How to condition/protect a new lamb leather jacket?

[Moostyle]

Hi guys I just bought a new lambskin nappa leather jacket for dry but cool that I really liked when I tried it on, it fit well and had a little space underneath for a layer. https://bullandberry.de/herren/50/bull-berry-herren-motorradjacke-adam-mit-hemdkragen?c=15

However I am a little worried by lots of articles on the interwebs that I found while Googling for "lambskin leather protectors" saying how 'fragile' lambskin leather is and how it needs protecting before your first wear and then conditioning regularly afterwards. I do not 'intend' to get it wet but I dont want something that gets ruined with some splashes of water either.

I did some googling for leather conditioners but am not finding much guidance in the way of what is best for lambskin nappa leather jackets and would appreciate a bit of advice please.

1) What should I buy/do to best protect this lamb nappa leather jacket before I start to wear it?
2) Are lamb nappa jackets really a nightmare to maintain or am I being overly worrisome?

Thanks.

 

[zippyh]

Do you like it the lamb?
(sorry, bad joke.)

 

[johng70]

Years ago I had a lambskin leather jacket. Looked and felt great.... for a few months. It scratched way to easily - it had scratches from the seat belt and the mechanism the belt buckled into. That was just an example - the scratches really made it look bad. As opposed to a horsehide jacket I've been wearing for the last 4 years or so that looks great - it patinas and shows mark but doesn't scar like the lambskin did. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Moostyle]

Years ago I had a lambskin leather jacket. Looked and felt great.... for a few months. It scratched way to easily - it had scratches from the seat belt and the mechanism the belt buckled into. That was just an example - the scratches really made it look bad. As opposed to a horsehide jacket I've been wearing for the last 4 years or so that looks great - it patinas and shows mark but doesn't scar like the lambskin did. I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, your story doesn't surprise me and I am not optimistic about 'long-term' durability, but screw it I did love it when I tried it on and I have learned to trust my instincts and just enjoy something that I feel good in for as long as it lasts. Plus at 200 EUR it was not prohibitively expensive. I will wear it into the ground and strat planning my next leather jacket.

So which was the horsehide one you bought?

 

[johng70]

An Aero highwayman (although they have about 30 styles). Front Quarter Horse Hide with a chromexcel tanning. But, it's a heavy jacket. They have other leathers that are less heavy but the FQHH was what I wanted - it's obviously a different look than a jacket made out of lambskin but I prefer my outerwear to be durable (wool & tweed overcoats, etc). I don't want to have to baby my outerwear. But, the price point on Aero is about 4-5x what you paid. One other thing that's nice is since most jackets from Aero are made to order anyway, there's no upcharge for changing a lot of measurements (longer, shorter back or longer/shorter sleeves) etc. Similarly, I tend to wear deerskin leather gloves - the ones from Dents Heritage still look fantastic but the leather is sturdier than hair sheep or calf.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, your story doesn't surprise me and I am not optimistic about 'long-term' durability, but screw it I did love it when I tried it on and I have learned to trust my instincts and just enjoy something that I feel good in for as long as it lasts. Plus at 200 EUR it was not prohibitively expensive. I will wear it into the ground and strat planning my next leather jacket.

So which was the horsehide one you bought?

it’s very tempting to think you have to condition it with something right away.

Don’t. It will be fine. Wear it and enjoy it and don’t stress.

 

[maxalex]

You shouldn’t need to do any treatments to that jacket which, as you have correctly noted, is not going to last very long anyway. This is in part due to the fact that it’s lamb skin, which is by definition not durable. It’s a buttery-soft fashion leather, often used for ladies wear and handbags. They are calling this a motorcycle jacket, presumably referring to its vaguely cafe racer style, but it would offer scant protection in a spill.

The other warning sign is the price, which suggests cheap materials and labor—almost certainly factory made in Asia of inferior leather. The copy doesn’t seem to list provenance although my German is rusty and my half-German gf is currently away in Berlin.

Speaking of Berlin, the jacket is cheap enough to just about buy dinner in Kreutzberg (take the Metro, not a moto). If you like it, enjoy it while it lasts and don’t worry about fancy conditioners and such.

 

[Moostyle]

it’s very tempting to think you have to condition it with something right away.

Don’t. It will be fine. Wear it and enjoy it and don’t stress.

Thanks man. In the end I just gave it a spray with some waterproof protector designed for all leather products from Aquaguard.

You shouldn’t need to do any treatments to that jacket which, as you have correctly noted, is not going to last very long anyway. This is in part due to the fact that it’s lamb skin, which is by definition not durable. It’s a buttery-soft fashion leather, often used for ladies wear and handbags. They are calling this a motorcycle jacket, presumably referring to its vaguely cafe racer style, but it would offer scant protection in a spill.

The other warning sign is the price, which suggests cheap materials and labor—almost certainly factory made in Asia of inferior leather. The copy doesn’t seem to list provenance although my German is rusty and my half-German gf is currently in away Berlin.

Speaking of Berlin, the jacket is cheap enough to just about buy dinner in Kreutzberg (take the Metro, not a moto). If you like it, enjoy it while it lasts and don’t worry about fancy conditioners and such.

Heh the jacket is make in Pakistan and yeah, for 220 EUR I am not expecting any kind of miracles, although clearly I didn't realise lamb was so so delicate. The style is objectively nice though when worn, confirmed by a couple of girlfriends of mine who are generally very quick to give constructive criticism when I ask them. I agree with you that I will just chalk this down to experience and enjoy wearing it in dry and cool weather until it no longer looks serviceable.

For warmer weather I will buy a thin and slim fitting leather jacket that slides over a tshirt or shirt.

 

[Moostyle]

Actually in the last couple of hours I had a change of heart and I returned the jacket and am going to invest in something that will last the years. I feel a bit bad as I returned it after spraying it with protector, but it still looked and smelt new so I guess the next person who buys it will get a free bonus. Thanks to everyone who took the time to give a little advice and I will now do some research then make a new thread if I need any jacket recommendations.