Applying Obenauf's Boot Preservative to a leather jacket

[red devil]

It seems to me that RRL / Ralph Lauren is not 'TFL approved'. As @Monitor mentioned, they are not being discussed and when people do show their RRL jackets, they don't receive much praise. Some time ago I had one listed on the classifieds section. No interest at all.

I've easily handled a few hundred Ralph Lauren jackets. Some are really really bad but others are absolutely great. This Polo Ralph Lauren Hercules copy survived for 20 years and judging by the patina, it has been extensively worn. There must be something good about this jacket to survive this long, right?

I agree that RRL jackets in general are overpriced. They're not worth their MSRP imo. But what jacket is? Is a Himel worth it's price? Some people would disagree, yet we do discuss Himel here on TFL.

Is there a 'negative hype' around Ralph Lauren that I don't know about?

What's not to like about this jacket? Honest feedback is more than welcome

View attachment 310133

This looks good to me. I have been to the RRL shop in London shop once, and it was just terrible stuff and might have probably written them off too quickly?

I don't know if there is negative hype, but people associate them with the fashion world where you pay a lot more for branding then the end product. While people here are more focused on the end product in general.

That being said there is also a trend for people being only interested in brand name even here, just utter the word "shinki" or "CXL" for example.

I think your mention of Himel is very on point, as from what I can see, he is trying to do things like a fashion brand, as in build a story, be a character, and charge fashion prices... He is focusing more on the experience than the end products as far as I can tell.

 

[Harris HTM]

It seems to me that RRL / Ralph Lauren is not 'TFL approved'. As @Monitor mentioned, they are not being discussed and when people do show their RRL jackets, they don't receive much praise. Some time ago I had one listed on the classifieds section. No interest at all.

I've easily handled a few hundred Ralph Lauren jackets. Some are really really bad but others are absolutely great. This Polo Ralph Lauren Hercules copy survived for 20 years and judging by the patina, it has been extensively worn. There must be something good about this jacket to survive this long, right?

I agree that RRL jackets in general are overpriced. They're not worth their MSRP imo. But what jacket is? Is a Himel worth it's price? Some people would disagree, yet we do discuss Himel here on TFL.

Is there a 'negative hype' around Ralph Lauren that I don't know about?

What's not to like about this jacket? Honest feedback is more than welcome

View attachment 310133

I guess this is a photo from this week right? I admire you man, I couldn't get outside the house without my B-3 or N-3B.
Great jacket by the way. "What's not to like about this jacket"? That it is not mine.

 

[Marc mndt]

I guess this is a photo from this week right? I admire you man, I couldn't get outside the house without my B-3 or N-3B.
Great jacket by the way. "What's not to like about this jacket"? That it is not mine.

This photo was taken yesterday. -2 celcius but this quilted lining did a surprisingly good job in keeping me warm.

 

[Monitor]

This looks good to me. I have been to the RRL shop in London shop once, and it was just terrible stuff and might have probably written them off too quickly?

I don't know if there is negative hype, but people associate them with the fashion world where you pay a lot more for branding then the end product. While people here are more focused on the end product in general.

That being said there is also a trend for people being only interested in brand name even here, just utter the word "shinki" or "CXL" for example.

I think your mention of Himel is very on point, as from what I can see, he is trying to do things like a fashion brand, as in build a story, be a character, and charge fashion prices... He is focusing more on the experience than the end products as far as I can tell.

Well said and that's exactly the thing - RRL has been mentioned in the context of "fashion" here before, while the moniker somehow seems to avoid makers like Himel, RMC, Thedi, et cetera which to me are the pinnacle of heritage inspired fashion. I do not mean that as a negative thing, of course - on the contrary, it's great to see different makers tackling same old styles in a new, fresh way - but there is a double criteria if a sort going on here, one that I don't quite understand.

RRL stuff that I have seen and owned wasn't much behind top tier makers and it certainly looks nicer and is better made than most Schott stuff. Yet we never see any posts here from people proudly wearing their RRL leather jackets.

