What jacket(s) are you wearing at the moment?

[ausreenactor]

Cagleco G-1 from John. Excellent goatskin. Now gracefully exiting the hobby and am going to stop buying them.

View attachment 79053

Calling bullshit!

 

[ausreenactor]

Patched Cooper Orange Label A2 this morning

View attachment 78974

Thought I was looking in the mirror...

Patch looks good too..

 

[Kermit3D]

Great jacket!
Kermit, could you please send me your redundant extra Celsius? It's the coldest May on record here and I still haven't worn my A-2s outside, although the weather in May is usually like summer here, but these days it's still +10 C only day (+3 at night).

Oh, if I could...
But wait, it works ! Look ! the temperature drops in France (we lose 16°C in 3 days !)

It should be warmer at your place from Tuesday

 

[Wz1999]

GW Bronco 29191 today

 

[B-Man2]

GW Bronco 29191 today

View attachment 79089

Damn if that doesn’t look like an original.
JC manages to do it time and time again.
Sweet A2 Wz1999
Any bites on your Skyline MA-1 yet ?

 

[Wz1999]

Damn if that doesn’t look like an original.
JC manages to do it time and time again.
Sweet A2 Wz1999
Any bites on your Skyline MA-1 yet ?

Thanks. The skyine MA-1 still for sale. It may take longer than I expected.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Hello Wz,

Crazy character on that skin, man that's going to age beautifully. And that Bronco pocket shape, love it!



Dany

 

[Wz1999]

Hello Wz,

Crazy character on that skin, man that's going to age beautifully. And that Bronco pocket shape, love it!



Dany

Thanks Dany. JC did the hot water treatment on this one. And it sits with a lot more character.

Z

 

[Dany McDonald]

I am familiar with trying to stretch a leather jacket in hot water, are you referring to a similar treatment?
Or its done before assembly to shock the skin and make it bloom?

Dany

 

[Wz1999]

I am familiar with trying to stretch a leather jacket in hot water, are you referring to a similar treatment?
Or its done before assembly to shock the skin and make it bloom?

Dany

It was done after assembly.

 

[mulceber]

I've never done hot water treatment, but it's not about stretching the leather. Apparently subjecting leather to hot (I assume shower-temperature?) water can bring out a lot of the character and make it look older than it is. It's a popular technique with Indy jackets, since it almost completely transforms lambskin and makes it look much nicer.

 

[Dany McDonald]

I know it was about to make the leather mature, but cold water, rain water, will have the same effect on leather. When we refer to Hot Water, it's pretty much in a context of wanting to gain or even lose some cm's. Motorcycle jackets, the nice one's, always look good cause we wear them in pouring rain sometimes and then the sun come out and it dries nonuniformly too quickly and then the skin gains patina or character.

Dany

 

[Micawber]

HWT, now there's a can of worms that has been opened more than once lol!

 

[entertainment]

There's a description of the hot water technique and some photos of jackets that have received the treatment on John's United States Flight Jacket CD, for those who have a copy.

 

[mulceber]

Well that really depends on whether there's anything left to shrink out of the skins. Most modern tanneries stretch the hides to get the most bang for their buck out of them. So if the leather wasn't pre-shrunk before the construction of the jacket, yeah, heat will definitely cause shrinkage. As to whether cold vs. hot makes any other difference, you may well be right. This is a trick a folks over on COW swear by, but tbh, they aren't focused on jackets to the degree that we are, and so their knowledge about leather isn't as thorough-going as it is here.

 

[mulceber]

There's a description of the hot water technique and some photos of jackets that have received the treatment on John's United States Flight Jacket CD, for those who have a copy.

Thanks for reminding me, John:

 

[Dany McDonald]

Frankly I would have never being able to tell it had any water alteration trick done to it other than it looks like a worn jacket, that may have seen the sun, dirt and rain and that's fine in my book.

But, personally, I will not try to Hot Water a garment made with high-end leather, chrome or veg or any master tannery technique! John probably has a lot of leftovers to test with and figure a modus operandy with desired results obtained. I just wear it, cote it and nature does the rest...

And since I work in the movie industry, I can tell ya there are a lot of ways to fake, make, aged and alter anything, especially cloth and leather...

Didn't know that this is a can of worms here on VLJ...

 

[mulceber]

Yeah, I don't do it either. Natural wear is much more to my liking.

 

[Chandler]

Thanks for reminding me, John:

Eh. It just looks water-logged.

 

[B-Man2]

It’s not really a can of worms, it’s just that it’s been discussed here a number of times and the pros and cons are always discussed and debated. I’m like you Dany. I prefer to wear the piss out of the jackets ( as much as is possible living in a state with an average year around temp of about 70 degrees ) and let nature take its course. Wearing an A2 in a Florida rain storm will be all the water treatment any jacket requires .