Vintage Lamb and the Holy Grail of Jacket Materials...

Posted by Patterson from 63.104.29.46 on October 02, 2000 at 13:12:41:

Well, maybe?

I spent a bit of time on Friday at FS - sorry to have missed you, MK! I spent some quality visiting time with my jacket-in-process, and gathered samples of just about every leather they offer.

On the horsehide? Point well taken from MK, i.e. this is not the material for anybody who wants a jacket that will look the part soon. I went with it because I really wanted one I could abuse and that would age gracefully and achieve "the look" over time.

On Flight Suits offering distressed leather? Well they do have one, and with a bit of the wonders of Pecards, I think I've found the real item for the fan who wants "the look".

When I was there, I gathered samples for a possible jacket for my wife. I saw their Vintage Lambskin, and knew it was what she would want - which she confirmed in record time when I got home that night. It was too light for me, though. It is New Zealand lamb, which has a singularly high fat content. They "age" the skin by hand, taking smooth stones, rubbing the surface off where these deposits are. The result is what would be a medium brown lamb with splotches of area that have been gently rubbed away. Again, though, too light for me.

This skin was highly porous, though, so I took a bit of Pecards to it and viola! It darkened very nicely, with the exposed areas puckering very slightly where the Pecards penetrated the most. What it looked like was the back of the jacket in the opening scenes - where the light hits the jacket in the jungle and he's looking at the stone statue? Anyway, I let it rest over the weekend, and it had retained most of the darkening and all of the "pucker". Based on my experience with Pecard, I'd say 1 or 2 treatments per year would keep it looking terrific and very authentic.

I've offered to send a sample to MK for his review, and I'd love to hear his feedback. But PLEASE, no acetone! (grin)

Cheers!

Patterson

Follow Ups:

Re: Vintage Lamb and the Holy Grail of Jacket Materials... MK 13:53:09 10/02/2000 (2)
- Darkening the leather... Patterson 14:02:09 10/02/2000 (1)
  - Oh, yes - very much correct on the "lighter" being color. I also forgot to mention "the nail" test... Patterson 14:45:01 10/02/2000 (0)

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: Well, maybe?

: I spent a bit of time on Friday at FS - sorry to have missed you, MK!  I spent some quality visiting time with my jacket-in-process, and gathered samples of just about every leather they offer.

: On the horsehide?  Point well taken from MK, i.e. this is not the material for anybody who wants a jacket that will look the part soon.  I went with it because I really wanted one I could abuse and that would age gracefully and achieve "the look" over time.

: On Flight Suits offering distressed leather?  Well they do have one, and with a bit of the wonders of Pecards, I think I've found the real item for the fan who wants "the look".

: When I was there, I gathered samples for a possible jacket for my wife.  I saw their Vintage Lambskin, and knew it was what she would want - which she confirmed in record time when I got home that night.  It was too light for me, though.  It is New Zealand lamb, which has a singularly high fat content.  They "age" the skin by hand, taking smooth stones, rubbing the surface off where these deposits are.  The result is what would be a medium brown lamb with splotches of area that have been gently rubbed away.  Again, though, too light for me.

: This skin was highly porous, though, so I took a bit of Pecards to it and viola!  It darkened very nicely, with the exposed areas puckering very slightly where the Pecards penetrated the most.  What it looked like was the back of the jacket in the opening scenes - where the light hits the jacket in the jungle and he's looking at the stone statue?  Anyway, I let it rest over the weekend, and it had retained most of the darkening and all of the "pucker".  Based on my experience with Pecard, I'd say 1 or 2 treatments per year would keep it looking terrific and very authentic.

: I've offered to send a sample to MK for his review, and I'd love to hear his feedback.  But PLEASE, no acetone! (grin)

: Cheers!

: Patterson

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