Beware of brightly coloured dyes on leather jackets/suits

[mroberto]

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I was watching an interesting video tour of the AlpineStars factory where MotoGP racer suits are made. The video was specifically showing Marc Marquez's suit.

I found the bit at 6:16 particularly interesting. They show the results of an abrasion test between different thicknesses and colours of bovine (cow) leather. The thickest leather in the test, at 1.6 mm, was dyed a bright green and it failed more than any other sample. The guy in the video briefly explained that it had to do with the way the dye attacks the leather and weakens it.

AlpineStars has developed different techniques for colouring leather but perhaps some other vendors haven't. I'm not advocating AlpineStars, I don't even know if these refined techniques are used in the commercial leathers we can buy, but it's something to consider the next time you're buying anything leather. If it's brightly coloured, the leather could be weak and fail prematurely.

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQr-uNG0KoY&feature=youtu.be&t=6m16s

 

[sticker]

Hmmmm....interesting. So if you wear all black leathers your not as visible but more protected but if you wear neon colored leather yourmore visible but gonna get some awful road rash in a slide?? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Paul1000RR]

Hmmmm....interesting. So if you wear all black leathers your not as visible but more protected but if you wear neon colored leather yourmore visible but gonna get some awful road rash in a slide?? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

problem solved

 

[MarcosSantiago]

That is pretty much a known fact. That was the reason RS Taichi developed silk-screen printed designs on the leather. For one, you don't have to dye the leather (unless the print design cannot do it, as it can't do every single color)... then, you don't have to stitch the leather as much because the colors are printed, and also there is less weight. www.rs-taichi.com

Also, some of their suits are available only in black... that's all there is.

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