Goatskin vs Horse Hide

Sillyrib · Apr 26, 2011

I have an aero long halfbelt full panel back in thick goathide. It is my favorite jacket simply because it is the most comfortable to wear. I have aero in buffalo, horsehide and thick steerhide and the thickness is in that order with the thick steerhide being almost unwearable. I do not feel very safe riding in it(cafe racer) because it hampers movement so much. However, if I fell it would be the one I would want to have on. The aero horsehide is also very thick but at least I can see it breaking in eventually. The buffalo is like a very stiff heavier goat with the same texture.

HDRnR · Apr 26, 2011

GriffDeLaGriff said:
I will add that I got samples before ordering my FQHH jacket, and its more apparent in the samples. The FQHH was like rubber and the Steer was indestructible.

Sounds like an odd batch or something unique to Aero. But as far as stretching goes, goat will naturally stretch far more than horse. Ask someone who makes jackets in both hides. I have two horsehide chp jackets that are at least fifty years old and both are a bit small on me, I tried getting them to break in/stretch, not happening in this lifetime.

Fifty150 · Aug 5, 2011

I own both. To be honest, I can't tell.

Seb Lucas · Aug 5, 2011

Goat is the Rolls Royce of hides IMO - it's light, it's tough, it resists water and wear like few other hides and I like wearing a seriously tough jacket that doesn't feel like I am a turtle carrying around a heavy shell.

coloradorider · Aug 11, 2011

Horse versus Cow - By Request – What’s the Difference?

OneEyeMan said:
Just trying to get a handle on the major differences and similarities between the 2.
I know goatskin is much more grained with horsehide being a lot smoother. I've also read that goatskin breaks in quicker, and doesn't show as much wear and patina as horsehide down the road.
Finally, I understand that HH is very water resistant, but not sure about the goat skin in this respect.
What else can you all tell me about the 2?
Thanks all.
Lenny

This is a discussion of cow versus horse from Horween. I believe Horween provides all of Aero's horsehide and all of Allen Edmonds' and Alden's shell cordovan. This doesn't address the goat versus horse question but has some great information - Horween blog - By Request – What’s the Difference?

Cheers

Fifty150 · Aug 13, 2011

Come to think of it, I own lamb, horse, goat, and cow. Really, for an untrained eye guy like me, I can't tell any difference. They all seem to do what I need them to do. I go out in the rain, ride motorcycles, drive Jeeps with the top down, crawl under cars, fight in bars, and look good. All these hides seem to work okay. Just keep in mind that lamb skin is pretty thin & soft, so you won't want to wear that when you're doing anything that could rip it. I don't ever recall a motorcycle jacket or an A-2 made from lamb. But none of those other more durable hides is as warm as shearling.

regius · Feb 20, 2017

Can we stil post here? sounds like such an age old topic

Anyone has experience with US Authnetic's "vintage goatskin"? I have a sample and it seems to be very nice, very strong, and has the gloss coating that I like, also has an uneven grain.

TREEMAN · Feb 21, 2017

Seb Lucas said:
Goat is the Rolls Royce of hides IMO - it's light, it's tough, it resists water and wear like few other hides and I like wearing a seriously tough jacket that doesn't feel like I am a turtle carrying around a heavy shell.

Goat is the ROLLS ROYCE of hides ? That's a laugh !!

handymike · Feb 21, 2017

I thought Connelly was the hide of Rolls Royces

crimsonofsam · Feb 21, 2017

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/goatskin-whats-the-skinny.85361/

Seb Lucas · Feb 21, 2017

TREEMAN said:
Goat is the ROLLS ROYCE of hides ? That's a laugh !!

