Always looking for a challenge and refusing to pay over 1000USD to ELC, I picked this up from Bazelot for a song.
This started as JRaptor's jacket (http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5194&hilit=ELC+RW+B3)
First, I should say that Tom did a splendid job on it! Not only would it have been a nightmare to sort and align the cut and ripped pieces, but to graft in a panel as well as he did, well, let's just say that many less complicated projects are abandoned all over my house. Then the stitching. How he hand-stitched it with machine-like precision I will never know. Kudos on using the original holes where possible and preserving the olive thread! I should remind you that this stitching job extended around an entire back panel, across the collar, both sleeves, across a front panel, and along the zip on both sides. I'm sure I forgot some areas but it was definitely "shredded".
Admire his work:
Tom's work is ideal for a museum restoration and no doubt many damaged original pieces have been tossed when they could have been saved with this technique. The repairs are plenty strong - Tom wore it and I wore it around the block to walk the dog. No signs of weakness. But since I want to fly in this thing, I decided to let the olive thread go and restitch the panels under the HH reinforcements for more durability. Any further blowouts or areas that won't hold will be subjected to a period-style field repair.
We'll see how it goes.
Dave
This started as JRaptor's jacket (http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=5194&hilit=ELC+RW+B3)
First, I should say that Tom did a splendid job on it! Not only would it have been a nightmare to sort and align the cut and ripped pieces, but to graft in a panel as well as he did, well, let's just say that many less complicated projects are abandoned all over my house. Then the stitching. How he hand-stitched it with machine-like precision I will never know. Kudos on using the original holes where possible and preserving the olive thread! I should remind you that this stitching job extended around an entire back panel, across the collar, both sleeves, across a front panel, and along the zip on both sides. I'm sure I forgot some areas but it was definitely "shredded".
Admire his work:
Tom's work is ideal for a museum restoration and no doubt many damaged original pieces have been tossed when they could have been saved with this technique. The repairs are plenty strong - Tom wore it and I wore it around the block to walk the dog. No signs of weakness. But since I want to fly in this thing, I decided to let the olive thread go and restitch the panels under the HH reinforcements for more durability. Any further blowouts or areas that won't hold will be subjected to a period-style field repair.
We'll see how it goes.
Dave