Show Your Patina

[crimsonofsam]

Please tell me Roxy is safe?? lolLove them both too.

Sadly my sweet girl has passed.She had an auto immune disorder that required daily steriods which eventually destroyed her liver.Could'nt stand to see her suffer and had to put her down.

 

[ButteMT61]

Sadly my sweet girl has passed.She had an auto immune disorder that required daily steriods which eventually destroyed her liver.Could'nt stand to see her suffer and had to put her down.

I'm sorry. Similar story with our Staffordshire/Shepard mix. Best (pound) dog in the world. When I was at UCLA, I got to meet the real "Spuds Mackenzie" dog and her (yes her) owner. Sweet dog. I had to it ours down five years back - the eve of our first vacation in years. It was the worst day.

 

[rocketeer]

Something for ButteMT61

My Aero Bronco after 4-5 years. Patch is not on the jacket, just there to show it to the guy that made it for me. It was my Father's unit - 23rd Bombardment Squadron.
Is a seal cape hide rendition. Aging nicely.

Hi ButteMT, I just thought you may like to see this.
It was the first original A2 I owned. I purchased it from Ken Calders old Thrift Shop in Battersea, London, around May 1983. Price, £130
Cant remember the maker but the hide was a goatskin and all the decoration was hand painted, Cuffs, waistband replaced with a very dark brown knit, original zip and lining, size, around a 40-42.
The small white rectangles are 'kills'. If I remember there was a red disc on a white background with the word 'Zero' written in black paint on one and 'Betty' and 'Tojo' on the other three. I know a zero was a Japanese fighter but I think Betty was a small bomber, not sure what a Tojo was though. On the shoulder was a plain Army Air Force shoulder patch.
ON asking Ken if it was all original, he gave me this advice. 'If the decoration had been faked it would probably have been more highly decorated, usually pin up girl, and been 8th AAF'. And his best advice, "Smell it, if it smells of paint beware' It didnt smell of paint, just American leather.
No decoration other than that.
Not a brilliant picture, taken with one of those old 110 film cameras. Anyone eagle eyed enough to know the maker(Andrew?)

Jacket next to this one is my Aero/not Aero Unknown maker 15th AAF jacket, bought in August 1983(Also from The Thrift Shop)
John

 

[bretron]

Thrift shop bragging rights

 

[ButteMT61]

Hi ButteMT, I just thought you may like to see this. It was the first original A2 I owned. I purchased it from Ken Calders old Thrift Shop in Battersea, London, around May 1983. Price, £130Cant remember the maker but the hide was a goatskin and all the decoration was hand painted, Cuffs, waistband replaced with a very dark brown knit, original zip and lining, size, around a 40-42. The small white rectangles are 'kills'. If I remember there was a red disc on a white background with the word 'Zero' written in black paint on one and 'Betty' and 'Tojo' on the other three. I know a zero was a Japanese fighter but I think Betty was a small bomber, not sure what a Tojo was though. On the shoulder was a plain Army Air Force shoulder patch.ON asking Ken if it was all original, he gave me this advice. 'If the decoration had been faked it would probably have been more highly decorated, usually pin up girl, and been 8th AAF'. And his best advice, "Smell it, if it smells of paint beware' It didnt smell of paint, just American leather.No decoration other than that.Not a brilliant picture, taken with one of those old 110 film cameras. Anyone eagle eyed enough to know the maker(Andrew?)Jacket next to this one is my Aero/not Aero Unknown maker 15th AAF jacket, bought in August 1983(Also from The Thrift Shop)John

THANK YOU for posting this! I guess you no longer have it? I've never seen one that was (apparently) real like that. I have two of my dad's original patches here at home from his D-1. The jacket may be a Cable (?) I'd sure love to find one like that! Thanks again. That's a great pic for me to show him.Scott

 

[rocketeer]

Thrift shop bragging rights

Do you know of the Thrift shop Battersea? I have better 'Bragging' rights than most , even if I say it myself(Watch this space)

THANK YOU for posting this! I guess you no longer have it? I've never seen one that was (apparently) real like that. I have two of my dad's original patches here at home from his D-1. The jacket may be a Cable (?) I'd sure love to find one like that! Thanks again. That's a great pic for me to show him.Scott

Sorry Scott, long gone. This one was a little on the short side when I bought it so traded it up after about six months for another A2.
My dad, sadly gone now 35 years, volunteered the day war broke out here in England. He was unfit for military service due to a motorcycle accident but spent the war in the volunteer fire service(The Bells Go Down)
John

 

[ButteMT61]

Do you know of the Thrift shop Battersea? I have better 'Bragging' rights than most , even if I say it myself(Watch this space) Sorry Scott, long gone. This one was a little on the short side when I bought it so traded it up after about six months for another A2. My dad, sadly gone now 35 years, volunteered the day war broke out here in England. He was unfit for military service due to a motorcycle accident but spent the war in the volunteer fire service(The Bells Go Down)John

Sorry about your Dad John. I'm lucky to still have mine.I had some leather patches made for the D-1 I am going to have made for him. He now lives in Colorado and can use it in the winters.BTW, my dad was stationed in Bicester, England when he was in the USAF in the 50's.

