newest addition to my collection...I have questions...

[Griffon_301]

Cheers guys!

today, the newest addition to my collection has arrived:

LW Foster first 7823 contract in size 44...

given the jacket is more than 70 years old, she looks in quite good shape.
fit is good and the leather feels soft and still wearable, but there is a rather nasty problem on one of the shoulders...

there is a rather nasty and long tear at the shoulder seam and a shorter one nearby.

what would you knowledgeable guys do?
bah leave it as it, as the jacket is vintage and this adds to the character?
or try and have it fixed?

my fear is that this tears are entry points for water and moisture and could lead to further more grave problems.

I do have a guy at hand who should be capable of fixing this but I have no idea how a reasonable fix could look like so what could I propose to him?

any advice is highly welcome...

 

[blackrat2]

Might be worth sending John a message via here or his site, he will probably have a suggestion of how maybe to put a leather patch underneath the damage to repair it..I say John, there are a couple others on here that do outstanding repairs so hopefully they might chime in

 

[Saint-ex]

@Griffon_301, I don't think it will increase the sensibility to moisture, just it could increase the damage to do not fix it.

 

[Griffon_301]

thanks a lot guys
as the seller told me, the jacket comes from JC originally and was part of a deal between the seller and John so I might really shoot a message to him as well.
sending the jacket to the states is not a real option though as I am located in Austria.
I will also check with my seamstress and a new guy I found who also does leather repairs and has a good record of it as it seems what they suggest.

any more suggestions and ideas, please forward them

 

[Saint-ex]

Even I'm convinced John make the finest repro, I think you can find competent artisans in Europe and in Austria to do this job.

 

[Griffon_301]

That's for sure
the lady who did the knit replacement on my Star did a great job, but she has a backlog currently and is also quite expensive...
but I'll see what is possible

 

[Mr. Mike]

@Griffton_301: Did you check Byson Leather already? It may be worthwhile to drop them a mail at least with the photos you shared, and get their perspective. They are more closely 'around the corner' - although BREXIT did not make anything easier ...

 

[Silver Surfer]

fix it asap, as it will only get worse. have the liner at the shoulder unstitched, and have a thin piece of cape skin that has the edges sanded to not make a noticeable "edge", glued in underneath to cover the whole top shoulder line, with 1/2" on each side of the split. this will stabilize the area. if the separation areas are drawn in tight you will hardly see the split. the split was likely caused by leaving the jacket on a hanger for a long time [se hanger threads elsewhere]. you may want to use a filler on the outside surface. or just color color match it.

 

[Griffon_301]

ah that sounds like a good idea!
as said, I need to talk to the two people whom I think might be able to fix it and then see what they say and how much the whole thingie will cost.

John has contacted me as well meanwhile and his expert opinion does not sound too promising, but I am still inclined towards having the jacket fixed as good as possible...
I'll keep you updated...

 

[Griffon_301]

and a fit pic....
after further checks I found some more damages.
let's see what my repair guy says and thinks...
if it's uneconomic to repair, as hinted at by John, I will return the jacket to the seller...

 

[Silver Surfer]

If there is evidence of dry rot, and rotted stitching, send it back asap. Ultimately, there is no fix for dry rot, and with time, the dry rot will spread.

 

[Ritchy]

Very nice jacket, congrats !

 

[B-Man2]

I agree with Vic ., repair it before it gets worse BUT … from your photos it looks like there may be some dry rot in that section. If that’s the case then send it back .

 

[Griffon_301]

hello guys!

thanks so much to all of your valuable inputs!
I am on it trying to return the jacket. the seller agreed to take it back, provided it would not fit me.
now when I claimed that the damage was far worse than he claimed in his ad, he said he only agreed to a take back for fitting reasons, not for quality issues.
seems like I could be stuck with that jacket, in which case I would have it somewhat repaired.
I already consulted my repair guy and he said that all in, the costs would be in the region of 200+ EUR.
as it seems, that could be my first waterloo in jacket collecting, but I guess all of you guys have been at that point some time already (sarcasm mode off)

 

[B-Man2]

hello guys!

thanks so much to all of your valuable inputs!
I am on it trying to return the jacket. the seller agreed to take it back, provided it would not fit me.
now when I claimed that the damage was far worse than he claimed in his ad, he said he only agreed to a take back for fitting reasons, not for quality issues.
seems like I could be stuck with that jacket, in which case I would have it somewhat repaired.
I already consulted my repair guy and he said that all in, the costs would be in the region of 200+ EUR.
as it seems, that could be my first waterloo in jacket collecting, but I guess all of you guys have been at that point some time already (sarcasm mode off)

How did you pay the seller ?
Did you purchase the jacket off eBay ?
Depending on the method of payment you used, you may be able to file a claim with that company and get your money back .
Regardless of what the seller tells you.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Burt is correct. Eb offers some protection through PayPal. Also, you can stop payment through your bank. Doesn’t fit??? You bet it doesn’t fit.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Nice LW, but it looks too narrow at the chest and the sleeves are way too long, the wristlets are going to get in the way, the collar is also a bit too narrow for your built.
That is not how a USN Skin should look and fit!

My 2 cents if its worth anything....

 

[Griffon_301]

thanks for your inputs, but I don't want to escalate the thing right now as I am still on good talking terms with the seller and try to settle everything in a way that both of us don't feel ripped off.

either way, I have learned two valuable lessons for the future:
1) if a jacket is claimed to be even only lightly damaged, ask for precise info about the damage(s) and ask for sharp pictures of the damage(s)
2) before agreeing on a purchase, agree on a condition of the jacket based on what info you got and what pictures you have seen.

if the jacket deviates from that, it should be easier to put in claims.
oh and never use PP f&f if you not know the seller and trust him 100%....

 

[Griffon_301]

Nice LW, but it looks too narrow at the chest and the sleeves are way too long, the wristlets are going to get in the way, the collar is also a bit too narrow for your built.
That is not how a USN Skin should look and fit!

My 2 cents if its worth anything....

thank you very much
yeah, the fit is not what I expected as well...

 

[Griffon_301]

oh and another thing I will consider in the future.... if all your well fitting repros and the one original you own are a certain size, dont go down a size for another jacket of the same type