All this talk of trucker jackets and no mention on what is possibly the coolest, best looking shearling sherpa on the market today - Or ever, for that matter.

 

[DrMacabre]

For those living in europe, you can use Delara leather grease available on amazon, it’s probably the same product, a mixture of oil and wax I’ve been using on my boots and leathers for some time now.

and yes, it makes jackets squeak

 

[yellowfever]

Great post, and thanks for sharing. I use Pecard's leather dressing and have had good luck with it consistently darkening. Might be worth a try. It is similar in consistency to the Obenauf's. Pecard's makes an oil which is essentially the same product, but it is less messy and soaks in much quicker.

For rejuvenating old leather and bringing out its character, Saphir Renovator is the best I have found. It's expensive, but a little goes a long way. It does not darken. I follow that up with Saphir's leather cream. If I want to cover up some scratches and spots, Saphir offers a number of different cream colors for matching. One can apply multiple coats, buffing between coats. The end result is impressive.

I’ve got Pecards too, it’s decent stuff (though some are put off by it apparently having petroleum spirits in it as a carrier - doesn’t bother me and no bad smell I can notice). My own experience is that it doesn’t darken leather any more than any other product (ie not much). But of course that is generally a good thing unless you actually want to darken your leather.

+1 for Saphir products in general. Saphir have a huge and somewhat confusing range of leather care products, essentially aimed at owners of high end shoes. Everything is expensive and in small quantities. But hey it’s French! And says “Paris” on the jar. (Speaking of hype ).

Given the costs small items like shoes/belts may seem it’s best match. Though I guess given what some of our jackets cost, care product costs may not matter too much. The Saphir rénovateur mink oil based médaille d’or 1925 comes in a small glass jar that looks like it contains one of those high end face creams 18 year old models advertise to keep your skin young. Normally with ‘“serum” in the name. This particular Saphir product is made from bees wax and mink oil and does a good job (though mink oil is controversial with some - again who knows what to believe, I’ve never had an issue with it FWTW).

Confusingly there is also rénovateur crème in small tubes which comes in a variety of colours. It looks like oil paints for artists! These will colour your leather to whatever shade you pick. You wipe it in, leave it briefly then buff it off. I’ve successfully used it for edge dressing boots and shoes (one of its main uses), plus it did a great job of covering up damage on my 80 year old vintage Elvo leather coat (ie blending in scratches and stains). You can get a colour chart (even that’s expensive!) with holes in it so you can find the best match...

If you need to dye something, saphir leather dyes work well (with the usual caveat - you can dye leather from lighter to darker shades, but not the other way around). I used this to dye a replacement leather belt buckle to match when restoring my Elvo coat, worked really well and still looks great years later despite this being a high wear area.

Of course if you’re dying something, once it’s done it’s done, there’s no going back here (unlike the rénovateur coloured crème which you can strip off if you use something suitably aggressive like Saphir Renomat). Though I did find the Renomat leather stripper less effective that Hussard stain remover when restoring my 80 year old vintage leather Elvo coat. So if it’s a stubborn issue then I’d choose this (I tried maybe 6 or 7 different options and only the Hussard could get the job done on one particularly difficult mark...).

 

[Marc mndt]

If you need to dye something, saphir leather dyes work well

How does that work? Do yo need to bath the jacket in dye or can you just apply it with a brush or cloth?

 

[Coriu]

Well said and that's exactly the thing - RRL has been mentioned in the context of "fashion" here before, while the moniker somehow seems to avoid makers like Himel, RMC, Thedi, et cetera which to me are the pinnacle of heritage inspired fashion. I do not mean that as a negative thing, of course - on the contrary, it's great to see different makers tackling same old styles in a new, fresh way - but there is a double criteria if a sort going on here, one that I don't quite understand.

