US Wings Bison vs. Texas Steerhide?

[ron521]

I'm thinking of perhaps pulling the trigger on a "Legend" jacket from US Wings, and trying to decide whether Bison is worth the additional cost, or whether I would still prefer Texas Steerhide even if cost were the same.
Generally, I prefer leather to actually BE tough rather than merely look pretty, so would choose, say cowhide or goat over lambskin.
I also prefer non-distressed leather when I can get it, and was pleased to read of a Texas Steerhide jacket which didn't appear distressed.

Current jackets include three Signature Series in VIP cowhide, black goat, and brown goat, plus several Schott cowhide motorcycle and flight jackets, plus several other leather jackets from Wilsons and Banana Republic, all cowhide as far as I know.

Could someone who actually owns the Legend in either hide kindly describe the hide...thickness, density, softness, weight, finish, etc?

Many Thanks

[Texan Scott]

..look on the bright side, with either one, you could be 'drug by a truck!

Generally, toughest to not so durable...HH, goat, bison, cow, lamb/sheep, you!

In mho, the current USW steerhide is great leather for an Indy jacket, especially if you want a jacket that is reminiscent of LC. Really has that vibe. Roughly medium weight leather, this Large weighs 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. Since you already have several cowhide jackets, maybe bison would be the way to go for you? Jeff has one, maybe he can chime in? Take it away, Jeff.....

[Michaelson]

The bison is a Schott made jacket, and made in the US.

The Texas steerhide is made in the overseas factory.

I'd take the bison in a New York minute, given the choice....and I've owned one before. Sadly, it was a size too small. Only bad thing about the jacket is the side buckles. Change them out post haste if you get one. Sharp corners and they'll poke a hole in any chair/car seat you sit in.

Regards! Michaelson

[Indiana Jeff]

OK, TS and Michaelson were typing a bit quicker than me. Great segue into my post.

I have a Legend in bison and absolutely love it. My only other Indy jacket is a Wested circa 2000 in cowhide and the only reason I bought a second was because of the bison hide offering. I've developed a 'thing' for bison leather owning three now (the Legend, a Surrogates pattern and Looper pattern both from filmjackets).

The leather has a substantial feel to it. I'd say it feels thicker than my Wested, though the jackets weigh the same (strictly judging 'by hand'). I don't have any concerns about the toughness of the jacket either in the leather or in construction. In fact, if I had to reach for any jacket in my closet for adventuring, it would be the Bison.

This picture is pretty much straight out of the box.



It wasn't nearly as stiff as new HH would be, but you can tell it needs time to break in to drape more naturally.

One of the things I like most about the bison is the texture/graininess.



It has nice character without the dino hide that I don't personally like or coming across like a football.

Here it is getting drowned at the Johannesburg Zoo last Halloween.



As you know, no leather jacket is meant to be a raincoat, but I stayed dried in this case. I hung the jacket up overnight and it was good to go in the morning.

The only drawback to the Legend jackets in general is the buckle used for the straps. Unless USW has changed, the corners of the buckles are very sharp and have in more than one occasion punctured car seats. I found replacement buckles that are more rounded so switched them out.

The top buckle is what came on the Legend. I replaced it with the bottom buckle. The middle one is a Todd's Costumes bag strap. I may replace with these one day, but that will necessitate sewing that I'm not going to take on so I'd have to go to a competent tailor to do the leather work.



The biggest thing I would caution about is comparing apples to apples. You can read here the apparent sizing difference between the US made and imported Legend jackets. I would have to assume the both the Steerhide and Bison US made would be sized the same, but would not for the imported Steerhide.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Forrest For the Trees]

The bison is a Schott made jacket, and made in the US.

The Texas steerhide is made in the overseas factory.

I'd take the bison in a New York minute, given the choice....and I've owned one before. Sadly, it was a size too small. Only bad thing about the jacket is the side buckles. Change them out post haste if you get one. Sharp corners and they'll poke a hole in any chair/car seat you sit in.

Regards! Michaelson

According to the Wings site, they still have a US made Texas Steerhide jacket, currently on sale for $395. I think I like the look of this jacket the best of all the Legend models they produce.

[Michaelson]

It's a rare bird then, as Schott isn't making any Legend patterns right now in any hide, so if you're interested in the U. S. made versions, best grab them while they're still available.

Regards! M

[Baldwyn]

Hey Jeff,

Just a small correction: the Filmjacket jackets are actually buffalo, and not Bison. Different animals, since buffalo in the FJ case is actually water buffalo.

Your jacket looks wonderful!

.......I've developed a 'thing' for bison leather owning three now (the Legend, a Surrogates pattern and Looper pattern both from filmjackets)........

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[Michaelson]

Yep, BIG difference between water buffalo and domestic American bison.

Regards! Michaelson