 

[rocketeer]

Sorry about your Dad John. I'm lucky to still have mine.I had some leather patches made for the D-1 I am going to have made for him. He now lives in Colorado and can use it in the winters.BTW, my dad was stationed in Bicester, England when he was in the USAF in the 50's.

Just looked Bicester up on the Google maps, look closely and you can still make out the grassed over runways.

Off to Aero now to order a new Teamster, appropriately I will be wearing it to go to work though not as a truck driver but on the railways.

 

[ButteMT61]

Just looked Bicester up on the Google maps, look closely and you can still make out the grassed over runways.Off to Aero now to order a new Teamster, appropriately I will be wearing it to go to work though not as a truck driver but on the railways.

Enjoy! My uncle operated a train museum in Montana for decades. My dad and his buddy travel the country taking some of the big steam trains when they do their annual runs. Nothing like 'em. Post pics when you get the new hide!

 

[Narodnik]

I'll see that, and raise you this: note original Lightning zips...

[/IMG]

Hey. I have the same jacket, but without the tag. Do you have any info on this jacket? Its the exact same one! I cant read the label from your picture.

Thanks!

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Quick question about patina: A little while ago I posted about finding a cool AMF Harley 70's motorcycle jacket at a garage sale (size 46). I have since then gone a little crazy and decided to find one that was a little smaller (size 42) and ended up finding a fantastic deal on ebay for the same jacket. It came the other week and it fits perfectly and has incredible patina. The thing is, it's pretty dry and needs to be conditioned. If I use a paste type conditioner like Dr. Matrens Wonder Balsam will the Patina darken too much to be noticed? I'm trying to figure out how to condition this without ruining the patina.
I'm having a zipper re-stichted on it right now but will post some pics when I get it back.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Quick question about patina: A little while ago I posted about finding a cool AMF Harley 70's motorcycle jacket at a garage sale (size 46). I have since then gone a little crazy and decided to find one that was a little smaller (size 42) and ended up finding a fantastic deal on ebay for the same jacket. It came the other week and it fits perfectly and has incredible patina. The thing is, it's pretty dry and needs to be conditioned. If I use a paste type conditioner like Dr. Matrens Wonder Balsam will the Patina darken too much to be noticed? I'm trying to figure out how to condition this without ruining the patina.
I'm having a zipper re-stichted on it right now but will post some pics when I get it back.

What ever you do..be careful. A friend I ride with put 'mink oil' on his vintage MC jacket(eBay purchase) that 'had' tons of patina. He insists on Mink oiling everything that's leather. Sadly it darkened and blended all of the charactor off of the jacket.
Others here would know better than I about which conditioner is best to still allow the patina to show. As far as I can remember..all I've used is a little Lexol on dry areas.
HD

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks for the info HD...that's why I'm nervous about what product and how much to use. I'm considering doing a very small test patch somewhere on the jacket that isn't highly visible just to see how it turns out.

 

[too much coffee]

Yep, Lexol may not be the most sophisticted leather product out there but it is probably the safest.

 

[Mojo1975]

Quick question about patina: A little while ago I posted about finding a cool AMF Harley 70's motorcycle jacket at a garage sale (size 46). I have since then gone a little crazy and decided to find one that was a little smaller (size 42) and ended up finding a fantastic deal on ebay for the same jacket. It came the other week and it fits perfectly and has incredible patina. The thing is, it's pretty dry and needs to be conditioned. If I use a paste type conditioner like Dr. Matrens Wonder Balsam will the Patina darken too much to be noticed? I'm trying to figure out how to condition this without ruining the patina.
I'm having a zipper re-stichted on it right now but will post some pics when I get it back.

We get a lot of jackets with tons of patina, but hard as cardboard from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The best stuff in the world, and I mean THE BEST, is Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator!

www.insurrectionvintage.com

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Hey mojo
Does it darken the leather..and erase much of the patina?
HD

 

[Mojo1975]

Hey mojo
Does it darken the leather..and erase much of the patina?
HD

Not only does it bring the leather back to life, it allows highly patina-ed pieces to live on by not destroying the thread and bringing the leather back to life. You could say that it darkens the leather a bit, but I would say that it's more accurate to say that Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator allows the grain of the leather to come out and it adds contrast to each and every piece. You should see what it does to an Aero...beautiful stuff!!!

www.insurrectionvintage.com

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks for the info Mojo. I totally appreciate it and keep trying to come up with an excuse to get over to Seattle so I can check out your shop! I'll check out the Dr. Jackson's for sure.

 

[Dinerman]

Some before and afters

 

[MissoulaGriz]

Thanks Dinerman...these photos really help. So basically, it darkens the leather and the patina a shade or two.