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What is patchwork and bonded leather and why is it bad?

patchwork leather jackets

I’ve talked about patchwork leather jackets and items before. But some still ask me why it’s bad, or am I sure that it’s not that great? Patchwork leather can also be called bonded leather, although it is put together a bit differently. Rock design, Italian brick work and a few other fancy names are used for it too.

When leather is cut to make a leather jacket, purse or any other leather item, small pieces of left-over leather are made. At some point someone decided that instead of throwing it away they would try to put it together and make a big sheet of it so they can use it for more leather products.

The way they smash it together is done in two ways. In one, the leather pieces are sewn together, with some glue also used. Then they usually coat it with crap to give it an even, smooth feel and try to waterproof all those needle holes. The other way is called bonded leather.
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2009 Daytona Beach & Orlando Biketoberfest

Daytona Beach and Orlando 2009 Biketoberfest

Since I live in Orlando, Fl. I thought I’d mention the upcoming Daytona Beach and Orlando Biketoberfest for 2009. Actually the whole state seems to celebrate it now as a way to make some money off it! But most people associate it with Daytona Beach because of bike week. They have lots going on this year at Biketoberfest, and Orlando always sees some of the action as it’s only 60 miles away.

The 2009 Biketoberfest runs from October 15th to the 18th. The weather at that time should be perfect, if not a little hot for some up north. Temperatures should be around the 80’s at high noon and nights around the high 60’s to low 70’s. Perfect for me! The afternoon rains should be stopped by then, with maybe a few showers every other day or so but only for an hour or so.

There seems to be a lot planned for this year, at least that’s what I read in the official Biketoberfest website, click the link to check it out. All the normal shops and bars along main st. will be open of course, with all the biker booths that spring up overnight for events.

All the Harley motorcycle shops will have extra things going on; there’s a huge one in Orlando if you stay here. With hotels seeing a drop in occupancies this year you should have no trouble getting a room. Some stay in Orlando, others in Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas. If your looking for a good hotel rate, check out my sister site, Orlando Inside!

I’ve got lots of tips and so on in there, plus the hotels in the sidebars are always giving good deals on rates. So come on down to the Daytona Beach and Orlando Biketoberfest and have fun, maybe you’ll see me there with my camera taking shots of the babes! 😉

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Youtube video of celebrity babes wearing leather, even Britney Spears

Well every once in a while I like to show a cool youtube video of leather. Sometimes it’s one about how they make leather, or how they carve designs in leather. Today I thought I’d just have some fun and show a youtube video of hot celebrity babes in all kinds of leather. Leather jackets, leather skirts, leather shirts and lots more.

In fact it’s really interesting to see all the different types and colors of leather apparel these sexy celebrities wear. Just about every major celebrity girl seems to be in here, from Angela Jolie to Britney Spears. So kick back and have some fun by watching this youtube video of hot celebrities in sexy leather clothing. 😉

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How to buy quality leather gloves and motorcycle gloves

leather motorcycle glovesleather motorcycle gloves

I’ve never had a post about leather gloves before on here. The reason is,,, well,,, there are so damn many different types of leather gloves out there! So it’s hard to really say just what you should look for or what to get. Leather gloves can be made of just about any type of leather hide, plus have many other fabrics and synthetic material in them.

They can be lined or unlined, stiff or soft, tough like iron or delicate to scratches, any color of the rainbow, with or without leather fringes or hardware and on and on. So it can be very confusing if your trying to find a quality pair of leather gloves. One thing I can tell you is, DON’T get “patchwork” leather gloves.

Those are the type that has many small pieces of leather sewn together to make the finished product. They are junk and you should not get any type of leather item made from patchwork leather, be it a leather jacket, vest, wallet or gloves. Now, there are three basic types of leather gloves, with variations in each class. The first is full finger leather gloves like in the pictures above.
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Leather jackets, perfect for fall motorcycle riding

leather jackets are great for fall motorcycle riding

Labor Day weekend is over, hope everyone had a good time! Soon it will be fall, with cooler weather and leaves changing color up north. Often it gets too hot in the summer to wear a leather jacket, at least in the hottest parts of the summer. But fall, that’s a perfect time to be wearing your leather jacket. A good bike under you, a country road ahead of you and your favorite leather jacket on is heaven!

I’m going up to Vermont, my home state, in October. No, not taking the bike. It’s a bit too far for me, I’m going to fly! But I wish I could bring my bike with me. Fall in Vermont is a fantastic time for biking on all the quiet, scenic country roads. Most of the time in the fall it’s overcast but not really raining, cool but not really cold.

The bugs are gone and you can smell those colorful leaves as they change to orange, gold and red. Having your leather jacket on, maybe with the liner in, keeps out the cold wind yet does not get you too hot. You can play with the zippered air vents till you get it just right for your comfort. Just you and the winding road, maybe seeing a deer or geese here and there.

If you ever get the chance, take your motorcycle and go to Stowe, Vermont in the fall. Go up the mountain road and down into The Notch. Take the toll road to the top of Mt. Mansfield and you’ll see for miles, all the leaves a brilliant color. This is what biking and leather jackets are all about! 🙂

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How to clean, condition and waterproof leather boots

how to clean, condition and waterproof leather boots

How do you waterproof leather boots? What’s the best way to clean leather boots? How should you condition leather boots? Well let me tell you! As I’ve said often in this site, leather is leather is leather. What I mean is that basically once you know how to clean, condition and seal, or what some call waterproof leather, it’s the same with all types of leather and all kinds of leather products.

I already have an article on how to do all that with your leather jacket. For the most part it’s the same with leather boots. Now, the leather in boots is normally treated a little different during the tanning process, but not much. It’s normally thicker, not as soft and often not as smooth, at least on the inside. Leather boots are normally made from cowhide, buffalo hide and pigskin.

No matter what type of leather hide it’s made of how you clean it, condition it and waterproof or seal your leather boots is the same. It always comes down to the three basic steps; cleaning the leather, conditioning the leather, and finally sealing, or waterproofing the leather. So lets start with cleaning the leather. You need to get leather cleaner, leather conditioner and leather sealer, or what some call waterproofing.
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