Posted by MyBomberJacket.com on 16th Nov 2015

About Leather | Shopping for Leather goods

Getting to know and understanding Premium Leather

There is something really special about wearing good Leather or a leather bomber jacket . Yet, many Consumers know very little about the quality of the Leather Products they purchase today.

It is the Grain and the Tanning Process that determines the Quality and the Price of Leather. Leather Quality can range from Outstanding to very Poor. Reputable Manufactures will use a Top Grain Leather or Genuine Leather to make their products. However, today's Consumer needs a better understanding of the Leather Market and the Leather Products that are currently found in Stores. Whether searching for men's bomber jackets or Leather Purses, jackets or purses, today's consumer will find many leather products are made from inferior materials and pawned off for a high sticker price. All too often, the well established general terms that have long been used within the Leather Trades to describe the certain cuts or Qualities for Leather are becoming more and more vague due to hijacked advertising or disingenuous promotions or labeling. Some American and European stores are selling extremely poor quality cut Leather Goods and promoting them to the public as: 'Top Grain' or 'Genuine Leather' or 'Luxurious Leather'.

Do You know the difference between 'Top Grain' as opposed to 'Flank'?
What is 'Nappa' or 'Napa' Leather? Is it good leather or poor leather?
What is the distinction of Real Suede to a jacket labeled 'Suede-like'?
What has Real Shearling to do with Napa-Finish Leather?
Is 'Lamb-Touch Leather' the same as Genuine Lambskin?
Is it real fur, from Fox, or Sheep, or is it Rabbit, Dog, or Cat Fur ? (Dog & Cat Fur Products are illegal inside the U.S.) (sometimes Rabbit can be substituted and dyed to appear as another type of fur)

So you can better understand what you are purchasing, Here are some General Terms to give you a better understanding of Leather Products, and some of the current trends in the industry:

Top Grain Leather - The Very Best Genuine Leather. The very Top Part of any Hide. Very Durable and Desirable for Production, Selling & Purchasing. Often referred to as Top Grain Leather or Genuine Leather when advertised. Best High Quality & Long Lasting. Can be pricey but lasts long and keeps its looks. If you want the very best, especially Top Grain in 2.5 or 3.0 ounces, expect pricey values.

First Cut Leather - The very Best Cut from any Top Grain Genuine Leather Hide.

Split Leather - Middle layer of a hide. Can be processed to appear like Top Grain, but not nearly as durable. Lacks the Strength of Top Grain. Stress Points can be a real problem. A second tier garment can sometimes be pawned off as being Top Grain or Genuine Leather. A lot of Split Leather garments are found in discount stores and sometimes the major chain stores deceptively label it to increase their profit margins. What the buying public does not know, these stores will take advantage off.

Buff Leather or Scraps - Bottom layer of any hide. Weak and Un-Desirable for Real Quality and Workmanship. Poor Durability. Found in a lot of High Fashion goods. Who wears High Fashion more than a Year?

Flank Leather or Scraps - The belly of a hide or the flank (legs) of a Hide. Much thinner part of the hide and much weaker. Often found in massed produced cheap foreign leather goods. Also found a lot in some nationally recognized Chain stores. Not a good choice product. Products that grab the attention of the younger set are often made from very cheap materials. Fads do not last long and teenage interests are always changing. Yet, both Buff and Flank Leather is often promoted in the fashion world as high quality when it is the bottom of the barrel.

Lamb-Touch Leather - "Lamb-Touch" is only an Industry Term for a specific Tanning Process, not a form of Leather. The Lamb-Touch Process is mostly utilized with Cowhide or Pig-Nappa Leather to give the article the appearance and a supple Lambskin-like feel to the touch. Do not confuse buying Lamb-Touch Leather as apposed to something made from Real Genuine Lambskin. The two are as different as apples and lobster.

