ozioziozi
New in Town
- Messages
- 5
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
I have been a lurker on this forum for a while, but I thought I would finally start contributing considering there is a lot I learn from this amazing forum. I recently made a post on Reddit sharing my experience adding stars to my Schott 618, so I figured I would start by sharing that experience with fellow enthusiasts here 
Post from Reddit:
Over the years, I have owned several Schott leather jackets, models like the 519, 618, Per70, and 530. Sometime back, I ended up selling my Schott 618 because it felt a bit short on me. But over time, seeing others wearing the 618 and 613 made me appreciate its classic look more and more. Eventually, I started missing that jacket.
Recently, I picked up another Schott 618 (steerhide) and this time I fell in love with it. However, I have always admired the iconic stars on the 613’s epaulets, and I began looking into how I could add them to my 618 to create my own version of the best of both worlds.
Since I’m based in Australia, finding replacement stars wasn’t easy. So I reached out to Schott directly and they came through! Their customer service was excellent, and they kindly sent the stars all the way to me. Huge kudos to Schott for that.
Installing the Stars: My DIY Process
Each star has 10 sharp prongs designed to pierce the leather. I first tried pushing them directly through the epaulet leather, but it was tough and I didn’t want to risk damaging the jacket. I then tried a sharp needle, but the holes were too small. Then I tried with a wood nail and it didn’t work either.
Eventually, I ordered a $10 awl tool from Amazon (shown in the picture - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CB44TT7T?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). Once it arrived, installation became much easier:
If you are thinking about doing a similar mod to your Schott jacket, I would highly recommend it. Just make sure you have the right tools and a bit of patience.
Edit: Since my original post on reddit, I have sold this Schott 618 in steerhide and I have replaced that with 618HH as I wanted to experience Schott's HH.
Post from Reddit:
Over the years, I have owned several Schott leather jackets, models like the 519, 618, Per70, and 530. Sometime back, I ended up selling my Schott 618 because it felt a bit short on me. But over time, seeing others wearing the 618 and 613 made me appreciate its classic look more and more. Eventually, I started missing that jacket.
Recently, I picked up another Schott 618 (steerhide) and this time I fell in love with it. However, I have always admired the iconic stars on the 613’s epaulets, and I began looking into how I could add them to my 618 to create my own version of the best of both worlds.
Since I’m based in Australia, finding replacement stars wasn’t easy. So I reached out to Schott directly and they came through! Their customer service was excellent, and they kindly sent the stars all the way to me. Huge kudos to Schott for that.
Installing the Stars: My DIY Process
Each star has 10 sharp prongs designed to pierce the leather. I first tried pushing them directly through the epaulet leather, but it was tough and I didn’t want to risk damaging the jacket. I then tried a sharp needle, but the holes were too small. Then I tried with a wood nail and it didn’t work either.
Eventually, I ordered a $10 awl tool from Amazon (shown in the picture - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CB44TT7T?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). Once it arrived, installation became much easier:
- I pressed each star against the leather to leave a slight impression.
- Then I used the awl to pierce holes exactly where the prongs needed to go.
- Finally, I inserted the star and used a flat-head screwdriver to bend the prongs down on the inside.
If you are thinking about doing a similar mod to your Schott jacket, I would highly recommend it. Just make sure you have the right tools and a bit of patience.
Edit: Since my original post on reddit, I have sold this Schott 618 in steerhide and I have replaced that with 618HH as I wanted to experience Schott's HH.
Last edited:
