Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?

Discuss technique for prolonging the life of your gear or giving it that aged look

Moderator: Dalexs

Post Reply
User avatar
Mark Brody
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 938
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 7:16 pm
Location: Omaha

Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?

Post by Mark Brody »

I just got my gloves yesterday , and I spent this evening "distressing" them so they aren't so white. It may not be the best job in the world, but I found that a combination of black and brown shoe polish applied unevenly followed by a good dose of Lexol leather conditioner (while wearing the gloves, and rubbing your hands together as though washing them) was a very simple process, and I didn't even need to abuse them.

Image
Image

I'd bet that with a little patience, you would distress a lot of gear without actually harming it - especially the leather gear.
User avatar
NatiJones
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 166
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 1:26 am
Location: Texas

Post by NatiJones »

IMHO Distressing is just "speeding up" the aging process.. and well you are bound to distress it just by using your gear.. therefore it's WELL OKAY!


I like the way you distressed your gloves. I've never thought of using shoe polish but I can see how it would work on distressing the gloves without making them splotty.. great job!!!



Nati :) :) :)
User avatar
knibs7
Legendary Adventurer
Legendary Adventurer
Posts: 3261
Joined: Sat May 31, 2008 5:55 pm
Location: TX
Contact:

Post by knibs7 »

I concur

NIBS
User avatar
Indiana Joosse
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 594
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:38 am
Location: Uithoorn, the Netherlands

Post by Indiana Joosse »

They certainly look a lot better now!

:)

Before they kind of looked like white dress gloves to me...
ryan_289
Archaeology Student
Archaeology Student
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:34 pm
Location: Arkansas

Post by ryan_289 »

I distress my gloves the old fashioned way. Hauling hay, cutting firewood, working on the farm, etc. It doesnt take long to wear out a pair of gloves if you acually use them!
User avatar
Michaelson
Knower of Things
Posts: 44484
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando

Post by Michaelson »

Me too, and usually one good afternoon of that makes a pair of gloves look like the photos above. ;-)

Distressing is just the appearance of regular wear and tear on an item. When something is 'pre-distressed', it's just had accelerated wear applied to a new item.

So, the obvious answer would be 'no', it not exactly 'good' for any item when done artificially, but that's the choice of the owner.....natural wear, or accelerated wear.

Regards! Michaelson
User avatar
gwyddion
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1589
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:16 am
Location: The Netherlands

Post by gwyddion »

I agree with Michaelson, but on the other hand I can't see how using shoepollish and leatherconditioner as sole means of giving it a distressed look could be bad for your gloves.

Regards, Geert
User avatar
Michaelson
Knower of Things
Posts: 44484
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando

Post by Michaelson »

I never said it would. I was answering the subject title question, which was:

"Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?"

Remember? ;-)

Regard! Michaelson
User avatar
gwyddion
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1589
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:16 am
Location: The Netherlands

Post by gwyddion »

Michaelson wrote:I never said it would. I was answering the subject title question, which was:

"Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?"

Remember? ;-)

Regard! Michaelson
So was I: that was the part of "I agree with Michaelson" ;-)

The rest of it was kind of complimenting on finding a non destructive way to get that distressed look. very creative IMO :clap:

Actualy, come to think of it I don't think this is distressing at all :-k not actual distressing anyway.... :[

Regards, Geert
Cammer
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 243
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:53 pm
Location: Florida Suncoast

Post by Cammer »

For some folks there really isn't a choice. If you live in an apartment in the city and don't really need to wear gloves for daily activities then distressing is really the only way to get a used/worn look on a costume item.

I'm not really agreeing or disagreeing with anything. Just adding a comment.

Really nice looking gloves there by the way. :notworthy:
User avatar
Michaelson
Knower of Things
Posts: 44484
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando

Post by Michaelson »

gwyddion wrote:
Michaelson wrote:I never said it would. I was answering the subject title question, which was:

"Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?"

Remember? ;-)

Regard! Michaelson
So was I: that was the part of "I agree with Michaelson" ;-)
Understood. Guess you should have placed a period after your 'I agree' statement, as your 'but' continuation begged a question that I was not replying to, as I said.
Your comment implied an agreement with conditions.:lol: ;-)

Regards! Michaelson
User avatar
gwyddion
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1589
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 10:16 am
Location: The Netherlands

Post by gwyddion »

That's what you get when posting late at night in a language that isn't your mother-tongue I'm afraid :roll:
Sorry for the misunderstanding Michaelson.

Regards, Geert
User avatar
Michaelson
Knower of Things
Posts: 44484
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2002 12:55 pm
Location: Out here knowing stuff and things and wishing I were with the family at Universal Studios Orlando

Post by Michaelson »

:lol:

No problem what so ever, old friend!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson
User avatar
Mark Brody
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 938
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 7:16 pm
Location: Omaha

Post by Mark Brody »

Cammer wrote:For some folks there really isn't a choice. If you live in an apartment in the city and don't really need to wear gloves for daily activities then distressing is really the only way to get a used/worn look on a costume item.

I'm not really agreeing or disagreeing with anything. Just adding a comment.

Really nice looking gloves there by the way. :notworthy:
I'd actually much rather have just used them to do yard work, but like you said - I don't really have any yard work to do. I already had the black and brown shoe polish laying around, as well as the leather conditioner. It all just kinda made sense.
User avatar
Ken
Staff Member
Staff Member
Posts: 2366
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:24 am
Location: Back from the field
Contact:

Post by Ken »

I guess the distinction is between:

an item which has been distressed

and

an item which appears distressed

In trying to acheive the SA look both are possible, maybe even necessary. The 'morality' of both, thats another story ;)

Ken
Post Reply