Category: Leather Jackets

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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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Pigskin vs cowhide leather jackets

Cowhide vs pigskin leather motorcycle jacketsCowhide vs pigskin leather motorcycle jackets

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good fourth of July weekend. Mine was peaceful,,, another words, boring, haha. Well, I have been noticing on some key words that people type in that a lot of you really want to know just how pigskin leather jackets compare to cowhide leather jackets.

Is pigskin as strong as cowhide? Is pigskin or cowhide tougher? Is cowhide or pigskin thicker or softer? Do pigskin hides have different markings on them than cowhide? Which one is cheaper in price, and which one is just plain cheap? Well let me try to explain all that so you know once and for all!

First, the three most common types of leather animal hides for leather jackets are cowhide, buffalo hide, and pigskin. These three are the most common for tuff motorcycle leather jackets. Leather jackets are also made from goats, sheep and lambs, but they should only be used in fashion or dress leather jackets.
Continue reading Pigskin vs cowhide leather jackets

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Bonded leather, patchwork leather jackets

Bonded leather, patchwork leather jackets


Hi everyone, it’s been a few days since my last post. Been real busy, you know how that goes! Well today I wanted to talk about bonded leather, or patchwork leather jackets. Actually I wanted to explain just what it is, and why you should avoid it at all cost. You can find a lot of them out there, many with really fancy names.

Some of the names they use for bonded leather is Giovanni Navarre, Italian stone design, Italian Mosaic Design, brick work leather, patchwork leather, Napoline Roman Rock Design, Diamond Plate leather, Embassy leather and a few more I can’t recall right now. They use this leather to make anything; jackets, vest, purses, gloves, saddle bags, you name it.

So what is bonded leather vs genuine leather? Is bonded leather really leather at all? Well yes, it is, but only in the same way a Ford Escort is like a Mustang! When you take the hide of a cow and lay it flat, there are areas of it that are the best parts for making quality leather. Once you cut those areas out, what is left is lots of small pieces. Continue reading Bonded leather, patchwork leather jackets

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Leather motorcycle jacket air vents

leather motorcycle jacket air vents


What’s going on everyone? If you have school kids they must be almost out for summer vacation huh? Good luck, hehe. Ok, today I figured I’d talk about leather motorcycle jacket air vents. Some people don’t really understand what they do, other than look cool! So I’ll touch on vents today and tell you why they are nice to have.

Now most leather trench coats, dress jackets and coats and other leather jackets like that don’t have air vents. They don’t need them and would look out of place. Zippered air vents are found on leather motorcycle jackets, some dusters, scooter jackets and racer jackets. Almost always they open and close with a zipper.

If it’s a quality leather jacket there will be a small leather flap that hides the zipper. That keeps out the dirt and rain when you have it closed. An exposed air vent zipper may look cool, but it’s not practical. Over time the zipper will start to degrade from getting rain and dirt splashed on it. Continue reading Leather motorcycle jacket air vents