How durable is goat?

IllinoisJones · Post by **IllinoisJones** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:58 pm

I was walking downtown today, and got bumped. I was wearing my goat wested, and it got a scrape from a very light bump against a cement planter. My question is, how durable is goat, and also, how can you tell the difference betwen goat and lamb? Illinois

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:06 pm

Next to horsehide, it's the most durable hide out there for jackets, discounting buffalo and exotics. Depending on the source of the original hide, it can be difficult to tell lamb and goat apart, but lambskin is usually a VERY fine grained leather, where goatskin shows more 'peebling' in the surface, though my FS goatskin has VERY fine grain. The Wested hide comes from Italy, and FS sources their hides from New Zealand.

Regards! Michaelson

The real Henry · Post by **The real Henry** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:06 pm

I think goat is very durable, but as you said and in my experience you can easily get scrabs!

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:07 pm

Unless the scrape is deep, or is a cut, it's easily 'fixed' with an application of leather dressing like standard brown Pecards.

Regards! Michaelson

ob1al · Post by **ob1al** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:08 pm

Goat is slightly heavier, it is a denser leather and is somewhat more 'rigid' than the lambskin jackets. Lamb generally feels softer to the touch.

The goatskin jackets are VERY durable I would say. Equal in durability to the horsehide. Having said that, any leather will 'scrape' given the right circumstance but hey, its all good weathering.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:46 pm

Is what still there? The scrape, or your finger?

Sorry, couldn't pass that up, Tone!

Regards! Michaelson

IllinoisJones · Post by **IllinoisJones** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:11 pm

Yeah it is still there, i dont mind it much, just with wested messing up a few orders as of late, I wanted to make sure I have the right leather. As Michaelson said, easily fixable. But hey, was not on purpose, natural distressing! Illinois.

whiskyman · Post by **whiskyman** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:14 pm

I have a Wested goat and used to own a Wested lamb. They are not comparable IMHO. The goat feels SO much stronger than the lamb - more like leather (if that makes sense) - yet it still drapes well and loks perfect. Despite authenticity, I would never ever buy another lamb jacket.

Colby · Post by **Colby** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:14 pm

Nothing better than natural distressing.

I can't really see myself distressing my new wested goat. It just looks too great to me to attack it with the old sandpaper and acetone. Although does anyone know if the shinyness of the goat naturally goes away with time?

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:19 pm

I'll also say from my own personal experience is that the Wested goatskin is a lot softer in physical feel than the FS, which takes some time to eventually loosen up to the same softness. They're still both the same tensile strength, but the process of tanning seems to be different, as I believe the FS is chrome tanned, and the Wested is vegtable tanned. That's probably why you've been thinking you had the wrong leather. It's just softer than usually found with goatskin jackets.

Regards! Michaelson

IllinoisJones · Post by **IllinoisJones** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:40 pm

Michaelson you truly have infinite knowledge. Everyone knows so much, I love this place. I guess it just bothered me that the scratch came so easily, but looking at it, it seems more that the dye just wore off a bit. Illinois.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:43 pm

Infinate knowledge?

Not really. I just know a lot of 'useless' stuff.

Get some brown Pecards, and fix her up, my friend!!

Regards! Michaelson

IllinoisJones · Post by **IllinoisJones** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:45 pm

Colby wrote:Nothing better than natural distressing. I can't really see myself distressing my new wested goat. It just looks too great to me to attack it with the old sandpaper and acetone. Although does anyone know if the shinyness of the goat naturally goes away with time?

I have heard it does, I heard standing in the rain helps, and a very light rubdown with alchohol. Illinois

Sergei · Post by **Sergei** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:55 pm

The other quality of goat is that it is far more water repellant than the other leathers. That is why it's the choice for Navy leather flight jackets such as the M422A and G1. In addition, it doesn't get stiff after a soaking.

Post by **Michaelson** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:59 pm

....yeah....stiff...not unlike some folks I saw in the Lounge on the Queen Mary several years ago....remember Sergei?

Regards! Michaelson

Dre · Post by **Dre** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:42 pm

Goatskin is fantastic. I was debating with myself whether to get goat or lamb. On one hand the lamb felt so soft in the samples but the goat felt a little stiffer and i preferred the grain in the lamb, but at the same time i didnt want to be worried about damaging my jacket.
I decided to go with goatskin in the end and im 100% glad i did. In retrospect, I much prefer the grain on the goatskin...lamb could just be a touch *too* fine. The goatskin feels and looks great, and is definetely more durable than lamb.

Also a note about goatskin's water repellent qualities - when i got my goatskin sample i held it under a tap in the bathroom and ran water on it for at least a minute. None of it soaked up at all. And the few drops that stayed on it when i eventually stopped i could just whipe or brush off.
It's amazingly water repellent (at least when new) however i still worry when it starts raining and i have my jacket!

IllinoisJones · Post by **IllinoisJones** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:49 pm

So why does the dye rub off so easily? Illinois

J_Weaver · Post by **J_Weaver** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:08 pm

No, the dye won't go anywhere unless you use a chemical to remove it.

Dre, don't worry about your jacket, it won't melt.

It takes being in a fairly hard rain for an extended period before the leather will begin to soak up any water.

ShanghaiJack · Post by **ShanghaiJack** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:18 pm

The dye of the leather won't go anywhere just from getting wet, but if you get the cotton liner wet the dye will run. At least that happened to my goatskin jacket. If you're going to get your jacket wet to dull the shine, or help it conform more to your body I recommend that you don't let the cloth lining get wet, or you could easily ruin your clothes.