Long Answer

Posted by Abner from h00104b6770cd.ne.mediaone.net on November 19, 1999 at 08:20:20:

In Reply to: Does Pecards make a pre-distressed jacket look like a new one? posted by Iceman on November 18, 1999 at 16:32:59:

I hope I can help answer this recurring question once and for all.

Let me say that I have a pre-distressed version and I don't recommend the Wested pre-distressing- it just doesn't look very natural IMHO. It also makes the jacket prone to sctratching. (See my INFAMOUS jacket pic at Indygear). Also, It wasn't used on the film jackets. If you want the movie look, try doing it yourself, or maybe consider sending it to Noel Howard. I know he may be offering the distressing service used for the film jackets.

However, the problem with artificially distressing your jacket is this: the costume dept. could really beat up the movie jackets because they only had to last for a few scenes of filming, but unless you can afford quite a few jackets, you may not want to be so cavalier with a jacket you plan to own for years. That being said, I do agree the jacket looks more rugged once broken in and beat up-brand new it's a bit "fancy" for my taste. Depending onhow you feel about it, it might not bother you to artificially age it.

If you are daring, here is something you can try to break it in- wear it in the shower briefly and get it wet. Then, wear it as it dries, and the leather will wrinkle a bit and form to your body shape. Then you can scuff the seams a bit with some 500 grit sandpaper. (This is not reversable). Take the jacket off, and wack it against a brick wall a few times.

With regard to the pecard, it doesn't make the distressed leather look new, but it does help darken it a bit. Let me tell you about some of my experiments with my predistressed jacket...I have had some fun with this thing because I don't really care what happens to it! The first thing I tried was Hubard's shoe oil and some mink oil. This darkened it nicely and made it shiny, but Hubards contains pine pitch or something smelly and I had to leave the jacket in the attic for a few weeks for everything to soak in and the smell to go away. The waxiness also made lint and other crap want to stick to it. However, over time, the jacket gradually got lighter again and these effects disappeared. I decided a more agressive approach was required. I got some Fiebing's leather dye in the color "Chocolate" (works well on gunstocks too!) from Tandy. Let me state clearly that Tandy specifically told me not to use this on a garment but I didn't care. The dye is alcohol-based so it dried the leather slightly, and immediately after the dye dried I used some of History Preservation Associates' "Hide Food" to keep the leather supple. This worked great and also darkened the jacket further. The label on the Hide Food warned specifically about using the product on unsealed surfaces (i.e. my jacket with he finish scrathed off) as it may cause permanent staining. Great. I hoped it would! To finish the job I put the Pecard dressing on the side straps and collar- two problem areas that could dry out. As a touch up, I applied (and continue to do so)Filson's "Boot Oil finish, a petroleum-based product that is liquid, not waxy (although it turns syrupy in the cold temperature of my garage), and keeps the leather dark, supple, and water-repellant.

Anyway, After all this, I was amazed at the transformation. The jacket was very dark, and I bet if I took a picture it would look liek a new jacket to some people. I fully expect it to lighten up and weather more however, and that will be great. It is just now showing that "reddish" suede type look in some spots, just like the Last Crusade jacket. If I can lighten up the seams with sandpaper I bet it will look just like a beat-up movie jacket. The Filson's oil I can keep using to keep areas dark, or touch up with dye if necessary. The unsealed and cracked nature of the hide makes it like a sponge, able to soak up whatever crap you put on it. However, this jacket will probably disintegrate in a few years from the abuse, or turn into a toxic waste dump from all the oil spills, but I don't care- I plan to use it as a stunt double! I wouldn't feel bad about getting dragged behind a German truck in it (as long as he truck wasn't going that fast) I bet it would look great on a mannequin Indiana Jones display someday.

But why go through all this trouble? Order one that is not pre-distressed- (I just did).

Cheers,
Abner

: I ordered a L.C. jacket from Wested new. I still haven't received it yet and I'm still debating in my mind whether or not I should have them pre- distress it. So I was wondering if I got it pre-distressed and didn't like it could I use the Pecards and make it look new. Or does the pecards just help treat the leather itself not changing the appearance. I've seen some pre-distressed jackets in stores in the mall that look great, are some jackets just naturaly distressed? Obviously the jacket Ford wears in the movies looks great distressed but does the Wested distresed jacket look as good as it does in the movie? Thank you

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IMHO Patterson 09:11:47 11/19/99 (1)
- Confirmed, (nm) Michaelson 10:25:02 11/19/99 (0)

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: I hope I can help answer this recurring question once and for all.

