Found my old friend last night...

[LNBright]

I started posting this in the other thread, but, it was enough off-topic from it that I thought better of it, and decided to do an Introduction....

I'd been here several years ago, when we were debating whether it was a 1911 or a Hi-Power, and Michaelson convinced me that the Hi-Power was right instead of a 1911 as I thought at the time. Anyway, I'm back, and hopefully will become a bit more permanent.....

Found my jacket last night. It's an old Flight Suits jacket, goat, pre-distressed, and naturally-aged on top of it to boot.

Let's see.... In high school, I was a camp counselor during the summer that I went to Oshkosh for the week to the EAA Fly-In w/ Dad, that would've been '88, found the leather jackets at FlightSuit's booth, asked if they could do one like Indy's, they said sure! So, after begging, pleading, asking for an early Christmas present, etc., my parents finally relented and let ordered me one. Ordered it in September. Got it big, "so I'd have room to grow". Wore it everywhere I went for years.... high school, Marine Corps, college, fieldwork...

Well, after getting into grad school, I ended up putting on some poundage. Got out, got a job, and have been trying to "settle down". Married life sure didn't keep me trim. But, finally, I'm taking some poundage off. (Down almost 60 pounds now, still need to get a bit more off, though).

So, the other day, it occurred to me, ya know, I ought to be able to fit into my jacket again. So, I had to go hunting... the wife had boxed it during our last move. Found it last night. It's definitely not to big on me anymore! lol..... Nah, it fits well enough... a little smaller than I'd buy, but, not so small that it looks bad or is too tight. If I can get another 10 - 20 pounds off, it'll be just right, I think.

Anyway, it was like running into my best friend from high-school.


But, it's feeling its age, too. And, I could use a bit of opinions, suggestions, etc.


I've found this page: http://www.pecard.com/smoothjackets.htm
And http://www.pecard.com/IndyGear.htm

... and I've been digesting their contents. My jacket isn't stiff, it's still nice and pliable, but, in places it's dried and cracked, most especially on the shoulders. It's on the verge of flaking, even though it's not stiff. Odd, eh? And, it's always been a bit too light... it's more of a reddish color, like a pair of darkened Aldens. I wish it was darker, more like a Hershey's chocolate.

Initial instinct says that the "Pecard Classic Leather Dressing" would be completely safe. But, I want to darken it, so, I'm leaning towards the brown-tinted weatherproof dressing. But one of the above pages seems to imply that Shoe and Boot oil would be better in light coats... but, I'm hesitant about that.


Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions, caveats?


Many thanks....

-Leslie

[zohar]

Would you be willing to post some pictures of this? I'd love to see a FS from all the way back in 1988!

[Michaelson]

Welcome back stranger!!!! Good to see you again (and yes, it's STILL a P-35 instead of a 1911 ) Your old buddy sounds like a prime candidate for standard Pecards leather dressing, which is formulated for EXACTLY this type of age and wear. Put it on in several progressive coats, allowing each coat to soak in overnight, until the leather no longer absorbs the dressing. You'll find it supple again, though there's really nothing you can do regarding the flaking. I would suggest you contact Dave Marshall about this AT FlightSuits, as their jackets are guaranteed for the life of the owner (you are still alive, right? You proved that by logging on again! ) He can tell you if there's anything else you can do for you jacket.

Once again, good to have you back! High regards. Michaelson

[LNBright]

zohar,

I'll drag it along to work tomorrow, pull out the digital camera, snap some pics, and see if I can get 'em posted for ya......


Michaelson,

Last night, since I successfully figured out WHICH box held my beloved, I was in the mood.... so into the VCR went ROTLA.... Funny, how if you pay attention to the fight in the bar, when Indy's against the bar itself, it's plainly obvious that the top steps down like a 35 instead of just on the bottom like a 1911.... funny that all it takes is catching the "right" glimpse of the "right" scene...


The jacket's not flaked yet, and if I can get it conditioned back into decent shape, it'll just be cracked, I suppose just consider it "extreme distressing", lol.... it's a VERY heavy goatskin, and even if it flakes, it's not really gonna "weaken" it, I wouldn't think, it just wouldn't be as close to "unmolested", I suppose. However, I'll definitely keep that in mind... once I get it pecarded sufficently, we'll see how it turns out.

So, do you really think that the regular Pecard's dressing, and not the brown tint, will suffice? I really need to post some pics, I suppose.... if the two will condition the leather the same way, then I'd lean towards the brown tint, but if the regular would do a better job of reinvigorating the leather, then I'd forego the extra darkening and settle with what the regular would do.

I wonder.... years ago, when I did regularly wear it, before it was relegated to the back of a closet over my girth issues, I use to use Lexol on it.... I wonder if that may have done more harm than good... maybe not, but....


Anyway, that's it for the moment, at least for this thread, 'til I get pics posted....


-L

[Renderking Fisk]

Leslie...

Good to see you back. What are you wearing for a lid?

[Michaelson]

I suggest you try the standard first. You can switch over to the brown later should you decide you need further coloring, as it's the same dressing, but just has the coloring added to the mix. Regards. Michaelson

[LNBright]

Okay, I don't have a host (or rather, not an easily-used one).... however, I use a BBS that allows uploads, as long as the sizes are small, so, I had a 320x240 cap on these.... if you want better detail, I could email 'em directly (or, find a host).....


