Leather from Black Smoke Apparel.
We often get asked, why do your products cost more than others? It is very simple! You get what you pay for.
"The Bitterness Of POOR QUALITY Is Remembered Long After The Sweetness of Low Price is Forgotten"
We choose to make all of our products with the best available leather and hardware we can find. Unlike conventional "vegetable tanned" leather we use oil tanned hides.
What is the difference between "vegetable tanned" leather and the leather we use?
There are two major questions you must ask about the leather products you are buying:
How they are intended to be used?
How do they react to water?
There are two major differences:
1) Oil tanned hides are intended for rough outdoor use like horse saddles, pulling harnesses, work boots and now firefighter products, while "vegetable tanned" leathers are intended to be more of an indoor type leather.
Can vegetable tanned leather be used to make firefighter products? Yes. Why do we choose not too? It's simple, because we build our products to be used to fight fire! They are going to be exposed to heat and water.
2) Under steam and water vegetable tanned leather has the tendency to dry and hardened unless properly oiled; while oil tanned leathers will have a natural ability to withstand water longer because they are intended to be used in similar conditions.
Longevity, esthetics, quality and performance are key elements that are important in our products. Why do our products cost more than the others?
We spend the extra dollar for quality hides, so your gear will work as hard and last as long as you do.