Club Obi Wan

Personally, I like goat skin. Its lighter than cow, drapes better and is every bit as tough.

Welcome to COW!

A very open ended question

It all depends on what you want. Since you mentioned everyday activities & camping & such, the cow should do just fine. As far as what's best, that is totally one's opinion. Best drape/comfort-lamb. Heavy & tough - cow or horsehide. In-between, goat.

Distressed cowhide is quite light in colour, the main issue with it is (and not disparaging anyone who has one): it looks like one of those 80's predistressed jackets, ie the same all over, a little like acid washed denim.

Undistressd Cow is very thick and does not look like an indy jacket. But makes a quite handsome jacket all the same.

If you need hi durability and for it to drape somewhat like the real thing goat is the way to go. Bear in mind that this will continue to look spanking new for quite some time. Somepeople cannot abide brand new looking jackets.

But if toughness is not your ultimate goal then lamb and it will distress very well.

Indiana_Tone wrote:
Aren't you? Aren't you on.....holiday, yet?

YES, see you in 2 weeks guys. Kt signing out.... unless I find a wifi hotspot.....

Which leather is best? Best for what?

Everyone will have a different answer to that!

Personally, I went for horse because it's a more exotic leather, Wested don't charge an arm and a leg for it and, for me, if I was to take Indiana Jones as a real person, I have no doubt that his jacket probably would have been made from horse in that era.

Of course, if you want it to be like the movie jackets, go for the lamb.

Here's a more specific mutation of the original question;
What would be the best choice of Wested leathers if I was looking to get as close as possible to the weight, color, and texture of the old jacket that Lucasfilm Fanclub sold after the Last Crusade came out?
Chewie

I believe theirs was just straight cowhide.

Regards! Michaelson

I have other lamb jackets and I wanted something more durable so I went with Goat.

Mine is not really broken in well yet, but it's not nearly as floppy looking as Indy's.

If I planned on leaning against trees or being on the ground at all, I think I would avoid lamb.

That's just based off other lamb jackets that I've had in the past. The Wested could be a different exp.

Yea, the cowhide is nice, but it's more of a "coat" than a jacket. I remember hiking around and before long, the cowhide became just too hot to wear.

Now, on the other hand, goatskin is more durable than cowhide, yet it's thinner. So, not only does it look more Indy-like in appearances than cowhide, its more durable, and less hot to wear when hiking, ect...

Both are good leathers, yes, but I found that I could only wear my cowhide in the dead of winter. Goatskin makes a great fall, (even winter), and spring jacket all round'.

Best wishes on your decision,
Captain D

Here are some pictures of my old one. It shows the color and texture I'm hoping to get close to. I'm pretty that it is cowhide, but I'm more concerned with the look than anything else. I know it not a screen accurate coloration, but I just love it! My gut tells me pre-distressed cowhide, but I don't want to make assumtions.
Chewie

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/michaelga ... /my_photos

Yup, that jacket is pre-distressed cowhide. It looks pretty darn screen accurate too!

Kt Templar wrote:Distressed cowhide is quite light in colour, the main issue with it is (and not disparaging anyone who has one): it looks like one of those 80's predistressed jackets, ie the same all over, a little like acid washed denim.

Undistressd Cow is very thick and does not look like an indy jacket. But makes a quite handsome jacket all the same.

If you need hi durability and for it to drape somewhat like the real thing goat is the way to go. Bear in mind that this will continue to look spanking new for quite some time. Somepeople cannot abide brand new looking jackets.

But if toughness is not your ultimate goal then lamb and it will distress very well.

webhead73,

My pre-distressed cowhide Wested was so light I was almost in shock. It looked almost beige in color. I've applied MANY coats of Pecard jell over the past couple of years to darken it up and I apply one coat of Pecard dressing every year for some water-repellancy. It's finally to a color that is so close to screen-accurate (IMHO) that I just love it. It is a thin cowhide so it no where near as warm as my G&B cowhide but that means I wear my Wested in the Spring and Fall.

You're going to love the goatskin. One cool thing about that leather is that it is naturally water-resistant.

Indiana Joe

p.s.--i just found this link that has a discussion about horse and goatskins
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=8377