Category: Leather Info

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Leather jacket braiding & how to braid leather

how to braid leather on a leather jacket


Do you know how to braid leather? How does leather braiding stay on a leather jacket? What is leather braiding made from? Oh I suppose you want me to tell you huh? Hehe, well ok, I’ll let you know what leather braiding is all about. Now they also call it that when they braid a leather whip, but we are not talking about that type here.

leather braid on a leather jacketWhat I’m talking about is leather braiding you find on a leather jacket, pants, shorts, saddle bags and all that other leather apparel and motorcycle gear. Leather braiding on a leather jacket can really make it look a lot better, as long as they don’t go to far with it. Often when they put leather fringe on a jacket they sew a leather braid over it so the fringe comes out under the braiding.

It makes it look a lot better that way. You can find leather braiding on just about everything made of leather. From leather jackets to every type of leather apparel, motorcycle gear bags such as saddle bags, even leather purses. So what kind of leather do they make leather braids out of?

Well most of the time it’s the most common types, like cowhide, buffalo and pigskin. They use the split leather so it’s smooth and uniform. They try to use leather that is thick and tough so it will not wear out too fast. A lot of belts are used with leather braiding. The leather is fully treated, just like a jacket. Continue reading Leather jacket braiding & how to braid leather

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Why does leather smell like,,, leather?

leather travel bag, why does leather smell like leather?


So why does leather have that strong leather smell? Should it smell at all? Is there a bad smell you should be careful of? Well I’ll try to answer those questions in a short and sweet way! Anyone who has gone into a leather store has noticed the smell of leather. For most people it’s a pleasant smell.

Leather is organic, it use to be living, as it was the skin of an animal. Anytime you take a hide from an animal it starts to break down. Now, if you just let a hide rot in the air, it would smell, but not in a good way! It would smell just like a dead animal, maybe not quite as bad. When they make leather they start treating it as soon as the hide is off the animal.

There are many steps in treating a leather hide. You need to preserve the hide so it does not start to rot, like it naturally would. You also break down the fibers a bit so it is not really stiff. All the dyes, treatments, leather bathes and chemicals most leather goes through all have their own smell. Continue reading Why does leather smell like,,, leather?

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Western fringe leather jackets & other fringe apparel

western fringe leather jacket


Happy Monday,,, oh wait,,, Monday’s are not happy days, are they, hehe. Well do the best you can, your not alone. Today I wanted to talk about leather fringe. Just what is leather fringe made of? how is leather fringe made? What animal is leather fringe made from? How is leather fringe attached to leather jackets? Well let old Bill here tell you all about it!

Leather fringe is very popular with western leather jackets and coats. They also are found on leather fringe chaps, leather fringe vest, leather fringe halter tops and even leather bikini outfits. Leather fringe is purely for looks and decoration, nothing more. They serve no practical function at all, unless you want to argue that catching the eye of a hot cowgirl at the local western bar is practical!

Some people love them, others hate them. Most agree that leather fringe is pretty and adds a nice touch to a leather jacket. They do require a little more care and upkeep. If your the type that just wants to throw on a leather jacket and hit the road, going out in all kinds of weather and maybe pushing your jacket to the limit, then leather fringe is not for you. But for others they can make them feel better. Continue reading Western fringe leather jackets & other fringe apparel

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Men’s & ladies leather vest

Ladies leather vest

Hello again everyone. I thought I’d write a bit about leather vest today. Leather vest for men and women are close behind leather jackets in terms of being popular. Most people that have a leather jacket also own a leather vest or two. The reasons for wearing a vest are numerous.

mens leather vest For one, leather vest just look really nice! A good looking leather vest can make any outfit look better. Also a leather vest offers a bit of protection without being too hot. They can be made with a liner to keep you warm, and the leather acts as a windbreaker. Yet because your arms are open you don’t get too hot.

They are just right to wear in the fall, on cool days, or maybe just in the evening if you live where it gets cold at night. Of course people that live out in the country like modern day cowboys and cowgirls wear western leather vest all the time and are popular dress up wear for going out. Continue reading Men’s & ladies leather vest

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Biker Conchos for leather jackets, Items

silver biker conchos for leather jacket gold concho for leather saddle bagconcho for leather backpack

Hey everyone, what’s going on? Today I thought I’d write a quick post about biker conchos for your leather jacket and other leather items. Now just what is a concho, and what does it do? A concho is just for decoration, nothing more. It serves no real purpose other than looking good. Silver conchos are very popular.

concho for leather backpackA concho for leather does not act as a button, or snap, or any other practical thing. It’s just for making your leather jacket or item look better. It does a pretty good job of it too, as you see almost all leather saddle bags, tool bags and leather jackets with conchos. You can easily add conchos anywhere you want on your leather. The really cheap ones are just stamped tin or thin metal, glued or threaded on.

The good ones are made of brass, stainless steel, nickel plated and copper. They are thick and have some wight to them. The cheap ones are light and can rust and bend. A good leather biker conchos attaches by a screw backing, or it is made with slots to be tied to the leather with leather braid, giving it an even better look. Some can be made to be the button heads of snaps too.

concho for leather bagsThis is a concho made to be tied to the leather with leather braiding. Once the leather braid is threaded through normally you leave a length of it so that once it’s tied you have two lengths of leather hanging down from it for a nice look. Leather conchos can be put anywhere you want them. On a leather jacket normally the top center of the back is a popular spot for a concho. Sometimes it’s put in the center of a leather braid pattern. Continue reading Biker Conchos for leather jackets, Items

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Suede leather jackets & coats

What is suede leather jackets & coats


What is a suede leather jacket or coat? What type of hide or animal does suede leather come from? Is suede real leather? Where are my blue suede shoes? Sorry, couldn’t resist that last one! Most people have NO idea what suede really is. So, I’m going to tell you right now! Unfortunately that word has been mangled so much that you can go to 10 different sites and find 10 different meanings.

Suede is real leather; that is, it comes from animal hide. Anything made from the hide of any animal is leather. Rawhide bones are leather, so is bindings on a snowshoe. So the name suede refers to the TYPE of leather it is. Now if you read my other post on how leather hides are split, you know that good quality leather is the top part.

A cows hide, or most any animal’s, is so thick that they split the hide, making a top grain, which is the part the hair was on, and has the natural leather grain pattern in it. The bottom part is called the split leather. If a hide is really thick they may make 2 or 3 split layers. Suede leather is ALWAYS made from split leather. Continue reading Suede leather jackets & coats