Club Obi Wan

Actually, let me make this about all kinds of cowhide. What feels like what? What is all pebbly and what is smooth? What is dry and what is shiny and moist..

Did you try searching for this answer? I searched but didn't find a thread that covered all these questions. I did find multiple threads containing photos and info on different cowhide offerings. Those threads will be good as people will even share experiences on those products. Those photos can often say more than words.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45148&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31834&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28115&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25550&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5064&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3445&hilit=cowhide+comparison

Those threads contained the best info about cowhide, in my opinion. Lots of great reading and some photos to help you out. It might be a pain for somebody to answer the question considering the different cowhide offerings out there.

If you are looking at a particular product, then you should specify. That way people with that jacket will answer your question.

As a side note, I'm not sure I'd think of cowhide as "moist." Moist means wet. Doesn't sound real comfortable to me!

Good luck

It comes from an uninhibited bovine.

It's a term that I've heard and understood for a long time, but it's also one of those things that when asked, I can't offer a good explaination. There's nothing 'moist' about it, though.

I've just sent an email to Wings asking for a good definition and will post it once an answer is received.

Regards! Michaelson

"So what is naked cowhide?"

Since this is a family friendly site i don't think we can post pics showing what it is.

I have a G&B lamb that is heavily dyed dark brown. So much so that you do not necessarily see the true texture nor smell of the hide as it would appear without dye. Other hides, like copper novapelle and others, for instance, are not dyed as heavily, so as to provide a "thick coat" of dye on the surface of the leather, hence leaving more of the natural grain exposed. This is the way I've always understood it, right or wrong...? Naked leather is an attempt to leave more of the natural grain of the leather exposed to the surface, without the use of heavy dyes....

Other than that, I'd say sometimes its a marketing ploy to make you think you are getting something really unique...like nappa leather. It's still cow.

Tex, your definition is pretty much how I understood it too, and your explaination right on target.

Regards! Michaelson

Texan Scott wrote:I have a G&B lamb that is heavily dyed dark brown. So much so that you do not necessarily see the true texture nor smell of the hide as it would appear without dye. Other hides, like copper novapelle and others, for instance, are not dyed as heavily, so as to provide a "thick coat" of dye on the surface of the leather, hence leaving more of the natural grain exposed. This is the way I've always understood it, right or wrong...? Naked leather is an attempt to leave more of the natural grain of the leather exposed to the surface, without the use of heavy dyes....

Other than that, I'd say sometimes its a marketing ploy to make you think you are getting something really unique...like nappa leather. It's still cow.

You mean Napa leather isn't from wine-sipping cows from the vineyards of Northern California?

yep, they sip wine in the nappa valley, that's why the hide is so soft.

The true definition of a 'Happy Cow'.

Regards! Michaelson

WhipDude wrote:Did you try searching for this answer? I searched but didn't find a thread that covered all these questions. I did find multiple threads containing photos and info on different cowhide offerings. Those threads will be good as people will even share experiences on those products. Those photos can often say more than words.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45148&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31834&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=28115&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25550&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5064&hilit=cowhide+comparison
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3445&hilit=cowhide+comparison

Those threads contained the best info about cowhide, in my opinion. Lots of great reading and some photos to help you out. It might be a pain for somebody to answer the question considering the different cowhide offerings out there.

If you are looking at a particular product, then you should specify. That way people with that jacket will answer your question.

As a side note, I'm not sure I'd think of cowhide as "moist." Moist means wet. Doesn't sound real comfortable to me!

Good luck

I searched for naked cowhide but didn't see anything. When I search I'll only search topic titles.

Well, you said all cowhides. I didn't find anything about naked cowhide either, but I found stuff about other cowhides.

WhipDude wrote:Well, you said all cowhides. I didn't find anything about naked cowhide either, but I found stuff about other cowhides.

Yeah I've gone through most threads.. all this stuff is hard to put into words sometimes I think.

I thought you were going to ask...what is a nappa cow?

I don't know that there is one hard fast definition for 'naked cow'
Texan Scott's explanation may be the best general definition.
Is it even a tanner's term?

