Cycle Leather

You may have noticed an increasing number of cycle leather outlets offering leather motorcycle jackets , chaps, and various accessories made from “buffalo leather”. But, what is it really? Where does it come from? Is it a good choice for my cycle leather needs?

Well first of all, most times it is “water-buffalo” leather, not american bison. It comes from India, Pakistan, China, and southern Asia. It is used almost exclusively in the manufacture of motorcycle leather and is superbly suited to that purpose. One of the heavier leathers, it is thinner than cowhide, so it breathes better, but tougher and more abrasive resistant, which actually makes it a better choice for motorcycle leather than the much higher priced bison leather.

Most often it is dyed black (by Aniline process to retain it’s softness and flexibility) as this is the most popular color for cycle leather. However, an increasing number of outlets are now offering buffalo leather as a line of brown motorcycle leather in its more-natural chocolate brown coloration. This is an attractive option for those who want something a little different without compromising protection. Hope this helps to clear up some of the confusion.

From the very beginning of the motorcycle age, people have wanted a way to protect themselves from the elements (and the road, should misfortune strike). For many good reasons, the logical choice has been leather. Not only because of it’s durability and toughness but also because of it’s good looks. Hollywood has also done it’s part to make the motorcycle jacket a fashionable part of our wardrobe, who can forget Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider” or Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator”. But beyond the obvious cosmetic aesthetics of leather, a good quality leather motorcycle jacket along with chaps and some gloves can quite literally save your skin in the event of a mishap. But how do you know what to buy? What does all of the terminology mean? Let’s explore that…Most motorcycle jackets on the market today are made from cowhide in varying weights. The next most popular is water-buffalo hide, usually billed as just “buffalo” or “buffalo hide”.

India and Pakistan are a common source of quality motorcycle leather today, as the Pakistani people are world-renown for producing high quality leather products of all kinds. Quality leather apparel begins with quality leather, and quality leather begins with the tanning process, so lets explore that first.All leather starts out as the skin of an animal. This skin must be processed in some way to halt the natural processes of decomposition and rot, while preserving the strength, durability and beauty of the hide itself. This process is called tanning. Tanning takes it’s name from “tannin”, a natural chemical resin found in tree bark, leaves, and other vegetable matter that composed the principal part of the one of the original leather tanning methods known as “vegetable tanning”. Modified versions of vegetable tanning are still used to this day. Other popular tanning methods use chrome and/or chromium salts, alum, animal oils, and synthetic resins. Depending on the type of leather being produced, this process normally starts with the removal of the fleshy, fatty layer on the back of the hide, followed by removal of the hair, pickling of the raw hides in the various chemicals and resins previously mentioned, stretching, dying, splitting, dyeing, and finally applying various finishing methods, if applicable.The second, but probably most important, characteristic determining the strength and durability of leather is “grain”. Common terms related to leather grain are: Full-grain, Top-grain, Finished-split, Naked Leather, and Analine.

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