Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

distressing leather jacket

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,870
Location
East Java
sun/ UV light
does affect color loss on natural material quite fast, unless you're actively treating it with anti UV coat every so often.
 

Doomstein

One of the Regulars
Messages
165
Location
Tampa FL
I went through the same thing a year ago. I was doing a Fallout wasteland post apocyptic costume. So I grabbed a cheap $10 used x-element leather jacket and went to work. I rubbed it down with acetone to release some dye then I stuffed a gym bag of heavy stuff inside the jacket and drug it down a dirt road behind my truck. Unfortunately that leather was chrome tanned and ended up blue/gray.

On a non-chrome tanned or dyed through jacket, this creates a natural looking weathered patina. As the dirt gets into the grain as well, you give it a light coat of mink oil to lock in the dirt permanantly and protect the leather, as the acetone treatment stripped Its protective coating.

You can't really do this with cheap jackets. Or a lot of new, expensive jackets for that matter. You should keep an eye out for vintage Excelled jackets, they patina OK and are inexpensive used, I see them from $20-100 on Craiglist consistently.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,304
Messages
3,078,406
Members
54,244
Latest member
seeldoger47
Top