: Let me say that I have a pre-distressed version and I don't recommend the Wested pre-distressing- it just doesn't look very natural IMHO.  It also makes the jacket prone to sctratching.  (See my INFAMOUS jacket pic at Indygear). Also, It wasn't used on the film jackets.  If you want the movie look, try doing it yourself, or maybe consider sending it to Noel Howard.  I know he may be offering the distressing service used for the film jackets.

: However, the problem with artificially distressing your jacket is this: the costume dept. could really beat up the movie jackets because they only had to last for a few scenes of filming, but unless you can afford quite a few jackets, you may not want to be so cavalier with a jacket you plan to own for years.  That being said, I do agree the jacket looks more rugged once broken in and beat up-brand new it's a bit "fancy" for my taste.  Depending onhow you feel about it, it might not bother you to artificially age it.

: If you are daring, here is something you can try to break it in- wear it in the shower briefly and get it wet.  Then, wear it as it dries, and the leather will wrinkle a bit and form to your body shape. Then you can scuff the seams a bit with some 500 grit sandpaper.  (This is not reversable).  Take the jacket off, and wack it against a brick wall a few times.

: With regard to the pecard, it doesn't make the distressed leather look new, but it does help darken it a bit. Let me tell you about some of my experiments with my predistressed jacket...I have had some fun with this thing because I don't really care what happens to it! The first thing I tried was Hubard's shoe oil and some mink oil. This darkened it nicely and made it shiny, but Hubards contains pine pitch or something smelly and I had to leave the jacket in the attic for a few weeks for everything to soak in and the smell to go away. The waxiness also made lint and other crap want to stick to it.  However, over time, the jacket gradually got lighter again and these effects disappeared. I decided a more agressive approach was required. I got some Fiebing's leather dye in the color "Chocolate" (works well on gunstocks too!) from Tandy.  Let me state clearly that Tandy specifically told me not to use this on a garment but I didn't care. The dye is alcohol-based so it dried the leather slightly, and immediately after the dye dried I used some of History Preservation Associates' "Hide Food" to keep the leather supple. This worked great and also darkened the jacket further. The label on the Hide Food warned specifically about using the product on unsealed surfaces (i.e. my jacket with he finish scrathed off) as it may cause permanent staining.  Great. I hoped it would! To finish the job I put the Pecard dressing on the side straps and collar- two problem areas that could dry out. As a touch up, I applied (and continue to do so)Filson's "Boot Oil finish, a petroleum-based product that is liquid, not waxy (although it turns syrupy in the cold temperature of my garage), and keeps the leather dark, supple, and water-repellant.

: Anyway, After all this, I was amazed at the transformation.  The jacket was very dark, and I bet if I took a picture it would look liek a new jacket to some people. I fully expect it to lighten up and weather more however, and that will be great.  It is just now showing that "reddish" suede type look in some spots, just like the Last Crusade jacket.  If I can lighten up the seams with sandpaper I bet it will look just like a beat-up movie jacket. The Filson's oil I can keep using to keep areas dark, or touch up with dye if necessary.  The unsealed and cracked nature of the hide makes it like a sponge, able to soak up whatever crap you put on it.  However, this jacket will probably disintegrate in a few years from the abuse, or turn into a toxic waste dump from all the oil spills, but I don't care- I plan to use it as a stunt double! I wouldn't feel bad about getting dragged behind a German truck in it (as long as he truck wasn't going that fast) I bet it would look great on a mannequin Indiana Jones display someday.

: 
: But why go through all this trouble?  Order one that is not pre-distressed- (I just did).

: Cheers,
: Abner

: : I ordered a L.C. jacket from Wested new. I still haven't received it yet and I'm still debating in my mind whether or not I should have them pre- distress it. So I was wondering if I got it pre-distressed and didn't like it could I use the Pecards and make it look new. Or does the pecards just help treat the leather itself not changing the appearance. I've seen some pre-distressed jackets in stores in the mall that look great, are some jackets just naturaly distressed? Obviously the jacket Ford wears in the movies looks great distressed but does the Wested distresed jacket look as good as it does in the movie? Thank you

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