Restorer in LA

[kaosharper1]

Anyone know of a good leather jacket restoration person in LA? Someone who could replace a liner and restore the finish on a jacket from the 1930s?

 

[Tomasso]

Not in LA, but these folks are excellent.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

i know one in scotland

;D

 

[J.J. Gittes]

I know someone in San Diego who could help you out. I have to find his number and I'll PM you it.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

POSSiBLE?

updating as i came across this on the net...here's the link:

http://www.popsleather.com/fmodinst.php3?PageNo=2


a quote from the page the link leads to:

Refurbish. Pop's Leather will replace panels, repair, or refurbish your damaged coat. Please call or email us to discuss your requirements. You'll have to send your coat to Pop's so they can inspect your coat and give you a repair estimate. You'll be initially charged shipping only and this is non-refundable. After you receive the estimate and approve work, we'll charge your credit card appropriately. Pops will not recommend this work unless they can positively match the shade and texture of leather or improve the look of you coat.


sounds good to me, but no personal experience

 

[kaosharper1]

These guys do look good.

JJ: Let me know if you find the number.

Thanks

 

[johnnyjohnny]

ricky don't lose that number

sorry, i don't have a number, but i'm assuming if you check around on the website you can come up with a contact number...so many manufacturers don't offer refurbishing services, or like Gibson/barnes,only on their own stuff...so when you find a good manufacturer (pops' stuff is good) that does, it's worth checking out

 

[J.J. Gittes]

I found the number of my friend who has the restorers number. Their out of town but when they get back Saturday, I'll have him get me the number.

 

[kaosharper1]

I found the number of my friend who has the restorers number. Their out of town but when they get back Saturday, I'll have him get me the number.

Great. Thanks!

 

[Fletch]

Leather garment repair people are surprisingly hard to find in the US. I suspect most leathers are intended to be either a. repaired by the maker or b. trashed.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

u r coRRect sir!

yes fletch, i was blown away when i bought a jacket on ebay in superb shape, an a2, where the manufacturer had left off a simple seam on the windflap...this is probably the easiest thing to fix, just a line up the windflap that looks manufacturer grade, hence is straight

boy, was i wrong...i scoured all leather repair places even listed in L.A., and there weren't that many (on the net) and the best of them told me that they didn't have the colour or weight thread to match the original...they sent me to the supposed best in L.A., a shop just off rodeo dr. in bev hills, and these guys had gotten a best in L.A. award from L.A. magazine...when i went in there women were getting out of their bentley's to pick up repaired $2000 coats

i met the owner of the shop, a really great old fellow, and he looked at my jacket sadly and declined. i've written about this before on here, but it really surprised me. he said it was a deceptively difficult job if i wanted to match it to the manufacturer's quality, since the jacket was already sewn up...he said he might not get the line perfectly straight, and he would only do it if i agreed to accept his best, which i did

he did a c+, and i knew the risks...but i'm totally blown away by the expertise, specific expertise, needed to refurbish leather jackets once they need repairs...once you have to pull apart a jacket and reconstruct it, the difficulty apparently goes way up

the fedLounge should have a category, like they do for all other things, only having to do with refurbishers and repair facilities that members recommend, since these are so very hard to find. we know aero will do a superb job, but apart from sending jackets back to scotland, it would be nice to have a resource here on this site of recommended places

we are all crazy, and love these jackets perhaps too much, so when we want to repair one, and not have it ruined, it's a big deal...at least to fanatiques, of which i am the lead one

 

[kaosharper1]

How are they at more mundane things like replacing zippers and linings, and making the leather surface a little nicer by oiling, or whatever?