Answer: Because most companies use
CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER
or Patchwork Pieced Together Leather!
What's the Difference?
Isn't Leather all the same?
PART 1 - SPLIT LEATHER
The obvious answer to this question is no:
The quality and type of the leather determines the price.
To really understand the difference between the quality and types of leather, you have to know what the different types and qualities that are available, the main manufacturing purpose for that type of leather, and the cost for those products. The main types of leather used in manufacturing of Motorcycle Chaps are Split leather, Premium leather, Naked leather, and Patchwork leather. We will discuss each different type of leather in a different article: Part 1 - Split Cowhide, Part 2 - Premium Leather, Part 3 - Naked Leather, Part 4 - Patchwork Leather.
SPLIT LEATHER is made when the whole leather hide is split into thinner sheets of leather. These sheets of SPLIT LEATHER can be cut to different thicknesses: From up to a thickness of .9 mil to 1.4 mil or even a little thicker. Splitting the leather is where suede leather comes from. The cutting process leaves the suede with a rough, but soft finish on the top side of the hide sheets. CHEAP LEATHER CHAPS are basically made with suede leather that has been sanded, smoothed, and had an artificial finish applied to them to make the SPLIT LEATHER.
This process of adding the artificial finish causes a problem for the people wanting to wear CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS. The glue and other chemicals used to adhere the finish to the outside of CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER cause the leather to lose the soft quality. This stiff quality present in the CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS will cause the stiff SPLIT LEATHER to bunch up behind the back of the knee. This bunching of the SPLIT LEATHER then causes scratching and chafing in the back of the knee area as well as the front in some cases. The scratching and chafing can cause serious discomfort during and after your ride.
CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS WILL NEVER GET SOFT WITHOUT TURNING BACK INTO REGULAR SUEDE LEATHER. By this I mean, the smooth surface must come apart and causes the outside of the CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS to take on a rough feeling, similar to sand paper. Of course at that point, air and water can get through the CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS also, and really make them ineffective for warmth, rain protection, and safety. You are basically wearing a rough feeling chamois, that will soak up all the water put to them. Of course, the air goes right through them too. So they are ineffective.
It seems that people forget about the safety aspect of chaps. Most people by chaps to ride in colder weather, but they were originally designed as a safety item. SPLIT LEATHER causes problems in this area also. SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS are not as strong or durable as PREMIUM LEATHER OR NAKED LEATHER CHAPS. I have personally ripped the leather leg of a new pair of these CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS with my bare hands. maybe you were at that bike show in Oklahoma City in April of 2005. A guy bought a pair of CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS from one of the other vendors. He and his buddy were in my booth later and this guys buddy asked us to custom fit him for a pair of chaps. The guy told his buddy to go to the other booth where the CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER CHAPS were $20 cheaper then ours and, the guy said, "they're the same thing, only cheaper". I interrupted him at that point and told him that there were not the same thing. He told me to prove it and handed me the chaps he just purchased. I unzipped one of the chap legs and tore off the leg of the chaps about 3 inches below the belt. He was furious at me. I turned, gave him a PREMIUM LEATHER pair of our chaps the same size and proceeded to fit his friend. Needless to say, we sold close to 100 pair of chaps in the 6 hours of that show. That should explain to you how easily the CHEAP SPLIT COWHIDE CHAPS can be destroyed. Once SPLIT LEATHER is sewn, the leather is perforated, just like a piece of paper with the "TEAR HERE" perforated line on it. And, the thickness of the leather doesn't really matter either. You can rip the thicker split leather too just not quite as easily. The strength of the leather is not in the thickness of the leather per se, it is in the tough top layer or outside grain of the hide. This is NEVER used in split leather. As a matter of fact, it cannot be used by definition of SPLIT LEATHER. The top grain is what holds the whole thing together and makes it strong.
Now, don't get me wrong, SPLIT LEATHER is not a bad leather. We have used SPLIT LEATHER to manufacture vests in the past. Fashion shirts and jackets do very well when made out of SPLIT LEATHER too. But in my opinion, SPLIT LEATHER is just not the most appropriate leather for motorcycle chaps.
For these and other reasons, we do not and will not sell CHEAP SPLIT LEATHER MOTORCYCLE CHAPS. Lots of other companies are willing to sell them. I am sure that you can find someone to sell them to you for $49.99 or even less. But, If you are willing to spend just $10-$20 more, you can get a real pair of premium top grain cowhide chaps from us.
RealBikers.com is family owned and operated by Wholesale Direct, The Ozark Leather Shop, located at 1503 S 3rd Street, Ozark, Missouri 65721. So call us toll free Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm Central Time at 877-735-1377 with any questions and we can get started on your Custom Patches today. |