Nappa-Finish Leather - . Years ago, Nappa leather used to be a term that described a high quality leather, only today it is all too often used to mask the type of Leather used for the article. The Term "Nappa" in today's modern leather Retail Market generally means 'unknown or unlisted leather'. Pig Nappa, or the skin & Hide from a Pig can also come with a nappa finish. "Finish" is a vague way of trying to explain a particular "feel" from the leather. In short, "Napa-Finish" can mean almost anything in today's Retail market as it has been bastardized by copy writers for adds and commercials. It can be applied to confuse the Customer and perhaps mislead them into thinking they are buying Real Supple Lambskin or some other Exotic Leather. However, You do not want to be paying a Top Grain Price for a Nappa-Finished Pig-skinned Article. Nappa-Finish Leather is often combined with substandard materials (such as low-quality wool) to appear pricey and significant, and it is often pawned off on the Consumer at excessive prices. Nappa Finish can mean lower grade materials made to look more expensive than they really are. Some low grade Nappa Finish Cowhide can appear quite supple and soft under the work of a master tanner, if they know what they are really doing. In other words, it may look like lambskin, but it may not be lambskin. Like everything, some consumers care and others do not. Its all in the eye of the beholder. In today market, 'Nappa-Finish' does imply 'Lip-sticking the Pig' to make it appear better than what it really is. Nappa finished leather is mostly used for wallets, toiletry kits, car seats, furniture, and some leather belt products. At one time, it was considered high quality, but the term is now suspect. 'Nappa soft leather' without any notice of what kind of leather means little to the consumer. In short, the term has lost its luster of quality over the last 20 years or so. What used to identify high quality now can mean any kind of leather from high grade to low grade. A very untrustworthy term for today's leather buyer.

Is that Fur Trim on Your next Purchase really Fox, or Mink, or Sheep? Or were you duped into paying big bucks for Dog Fur, or Cat Fur. Many Imported Leather jackets cannot be trusted any longer, especially after what happened last year with the Chinese Suppliers and their U.S. Buyers. Big Name and upscale U.S. and European Chain Stores were seriously duped into selling their customers illegally marketed Leather Products that were falsely labeled as having Fox Fur Trim, or Real Mouton (Sheep) Fur Trim. Instead, many of these products were made and finished with the fur of Dogs and Cats from Asian Countries. Other Leather Products sold to the U.S. Market contained masquerading Rabbit Fur, intentionally falsely labeled as Fox, or even Mink. It is illegal to knowingly sale or market any fur products containing Dog or Cat Fur in the United States.

Vachetta Leather is often used as trimmings for wallets, luggage and handbags. It is not strong and it is susceptible to sunlight and water damage.

Patent Leather is incased or coated with plastic. Comes with a high gloss finish. Some very cheap grade leather products can be highly shiny in appearance and look like Patent Leather even though it is not.

True Buckskin Leather - is made from animal brains and cooking to alter the leather. It is supple and sometimes heavily 'smoked' to prevent rotting. True Buckskin can be used for anything, hats, jackets, coats, and gloves just to name a few.

USA Domestic Tanning Processes vs. Foreign Tanning Processes : There are not many Tanneries left in the USA, but the vast majority use modern equipment and chemicals in their tanning processes. Hides can be fully tanned and ready for manufacturers in a manner of days.

What many U.S. Consumers do not know about Foreign made Leather is that the Tanning Process in some countries use the 'old ways' with little modern equipment. Some Foreign Tanneries still use outdoor soaking platforms 2 Centuries old, where their hides are soaked for weeks or months in good old 'URINE', both from animals and sometimes, humans. You may want to think twice about wearing that cheap Discount Store Leather Jacket or Purse when there is any humidity, or rain, plus you will want to make sure you never work up a sweat. That funny and foul smell emanating from your jacket may very well be that same 'URINE' from India, Malaysia, or where ever it came from. Lets hope you smell it before your friends do. More than one Distributor who sells leather goods has had to refuse a shipment at Port, because of the URINE smell coming from the leather products.

What you want to watch out for is that one unscrupulous distributor who will air them out, allowing the product to dry, only to later pawn it off on unsuspecting customers. Today, reliable U.S. Distributors demand and require of their Foreign Suppliers Leather goods processed without the use of URINE. Pay a little more money for good leather and You should not have that problem when you buy American made jackets .

All Consumers should BEWARE of Leather Products 'Labeled' as Made in USA with no MANUFACTURER'S BRAND a dvertised with the product, or visible Labeled Stitching within the product. Unfortunately, there are foreign made leather products with FALSE 'Made in USA labels' attached to them. For shoppers, Vender reliability and Vender 'Brand' are the most important factors in buying a good leather product. It is not complicated at all: Buy a cheaply made leather jacket for $50.00 or buy a high quality leather jacket for $250.00. Which one do you really think is going to be the better jacket?

LEATHER TYPES & TRENDS IN TODAY'S MARKET

LEATHER THICKNESS, WEIGHT, VALUE BY OUNCES: Just what are You Buying Here? Do You really know? Well, lets say you just purchased a Leather Bomber Jacket and You were told it was 1oz. Leather. Chances are it is a Non-USA Made Jacket or Foreign Made Product. Most Foreign Made Leather Apparel (jackets & coats) are 1oz. Leather. There are a few samples of Foreign Made Leather Apparel sold by a few of the higher value Chain Stores that do reach a 2oz. Standard.

