Horween and Black Bear Brand: The Finest Leather in the World, Made in the USA

You can't build the best leather jacket in the world without the best leather in the world. For us, that means one name: Horween.

The Horween Tannery, since 1905

Founded in 1905 by Isidore Horween, the Horween Leather Company in Chicago is one of the most legendary tanneries on earth — a family business that has spent more than a century perfecting traditional tanning the slow, honest way. When people talk about the finest leather made in America, they're talking about Horween.

Josh and Nick Horween, hide by hide

This isn't a logo deal. Josh is at the tannery, inspecting Horween horsehide alongside Nick Horween, handpicking the exact hides that become Black Bear Brand jackets. Together they've fine-tuned custom leathers — a particular tea-dyed horsehide, a natural-back black, a ghost-white that took over a year to develop. The leather is the soul of the jacket, and we treat it that way.

Horween horsehide, built into a Black Bear Brand jacket

Once the hides are chosen, they're hand-dyed and crafted in the USA into jackets meant to last a lifetime. Horsehide is tougher and ages more beautifully than almost any leather on earth — it burnishes, it patinas, it becomes yours. That's the magic of Horween in a Black Bear Brand jacket: the best leather in the world, built for a life well lived.

FAQ

What is Horween leather? Horween is a legendary Chicago tannery, family-run since 1905, known for some of the finest leather in the world — including the horsehide we use.

Does Black Bear Brand really work directly with Horween? Yes — Josh handpicks and inspects the hides at the Horween Tannery with Nick Horween, and has developed custom leathers with them.

See what Horween horsehide becomes. Shop Black Bear Brand jackets

Keep on keepin on. — Josh