WW2 leather colour/finishes

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Gotta say Dave, that ACME (Aero) feels like a proper 1940s jacket, rugged but supple and I love the colour. Feels like a proper hard working flying jacket rather than a 'boutique' jacket like other makes I've owned.

 

[33-1729]

That’s been my impression as well: America’s countryside was only recently mechanized, and so a lot of old farm horses were no longer needed, creating a horsehide surplus.

Thought so too until I pulled the data. From a Sept 14, 1931 letter to the Material Division at US Army Headquarters from Chicago Tanning Company they state “A coat made out of Cowhide today, as stated before, can be made for 35¢ to 50¢ a garment less than Horsehide …” (ref. p. 46 in Mr. Eastman’s book). The standards for horsehide were also higher than for cowhide (from the horsehide spec the quality requirement was “uniform color free from obvious imperfections, ie, holes, scratches, cockle or poor grain” while from the cowhide spec “holes, healed grain scratches, scars, small brands and grub holes are permissible”.) Horsehide was a more expensive option than cowhide at the time.

 

[DiamondDave]

Thought so too until I pulled the data. From a Sept 14, 1931 letter to the Material Division at US Army Headquarters from Chicago Tanning Company they state “A coat made out of Cowhide today, as stated before, can be made for 35¢ to 50¢ a garment less than Horsehide …” (ref. p. 46 in Mr. Eastman’s book). The standards for horsehide were also higher than for cowhide (from the horsehide spec the quality requirement was “uniform color free from obvious imperfections, ie, holes, scratches, cockle or poor grain” while from the cowhide spec “holes, healed grain scratches, scars, small brands and grub holes are permissible”.) Horsehide was a more expensive option than cowhide at the time.

I’ll be damned, my memory is failing me, and I had my data reversed. Thanks for the correction. This is how important data gets saved for posterity.

Cheers,

DD

 

[foster]

Do not forget that in 1942, when most of the A-2 contracts were being created, the US Army was in the process of trying to outfit millions of new recruits.
This was no simple undertaking. Some friends of mine have done research at the QMC Museum Archives, and the effort to get so many enlisted and drafted people into uniform was monumental, to say the least.
Contractors bid and efforts were made across the industrialized country to produce the hides, fabrics, etc. and some things were in scarce supply. The Army needed uniforms and the pre-war requirements weren’t always strictly enforced, if the quantities and deliveries of finished garments were to suffer.
We look at this through the lens of our modern experience as consumers and connoisseurs of these jackets. That doesn’t mean that nobody cared about the hide color and finish, but there was more leniency than is typical in our enthusiastic VLJ community.
Another comment on chrome tanned leather - although this is how many originals were finished, the modern complication is that chrome tanned leather tends to be corrosive to various metals, meaning potentially lower life spans for zippers and snaps in these garments. In light of this, I prefer vegetable tanned hides in my replicas since I want them to last a lot longer than most originals were expected to endure.

 

[Skyhawk]

- although this is how many originals were finished, the modern complication is that chrome tanned leather tends to be corrosive to various metals, meaning potentially lower life spans for zippers and snaps in these garments. In light of this, I prefer vegetable tanned hides in my replicas since I want them to last a lot longer than most originals were expected to endure.

Not sure I can agree. We have had USN chrome tanned jackets contracted every few years since then, and at some point they started using the modern methods. We don't see unusual corrosion on those jackets and they are used in a salty environment. Surely by the 1960's they were using modern methods and that was 60 years ago.

 

[foster]

Not sure I can agree. We have had USN chrome tanned jackets contracted every few years since then, and at some point they started using the modern methods. We don't see unusual corrosion on those jackets and they are used in a salty environment. Surely by the 1960's they were using modern methods and that was 60 years ago.

Yes, but I don’t have the power of the US Department of Defense to have leather procured for my jackets inspected, documented, and remedied at the contractor’s expense if something is discovered to be a problem more than a few weeks or months after receipt of the goods.

 

[blackrat2]

I just checked my GW Aero and it’s dyed right through also