Most Chinese Factories follow this formula for selling to the USA:

We are top tannery in China and our products are pig grain lining, pig split lining and pig glazed split lining. We have exported the leather to Italy, Spain, France, USA, Ukrain, Russia, etc.

Our price is as follows:

0.6-0.8mm thickness, semi-trimmed, A/B=50/50%

Pig grain lining USD0.78/0.79/0.80 /SF light / midlle / dark color

pig split lining USD0.38/0.39/0.40 / SF light / middle / dark color

pig split glazed lining USD0.41/0.42/0.43/SF light / middle / dark color

Not the best Top Grade and its Pig Leather, not Cowhide or Lambskin.

USA Leather Manufactures of Bomber Jackets make and use the 2.5 oz. to 3.o oz U.S. Military Standard in their Leather Bomber Jackets and most other leather apparel. Even 4.0 oz. jacket coats can be found on the today's market, but that is quite heavy leather.

So, what is this 'Ounce Difference' and 'How do they measure for Weight & Value'? By taking a 12" x 12" Sample Cut from the finished Hide and Weighing it and comparing that weight to the thickness. Then they can establish a Hide's factory tanning weight and Market Value. Naturally, that 12" x 12" Cut Hide that weighs 3 oz.'s has much more value and will demand a higher price than a 1 oz. Cut Hide of the same type of leather. The 2.5 -3.0 oz. or 4 oz. Leather will be much thicker and durable. However, the 2.5 oz. to 3.0 oz. Leather can still be quite supple and soft to the touch, 4.0 oz. is almost like shoe leather. In fact, some of today's tennis or basketball shoes are 4.0 oz. or thicker. Coat Jackets and Apparel made from 4.0 ounce leather will certainly need some extra attention to soften it for daily wear.

One Note: a 2.5 oz. or 3.0 oz Leather Jacket can still be soften quite nicely for wear and is considered the optimum leather weight for an American Made G1 Navy Flight Jacket , however, 4 oz. Leather does exist. A 4.0 oz. Leather Jacket is much heavier and has been described more than once as 'leather armor' or 'shoe leather'. This weight may take a few years to soften up for a real comfortable feel. Once again, it depends on the process, make, and the desired result of the Manufacturer and Customer.

B3 Bomber Jacket made of 100% Shearling, and requires intensive labor to produce a great product. Shearling is expensive. Referred to as 'Shearling or Sheepskin Shearling'.

**Please note that 'Sherpa' or 'Sherpa Lining' is the artificial substitute for real Shearling. You will find jean or leather products with 'Sherpa' in the mix as a substitute for real Shearling. Be sure not to confuse the difference.

Now, just what is Real Sheepskin Shearling compared to other types of leather? Some folks mistakenly think a Shearling Coat or Jacket is Wool attached to Lambskin. Wrong. Real Shearling, especially Top Grade Expensive Shearling is the Sheep's Skin turned inside out. The full Sheepskin is pulled, yes, pulled from the muscle tissue and that is now the 'Raw Shearling Product'. Yes, that particular thought may not set well with some, but that is what Real Sheepskin Shearling is. When done well, the Full Sheepskin (the skin & it's attached wool) is dried and tanned through a special process with no separation for the Wool Product. Then Special Lacquers are used to protect and color that 'Inside Layer of the Sheepskin' which will become the outside part of the jacket. The very last layer of Lacquer will start to pull away and peel off once the Shearling Jacket is worn and stretched through normal use.

In other Real Shearling Products, the outside part of the Sheepskin can be dyed to appear a more consistent color. Colors like Tan, or Seal Brown is often used.

Warning! Products Advertised or Sold using the word 'Shearling' with 'Nappa' should be approached with caution. Often it can be a two piece item of poor quality and poor materials, aimed at skimming money out of peoples pockets. Such products do not qualify to be called Real Shearling. Real Shearling means a Product that is One Piece, Skin & Wool turned inside out, with no separation . You cannot glue low grade wool to any other type of leather, and call it Shearling. Although, there are some who try. When you do run across such a product, recognize it for what it is, an 'Imitation', not the real thing. Watch you pocket book and do not pay more than what you should. Pay only an 'imitation price', not a 'real price' for such a garment.

