Diamond Clothing Co 18775P with CBI patches

[Skip]

Here before you is a Diamond Dave special size 40 slightly modified, combat clone, with patches from A2jacketpatches.

Dave the jacket fits spot on thank you. IMO the overall finish is excellent and it immediately starts to wear. The hide is Diamonds new Horse and is quite lighter from other horse jackets I have. The previous example of the same jacket that I sold (just a little too small), was horse as well but slightly heavier, and more a darker rusty red brown. This current dark seal is a bit lighter and seems to have a purple tinge to it which I'm not too keen on, its not out there noticeable, but for anyone with a keen nuance to colour will notice it. After some more 'combat clone' treatment that tinge wears away to a more natural red brown colour. Its not to evident in the photos below unless you really look for it in the darker shadowy areas. But as I said I've 'worked' at it a bit to lesson the purple. I imagine after a little more treatment and more wear it will totally disappear to reveal the lovely warm browns underneath.

Patches were made by Sean Collins (A2jacketpatches) - no longer a member here, and sewn on by Dave. Sean put in an extra amount of detail on the 459th patch and chit compared to the previous jacket I had, along with some added weathering.

Think the pics will explain it better...

 

[daw]

Beautiful jacket. Congrats.

Dennis

 

[Garylafortuna]

Congratulations Skip on your new jacket from the Diamond. Another great piece coming out of Dave's leather garage. You wear it well sir. A couple of months ago I took delivery of an A-2 from Dave made from the same horse hide in a lighter russet shade, and which also sports CBI insignia by Sean. Couldn't be happier with it. That blood chit is extraordinary. I've never seen one quite like it. Don't recognize the script. Man, I dig patched up A-2s.

 

[Skip]

Thanks.

That blood chit is extraordinary. I've never seen one quite like it. Don't recognize the script. Man, I dig patched up A-2s.

Its a Burma Chit, the language of course Burmese or a dialect thereof of the period. There were many different tribal regions within Burma, so I'm assuming the language chosen was for a more common dialect. Its similar in a way to Thai.

I think these chits were pretty rare, and by '44 when most of the action was happening in the region most of the chits were worn inside the jacket and made of clothe. I have seen at least one original combination leather and painted version that was in pretty poor state and you could hardly see the writing. Let alone the detail was quite crude in the union jack and peacock. There is a photo of one in the book Last Hope: The Blood Chit Story by R.E. Baldwin.

 

[Skip]

Here's a bit of fun. It's not a P-38 as flown by the 459th but a P-40 I shot while back at Temora...

 

[CBI]

super jacket and great patches -enjoy!!!!!

 

[Rutger]

Wow!

 

[Skip]

Here we are again, same place, same jacket, 4 months on with a little bit, ok a lot, of roughing up. The purple tinge isn't really evident in the previous photos but quite prominent in the flesh when under particular lighting situations like daylight shade and fluorescent lights. I first had a hot shower while wearing it, then scrunched and crinkled it a bit more and wore it till almost dry, not an easy thing to do in the Australian Summer. Then used 800 grit wet and dry sandpaper, wet, to sand that purple finish off, wiped off excess, left to dry a day. Then 1200 grit wet and dry, this time dry rubbing all over and certain areas to my desired level of wear. The last step was repeated a few times till most of the purple hue was eradicated, and the desired wear effect was blended in. The next phase was 2 coats of pure lanolin oil rubbed in and allowed to dry in the shade, then successive rubbing and scrunching to bring out more grain. Due to the dark colour you cannot see the grain as well as on lighter jackets.

The jacket now drapes well and is very comfortable to wear, and the weathering has made quite a difference for the look I was after.

 

[Smithy]

I liked it before Skip and I like it now. If you were looking to emulate a jacket that's been through some scrapes and seen quite some action in the CBI I reckon you've done a good job. You're braver than me though, I don't think I'd have the plums to take sandpaper to a jacket, even 800 and 1200 grit

BTW are you a scale modeller or auto detailer? I only ask because of the 800 and 1200 grit - I use it myself on scale models, and have used it to remove rust from old hubcaps/spoked wheels and gun barrels.

 

[Skip]

Thanks Smithy. I guess like all things its little by little and don't rush it. I seem to remember your Location stating Melbourne, its changed! Just noticed sorry, other things have distracted me from jackets.

Used to Scale model, been thinking of returning to that "profession", but the thing thats taking a lot of time at the moment is below, not that its a chore , I'm not an official Auto detailer but have revamped a few items that needed doing. she's almost there.

 

[Steve27752]

Sorry, but in my opinion, you have ruined the jacket. PLEASE do not sandpaper the car.

 

[Smithy]

Nice ride Skip and well done with the resto, you want to enter her in a few shows, she's an absolute beauty!

Shifted from Melb just over 2 years ago - the better half is from here. Ever so slightly different climate

 

[Cocker]

I must admit I prefered the jacket without the sanding. It looks somewhat fake, to me.

 

[Silver Surfer]

well, i feel that too much is like not enough, skip. you may consider rubbing some pecards brown leather dressing into the hides. it will mute down some of the "time worn" and the brown has a slight reddish hue, thus giving the surface and under areas a look that original aeros have. some very light sanding with the 1200 grit wet-dry, and a little bit of raw umber oil paint rubbed into the patches will tone them down bring them to a state consistent with the "time worn". all that aside, the jacket looks to be a perfect fit, and you are right, it now drapes well. between dave and sean, you have your self a kick ass a-2 there. oh, and the vette aint too shabby either. btw, how are the folks down there in oz weathering that cyclone? the sat pixs look, in the true sense of the word, awesome.

 

[Roughwear]

I agree with Vic here. The wear needs some toning down to make it look more like the typical wear seen on originals.

 

[blackrat2]

Have to say the drape and fit looks the mutts but I agree tone down some of the wear points
I have to admire you,I would not have the guts to do anything like the treatments you've done

 

[Bombing IP]

Hi to be honest the wear is not where is should be (honest work usage wear ). Also if you do the jacket the patches need to be done also. The work and the effort are to be applauded and it is a brave move . I would of studied more jackets before I would of undertaken this mission .Having said that if your happy what do I know ? and do you really care what I think .

BIP

 

[CBI]

Nothing worse than making an enthusiastic post only to get mostly negative feedback. I have aged way too many jackets including a number of Good Wears. Loads of fun but best if it's honest wear. It's easy to get impatient though. The jacket did have quite a bit of wear in the very top photos which looks super. One observation is that some of these combat clone finishes are great intentions but the finish sometime rubs off too easily. The DD/GW A-2 I sold recently (and I noticed it just sold again on FL) was like that. It's cool that the finish wears but it seemed like every time I wore it, there was some new large scratch and I only wore it a few times on simple errands. Pecards might help, do a few scratches and see what happens. It might darken them to a darker color that the external color which will look odd.

 

[Garylafortuna]

Although I'm not a big fan of beating up a new leather jacket to give it a time worn appearance, I agree with CBI. This is your jacket, and a drop dead gorgeous one it is, so you don't really need anybody's approval. On the other hand, when a topic like this comes up you have to expect to get opinions you really don't want to hear.
On the subject of distressing leather jackets, nobody can come close to the Indiana Jones guys. Some of the things they do to their jackets defy reason. Steve nailed it: please don'd sand that beautiful hunk of automotive splendor.

 

[Silver Surfer]

naw, go ahead and sand the vette. i did it to my 66 tvr, back in the day, and it looked.......well, like sanded fiberglass. nothing a coat of paint didnt cure.