Colored leathers question

[cgreen]

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all well. I have a question regarding colored leather jackets - the various shades of brown and black are achieved via vegetable or chrome tanning, I believe, but what about red, or blue, or yellow?

I was told by a leather specialist that for those colours it's almost a leather paint that's applied to the surface, which is why the grain disappears and the leather takes on the waxy-like finish. Is this true?

Does anyone know how those colours are applied?

If you buy a new colourful Lewis Leathers or Vanson I'm guessing the quality of the finishing process is much better than it was in the 1970s, yes?

I love the idea of a turquoise Lewis Leathers or a navy blue Vanson but I'm worried about the finish. As well, I found a really cool red and black vintage Bates but again I don't know how good the red part of the jacket will be.

If anyone has any thoughts I'd love to hear them - all the better if you have photos of colourful jackets. Thanks very much, looking forward to your thoughts, speak soon.

Chris

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

yes, it is one method, it simplify stock situation，you can apply the color after customer place their order.

Another method is dyeing color during tanner process, but i don't know how.

 

[ZuZu]

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're all well. I have a question regarding colored leather jackets - the various shades of brown and black are achieved via vegetable or chrome tanning, I believe, but what about red, or blue, or yellow?

I was told by a leather specialist that for those colours it's almost a leather paint that's applied to the surface, which is why the grain disappears and the leather takes on the waxy-like finish. Is this true?

Does anyone know how those colours are applied?

If you buy a new colourful Lewis Leathers or Vanson I'm guessing the quality of the finishing process is much better than it was in the 1970s, yes?

I love the idea of a turquoise Lewis Leathers or a navy blue Vanson but I'm worried about the finish. As well, I found a really cool red and black vintage Bates but again I don't know how good the red part of the jacket will be.

If anyone has any thoughts I'd love to hear them - all the better if you have photos of colourful jackets. Thanks very much, looking forward to your thoughts, speak soon.

Chris

Not an expert but I'd say the "expert" you're talking to was just blowing smoke up your ass. Grain doesn't necessarily disappear with leather paint. A lot of WW2 stuf is painted. Grain disappears because of the absurd amount of processing leather goes through today.

Leather can be colored a myriad of ways and the colors are fast except as your expert told you if they were painted badly. The chemically shit which goes into making leather these days; the stretching and rolling etc. etc. are what makes it smooth.

Painted leather can be grainy- a lot of WW2 leather is basically painted.

The current leather of a Lewis or Vanson will NOT necessarily be of as good quality as 70s stuff- back in the 70s they could still make leather the old fashioned superior way. A current Vanson will be fine but I doubt it will ever have the character of an old jacket.

If you buy a jacket today from Vanson or Lewis I don't think you have to worry about color- it's probably dyed some fancy way.

 

[cgreen]

Not an expert but I'd say the "expert" you're talking to was just blowing smoke up your ass. Grain doesn't necessarily disappear with leather paint. A lot of WW2 stuf is painted. Grain disappears because of the absurd amount of processing leather goes through today.

Leather can be colored a myriad of ways and the colors are fast except as your expert told you if they were painted badly. The chemically shit which goes into making leather these days; the stretching and rolling etc. etc. are what makes it smooth.

Painted leather can be grainy- a lot of WW2 leather is basically painted.

The current leather of a Lewis or Vanson will NOT necessarily be of as good quality as 70s stuff- back in the 70s they could still make leather the old fashioned superior way. A current Vanson will be fine but I doubt it will ever have the character of an old jacket.

If you buy a jacket today from Vanson or Lewis I don't think you have to worry about color- it's probably dyed some fancy way.

ZuZu, thanks for the thought - I actually connected with Vanson today and they confirmed that the leather specialist I spoke to was not such a specialist after all. Vanson mentioned that the vast majority of leather we all come into contact with is chrome tanned, while every now and then you'll find a piece done with vegetable tanning.

Apparently vegetable tanning yields a softer hand to the leather but almost all bags, shoes, and many, many jackets are chrome tanned.

Color is applied to whichever leather - cow, steer, goat, horse, etc - after the tanning process and that while the colored dyes are in fact spray on they soak the leather all the way through and are a dye, not a paint. Scratching a blue jacket deep enough yields the same type of mark as scratching a black jacket would.

I'd still love to see everyone's colourful jackets, bring 'em on!

 

[ZuZu]

ZuZu, thanks for the thought - I actually connected with Vanson today and they confirmed that the leather specialist I spoke to was not such a specialist after all. Vanson mentioned that the vast majority of leather we all come into contact with is chrome tanned, while every now and then you'll find a piece done with vegetable tanning.

Apparently vegetable tanning yields a softer hand to the leather but almost all bags, shoes, and many, many jackets are chrome tanned.