Glad I could help.

zebedee · Feb 21, 2017

I own a few Aeros in HH and a Simmons Bilt in goat (because I want to shoot straight to hell when I die), and I find that the goat (stoat?) is lighter but tough as nails. It is a pebbled hide which shows less wear, but I cannot imagine it taking any serious damage or scuffing. It's very different from the HH (it feels drier and less pliable, but is just as flexible and I think it would ideally suit longer jacket styles because its weight would not be a problem). Water resistance is great, too. I think the way to go is samples.

navetsea · Feb 21, 2017

last week we have lots of rain and humidity here... so I checked my leather jackets that are hung next to each other at the corner of my closet, I was surprised my goat hide was the only one to develop molding spots

on the front and back panel.

while I believe it is the most waterproof jacket I have, but apparently not mildew-proof
has been cleaned and hung in the sun for 2 days and all is fine now

Edward · Feb 21, 2017

I have owned several jackets on horsehide and several in goat. As has been noted by several folks above, everything varies - after all, leather is an organic material, and no two animals of the same kind will ever be identical in their skin... That said, there are some generalisations that can be made. As a rule, horse is heavier, goat lighter. And while it will vary with tanning method, horse is morel ikely to show obvious wear to a greater noticeable extent than goat over time - this is one major reason that I prefer goat over horse for A2s, by quite some margin. I like my 'uniform' jackets to stay 'tidy' looking. Of the lighter leathers, goat is also the one I would trust in a motorcycle jacket, as goat's abrasions resistance is, as a rule, among the highest of any hide. (That and the combination of easy flexibility is why goat is so commonly used for motorcycle gloves).

Also worth noting as a matter of practicality that goats, being much smaller animals than horses, produce smaller hides, thus tend not to be suitable for longer styles and XXXL sizes if you want a jacket without multiple panels.

regius said:
Can we stil post here? sounds like such an age old topic Anyone has experience with US Authnetic's "vintage goatskin"? I have a sample and it seems to be very nice, very strong, and has the gloss coating that I like, also has an uneven grain.

I'm sure someone around here will. As to your first question, the house very much encourages folks to dig up older, relevant threads and add to them, as this keep their cobntained wisdom current and useful.

thor · Feb 22, 2017

Here is a photo from the classifieds on TFL that I found showing a US-A G-1 in vintage goatskin. Looks pretty nice!

bond · Dec 28, 2018

1940s goatskin still in break in mode. I usually wear around house on damp rainy days (today) just to give it some wear time. This jackets button up front is great for just wearing with belt cinched and allows for comfortable movement without the need to button it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Doctor Strange · Dec 28, 2018

I've had jackets made from all kinds of hides, and I like goatskin the best.

I'm not a moto jacket guy, so I don't need protection, just something that stands up to the elements and ordinary wear. Horse and cow leather are great - and even lambskin has its place - but as others have said, goat is marvelously strong yet very supple and flexible. It typically doesn't require serious break-in or have a mind of its own about which way to flex like horsehide. It's not mega-common and familiar, like cowhide. And it wears really well: my oldest, most-worn jacket is G&B A-2 I got in 2001 that shows hardly any wear apart from some topcoat fading on the windflap and epaulet edges. Also, I love that elegant look of the pebble grain.

Yeah, I'm seriously considering getting another goatskin jacket...

handymike · Dec 28, 2018

I like the worn look of Thedi's goatskin jackets

TheJuniper · Dec 29, 2018

Here's my Simmons Bilt in Black Goatskin that I got this autumn, worn about 20 times. It had a lot of grain out of the box, is relatively light, and loosens up in just a few minutes.

And here's my Aero Seal Vicenza, about 1 year old. The leather has much less grain, feels a bit heavier and thicker, and takes maybe 10-15 minutes to loosen up.

Really like them both, to be honest. They have their own unique qualities and style. I actually got rid of all my other leather jackets, and am just keeping these two!

Dr H · Dec 29, 2018

I keep coming back to goat. I have a Shinki horsehide Brakeman and it’s very soft and pliable, but it’s a little thick for smarter wear in my view. I have a deerskin Journeyman on its way, which should drape really well, but I’ve asked Dave Sheeley to use goat for a ‘20s Monarch replica.

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