Club Obi Wan

OK, by popular demand, I've taken the horse outside and done some photography. I've tried to keep the files of a decent enough quality for you blokes to zoom in for a better look, but to also keep them a decent size for all Internet users to access, particularly those on dial-up.

I won't make the images appear in this thread ('cause don't ya just hate waiting for a thread to load when it's full of pics?!?), but will provide links and a commentary below:

www.robirwin.com/indiana/images/jacket.jpg
OK, the first image is simply the jacket lying on the ground. It looks quite dark here, but in all honesty, was looking a lot lighter (and redder) to the naked eye.

www.robirwin.com/indiana/images/jacket1.jpg
Here's a close-up to show the grain of the leather. As you can see, it's very very smooth in places. Take note of the collar, however. One side is heavily creased with hundreds of tiny lines (and, for that reason, the collar sits really well on that side), while the other side is the smoother leather, like the body of the jacket is made out of - and you can see that it doesn't sit as well at all.

www.robirwin.com/indiana/images/jacket2.jpg
No gussets here! Also a good image as you can see some red coming through the leather.

www.robirwin.com/indiana/images/jacket3.jpg
This is the two-tone arm I have previously spoken about. Note the really crinkly red leather stitched to the really smooth brown leather? It's not the same on the other side.

www.robirwin.com/indiana/images/jacket4.jpg
LET THERE BE LIGHT! You can really see the red coming through in this shot of the whole jacket. What I really like about this, is that every little bump the jacket gets, seems to bring up this naturally distressed red colour. You really need to see it in real life to appreciate it. I think it's going to distress well - and I'll even go out on a limb here and say that I think it will distress pretty easily, as well

Comments, please!

I think it looks great Rob, thanks for taking those shots.

The 'red' highlighrs really show through in sunlight, to the point where the jacket almost looks naturally distressed in places, I like that about it.

The two-tone arm is there when you look for it, but to the casual observer it wouldn't jump out at you as 'wrong' - overall it just seems to blend into the oveall colour and look of the jacket I'd say, don't worry about it.

The grain of the leather looks suprisingly smooth - almost waxy - I guess this is the natural fat content in the horsehide which also gives it it's water resistant properties. Looks good.

All in all - nice - very nice indeed!

Let's see how the thing looks after a few months of wear!

I can see what you are talking about with the color difference in the
sleeve.

I have an Aero leather Californian jacket in a russet buffalo hide, and I
have the same thing on that jacket.

Some places the leather is smooth, and some its very wrinkly. Some
places the color is very uniform, and some it looks different like your
jacket. One sleeve on my jacket is very grainy, and slightly darker than
than the other one, which is somewhat smoother and lighter in color.

I think its just the nature of using a natural product that absorbs the
colors of the tanning process at different rates.

Think of it this way. When you go outside in the sun, and start to get
a tan, your body doesn't look all one even color does it? The parts of
your body that have more wrinkles in it, like your elbows, knees, and
just the general creases we all have in our skin, will usually look darker
than the flat, smooth surfaces of our skin.

Its the same for any hide. Also, look at your skin in general. The inside
of your arms and legs are usually smoother, and have less small creases
and what-not in them because they don't usually get any sun on them,
and therefore don't show the signs of age as much.

The only way to get a perfectly evenly grained jacket, in a perfectly
uniformed color is to buy a cheap Mall jacket that has had the color
sprayed onto the surface, and the grain has been pressed into the surface.

These Mall jackets are made from cheap leather that has been
processed, sanded down, and had the grain and color put into them in
order to achieve a certain look.

True top grain leather does not do this. You get all the natural marks,
creases, cuts and abrasions that your own skin gets. It gives the jackets
a unique character that is truly one of a kind.

Flathead

Horsehide looks a lot smoother than I thought(a lot closer to lamb). More durable than goat, but as smooth as lamb? Works for me!

I don't know that the horse is more durable than goat - they are equally durable, as I understand it.

Langpuss wrote:Will you be doing any atrificial distressing or will you just let nature take its course?

Just nature. I don't trust myself to distress unnaturally without over-egging the pudding and being disappointed with the result!

FLATHEAD wrote:True top grain leather does not do this. You get all the natural marks, creases, cuts and abrasions that your own skin gets. It gives the jackets a unique character that is truly one of a kind.

Thankyou for these words, Flathead. I already knew this, but it's nice to hear from another person.

ob1al wrote:I don't know that the horse is more durable than goat - they are equally durable, as I understand it.

Yes, they are on par. I haven't seen anything that contradicts that.

You could have posted all of those comments in one post.

Nice jacket, Rob. Where are the outdoor shots of you wearing it?

Rob, PM me and I'll give you my home address so you can mail me the jacket. I really do like the reddish color that comes through this jacket as well as the unique character of the hide. I think if horsehide had been an option when I ordered my Wested last winter, then hands down I think I would've gone that route! Don't get me wrong, I have no complaints whatsoever about my authenic goat raiders, it's just that you have one HECK of a nice jacket!

bink

Yeah, Rob- it looks fantastic- the leather looks so different to my goatskin. We should meet up to compare some time.
Dang fine jacket you've got. Hope you enjoy it!

Great looking jacket, Rob. Definately see the difference in the outdoors.
In your first pics, it was really hard to make out the look. Man, just what I needed....another good looking leather option.

IndyBlues wrote:Great looking jacket, Rob. Definately see the difference in the outdoors.
In your first pics, it was really hard to make out the look. Man, just what I needed....another good looking leather option.

I'm with IndyBlues on this one. Nice jacket, Rob!