U.S. Wings jacket

[Indycop]

I got this for Christmas, I believe it is the vintage cowhide. Do I need to use some kind of leather conditioner on it or will it be ok as is? It would seem that if I put something on it then the aged look would become shiny.

[INDIANA_7]

Hey Indycop,

I also have that same exact jacket. I put the brown tint Pecards on it. It did darken but gave sought of a brown/burgundy tone to it. Just giving you a heads up.

Best regards,
Indiana_7

[Michaelson]

I've put Pecards jell on mine before, and as was said, it darkened up quite a bit.

If you want it to remain the same, but protected from water, see if you can locate a can of Scotchgard Leather protector in the brown can. It's tough to find, but still available in some locations. It will make your distressed jacket look exactly the same after it dries, but adds water resistance to the surface.

If you decide you want to darken it up with Pecards, you can, as the Scotchgard Leather protector will not mess up the leathers ability to absorb the Pecards dressing.

The Scotchgard will not add any 'felt' weight, but the Pecards WILL add a bit of weight to the garment, so keep that in mind as you proceed with your 'dressing'.

This information is based on my own personal experience.

Regards! Michaelson

[Indycop]

Thanks! I will look for the scotchgard for now. I like the way it looks now butr was just worried about protecting the leather.

[Castor Dioscuri]

Which brings up another interesting point:

Everyone here loves Pecards (and that includes me), but is Pecards better than this Scotchgard leather protector?

I'm guessing it's the spray on type... if so, wouldn't it be a better choice due to A) Easier to apply, B) No added weight, and C) No color change...?

[Michaelson]

Well, it's an apples to oranges comparison, as Scotchgard IS only a spray on protectant. It only protects the surface from stain and water penetration. Pecards penetrates the hide and not only protects the material, but lubricates the fibers allowing them to pass by each other with out breaking. That's why it was originally created for museum curators for use on antique leather collections in terms or restoration and/or protection.

Regards!! Michaelson

[JulianK]

Personally I like the colour! I've had good experiences with the Pecards lotion not changing the colour or adding shine. But if it's a new jacket I don't think it'll need conditioning for quite a while.

[RockBottom]

No one uses Lexol here? I use it on car seats, sofa, and briefcases, but haven't on a jacket.

[Michaelson]

Sure, but he wants to keep the jacket looking the way it is, and this particular pre-distressed leather they used will darken with Lexol.

Otherwise it's recommended quite often.

Regards! Michaelson

[Kt Templar]

Here's a Wings A2 I put normal Pecard on, before and after (obviously!), it really soaked the stuff up but has gradually faded back to about half way in between with very little shinyness.

[Michaelson]

I've done this several times in the past years with Wings and Wested pre-distressed jackets, and what I've found amazing is how quickly Pecards will eventually evaporate out of the treated leather and you'll end up right back where you started again.

It really imparted to me just how important that top layer is on the hide in helping keep water and dirt out of the underlayers, as once is abraded, cracked, sanded or chemically removed, it continues to dry out and needs treatment more often than a jacket allowed to naturally distress over time and use. At least the natural distressing takes place in areas of use rather than over the entire surface...and THAT'S what gives a jacket real character.

Regards! Michaelson