I was just wondering if anyone here would advise against getting a predistressed hide? I'm just curious about the negatives of getting a predistressed jacket as opposed to a normal one.
Besides being unable to do the distressing yourself (which would make me feel guilty about anyway ) I've read that the fibers have already been dried and cracked, hence the look, and this would make them anything but waterproof...
But I'd still like to know if they have a shorter life-span than normal jackets, or are more prone to damage? And would a generous coat of pecards solve the water-resistance problem? etc...
i'm not crazy about them as they are new hides in texture, but the finish is predistressed....kind of like taking a new shiney monochrome wested and painting the distressed tones onto it (this is of course in appearance and not exactly on the condition of the hide itself). the leather is a predistressed "sheet" and then they construct a jacket out of it. the predistressed look is also typically uniform all over the hide so that it does not really look like an old jacket as there should be more wear in areas that get more action (elbows, shoulders, collar, etc.).
some people love this look and gives an excellent foundation for distressing the jacket more either naturally or via acetone, sandpaper, pocketknife or what have you.
i've owned a drag jacket in the past with predistressed leather (kind of like the wolverine jacket)....it looks like a nicely worn jacket from far away but when you get close enough to see it, you would probably not be surprised if there was a tag hanging off the sleeve
I've read that the fibers have already been dried and cracked, hence the look, and this would make them anything but waterproof...
I think there maybe be some confusion floating around about this, and it may just be on my part.. but as I understand it, the pre-distressed leathers are exactly like normal leathers, fiber wise. But they have a variagated/mottled coloration.
I believe there are leathers with a more broken and cracked surface, for instance US Wings offers an "Antiqued" leather (lambskin and possibly goat) that is like this. The color on these are not near as variagated/mottled as the pre-distressed leathers.
I believe that Wested's predistressed has a cracked finish, not the mottled color. Owners, please veryfy - Westeds only. However, Peter might be able to get the mottled hide, since he's used it for non-indy jackets, at least so I've heard.
I have a leather sample of their pre-distressed cowhide (from 2005) and it was always quite cracked. Whether they've changed it recently i'm not sure...
) I've read that the fibers have already been dried and cracked, hence the look, and this would make them anything but waterproof...