Anyway, let's see if I can get these to post on a first try:

Front:


Back:



Also, the cracked part on the back, where it might flake, is:



The color on the front pic and of the close up are pretty close to reality, but the color in the pic of the back is okay but a little washed (no flash versus using a flash, so the fluorescent lights of the office play with the coloring of the image).
Regardless, you can see what I mean about it being "light" instead of being as much of a "dark chocolate" as I wanted it to be.


Fisk,
Uh, I'm almost embarrassed to say.... lol.... for genuine daily wear, I've got several Tilleys. For a brown felt fedora, though, the only one I have is a rather low-cost "Disney-esque" one.... It's not too bad (well, yes it is, but, I can pretend), because I steamed it and worked it over a good bit, pinched it in, pushed it a bit taller.... still not a dream hat by ANY stretch, but, it doesn't take imagination to figure out the hat and jacket together, especially if wearing khakis....

I'm really wanting to get a Peter Bros.... but, I really ought to build a house before I buy a real hat.... but, ya know, I just might have to siphon off a bit of my lunch money for a couple of weeks, and get one anyway....



-Leslie

[zohar]

Looks like a good jacket. They really had the Indy look down even back then.

[LNBright]

Well, I have to say, I've never met anyone wearing one just like it.


It's a very heavy leather. Not a light jacket. It can take the abuse. Which, is good, given this innate habit I have of picking up rocks and sticking them in my pockets (sheesh, geologists.....) or, even more likely, sliding down outcrops....

What's funny, now that I notice it, is that the wear in the back of the shoulders is mostly on the left side... alll through college, I used a satchel for carrying my books, and shouldered it on the left side.... never realized, just how much wear that was putting on that shoulder.

One of the shortcomings is the lining. Not the material, but the cut. The lining is that synthetic nylonish stuff. The lining is actually much too long for the leather, so, the back of the coat at the bottom, would curl up to the outside. To solve the problem, I took a safety pin, and up at the back of the neck, folded the material over on itself, creating a horizontal pleat. That shortened the lining up to keep the tail of the coat from turning up. After almost a decade, the lining around the safety pin was ragged enough to the point that I replaced it with two safety pins, one on either side of the location of the original pin. (hey, I was still a broke college student at the time)

Anyway, that's mostly it.....


-Leslie

[Michaelson]

Have you given any thought to sending it back to FS for relining? They can do it, you know. They may get a kick out of seeing it again. Regards. Michaelson

[Rixter]

...and I thought I had some well worn vintage jackets! It’s also amazing, other than with the problem of the lining being too long and a bit ragged around the safety pin, it apparently isn’t completely in tatters to say nothing of the toughness of the hide itself without any visible rips or tears along the seams. Yeah, as Michaelson stated, I bet FS would really like to see this jacket again and hear about it’s long, varied history.

[Renderking Fisk]

Thanks for getting back to me...

That's an awesome jacket. I would also see if someone could reblock your lid and put a new ribbon on it for starters. You could always get an Akubra...

[rick5150]

I really have no business saying this, but I will anyways

I had an old A-2 style jacket that I was trying to restore that had that same "flaky" look to the dye. I was able to use acetone to kind of dissolve the dye and spread it a bit. The end result is that I took an old jacket with a wonderfully beat-up appearance and made it look brand new.

Since this was not the effect I was after, I was able to distress it again, but it never matched the way-cool appearance of the original aged beat-up look it once had. If it was not for the ratty lining, holes in the cuffs and waistband and irrepairable creases in the leather, it would have looked perfect.

MK will probably be able to help a whole lot more, but it may be possible to bring her back a bit. I just do not want to be responsible if you lose your "old friend" now that youare reunited...

[LNBright]

Okay, never fear,

a) I'm not going to be trying to distress it, acetone it, alcohol it, etc. etc.

b) Pecard's only for it, now that I know such...

c) after getting the leather back into better shape, I may consider having the lining re-done.... I'll look into that as a future possibility...


Oh, and:
d) I wouldn't bother doing more to this particular hat... when I said Disney-esque, I meant it, it came from MGM-Studiios the year it opened (or maybe the year thereafter, from before I got the jacket). It fit then, and while I was in the Marine Corps I was used to snug-fitting covers when I had no hair.... now, having hair, and not wanting to get a headache from wearing it, it's serving me better sitting on a shelf, so my son can sneak off with it occasionally (I "caught" him this morning wearing it before going to school, walking around humming the first three notes of the Indy theme over and over)....

I'll pick up a decent hat, something not-too-dear (ie, Optimos are out, just on price....)...

-Leslie

[Renderking Fisk]

Maybe a gift to your son, does that old fedora fit him?
When Coppertop is old enough to understand hats and holding on to his property, I'll get him his own Akubra in the smallest size possible.

[LNBright]

Too big for him yet.

Plus, if I say its his, then it's taken that it can end up on the floor of his room, etc. Whereas, if it's mine but I let him borrow it, then he'll take care of it and put it up when he's done so he won't be in trouble afterwards....




-L