Pig Nappa or Napa Leather or Nappa Leather or Leather: Pig Nappa Leather has several spellings. A Low Grade, Low-Cost Leather that is fast replacing many of the other leathers in the Market today. Cheap to manufacture, easy to manipulate, it has become the dream product of the Chain Stores. Many foreign manufacturers are using Pig Nappa to glut existing Consumer Markets with low cost mass produced Leather Jackets, Coats, and Leather Accessories. First sold as a really in-expensive leather option for the U.S. & European Import Markets, Pig Nappa Leather filled many niches in the Import Market, then proceeded to overtake it.

However, the Price for Pig Nappa is rising in many quarters. The Market Place is just now beginning to see some moderately expensive Pig Nappa Products. In the past, Nappa has been known as the 'Poor Man's Leather', or the 'Poor Man's Substitute for Lambskin'. Today, Nappa is cutting deep into the mass market and may already dominate it's total sales. It's quality is no where near High Grade First Cut Top Grain Leather. However, if processed well, it has proven very acceptable to Consumers. Durability, however, is not the Manufacturer's or Re-Seller's concern here. You will buy more jackets and buy jackets more often, thereby raising Manufacturer Profits. Too often, Pig Nappa Products are poorly processed and made from 'Buff, Flank, or Spilt Leather' without Retailer or Consumer knowledge.

Since Pig-Nappa is not a very flattering term with Consumers, many Manufacturer's and Retailers shy away from use of the term, and often hesitate when asked about it. Instead, they have given Pig-Nappa a simple but effective deflection for the Consumer Market, referring to it as just 'Leather'. Reminiscent of Chrysler's use of the term 'Corinthian Leather' years back, a publicity facade used to describe the unknown leather used in some of their cars. Many Consumers are still not aware they are purchasing Pigskin Leather.

**As a Rule of Thumb : If the Product is Labeled only with: "Made of Supple Leather", or "Luxurious Leather", or "Supple Nappa Leather", with no reference to the Hide or Make of Leather, it is more probably Pigskin than anything else. However, you can still be left wondering if it is even Top Grain & Genuine Pig-Nappa Leather, or the lesser Split Leather being passed off as 'Genuine', or the horrible 'Buff Leather'. Ever so slowly, some Manufactures and Retailers are starting to label some of their wares with the title: Nappa Leather or Supple Nappa Leather. However, the word 'PIG' or 'Hog' is conspicuously missing and any form of Hide rating is also absent.

Nappa-Finish is another term Consumers need to learn about. It is closely tied to apparel articles that use some form of genuine trim fur or wool to highlight the piece. For example, you will find Australian or Domestic Shearling combined with this term. All it means is that someone has used some lesser grade of Australian Shearling Sheep Wool and glued it to a softer finished Pig-Napa or lesser domestic or foreign sheepskin. Plus, on occasion, some even have the audacity to call Nappa 'Sheepskin', when in fact, it is nothing more than Chinese Pig-skin with Australian Wool glued to it. Today, a Replica B3 Napa-Finish Flight Jacket might cost you $360, because it is disingenuously presented to Consumers as Real High Grade Shearling when in fact it is nothing more than a fuzzy Chinese sow-belly or 'buff-grade' sheepskin leftovers. Do not confuse Australian Market Wool (or Shearling) with Lambskin ( the Hide ). And Australian Wool has nothing to do with USA or New Zealand Shearling or Lambskin. There is a market for this product, but consumers should not be fooled about what they are buying here. Napa-Finish is not high grade stuff. Paying $360 for such a disingenuous product may not make you happy when You could have purchased a Genuine Highest Quality Lambskin Jacket for around the same money. Shop carefully.

SUEDE LEATHER : Is the reverse layer of a Top-Grain or Genuine Leather Hide whose nap has been tanned and finished. Real Suede is smooth on one side. Split Leather can be processed to appear 'Suede-like' and often fools a lot of un-suspecting Consumers. Its rough appearance on both sides usually gives it away if the Consumer is 'Suede Savvy'. Generally, 'Suede Like' articles are found in low cost discount centers and are make from buff or scrap leather. Real suede can be pricey while the imitators should be fairly low in cost and it should be noted that Suede is not as durable as Top Grain Leather. If the Imitator is to high in price, reconsider your options. If the Store's Help does not know the difference between Suede-Like and Real Suede, reconsider your shopping options.

EXOTIC LEATHERS : Ostrich, Alligator, Snake, Lizard, or any other strange animal-hide. Often very expensive and sometimes illegal. Everything depends on the processing and the Grain. To often, Consumers are hooked into paying premium prices for poor grade exotic leather garments. Legality can also play a role in this leather area.

