket through much stress, and it has softened quite nicely.

Based on my experience, the US Wings goat ranks between lambskin and cowhide for softness, but has more texture than both. That said. RC is right. Wings goat is fairly smooth.

I will try to get a close-up photo tomorrow of my different hides so you can at least see the texture I'm talking about.

[blueoakleyz]

Thanks

I've noticed that up close a texture can look really grainy/pebbly but from a distance it looks silky smooth so it gets really confusing

[blueoakleyz]

I'm REALLY scared it's going to be the kind of jacket with a textured feel.. I really like soft and smooth

[jacksdad]

Then you should go with lamb,all of my goat skin jackets have that peebly grain to it, they are soft but if it's a look your after lamb is your best choise. I find that mall jackets are no where close to a wings or wested leather, so it will be hard to compare what the leather will be like. Good luck

[Texan Scott]

For your own self-satisfaction, you might consider ordering leather samples from the vendor of your choosing. This might help to nail it down, as to personal preference.

[rick5150]

So I went to the mall to test every leather I could try. Well they had a lot but no goatskin.

What exactly are you looking for?

1) You can generalize which are smoother, softer, more textured, less dense, etc. but variations in leather type, thickness, where it came from on the animal, tanning process, dying process, etc. means that it is not possible to say that lamb is always softer than cow for example. It is not.

2) Mall jackets are generally poor indicators of anything, other then they usually cost too much for what you get. Most are thin and a lot of padded to look like thicker leather, but you can easily poke holes in them. (Not suggesting that you do this). Another things is that most are too decorative and have a lot of seams. This may indicate an 'inferior' jacket made from many smaller pieces of leather.

Order samples as previously stated. That will give you a very small idea of the differences, and these differences can very widely between vendors so that the coarse, pebbly-grained pigskin leather from one vendor looks just like the coarse, pebbly-grained cowhide from another vendor.

It would really be worth your while to locate a leather jacket manufacturer in your area where the people who work with the leather can tell you more than you will ever need to know about it. Don't rule out cobblers or tailor shops. Do not go by anyone's opinion - especially mine - about leather, either. I have held jackets in my hand that were proudly called "the best leather jacket a person has ever had" and I immediately felt terrible for the person because it was garden variety @#$% that you can get anywhere. But it was right for them, and that is really what counts.

Sometimes the best way to see some decent leather jackets is to go to thrift shops, yard sales and flea markets. But now with eBay, the quality of the items at these places has dwindled so the odds of getting that authentic A-2 jacket from the 92-year old widow for $10.00 is getting slim.

Edit. Wow, you cannot even say "@#$%?" (Not the S-word).

[Chewbacca Jones]

Well, if you are a "smoother the better" type of guy, go with lambskin. With very few exceptions, lambskin is the smoothest, lightest, softest leather offered by any manufacturer.

Never the less, here are the photos I promised. They give a good relative comparison, if nothing else. All taken at different angles. Notice that they all show texture and grain, but the goatskin has a depth that the others don't.

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb36 ... /leathers/

Also, all hides in the pictures are standard versions. They are not washed or predistressed, they haven't been soaked in a heavy rain or with a hose, not pre-shrunk. Just plain old leather.

[blueoakleyz]

Yes absolutely lambskin is probably the best feeling but I do also need one that's durable and rainproof more or less. Something that can hold up, for my first real leather jacket anyway. I would compromise feel but I just hope not by much.

See I'm wondering if minute differences to me, the common average mall goer, are actually big differences to you guys who are used to dealing with high quality leather on a regular basis.

Thinking in MY terms, are most high quality leather relatively smooth?

I just really don't want goatskin to have that basketball/asphalt feel.

If it's relatively similar to lamb and cow I'd be happy

[blueoakleyz]

does goat have a grit to it? like a basketball?

[Chewbacca Jones]

Thinking in MY terms, are most high quality leather relatively smooth?

No, afraid not. The smooth/rough thing won't do much for determining quality. Think about it like the skin of living people. 5 perfectly healthy people from rural Utah (random example) could have 5 very different skin types. But they all have the rural Utah human skin. On the other hand, 5 people who have lived their lives in an industrial slum or worked in the desert sun for many years could also have different skin types. But if somebody asked you, who's skin is better? The tendency will lean toward the Utah group.

Not that one should be making jackets out of human skin, but it illustrates my point. Leather quality is a function of material source and workmanship. You need to base such judgements mainly on reputations, not feel (though a really cheesy leather will feel horridly papery to the touch, run away quickly).

