Club Obi Wan

Driving to work today, I was mulling over an earier post from the old site (I can't remember whose it was). Anyway, this person was saying that a jacket should only be distressed naturally. I was going along with it until he started talking about making costumes for plays, and using grass clippings to give clothes a smell for the audience. This sounded so off-the-wall, I wondered if it mightn't be a NIM post, but assuming it wasn't, I'd like to continue the discussion over here.

I guess in theory I agree that it would be preferable to let a jacket age itself over time. My experience, though, has been that my jacket, a goatskin from Flight Suits, is so tough that I'll be a forgotten mummy by the time it starts to take on a patina of age. I mean that thing doesn't show scratches or anything.

It's really frustrating because I have a leather briefcase I bought in 1999, but it looks like it's been around since the mid-fifties. It looks like I want my jacket to look, only more so, and it's all natural aging. I also have a leather chair that is absolutely shot, it's been so abused. Again, all natural aging, but I wish it was my jacket instead of my chair.

So why do the things you want to keep nice end up distressed, and the things you WANT to look distressed remain eternally pristine? The lesson I'm gleaning from all this is that if you go the natural aging route, you may very well have to replace your jacket by the time it looks as beat-up as you want it to.

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Thanks for that bit of information regarding Flight Suits, MK. I was going to save up for one of the Expeditions, but since it won't fade, I'll be going back to Wested.

Here's my take on the situation. I have had a leather jacket for years. (Not Indy but close.) I wore it to Europe and back, camped in it, slept in it. Never did it look like Indy's Jacket from LC. I out grew that one and decide to get an Indy jacket. I order my LC cowhide from Peter, guess what, it doesn't want to distress. That's one of the reasons why I have ordered another jacket so that I can distress it. Personally, I feel I have put in my time in travel and wear and tear and what do I have to show for it? A jacket that is too small and one that looks like new. Ever since 1989 I have been in love with the jacket from the motorcycle chase scene. We shall see how it goes.

Pyro

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MK,

That is a sad story if I have ever heard one. Brush cleaner? Now that's some serious business.



Pyr.

I have a lamb crusasde that hasnt had much trouble in natural distressing.At first it was a little stuborn but I just wore it a little more harder.I worked in it wore it in the rain sleeped in it been caving in it moutain climbing in it.I have to addmit that I had accotone,paint thinner,gassoline,and oil on it.Im not sure if that would fall under non natural distressing couse I would be working and get some stuff on it and say hey jee I need to rub that off and start working it into the seams and before I know it my jacket looks pretty worn.trying to post pics of it later when I get em.

I have a jacket that’s not QUITE IndyGear, it’s close enough for now while I’m saving for a Wested. I LOVE this jacket, but to be honest it’s not rugged enough to be worn on my kind of adventures [I.E., if I’m leaving town for more then half the day, I’m packing the jacket regardless of what time of year it is.] I didn’t do anything to distress it other then wear it and rarely clean it. (Has some 6 year old dust and dirt that it got while I was wearing it durring a roll-over in my Chevy Blazer.)

Take my word for it, Please… a jacket will distress by wearing it every day you possibly can. Distressing it by artificial means will only shorten the life of the Jacket.

PS... how come I'm not in the skit? [mock sob]