Type of Last Crusade Leather.

henryindianajonesjr44 · Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:22 pm

Hello, I am considering buying a Wested Last Crusade jacket but Alas I do not know the type of leather that was used in the film. And what would you advise me to use for the inside.
Thanks
Andy

Ghos7a55assin · Post by **Ghos7a55assin** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:35 pm

I think the leather in Last Crusade was cowhide, but that's just my opinion. I believe Peter said that they were all made of lambskin, but on film, the leather looks more like cowhide to me.

Bufflehead Jones · Post by **Bufflehead Jones** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:39 pm

I think it was lambskin. They just distressed the heck out of it.

IndianaJames · Post by **IndianaJames** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 8:34 pm

I believe Peter said that they were all made of lambskin,

True, they were all lambskin. This debate has gone around and around also, I think the last conclusion we came to was that the leather used 15 years ago was thicker and possibly went through different tanning methods back then. Which results in the cowhide appearance....

Cheers
I J

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:01 pm

The most recent discussion and answer can be found here, with Peter's reply to Michaelson regarding the matter:

http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewtopic ... 5575#85575

Regards,
Swindiana

Captain D · Post by **Captain D** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 12:52 am

I often wonder if they treat the L.C. jacket with a leather preserver that is at the Smithsonian in Washington....hmmmm, I doubt it

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:33 am

I remember reading somewhere here (maybe from Michaelson) that the Smithsonian uses Pecards to preserve leather.

PETER · Post by **PETER** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 8:35 am

In the good old days when men were men and only shaved on Saturday nights before hitting the Town there was a tannery at Todmorden in Yorkshire, England called Turn Leathers.
The leather they produced was lambskin, not the soft supple skin of today but the thick stiff leather that could almost stand by itself in the corner.
The tanning was done in giant wooden vats and the skin pegged out to dry, not modern chemicals but oil from whales (now banned).
This tannery used to contract tan the english lamb/ sheep skins supplied by us and it was this leather was used in ALL of the Indy films, with the exception of a few TOD's we did not make.
Sadly Turn Leathers went to the wall and current tanners only have the modern machinery and systems designed to produce super fine skins, so we struggle to get back to that look.
Cheers
Peter

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 9:02 am

Thanks for that most interesting history Peter.

Indiana Texas-girl · Post by **Indiana Texas-girl** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:04 am

Mike, can that info from Peter be added in the updates? That's pretty interesting and integral to the history of the jacket.

Got Maul · Post by **Got Maul** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 10:47 am

wow ! That explains A LOT ! I have often argued back and forth with Jason on how this jacket COULDN'T be lambskin just for the "fall" of the jacket alone, but if back in the day the "thick stiff leather that could almost stand by itself in the corner" were the same as today, then I would have jumped at a lambskin jacket in a heartbeart. Alas, I think Goatskin is the best way to go for this look now.

THANKS peter ! Really really informative and extremely helpful !

Captain D · Post by **Captain D** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:57 pm

Yes! Interesting history there!