RideEasyLeather.com carries USA Biker's Dream Apparel, & Accessories. USA Biker's Dream Apparel is well known as the premier brand for imported Highest Quality Leather Apparel available today! The quality is built in with every stitch from the inside out. USA Biker's Dream Leather uses only the best material in the manufacture of these quality garments and other leather items. They start with top quality leather and materials and use durable buckles, snaps, and zippers, along with high quality production standards to produce these top fashion jackets, vests, pants, chaps, gear bags, and other popular goods. RideEasyLeather .com also carries top quality biker boots and other high quality products. We offer the following information for your convenience and in the hopes we can be of assistance in your search for quality, durable and prodective leather and other biker products.
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Know Your Leather:
There are many influencing factors that can affect the quality of leather and in what type of product it can be used. The environment, food supply and genetic makeup all contribute to the unique variations in texture and color of every hide. The natural beauty and uniqueness of a particular hide is made up of the combination of the various colors, indentations, wrinkles, and marks on the outside. In a premium quality hide or skin (not too many imperfections), the full natural grain is retained and dyed to enhance its beauty. Hides or skins with few imperfecions require less finishing steps by the craftsman. When the natural grain has too many imperfections,the natural grain would be sanded away and an imitation grain embossed (pressed) into the surface of the hide and then dyed accordingly. While grain is unigue to each individual hide, the grain is relatively tight across the backbone where as the belly and flank areas will be much looser and have more stretch.
Factors Determining Quality:
There are many different types of leather. The type of skin used, the tanning process of that particular skin, and the dying process used all work in conjunction with each other to define the quality of the leather.
Leather Weights:
The types of hides used in manufactoring leather are available in different weights and the thickness of leather is usually described in terms of weight. The heavier leather,the more overall protection and durability the user will get. However, comfort, dexterity and cost are usually the most important concerns when buying leather with durability and protection being secondary. The application of the product should be the determining factor for weight choices of leather. The thickness of the leather would not be as important as having the leather soft and supple When choosing high quality leather for fashion apparel such as a long duster style coat or a fashionable jacket to wear over a business suit or dress clothing the weight of the leather would not be as highly considered as it would be when choosing the weight of the leather used in a the construction of a leather garment where heavier leather is preferred for more protection.
Weights by application:
Motorcycle Vests Leather ranges between 3 oz. to 6 oz.
Motorcycle Chaps Leather ranges between 3 oz. to 6 oz.
Glove leather can range from 1.5 oz. to 6 oz.
Work Glove Leather usually ranges between 2.5 oz. to 6 oz.
Some types of hides and skins used for leather:
* Aligator Skin-is an exotic leather made from the belly skin of an alligator. This is top quality leather that is commonly used for shoes, gun cases, purses, wallets and belts.
* Buffalo hide-is used in fine small leather goods, men's dress shoes, women's shoes and western boots. Buffalo leather has a unique, natural grain character and is valued for its long-lasting durability.
* Cowhide-is the most commonly used leather in the leather manufacturing industry. This due not only because of its nice wearable properties, strength and durability but because of its affordability and availability. Since cowhide is a by-product of the beef industry in the United States and in Western Europe the hides are very plentiful. The average thickness of a cowhide is 5mm before it is split. As a catagory, cowhide covers a wide spectrum of textures and quality. It is quite durable, easy to care for and resistant to water and dirt. Cowhide leather maintains its integrity while taking on the shape of the wearer making it more comfortable with everyday use. Because it is a natural product, leather "breathes" freely allowing it to maintain a comfort level in all seasons.
* Deerskin-is the best leather because it can be wet and dried over and over and will always conform back to its original condition. It is probably the toughest leather in the world and can be used for almost any garment because of its soft supple properies. Deerskin's leather fibers make it abrasion resistant and give it high shear strength. Deerskin leather is very comfortable for any temperature; it becomes cooler in warm weather and warmer in cold weather. With deer farms breeding the animals specifically for the purpose of their skins, today's deerskin is no longer obtained from the wild as it once was. These farm deer skins are usually obtained from NEW Zealand and Australia and is prized for its use in Jackets and Overcoats as well as high quality personal accessories. Deerskin commands a high price due to its relative rarity as well as its proven durability.
* Elkskin-and moose skin are of the heaviest leathers available. The properties are much the same as deerskin except the hides are usually thicker and need to be shaved down or split to be used.
* Equine hides- includes hides from horses, donkeys and mules. These leathers have a lot of the characteristics of cowhide leather but are more durable. They are commonly used in rugs as well as for leather.
* Goatskin-is almost as nice as deerskin. Used for dress shoes, boots and smaller leather products.
* Lambskin-is a very soft and luxurious leather because of its natural light weight layers that give it a distinctive velvety touch. Lambskin is very wearable and with proper care will give you many years wear.
* Moose skin-and elk skin are of the heaviest leathers available. Their properties are much the same as deerskin except the hides are usually thicker and need to be shaved down or split to be used.
* Ostrich skin-is an exotic leather known by its unique pattern of quill sockets. Since ostrich leather is full of natural oils, it resists drying, cracking and stiffness. This leather is flexable, pliable, durable, tough and yet soft to the touch making it an ideal material for most manufacturers of leather goods.