DEER & ELK LEATHERS : An American Tradition. If process correctly, a very wonderful and soft leather that can be made into almost any product. Highly Desirable. The trick here is to know the 'feel' of the leather when buying. Top Grain Deer or Elk, tanned and finished correctly will be ultra soft and supple. However, some Buff or Flank Hide Products do make it to Market. Like any other leather, its Tanning & Process that really matters. When buying work gloves you may not care to be so picky about the cut. Some mass produced Flank Hide Leather Jackets are out there on the markets, but fail Consumers in durability and wear ability. Some Deer & Elk Hides are shipped overseas for tanning and processing. Some return good, some not so good. If you desire the very best Deer or Elk Leather, it may be very important to know the Retailer/Seller and have a trusted relationship with them. Another way to improve your purchases in this line of leather is to know a manufacturer in your local area, if one exists. Then you can have confidence in buying good merchandise.

True Domestic vs. U. S. Made Labeling
True Domestic vs. U. S. Made Labeling

This Distinction between Domestic Production vs. Imported Products is growing foggier by the year, especially for the Venders who sell the Products and the Consumers who purchase Leather Products.

Not all USA Made Product is really 100% USA Made , not in the general accepted terms of Consumer understanding. The Trade Regulations are extremely vague as to what is considered USA Made and Foreign Made. Many U. S. Consumers are unaware that many leather products are partially manufactured 'Off-Shore" and then finished 'On-Shore' so that a MADE IN USA Label can legally be affixed to the garment. In other words, like the U.S. Auto Industry, the U.S. Leather and Wool Industry is being cluttered with foreign parts or processing. Sometimes the leather is tanned and processed in a foreign country and shipped to the U. S. where the zipper, snaps, and linings are later affixed to the garment and a Made in the USA Label then sown onto the piece. This is absolutely legal according to the Federal Trade Commission. The American Consumer is none the wiser and sometimes the American Vender is left in the dark as well.

Then there is the ol' Label Switcheroo. Replacing a foreign label with a Made in the USA label. Don't think this action does not take place. There are sweatshops out there replacing labels as you read this. Their hope is that You will pay the Made in the USA Price and not notice anything wrong. For instance, many Consumers would have a hard time spotting the difference between an elaborate fake lambskin coat that was specially processed Pig Napa. Pig Napa can be quite supple and if specially processed, it can imitate lambskin to a degree that many Consumers would have trouble telling the difference. But if the label on the Pig Napa is taken off and replaced by a different Real Lambskin - Made in the USA label, how many of today's normal consumers would really know the difference? Not many.

Any garment made in the U. S. can have some buttons, zippers, or snaps from foreign sources and still have a Made in the USA label and many do. There is nothing anyone can do about this unless Congress changes the laws.

Most times, when it comes to Leather Goods, the Paying Customer gets what they paid for. Good Leather is moderately expensive or really expensive. Poor leather is less in quality and less in price. It all depends who you buy from and what you are paying your hard earn dollars for. Everyone wants to spend less and some even want to make that proverbial 'killing' when buying online. They always search for sales and always buy according to price. But good leather does come at a price. One way or another we all pay that price. Buy cheap and that is just what you get....a cheap product. In addition, the guy selling it cheap either does not know what he is selling to his customers.....or he does not care to know what he is selling to his customers. But then, maybe he is taking more money from you than you think?
Ponder that.

REAL SHEARLING : Another really soft and highly regarded luxury leather. Real Shearling comes from sheep. Takes a lot of sheep to make a Shearling Coat or Jacket, and requires intensive labor to produce a great product. Shearling is expensive. Referred to as 'Shearling or Sheepskin Shearling'.

In other Real Shearling Products, the outside part of the Sheepskin can be dyed to appear a more consistent color. Colors like Tan, or Seal Brown is often used.

Leather Jacket Repair & Restoration

Often folks contact us concerning an older leather jacket that is a treasured or prized heirloom, something Dad wore in the Service, or just a special Leather Jacket they purchased years back and is now showing serious wear. Although we do not do perform such repairs or restorations, we recommend Willow Evans for all repairs and restorations of leather jackets. Willow does meticulous work, ---repairing webbing, zippers, collars, cuffs, snaps, and even difficult leather restoration. Even old dried out Leather can actually be restore to its original state or close to it. So, if you do have an aged or damaged jacket, American Mystique directs you to Willow Evans, a full Tailor specializing in the repair and restoration of damaged Leather Jackets, be they Bomber or Flight Jackets, or even prized Motorcycle Jackets and Vests.