So, I did this thing... twice...

[STEVE S.]

Had this original A2 come in for some work a couple weeks ago. Had a few bad spots on the end of the sleeve, thinking it was some sort of chemical burns. I dug through the scrap bin & everything else I had & couldn’t find anything even close to begin the matching/aging process, so did some repairs. Had a helluva time with it, due to the normal breakdown of the hide density over time. Came out pretty well for what it is.
This past week, had an original D series G-1 with a bad burn on the pocket come in. Using the same process of removing the damaged material, patched it as well. With a newer hide in better condition, I was really pleased with the results..

 

[OperationCoffee]

How do you blend the patch areas with the rest of the leather? Incredible work!

 

[B-Man2]

Steve
Brilliant job ! Absolutely amazing !

 

[Tattoo A2]

Very nice, Ive got an original A2 that has a few areas like that too. you know your craft sir, nice job.

 

[STEVE S.]

How do you blend the patch areas with the rest of the leather? Incredible work!

the seam between the patch & original piece is filled with a heat set filler. Really strange product that I’m still sorting out the best procedure on. As far as color, just a little of this & a little of that. I’ve done paint work for over 30 yrs so used to blending and having a general idea what tones are needed. Recently had an A2 in that needed 2 complete panels replaced & colored/ aged new material to match the 80 yr old original. Turned out pretty good too. In the pic below, the light russet scrap at the top is what I started with. The underarm panel to the right was the original.

 

[MaydayWei]

truly incredible!
to my untrained eye, its nothing short of magic.
Hats off to you, good sir.

 

[billwong]

very impressive.

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Incredible workmanship

 

[ausreenactor]

That's amazing work Steve... Another affirmation why restoration and repairs will generally be referred to you.

I've 'patched' a lot of targets. Is there any chance they were 8mm bullet holes?

 

[Lorenzo_l]

That's amazing work, Steve. Major surgery on those jackets and totally successful at that!

 

[Brettafett]

That is a master's work Steve....

 

[MikeyB-17]

That’s beautifully done. I had a G-1 once that I had to patch, because it had a couple of spots where some substance had left the leather really thin and brittle. Don’t know if these things are aircraft-related or products people get on them when using them for work post-service-like all the paint we commonly see on jackets.

 

[blackrat2]

Totally awesome again Steve, really impressive work again!

 

[Silver Surfer]

can I add to the above? nada,, except to say, "holy shit". and "afriggnmazing".

 

[warguy]

Just saw this Steve band wow! I was impressed with your work before but this is another dimension. Just fantastic! Kevin

 

[ButteMT61]

Awesome! Nice to see this sort of thing - reminds me of being a kid when Mom fixed our Sears Toughskin jeans with pieces of older jeans. Didn't have much then, but that's what folks did!

 

[B-Man2]

Awesome! Nice to see this sort of thing - reminds me of being a kid when Mom fixed our Sears Toughskin jeans with pieces of older jeans. Didn't have much then, but that's what folks did!

Yep….. remember the iron on denim patches ?

 

[ButteMT61]

Yep….. remember the iron on denim patches ?

100% I could barely bend my knees! I think my Dad really enjoyed torturing us with that. In reality, we didn't have much, and Dad was in school, so it was what we could afford, I'm sure. Probably why I can enjoy heavy denims now - many people hate it, but I like the challenge if it!

 

[Adama36]

amazing work. could you give us more details about the process and the " heat set filler"
Do you glue the newer leather patch in the back and then fill the hole with the filler?

 

[flyincowboy]

AWESOME look like a real nice job ! just wondering about the same stuff used for upholstery and leather seats repair.... look similar to me.