creaky jackets, old and new

[Silver Surfer]

new kid on the block "silver surfer", but you guys can call me victor. perhaps this has been addressed before, but heres the deal: anyone have a method for getting that squeaky-creaky noise out of leather jacs, both old and new? its not so much of an issue with goat, all of which have a slight creak, naw, what i'm talking about is hh. mind you, i have tried all types of gunk, oils, etc, but no dice. pecards only seems to excaberate the problem, in fact its easy to tell a pecards job on an oldie,,,,it creaks. the japanese repros are he most prone to this. do they take all of the fats out off the hides when tanning? man, theres nothing worse then hearing a jacket before you see it. anon.

 

[deeb7]

Hello Victor ..... and why would you want to get rid of it. :?:

I was disappointed when neither of my A-2's creaked, and delighted that the A-1 did.

• It's like the ticking of my mechanical watch.
  The swoosh/swoosh of my corduroy trousers.
  The slightly agricultural idle of my diesel van.

All good, reassuring, comforting sounds, reminding me that I'm alive.

 

[T-Bolt]

Hello Victor ..... and why would you want to get rid of it. :?:

I was disappointed when neither of my A-2's creaked, and delighted that the A-1 did.

• It's like the ticking of my mechanical watch.
  The swoosh/swoosh of my corduroy trousers.
  The slightly agricultural idle of my diesel van.

All good, reassuring, comforting sounds, reminding me that I'm alive.

Great post, David! Well said.


Ted

 

[Silver Surfer]

dont know that i need my possesions to remind me that i am alive. ive got that pretty well wired. anyhow, david nice pic of the a-1.elc, jc gw, few? i had one of the early elc a-1s, and it was something of a disaster. i belive the hides were cow and sizing was way off. ive seen an example of the new elc a-1, and it looked sharp. i have yet to see one of johns. back to creaky jacs. got this rmnz, dubow in a kinda seal over reddish-russet, and man the jacket likes to creak and squeak. sounds like a new klingon cadet. i realize all jacs have their signatue sound, but this one is something else.

 

[deeb7]

... nice pic of the a-1.elc, jc gw, few?

Thanks Victor ... it's by The Few.

... ive seen an example of the new elc a-1, and it looked sharp. i have yet to see one of johns.

Check out this thread, if you haven't already found it, plenty of Good Wear A-1 pictures.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1419&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

back to creaky jacs. got this rmnz, dubow in a kinda seal over reddish-russet, and man the jacket likes to creak and squeak. sounds like a new klingon cadet. i realize all jacs have their signatue sound, but this one is something else.

Sorry we haven't been much help with the creaking. I think a lot of members read by category, and skip the How to Info.

It sounds like you, and I, got the wrong jackets, my Dubow's are both RMNZ, and not a peep ... quiet as mouses.

 

[442RCT]

I saw this post after I posted asking for advice on how to soften a leather jacket, I'm with you in regards to not liking the creaking sounds. I have several jackets I'd like to de-creak, like you I've tried things like Lexol and lately Obenauf's Leather oil. I tried the Obenauf's on a cheap jacket (maybe that was the problem to begin with) to soften it and lessen the creaking. It did soften the leather a little bit, but the creaks and squeaks are still there.

I Googled for advice on how to soften a leather jacket to see if there was a recommended product for this task. The prevailing advice was to wear the jacket and wear it often. One guy said to never hang it on a hanger, throw the jacket in a corner when not wearing it. I guess this advice has merit because my two favorite jackets are a very well worn G-1 from the late 70's and my first A-2 repro which was a brand new, "distressed" leather jacket (what most here would call a mall A-2). The G-1 basically conformed itself to my body...it was 'beater' jacket I wore all the time, I didn't bother to take it off when I was doing potentially messy things which might stain it, i.e.-working under the hood (bonnet) of my truck, etc.. I had a pin-up girl wearing white lace bra and panties painted on my A-2 so it became sort'a politically incorrect to wear around any more, although I still do on occasion, but not as much as I used to.

 

[John Lever]

My Buzz Ricksons A-1 is a very loud creaker. Once I was in a shop looking at buttons for another jacket, and as I reached up to the shelf from time to time the jacket would let out these creaks that were so loud that someone over at the other side of the shop 5 metres or 20 feet away said ' what's that creaking noise ?'
I don't think it is possible to get rid of the creaks without completely removing the surface layer of the leather. I'm sure it's an issue connected to a wax coating of some kind.

 

[442RCT]

I'm not sure that the creaking, squeeking noise is caused by the wax or whatever on the jacket. The one I've been experimenting with didn't have any kind of finish on it. I've Obenauf oiled it 4 times and tumbled it in a cold dryer with a bunch of softballs to pummel it into submission. The only thing that happened was the dryer whirled softballs out the door, stopping the dryer, after the third strike, I gave up...I didn't know dryers spun that fast. The jacket came out unfazed and still defiantly creaks it's challenge at me, "Is, creak, that, creak, all, squeek you, creak, got, creak"

 

[Silver Surfer]

i am convinced that the creaky ones are made of hides that were depleated of their natural fats when taned. like others, i have experimented with several products, and techniques. no dice. i reckon that if you are a 20 something guy, you might be able to wear the creaking out,,,,,say in about 30-40 years. i aint got that kinda time, so my answer is to sell the creakers. as noted earlier when i started this thing, some guys like the creaking. in fact, one member said it reminded him that he is alive, or something to that effect. this vintage-new jacket thing has some aspects that are attractive to our senses, [above and beyond historical interest] tactile appreciation, "the look", even smell, etc. if a jacket doesent satisfy the senses, its just another closet queen taken out for the occasional peekaboo.

 

[mazeta]

i am convinced that the creaky ones are made of hides that were depleated of their natural fats when taned. like others, i have experimented with several products, and techniques. no dice. i reckon that if you are a 20 something guy, you might be able to wear the creaking out,,,,,say in about 30-40 years. i aint got that kinda time, so my answer is to sell the creakers. as noted earlier when i started this thing, some guys like the creaking. in fact, one member said it reminded him that he is alive, or something to that effect. this vintage-new jacket thing has some aspects that are attractive to our senses, [above and beyond historical interest] tactile appreciation, "the look", even smell, etc. if a jacket doesent satisfy the senses, its just another closet queen taken out for the occasional peekaboo.

Hi Victor. I'm one of those who likes the jackets to creak, but within reason. My most recent 'creaky' jacket was a Lost Worlds Ryder in goatskin, which I wore almost daily for several months. Enough of the 'creaking' went away to the point that it stopped being annoying, but there was enough left to make me feel good. Lost Worlds horsehide, forget it...I had another Ryder in horsehide that I wore hard every winter for at least three seasons, and the damn thing shrieked like a marmot in heat (even though the jacket grained and showed wear very nicely).

 

[jacketimp]

Hello Victor ..... and why would you want to get rid of it. :?:

I was disappointed when neither of my A-2's creaked, and delighted that the A-1 did.

• It's like the ticking of my mechanical watch.
  The swoosh/swoosh of my corduroy trousers.
  The slightly agricultural idle of my diesel van.

i find the beating of my heart reassuring..........tik tik tik.......that i'm alive

All good, reassuring, comforting sounds, reminding me that I'm alive.