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repurposing busted jackets

zoomer

Well-Known Member
Anyone ever make or have made a bag, computer case, etc. out of a damaged 2nd hand jacket with good leather?

I had an L.L. Bean goat jacket, sort of an Indy-G-1 hybrid that cost me about $40 and never fit right anyway. I cannibalized the fur collar and pile liner for another project and now just have the shell. Parts of it might make a damn nice wallet for my 12 x 8 1/2" MacBook, but it'd need a stiffening inner layer plus a little cushioning inside that.

There are how to's on the web but of course, they're all for ladies' handbags...and yes I know a Real Man does not attempt to DIY but buys top quality. This would be an awl & pounce wheel type of project, as I can't tension a sewing machine correctly to save my life.
 

Juanito

Well-Known Member
Given the quality and finish of leather today mainly due to all the environmental restrictions, I have always though about buying an oversize horsehide jacket or several of them (meaning the worthless, long, trench coat style form the 1030s-50s) and taking the leather to have an A-2 made by someone. While it may be blasphemy, and things have changed somewhat, but in early 1990s, I always said I wanted and Eastman A-2 made of the horsehide the Lost Worlds jackets are made from.

I actually got something nearly identical to this in a old Good Wear Knopf made of a very heavy pigment finished horsehide. Probably should never sold that jacket, but that's the way it goes.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
I really can't believe I'm helping someone to make a man-bag but............

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mens-90s...210723?hash=item3d6bd649a3:g:qTMAAOSwh8NbLWx0

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mens-Vin...236579?hash=item3d6bd6aea3:g:IDYAAOSwn1FbLXNy

For instant gratification, this one has decent size panels, it is Buy It Now, leather works out at about 35p per Square Foot, great for practice

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLACK-RE...153743?hash=item3ae9d5004f:g:4ckAAOSwq~tZXhqv

These took me 2 mins to find..............go search yourselves.
On the other hand the best way is to get to know your local dump, I saw two leather (DFS) sofas in our local recycling centre a few weeks ago, the cushions alone will probably be enough.

Great idea though, we recently put a new lining cut out of a customers own reclaimed period shirt into his Indian Bike Jacket of the same era.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5aVmGjrC4/?taken-by=aeroleatherclothing
Restoration pics on Fedora Lounge
We used vintage Beaver Lamb coats to cut our fur collars for years back in the day, I know JC did the same, may still be doing so?
 
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Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
, I have always though about buying an oversize horsehide jacket or several of them (meaning the worthless, long, trench coat style form the 1030s-50s) and taking the leather to have an A-2 made by someone.

I doubt if you'd ever find one from which you'd be able to cut a back panel
 

zoomer

Well-Known Member
I really can't believe I'm helping someone to make a man-bag
Laptop slipcase, my good suh. A strictly utilitarian item.

Of course a Real Man has pockets (sometimes pockets-within-pockets) for his dainty needfuls. I'm not vain enough about my badonkadonk, nor do I insist my raiment hug it so tightly, as to fret whether its lines are being spoiled by an iPhone or insulin pen.

Just an inquiry about the feasibility of giving a 2nd go round to some rather nice hircine epidermal. Perhaps it's better for it to go into new side panels and collar to make a tight jacket bigger.
 
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Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
recycling old usable hides is a smart, inexpensive way to have your whatever made. ive gone into homes, offices, waiting rooms, etc that had old leather couches, and or chairs, and have been caught staring at them......."watcha lookn at?"....oh, nothing.
 

zoomer

Well-Known Member
ah. but between handbags (manbags) and chairs there is no man's land.

Ken, have you ever sized up an Aero AN-6552? Mine's a skinny 46. It'd need a bigger collar (more fur) too. It's got that reddish undercolor tho - might be hard to match with my scrap goat.
36002855_2032107213467021_318678180997103616_o.jpg
 
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Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
It's been drawn to my attention that Aero sells boxes of first grade off cut leather to the bag/wallet/shoe trade at £75 a box, (Less than £1 a foot for leather that we've paid £6 / £7.50 a foot for)
Average size off cuts are about 1ft² to 2ft² plus some smaller but useable bits, Boxes are approx 12 to 15 kilos, Each box contains only one colour/type of leather, no dolly mixtures!
The greater majority are FQHH Antique and Chrome, Black, Brown, Cordovan plus some battered steerhide
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
I've come close to pulling the trigger on one of these (for a 'best offer' price)... I think one would be great to slip into an A-2, or other single-entry front patch pockets. Great use for nice leather pieces IMO:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Horsehide-A-2-USAF-Jacket-Talon-Crown-Conmar-Vintage-Zipper-Cowhide-WWII-Purse/253693784123?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

That's 10 minutes work. You could get over a hundred of these out of one of our boxes, we could even supply you with some deadstock zippers if you want to set up your own "nice little earner", you could even get another few dozen zipper ties out of the scrap from the scrap!!!
 

zoomer

Well-Known Member
a thought: being so rooted in the 30s and 40s, as I am, one forgets easily that the products, styles, everything, evoking that era depended on skilled labor being cheap to materials. A situation we will never see again, especially if those skills are at all niche.
 

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
Here are some of the bags I made. I don't know how to use a sewing machine either. I cut the fabric & ask the seam master to sew it for me. Then I add the leather accessories.
But I can hand-sewn, The brown
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mailbag is all hand sewn by me.
The Birkin is also 100% hand-sewn by me.
 

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Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
Here are some of the bags I made. I don't know how to use a sewing machine either. I cut the fabric & ask the seam master to sew it for me. Then I add the leather accessories.
But I can hand-sewn, The brownView attachment 7793 View attachment 7794 View attachment 7794 View attachment 7795 View attachment 7796 View attachment 7797 mailbag is all hand sewn by me.
The Birkin is also 100% hand-sewn by me.

Tommy you got skills!

Especially the mailbag looks absolutely awesome ...

Congrats!
 
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