Color is applied to whichever leather - cow, steer, goat, horse, etc - after the tanning process and that while the colored dyes are in fact spray on they soak the leather all the way through and are a dye, not a paint. Scratching a blue jacket deep enough yields the same type of mark as scratching a black jacket would.

I'd still love to see everyone's colourful jackets, bring 'em on!

Very cool. Sounds about right.

 

[Chandler]

I'd still love to see everyone's colourful jackets, bring 'em on!

Not sure you're gonna see much around here. I know I don't have anything but natural-color jackets.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Not an expert but I'd say the "expert" you're talking to was just blowing smoke up your ass. Grain doesn't necessarily disappear with leather paint. A lot of WW2 stuf is painted. Grain disappears because of the absurd amount of processing leather goes through today.

Leather can be colored a myriad of ways and the colors are fast except as your expert told you if they were painted badly. The chemically shit which goes into making leather these days; the stretching and rolling etc. etc. are what makes it smooth.

Painted leather can be grainy- a lot of WW2 leather is basically painted.

The current leather of a Lewis or Vanson will NOT necessarily be of as good quality as 70s stuff- back in the 70s they could still make leather the old fashioned superior way. A current Vanson will be fine but I doubt it will ever have the character of an old jacket.

If you buy a jacket today from Vanson or Lewis I don't think you have to worry about color- it's probably dyed some fancy way.

I agree Zu after all the Romans were making red leather 2000 years ago if descriptions were anything to go by and other nations, coloured leather, not a new thing

 

[johnwayne]

Not thinking of getting a red or blue A2 are you?

 

[Smithy]

I agree Zu after all the Romans were making red leather 2000 years ago if descriptions were anything to go by and other nations, coloured leather, not a new thing

Even before that Jonny. They were dyeing leather white, red, yellow and purple in at least Ancient Greece so probably even older. Purple leather was the most expensive. It's mentioned in both The Iliad and The Odyssey so it was around in the time of Homer.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Even before that Jonny. They were dyeing leather white, red, yellow and purple in at least Ancient Greece so probably even older. Purple leather was the most expensive. It's mentioned in both The Iliad and The Odyssey so it was around in the time of Homer.

Exactly Smithy, lost arts sometimes I think

 

[cgreen]

Not thinking of getting a red or blue A2 are you?

Not thinking of a colourful A2, no, but I'm sure one day one will pop up on eBay as an "authentic" piece worn by WWII fliers.

The colourful pieces always catch my eye in a special way - some of those designers in the 70s and, gulp, the '80s, really stretched and went for it in terms of patterns and stripes. A turquoise Lewis Leathers has long been on my radar.

I saw a post on the Lewis Leathers owners club Facebook page that I absolutely love - it was three older gentlemen from Southeast Asia kitted out in leathers riding vintage Vespas and Laverdas. I think it's absolutely brilliant.

Also, look at this stylish fella in the red LL - fantastic.

 

[cgreen]

Exactly Smithy, lost arts sometimes I think

I didn't know about the history of coloured leather, that's fascinating. Is the general consensus that older coloured leather - 1970s, 1980s - is of better quality than today's offerings?

 

[Nickb123]

Had an Aero A-1 at one point in olive green Vicenza. I do miss it.

 

[Juanito]

I didn't know about the history of coloured leather, that's fascinating. Is the general consensus that older coloured leather - 1970s, 1980s - is of better quality than today's offerings?

I wouldn't necessarily say that. They are all likely chrome tanned and drum dyed. I'll get some better photos of the whole jacket, but the finish on my newish (2016?) Vanson isn't going anywhere.

 

[cgreen]

Had an Aero A-1 at one point in olive green Vicenza. I do miss it.
View attachment 115475

That olive green A-1 is fabulous, would love to find one of those!

 

[B-Man2]

That olive green A-1 is fabulous, would love to find one of those!

Check on “Lost Worlds” website.
They used to offer them.

 

[Nickb123]

That olive green A-1 is fabulous, would love to find one of those!

It was a great jacket, though likely one size too small on me now. What happened with that one was I realized I’m more of a purist, preferring more historically-based jackets.

 

[Nickb123]

That olive green A-1 is fabulous, would love to find one of those!

It was a great jacket, though likely one size too small on me now. What happened with that one was I realized I’m more of a purist, preferring more historically-based jackets.

I would recommend an ELC A-1 or an Aero in a less trippy color. Though I’m tempted to order a blue one…

 

[bn1966]

Had a dark blue Cafe Racer jacket when I started riding many years ago. Half thinking of visiting Lewis leathers with a view to one of their Moto jackets, dark blue HH in a racer style.

 

[Nickb123]

This one would be my next Aero. Maybe this winter.