How long does a leather jacket last?

The honest answer

A full-grain cowhide jacket, worn regularly and conditioned twice a year, lasts twenty to thirty years and often outlives its owner's interest in it. A sheepskin nappa jacket, which is thinner and softer, lasts ten to fifteen with the same care, longer if it is a second jacket rather than a daily one. A corrected-grain or bonded "leather" jacket lasts two to five years before the surface cracks or peels, whatever is done for it. The leather itself is rarely what ends a good jacket; the lining, the zip and the fit are.

What wears out first

1. The lining. Cuffs and hem first, then the pocket bags. Replaceable, and worth replacing on good leather.
2. The zip. Sliders wear before teeth. Both are replaceable.
3. Edges. Collar fold, cuff edges, pocket mouths lose colour and polish. Conditioner and colour balm slow it; many people like it.
4. Snaps. They loosen over thousands of closures. Replaceable in minutes.
5. The leather. Last. On full-grain it softens, creases and darkens; it does not fail unless it is starved of oil or torn.

The repair guide covers each of these.

Five things that decide it

Grade. Full-grain and top-grain leather have the dense outer layer that resists wear; corrected grain, split and bonded do not, and no care changes that. The grades guide explains how to tell.

Tanning and finish. Semi-aniline leather with a thin protective layer sheds water and resists stains while still breathing. Heavily pigmented leather resists more and breathes less; bare aniline breathes most and marks fastest.

Construction. Thread, seam allowance and reinforcement where the stress goes: the armhole, the zip, the pocket corners. A jacket whose seams are lock-stitched with a bonded nylon thread will outlast one sewn with cotton.

Fit. A jacket worn too tight stresses the back seam and the armholes every time you move; one too loose rubs at the collar and cuffs. Right fit is a durability feature. The fit guide explains it.

Care. Not much, but regularly: wipe, dry away from heat, condition twice a year, a wide hanger, no plastic bags. A jacket that gets this doubles its life compared with one that does not. The care guide is the routine.

Sheepskin or cowhide

Sheepskin nappa is soft, light and comfortable from the first day, and it stays that way; its tradeoff is a thinner hide that scuffs and stretches more easily. Cowhide is heavier and stiffer, takes months to break in, and then holds its shape for decades. If you want a jacket that is comfortable now, sheepskin. If you want the one that is handed down, cowhide. Both are full-grain, and both are offered in the builder; the sheepskin or cowhide guide compares them properly.

What shortens a life

• Radiators, car heaters, direct sun: leather dries, then cracks.
• Plastic garment bags: trapped moisture, then mould.
• Wire hangers: a shoulder that never recovers.
• Household oils and silicone sprays: short-term shine, long-term rot.
• Machine washing. Once is enough.

Signs it is time

The surface is cracking and the cracks show a different colour underneath. The leather has gone hard and two rounds of conditioning have not softened it. The fit was never right and you have stopped wearing it. Everything else, a worn lining, a tired zip, a tear, a dull patch, is a repair, and on full-grain leather the repair is cheaper than anything you could replace it with.

Questions

Does leather crack with age? Dry leather cracks at any age. Conditioned leather creases, which is different and not a fault.

Is a more expensive jacket more durable? Only if the price buys a better grade, finish and construction. Ours are priced on the leather and the making, not the label: the our leather page says what goes into them.

How often should I condition it? Twice a year for a jacket worn weekly; once if it is a sometimes jacket; after any soaking.