* Pigskin-has a natural lightweight structure that produces delicate paterns, textures and soft naps. Pigskin is a very versatile leather that is easily transformed into many ot today's fashions.
* Shearing-refers to hides from lambs that are generally much softer to the touch and lighter in weight than the sheepskin cousin even though it is similar in appearance. Although they mat be lighter than sheepskin, coats made from sheering are just as warm.
* Sheepskin-refers to the hide of a sheep used with the wool still attached. The wool side can face into the garment or accessory to produce a wool lining. The wool can also be made to face outside giving the coat a fur like appearance. Whichever way the wool faces, sheepskin is the warmest leather available.
Types of Leather:
* Full-Grain Leather is made from the finest raw material, are clean natural hides which have not been sanded to remove imperfections. Only the hair has been removed. The grain remains in its natural state which allows the best fiber strength, resulting in greater durability. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in greater comfort for clothing. The natural FULL-GRAIN surface will wear better than other leather. Rather than wearing out, it will develope a natural "Patina" and grow more beautiful over time. Full grain leathers can be bought as two finish types: aniline and semi-analine.
* Corrected Grain Leather- also known as Top-Grain Leather, is fuzzy on one side and smooth on the other. The hides, which are made from inferior quality raw materials, have all the natural grain sanded off and an artificial grain applied. Top grain leather generally must be heavily painted to cover up the sanding and stamping operation. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.
* Naked Leather-is a leather that has little to no imperfections and little to no protective finish. Because of the lack of imperfections, the natural grain has not sanded away and an artificial grain was not embossed (pressed) into the surface. Having no coating or other finishes applied, naked leather retains its full "breathability", strength and and supple qualities.
* Patched Leather-skilled leather craftsman carefully select leather that matches in color and texture after the hides are tanned. The leather is cut by hand into the desired pieces and sewn into mosaic style patterns making the final product a unique one of a kind.
* Patent Leather-is treated with protective finishes such as waterproofing or acrylic paints producing an extremely shiny finish.
* Napa Leather-the word Napa has in recent years become another leather term meaning soft even though originally onlt sheepskin was referred to as Napa.
* Suede Leather-is finished by buffing the surface with an emery wheel to produce a napped surface. Suede is made from layers that have been split from the top grain portion of the hide.
Tanning Leather:
Tanning is the process used to convert the animal skin into a durable, long-lasting and versatile material known as leather which has various uses.
Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin (thereby the name "tanning" immerged) and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources.Vegetable tanned leather was historically used as armor due to its hardness and light weight and has is the only leather suitable for book binding. It is not stable in water and tends to discolor. If left to soak and then dry, it will shrink and become harder.
* Chrome-tanned leather-was invented in 1853 by using chromium sulfate and other salts of chromium. It does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable tanned leather and is more supple and pliable.
* Aldehyde-tanned leather is the leather most tanners refer to as wet-white leather due to its pale color. Formaldehyde tanning is another method of aldehyde tanning that has becoming historic due to its dangers to workers and the sensitivity of many people to formaldehyde.
* Oil-tanned or Brain-tanned-while oil tanned leathers fall into the catagory of Aldehyde-tanned leathers oil tanned (brain-tanned) leathers are made by a labor intensive process which uses emulsified oils often from those of animal brains. They are well known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed.
* Chamois leather-also falls into the catagory of aldehyde tanning and like brain tanned leather, it is also a highly water absorbant leather. Chamois leather is made using oils such as cod oil that oxidise easily to produce the aldehydes that tan the leather.
When choosing your full grain leather, consider the type of conditioning...............................................
Oil Tanned Leather is breathable, but the leather can wear down and become less durable over time without periodic conditioning. (All of our Jackets, Vests, Chaps showing in our catalog are oil tanned leathers)
Silicone tanned leather is more resistant to water, but is much stiffer and takes longer to break in. (Most boots and shoes are made of leather tanned using this method)
4 Basic Kinds of Waterproofing methods for leather
Oil Based: Oil based compounds soften leather making it more plyable and more rip proof.
Wax Based: Waxed based products are quite functional in waterproofing boots, provided the wax is re-applied regularly. Be sure to buff the boots after applying to get rid of excess that can attract dirt and grime. The main drawback is wax-based water proofers cut down on the breathability of the boot. Your feet don't get as much air when perspiring, and once boots are wet, they take longer to dry. (Not recommended for jackets, vests, chaps, etc.)
Silicone Based: Stitching and glue can break down under the high petroleum content of silicone products and the leather will also give off fumes while drying. Silicone products do not aid in conditioning the leather and can cause stiffining of the leather. Silicone is more breathable than wax based products.
Water Based: Flouropolymer: Has been rated the best by leading authorities on the subject. It can be used on leather that has been previously treated by a different method. It dries quickly, repels stains, does not condition the leather (recommend test treating an inconspicuous area first if concerned about staining).
Stitched seams become weak spots as materials degrade, inviting leaks. The simplest waterproof rule to follow when buying leather is to look for garments with the fewest seams.