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

[Griffon_301]

... back to the original topic, 1942 ELC Irvin for me today as it is cold and wet here, kind of cliche UK weather if you like

good thing about the Irvin, I can wear it with a thin long sleeve shirt only underneath and its perfect for this kind of weather...

 

[Nickb123]

Gibson Barnes G-1 in a 40Tall. More like a 42XXT. Sizing issues aside, firmly believe they made some of the highest quality repro jackets despite being imperfect copies. Even the poly knits aren’t awful. If I were piloting a plane this is one I’d wear.

 

[John Luder]

Don't do what I did. Speaking of Nick, I think it was he who put his A-2 in the washer and dryer and lucked out. Forgive me if I've misremembered that post. No finger pointing. Honest Injun. May I say that anymore?
Got a new Five-Star AN-6552 three weeks ago, horsehide in a gorgeous brandy color. As usual, I had to take the starch out of it. Soaking in the sink, and into the dryer on fluff, draped on the suitform to dry out. Didn't work as planned. Some of the original color is still visible inside the pocket flap. Paid by-God extra money for that color, too.
It's now a beautifully distressed brand-new 6552 that looks like I stole it from a homeless vagrant on the Venice Boardwalk (Calif, not Italy). Smells like it, too.
Ok, I can live with that, but I ordered a new one in seal brown, due next week. Won't cock that up. Goat skin is more forgiving.
I don't blame 5star. I thought there might have been a stain or prep failure which caused it to peel so extensively. Here's what they said,
When leather gets wet, the water molecules bond to the oils in it and draw them out as the water evaporates. It also moves the dyes around, destroying a smooth, even color and creating spots and streaks. The result can be a spotty, stained appearance and a loss of the suppleness of the leather, leaving it brittle… even cracked. If the water takes a long time to evaporate, the leather can even begin to rot. further this jacket is not waterproof for sure.
I've spent a good bit of time in the rain in my 40 year old goatskin A2, and that new 5* distressed A2 that I wore to the air show at the beach last month. No fuss, no muss. But....
OK, lesson learned (more or less). I'm not busting anyone's chops and I'm happy to confirm what, mostly, all of you already figured out.
As to my processes afterward, when I got off the floor and lied to my wife telling her that I'd planned it that way and it only cost a few bucks, I conditioned it with Fiebing's Aussie conditioner. That slightly darkened the peeled patches. Ok, looks better. I used two colors of acrylic brown leather paint, wiped on with paper towels, over the big spot in back and a few in front.
I stenciled the US deliberately haphazardly. I used isopropyl alcohol, on paper towels, to knock down the acrylic and 'erase' the US along the fold line.
I used the towels and alcohol on most of the raised seams to remove odd spots of coloring. If I were really attentive, I'd rub down the shoulders and chest where the parachute harness was always rubbing. Another movie trick, but no one will notice I haven't done, just us girls.
I think I'll attempt painting, this time, right onto the jacket,the VC-10 Composite patch from the anomalous 6552 I posted the other day, shown in more detail below. They were posted to NAAS Ventura County at the end of the war. I checked, and the current Point Mugu/Hueneme Naval Air Base (15 miles away) is the progeny of that NAAS. Given my luck with paint, the seahorse will look like shit, just like this one of ebay.
When life hands you lemons, make margaritas.
Thank you. Thank you very much. You've been a wonderful audience. I'm here every Sunday.
Cheers,
One-eyed, slightly distressed, Jack.

 

[D97x7]

This Nick certainly did put his BK Dubow in the washing machine, after various attempts to freshen up the pits, all of which failed, it was wash it or never wear it, fortunately it went well, although I wouldn't recommend it. No drier though, I just hung it on the line outside.

 

[Micawber]

That jacket certainly has a somewhat salty appearance now Jack.

 

[A2 B3au]

Off the nuttt

 

[B-Man2]

Washing a leather jacket in the washing machine is always a dicey thing to do. Lots of different parts can go bad, from zipper tapes shrinking up , to leather finishes breaking down, leather cracking shrinking and the jacket loosing a couple if sizes . If you want your jacket to look old, wearing the piss out if it is the best way to do that.
How many sizes smaller is your jacket now ?
(Not judging just asking )

 

[Nickb123]

CA Sportswear 7823

 

[John Luder]

Washing a leather jacket in the washing machine is always a dicey thing to do. Lots of different parts can go bad, from zipper tapes shrinking up , to leather finishes breaking down, leather cracking shrinking and the jacket loosing a couple if sizes . If you want your jacket to look old, wearing the piss out if it is the best way to do that.
How many sizes smaller is your jacket now ?
(Not judging just asking )

It's not smaller. In fact, the sleeves were, and are still, too long; the leather ends past my wrist, and the knit is all shoved up inside the sleeve.
I soaked it in cold water in the laundry room sink, spun it in the washing machine (no agitation) and put it in the dryer on fluff (no heat). I had the zipper zipped to minimize potential damage.
I've had a chance to wear it a few times. But we're hitting the mid-60s by midafternoon today (it's 1007 hrs) as we lurch into spring. I'll take it to the airport today for my docent gig, and I might be able to keep it on; the hangers will be cold and the ramp/apron/tarmac also if the onshore wind is at 10 mph or more and it's partly cloudy. Otherwise, it's the 5* One-eyed Jack patch A2.
To Nick 97 and the rest with issues of armpits-past wafting from your linings or wool coats, I have an alternative to drycleaning and chancing a rinse in the machine. I first got this stuff from the friend who did wardrobe stuff for movies. I got this bottle online recently. It's not inexpensive, but it works. I have a 1944 Ike that wouldn't unsmell after drycleaning. This stuff lowers the stink level nicely. Not 100%, but much better than before.
Cheers