RRL stuff that I have seen and owned wasn't much behind top tier makers and it certainly looks nicer and is better made than most Schott stuff. Yet we never see any posts here from people proudly wearing their RRL leather jackets.

Very interesting points, Monitor. I think people are missing out by dismissing certain brands as "fashion" and assuming they are only marginally interested in the end product. It can be fun and rewarding to "hunt" amongst the designer brands and find that rare gem at a great price, but one has to be open-minded to do so. I find that some people make questionable assumptions, ie that Company "X" has more jacket design knowledge, better hides, and/or more skilled craftsmen than Company "Y."

For instance, some people rave about Lost Worlds jackets. Their factory is not open to the public, I have not found any videos of their operations on line, I cannot find where they source their raw materials, nor can I find out anything about the bios of their craftsmen. Why? Without such knowledge, anyone buying a LW jacket today is potentially doing so based upon the brand name and past product. How is that any different than the public buying a Ralph Lauren product because of its name? I believe this is the double standard of which you speak, Monitor.

 

[Marc mndt]

@Coriu I cannot quote your post but...

For instance, some people rave about Lost Worlds jackets. Their factory is not open to the public, I have not found any videos of their operations on line, I cannot find where they source their raw materials, nor can I find out anything about the bios of their craftsmen. Why? Without such knowledge, anyone buying a LW jacket today is potentially doing so based upon the brand name and past product. How is that any different than the public buying a Ralph Lauren product because of its name? I believe this is the double standard of which you speak, Monitor.

We've seen pics of LW's workshop here on the lounge and If I remember correctly some members even paid them a visit.

 

[58panheadfan]

Undoubtedly, when it comes to design, the RRL jackets are often made very nicely. The jackets that I personally held in my hands were also very good in terms of quality. Beside the fashion theme, mentioned above for me personally, the RRL jackets are a no go because of the "made in china" label. I do without "made in china" wherever I can ...

 

[Harris HTM]

I also use exclusively Saphir D'Or products for my shoes. I'd say be careful with renovateur: while a great product for most types of leathers, it stained a pair of Shinki Shell Cordovans.

 

[Marc mndt]

Undoubtedly, when it comes to design, the RRL jackets are often made very nicely. The jackets that I personally held in my hands were also very good in terms of quality. Beside the fashion theme, mentioned above for me personally, the RRL jackets are a no go because of the "made in china" label. I do without "made in china" wherever I can ...

USA or Japan made gems can be found. These are cloth examples but they also had some USA made leather jackets back in the 90s. They are rare though.

 

[58panheadfan]

USA or Japan made gems can be found...

I know, therefore I asked you about the label at your jacket However the newer stuff I have seen vom RRL was "made in China"... there is a reason for that, greed for profit, otherwise ralph wouldn't be able to drive his 5 million bugatti regularly - LOL!

 

[MrProper]

How does that work? Do yo need to bath the jacket in dye or can you just apply it with a brush or cloth?

I have to look, but I have Fiebings or Tandy Eco Flo paints and they just apply. I haven't tried this on a jacket yet.
And you have to seal the paint afterwards because it is not waterproof. Or switch to Fiebings Oil dye

 

[Mich486]

I like RRL and their leather jacket designs imho are pretty cool. I’m not going to argue that the leather is as nice as what we normally discuss here or the tag prices are justified but there is imho also a bit of snobbery as in “nothing good can come out from mainstream brands”.

RRL is one of the first western brands (probably the first on such a scale) that revived golden era designs.

 

[Coriu]

I know, therefore I asked you about the label at your jacket However the newer stuff I have seen vom RRL was "made in China"... there is a reason for that, greed for profit, otherwise ralph wouldn't be able to drive his 5 million bugatti regularly - LOL!

Greed is part of it, sir. But in the US we have a huge shortage of tradespeople. If I opened a leather jacket factory next year, I would struggle mightily to find people to work there. We Americans bitch about things made in China, but the reality is that most young people today have no interest in working in factories.