Focus on a specific vendor's goatskin, you can get a better assessment of feel and quality from those who have owned a specific jacket. Of course, there in lies a quintessential problem in asking general leather jacket questions here. A majority of us only know the leathers used for Indy jackets.

Best generalization I can give you on goatskin as a whole; Yes, it will probably feel like a basketball. A deflated one, perhaps, but ultimately, goat skin is not a relatively smooth leather regardless of quality. You will be happier with cow or lamb.

[blueoakleyz]

Thanks for the opinion

I just have hardly any experience with leather so no points of reference to discuss what I want.

I was at target and saw some leather jackets there.. I could tell some look very textured yet felt very smooth because the pebbles themselves were smooth. Then there was just the material itself which was soft so I guess it's a combination of things.

I think at this point, with goatskin being good with drape, warmth and durability I'm going to order it and if I don't like it exchange it. Not much else to do at this point.

[Texan Scott]

So is goatskin still relatively soft/smooth like high quality lamb/cow, or is it more of the rough textured kind of leather?
Specifically US wings' goatskin.

US goat, I don't know. I can say that if you are looking for a very smooth, supple goatskin jacket, a Wested washed goat would be one way to go. Very soft, not pebbly, and if you didn't know better, you might mistake it for a distressed lamb jacket. As Chewy also recommended, a lamb is very soft, but not as durable as goat.

[Weston]

I apologize for recycling one of my pictures yet again, but I thought this one was a nice example of the texture on a Wings goatskin.



Weston

[blueoakleyz]

Is it soft and smooth even if you can feel the texture?

My walgreens jacket feels like dry paper like someone said

and the ones at the mall were really really textured, way more than that

[Weston]

Yes, it is soft and smooth even though you can feel the texture. It has a very rich feel to it, and is tough as nails!

Blueoakleyz. I take it that by using that as a handle you probably like Oakley sunglasses? If that is the case consider this comparison; a Wings jacket is to a mall jacket as Oakley sunglasses are to bargain sunglasses at Wal-mart. They are not really the same species.

Weston

[blueoakleyz]

that's good to hear

[Indiana G]

Yes, it is soft and smooth even though you can feel the texture. It has a very rich feel to it, and is tough as nails!

Blueoakleyz. I take it that by using that as a handle you probably like Oakley sunglasses? If that is the case consider this comparison; a Wings jacket is to a mall jacket as Oakley sunglasses are to bargain sunglasses at Wal-mart. They are not really the same species.

Weston

you mean gas station sunglasses.........the ones that give you a headache after 20 minutes of wear.

[Hatch]

blue, knowing G's attention to detail and accuracy I'm sure it HURTS his INNER BEING to know anyone would consider a Walgreen's jacket

[blueoakleyz]

It was $50 I was wowed at the price, at the time, thinking leather jackets were usually like 300-500 bucks.

[Indiana G]

blue, knowing G's attention to detail and accuracy I'm sure it HURTS his INNER BEING to know anyone would consider a Walgreen's jacket

which reminds me......i'm gonna need my prescription refilled soon, doc.....all this talk walgreen's and members only is making me hear voices again...........

.....{** buy another tn-1 jacket **}........



who said that?????

[Hatch]

blue, knowing G's attention to detail and accuracy I'm sure it HURTS his INNER BEING to know anyone would consider a Walgreen's jacket

which reminds me......i'm gonna need my prescription refilled soon, doc.....all this talk walgreen's and members only is making me hear voices again...........

.....{** buy another tn-1 jacket **}........



who said that?????

G maybe you should just call TN to see if he has any new leathers in.....after all you could be the FIRST to have one.........Doc ( your refill is in the mail)

[blueoakleyz]

I shouldn't talk bad about my walgreen's (or was it riteaid? They have one or the other on EVERY corner in my town). It doesn't feel great but it is REALLY warm and even has a zipout liner. So functionally it's really good.

Here it is, on me, on halloween

[Michaelson]

Edit. Wow, you cannot even say "@#$%?" (Not the S-word).

Nope, apparently sometime in the distant past someone must have used it in an EXTREMELY derogative manner, to the point it had to be included in the censor. Sorry.

Believe me, words like that aren't just arbitrarily chosen for the censor for no good reason. ;-)

Regards! Michaelson

[Chewbacca Jones]

I think I have seen that exact jacket, blues! I'm glad it's warm, and thus not a waste. But if you were willing to buy that, every jacket we have discussed with you in a positive way will BLOW YOUR MIND!

As a general rule, you get what you pay for with leather jackets, up to about $500. After that, tred carefully. There be lots o' land-mines out that way. Not all, but many, will exploit the "pricier means better" mentality.