Can distressing your gear actually be good for it?

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:50 pm

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.

I'd bet that with a little patience, you would distress a lot of gear without actually harming it - especially the leather gear.

NatiJones · Post by **NatiJones** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:56 pm

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

knibs7 · Post by **knibs7** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:59 pm

I concur

NIBS

Indiana Joosse · Post by **Indiana Joosse** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:21 am

They certainly look a lot better now!

Before they kind of looked like white dress gloves to me...

ryan_289 · Post by **ryan_289** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:07 am

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!

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:42 am

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

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:12 pm

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

Post by **Michaelson** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:33 pm

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

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:47 pm

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

Actualy, come to think of it I don't think this is distressing at all

not actual distressing anyway....

Regards, Geert

Cammer · Post by **Cammer** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:18 am

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.

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:48 am

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.

;-)

Regards! Michaelson

gwyddion · Post by **gwyddion** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:34 am

That's what you get when posting late at night in a language that isn't your mother-tongue I'm afraid

Sorry for the misunderstanding Michaelson.

Regards, Geert

Post by **Michaelson** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:58 am

No problem what so ever, old friend!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

Mark Brody · Post by **Mark Brody** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:05 pm

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.

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.

Post by **Ken** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:19 pm

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