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Don't do what I did. Speaking of Nick, I think it was he who put his A-2 in the washer and dryer and lucked out. Forgive me if I've misremembered that post. No finger pointing. Honest Injun. May I say that anymore?
Got a new Five-Star AN-6552 three weeks ago, horsehide in a gorgeous brandy color. As usual, I had to take the starch out of it. Soaking in the sink, and into the dryer on fluff, draped on the suitform to dry out. Didn't work as planned. Some of the original color is still visible inside the pocket flap. Paid by-God extra money for that color, too.
It's now a beautifully distressed brand-new 6552 that looks like I stole it from a homeless vagrant on the Venice Boardwalk (Calif, not Italy). Smells like it, too.
Ok, I can live with that, but I ordered a new one in seal brown, due next week. Won't cock that up. Goat skin is more forgiving.
I don't blame 5star. I thought there might have been a stain or prep failure which caused it to peel so extensively. Here's what they said,
When leather gets wet, the water molecules bond to the oils in it and draw them out as the water evaporates. It also moves the dyes around, destroying a smooth, even color and creating spots and streaks. The result can be a spotty, stained appearance and a loss of the suppleness of the leather, leaving it brittle… even cracked. If the water takes a long time to evaporate, the leather can even begin to rot. further this jacket is not waterproof for sure.
I've spent a good bit of time in the rain in my 40 year old goatskin A2, and that new 5* distressed A2 that I wore to the air show at the beach last month. No fuss, no muss. But....
OK, lesson learned (more or less). I'm not busting anyone's chops and I'm happy to confirm what, mostly, all of you already figured out.
As to my processes afterward, when I got off the floor and lied to my wife telling her that I'd planned it that way and it only cost a few bucks, I conditioned it with Fiebing's Aussie conditioner. That slightly darkened the peeled patches. Ok, looks better. I used two colors of acrylic brown leather paint, wiped on with paper towels, over the big spot in back and a few in front.
I stenciled the US deliberately haphazardly. I used isopropyl alcohol, on paper towels, to knock down the acrylic and 'erase' the US along the fold line.
I used the towels and alcohol on most of the raised seams to remove odd spots of coloring. If I were really attentive, I'd rub down the shoulders and chest where the parachute harness was always rubbing. Another movie trick, but no one will notice I haven't done, just us girls.
I think I'll attempt painting, this time, right onto the jacket,the VC-10 Composite patch from the anomalous 6552 I posted the other day, shown in more detail below. They were posted to NAAS Ventura County at the end of the war. I checked, and the current Point Mugu/Hueneme Naval Air Base (15 miles away) is the progeny of that NAAS. Given my luck with paint, the seahorse will look like shit, just like this one of ebay.
When life hands you lemons, make margaritas.
Thank you. Thank you very much. You've been a wonderful audience. I'm here every Sunday.
Cheers,
One-eyed, slightly distressed, Jack.
View attachment 106535View attachment 106537View attachment 106539View attachment 106541

Well for me the jacket looks splendid ...

 

[Smithy]

Finally the snow has gone and it's warming up here. Been busting this bad boy out a lot over the last week. One of my favourite jackets - Aero FQHH Barnstormer. The missus loves it which doesn't hurt.

 

[Micawber]

A ride out in the '43 MB with the memsahib to one of our favourite hostelries with me clad in the runner up GW in Burt's recent competition.

 

[John Luder]

Well for me the jacket looks splendid ...

Thanks, mein Freund. I've embraced it for what it now is. I am, as it turned out, rather pleased myself. Sleeves shortened tomorrow, then hope for cooler weather.
Aloha

 

[John Luder]

A ride out in the '43 MB with the memsahib to one of our favourite hostelries with me clad in the runner up GW in Burt's recent competition.

View attachment 106573

You''re looking good, what with the fur grown back. How're you feeling?

 

[John Luder]

Finally the snow has gone and it's warming up here. Been busting this bad boy out a lot over the last week. One of my favourite jackets - Aero FQHH Barnstormer. The missus loves it which doesn't hurt.

Vivat Waldo Pepper

 

[MikeyB-17]

Charlestown again, with a new acquisition-an old ELC scalloped-pocket-flap G-1.

 

[Greg Gale]

Inspired by Jan’s jacket I finally found a learher string to make a zipper puller for my AVI M422a. It’s a lucky coin that the Balinese put in their offerings, that are then spread all around by dogs birds and monkeys. I picked this one up in the Uluwatu cave one day as I was coming out of the water from surfing, so it brings back nice memories.

 

[mulceber]

Inspired by Jan’s jacket I finally found a learher string to make a zipper puller for my AVI M422a. It’s a lucky coin that the Balinese put in their offerings, that are then spread all around by dogs birds and monkeys. I picked this one up in the Uluwatu cave one day as I was coming out of the water from surfing, so it brings back nice memories.

View attachment 106879

Oh man, yours has a much better story tied to it than my story of finding a coin on eBay.

 

[Kermit3D]

Some fresh air for the cyclist. Nothing better than an original.

 

[John Luder]

Query for One and All: Has anyone every got/gotten a jacket that had a single layer of knit for the waist band? I never have. My distressed 5* AN6552 is in the shop having the sleeves shortened, so I can't compare apples to Äpfel. The new one, also from 5* is a pip (or pippen), but the waist band is a single layer, as shown. Only just emailed them today at 1100 my time, 2300 theirs, so no response yet. Thoughts and comments welcomed.
Cheers