 

[Coriu]

This is one of my "designer" jackets...dark brown deerskin. I don't own a single piece of clothing by this designer, and admittedly had a negative perception of them because of their trendy nature. I think such a jacket provides a compromise for someone who wants an "edgy" but dressy look and does not want to haul around 8 pounds of leather and/or look like a tinman in a HH jacket that has not been broken in. Just showing what cool stuff can be found if one has an open mind.

 

[Rgcards]

I have a polo jacket I got in 1996 that is amazing. I think rrl makes nice stuff. I also think some made in china stuff can be very nice, or at least isn't inherently bad. My problem is when the charge so much for stuff, but then pay the workers pennies. Id rather over pay for a schott made in the us, knowing that at least some of that money is going back to my community

 

[yellowfever]

How does that work? Do yo need to bath the jacket in dye or can you just apply it with a brush or cloth?

It comes in a bottle with an applicator - a sort of small round sponge thing on the end of a metal stick. After first cleaning the leather to strip away any oils, waxes etc, you rub the dye on the surface using the applicator and let it soak in and air dry. You can apply more coats after it’s dry if you want. Afterwards condition/polish.

Be warned, like all things Saphir in comes in small quantities (50 ml bottles) so not sure how far it would stretch for eg dying an entire jacket - you’d need to be sure it would go far enough for each coat, as if you run out half way through doing a coat you might never get it properly matched afterwards...

My own experience of it is limited to dying a small leather covered belt buckle from tan to dark brown to match old old vintage coat and doing some small touch ups on the coat itself and it worked great for that. I chose from the vast range of colours using the colour chart to get a perfect match (though you can also blend dyes if needs be), cleaned the leather buckle/touch up areas thoroughly first, then gave it three coats allowing each to completely dry before the next. Then I gave it the same matched colour rénovateur crème to bring the lustre back.

You can’t get a much higher wear area than a friction close leather covered belt buckle and it is still perfect after several years, totally blends with the jacket and belt and other than its surprisingly good condition for a buckle on an old jacket, it looks like it’s always been part of the jacket...

more info here on the Saphir dye here

https://www.shoecare-shop.eu/teinture-francaise-shoe-dye.html

i hope that’s useful.

 

[Marc mndt]

It comes in a bottle with an applicator - a sort of small round sponge thing on the end of a metal stick. After first cleaning the leather to strip away any oils, waxes etc, you rub the dye on the surface using the applicator and let it soak in and air dry. You can apply more coats after it’s dry if you want. Afterwards condition/polish.

Be warned, like all things Saphir in comes in small quantities (50 ml bottles) so not sure how far it would stretch for eg dying an entire jacket - you’d need to be sure it would go far enough for each coat, as if you run out half way through doing a coat you might never get it properly matched afterwards...

My own experience of it is limited to dying a small leather covered belt buckle from tan to dark brown to match old old vintage coat and doing some small touch ups on the coat itself and it worked great for that. I chose from the vast range of colours using the colour chart to get a perfect match (though you can also blend dyes if needs be), cleaned the leather buckle/touch up areas thoroughly first, then gave it three coats allowing each to completely dry before the next. Then I gave it the same matched colour rénovateur crème to bring the lustre back.

You can’t get a much higher wear area than a friction close leather covered belt buckle and it is still perfect after several years, totally blends with the jacket and belt and other than its surprisingly good condition for a buckle on an old jacket, it looks like it’s always been part of the jacket...

more info here on the Saphir dye here

https://www.shoecare-shop.eu/teinture-francaise-shoe-dye.html

i hope that’s useful.

Thanks for explaining. Great info.

After first cleaning the leather to strip away any oils, waxes etc

That might be a problem. I would have to strip a lot of oils and waxes. A quarter of a jar to be precise hehe.
I think for now I'll leave it as is. Although I would have preferred it a shade darker, it's a nice looking jacket. Good enough to wear and enjoy it.