It might be a marketing/sales term, I suspect.

Michaelson wrote:The true definition of a 'Happy Cow'.

Regards! Michaelson

I don't know how much of a "Happy Cow" I would be if I knew I was going to made into a jacket.

Band Director Jones wrote:

Michaelson wrote:The true definition of a 'Happy Cow'.

Regards! Michaelson

I don't know how much of a "Happy Cow" I would be if I knew I was going to made into a jacket.

Must be from Ameglian Major.

OH booooooo, KT!

But.....nicely played!

HIGH regard! Michaelson

Kt Templar wrote:

Band Director Jones wrote:

Michaelson wrote:The true definition of a 'Happy Cow'.

Regards! Michaelson

I don't know how much of a "Happy Cow" I would be if I knew I was going to made into a jacket.

Must be from Ameglian Major.

although unlike Band Director Jones an Ameglian Major Cow may well be Happy to be made into a jacket.

I speculate it is vat-dyed leather with no attempt at a 'finish'. Consequently, like a Porsche brown leather car seat, its the same color through and through with no pale showing with wear.
Speculation #2: maybe it's like a belt I bought at American Eagle - obviously cowhide and it has a smooth front with a rough back. It is not vat dyed because the color doesn't go through. It may be naked leather or similar to it because the 'finish' will easily scratch off, leaving the pale true color. It 'ages' very quickly and really has the 'look' I wanted with scratches, scuffs, etc.

Compared to my lambskin Wested Raiders that I've been wearing off and on for five years, the belt 'ages' very fast. The 'finish' on the lambskin is a lot more durable, and I've been tempted to sand it many times to get some scuffing on it, but have so far resisted. If this new USW jacket is okay, maybe someone else will get a chance to 'distress' the Raiders.

RCSignals wrote:I don't know that there is one hard fast definition for 'naked cow'
Texan Scott's explanation may be the best general definition.
Is it even a tanner's term?

The first I heard of it was when I was shopping Schotts..

I thought it was some kind of like really dry leather.. or was it that I thought it was hard to take care of like fragile? I'm not sure..

http://www.schottnyc.com/products/other ... jacket.htm


I like the look of it. I think I was just scared it'd be dry like matte looking..


On a semi-related note (as in it's about leather)... does anyone know where to get those fashioney leather jackets.. that seem really small/thin? I'm assuming they're lambskin.. they flap around and drape like they're made from a bedsheet..

At this point, I'd HAPPY to have a tn COW!

Oh, yeah, we have cows in Tennessee, sure.....

Regards! Michaelson

Val makes fun of seeing so many black cows all the time. I guess they don't have them as much in Brasil, or deep, deep south Texas as I like to call it.

We LIKE our Angus beef!

Regards! Michaelson

On a semi-related note (as in it's about leather)... does anyone know where to get those fashioney leather jackets.. that seem really small/thin? I'm assuming they're lambskin.. they flap around and drape like they're made from a bedsheet..[/quote]


Todd's standard jacket is exactly like that. However I know you had one and returned it.

According to the people at the Schott forum, "naked" cowhide is the hide with the natural texture as it comes off the animal (minus the hair). On a good jacket, pieces will be carefully matched for texture and thickness so the garment is uniform in appearance throughout. Selectively choosing leather in this way inherently results in some amount of waste, because some pieces simply won't have the same texture. Leather texture varies depending on where on the animal is is taken from, and from one animal to the next.
For this reason, it costs more to make a jacket this way.

The alternative is to impress a texture into the leather using rollers, which hides variances in its natural texture. This allows more of the leather to be used, and so reduces the cost of the garment. Garments made this way are often described as having a "pebble" texture, or some similar term.

I own jackets made both ways, and either one can be very durable.

Michaelson wrote:We LIKE our Angus beef!

Regards! Michaelson

Mmmm....Angus, , sorry lost it there for a second. The US Wings jacket I just ordered is made from this type of leather, I'm just as curious as you are, should be interesting when it gets here. They say it's as soft as lamb, but as rugged as cowhide.

John