Barbed Wire

[Hornet35]

You know, the stuff thats most likely to damage the wee beastie which donates its skin for your leather jacket.

What do folk think about this sort of marking on leather for a new jacket:

Not acceptable under any circumstance....
Acceptable as part of the leather's character and originality....
Acceptable only if located in areas generally hidden in every day use....
Depends on how bad it is.........

H35

 

[John in Covina]

Interesting question. I'd have to say that it would be the type of thing in which you'd have to evaluated the coat or jacket by seeing it and trying it on in front of a mirror like at the mens dept where ou can view yourself from a variety of angles. Also it would have to do with the purpose of said article, for a dress up item probably no, an outdoors rough-housing item, more likely yes.

Finally, if it is considered a defect, will the seller discount the item significantly to make it worth your while?

 

[John in Covina]

Interesting question. I'd have to say that it would be the type of thing in which you'd have to evaluate the coat or jacket by seeing it and trying it on in front of a mirror like at the mens dept where you can view yourself from a variety of angles. Also it would have to do with the purpose of said article, for a dress up item probably no, an outdoors rough-housing item, more likely yes.

Finally, if it is considered a defect, will the seller discount the item significantly to make it worth your while?

 

[Feraud]

I assume we are not talking about actual tears in leather but imperfections in the hide.
Marks on leather add character to a jacket.

 

[Black Prince]

It'd depend on the extent of the mark and the overall 'look' of the jacket, I think. If a sort of beaten-up ruggedness is the aim, then I expect barbed wire imperfections could really add to that. If one is going for an immaculate sheen, then possibly not.

 

[Hornet35]

I assume we are not talking about actual tears in leather but imperfections in the hide.
Marks on leather add character to a jacket.

No, not actual tears but, as you say, imperfections (scars) left by an old contact with the stuff. I guess too it depends on how much the leather is grained and therefore how much the mark appears to be part of the overall texture of the leather.

H35

 

[kevinblack]

Hi,

From what I've read, most of the manufacturers 'hand select' their leather. See the section at G&B - others have similar testimonials.

http://www.flightsuits.com/leather_leathers.html

So most 'new' jackets would be free of those sorts of marks (but may have colour variations). I'd be asking what the maker's leather selection criteria is. If they have already made a jacket for you, then see what their policy is regarding imperfections. Whilst these marks may add character, it is personal choice whether it's something you might (or might not) want on your new jacket.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[SamMarlowPI]

i tend to agree that if its going to be an outdoor beater jacket, if you will, than a small imperfection adds character to it...i don't think we would want to see a fella donning a jacket that Indy used making his way thru the temple of doom whilst dining in a restaurant that costs $50 just to sit downlol ...

 

[Black Prince]

On the subject of scratched leather, I wondered if anyone could advise on a problem with my black horsehide CHP jacket from Aero Leathers. It has a two-to-three inch scratch on the left sleeve, which is deep enough to reveal the buff-coloured hide below the black. I bought the jacket second-hand and love it, but I'd like to disguise the scratch mark if at all possible.

I've considered using plain black shoe-polish to hide it. This wouldn't damage the rest of the hide in any way, would it? Advice much appreciated.

 

[John in Covina]

black polish may not fill it in, but there used to be leather dyes for changing shoe colors. You might talk to a shoe repair man.

 

[KhalilSheikh]

To me it depends on the jacket...

...If I purchased a jacket new (off the rack or made for me), I would not accept it with such marks.
I would make an exception for vintage pieces. Two of my original wartime A-2 jackets have scars on some of the panels. I accept that, considering the effort to conserve resources and its historical value (at least to me).
When I see such scars on hides I always wonder how it happened...

 

[Vintage Betty]

On the subject of scratched leather, I wondered if anyone could advise on a problem with my black horsehide CHP jacket from Aero Leathers. It has a two-to-three inch scratch on the left sleeve, which is deep enough to reveal the buff-coloured hide below the black. I bought the jacket second-hand and love it, but I'd like to disguise the scratch mark if at all possible.

I've considered using plain black shoe-polish to hide it. This wouldn't damage the rest of the hide in any way, would it? Advice much appreciated.

I'd like to second the advice above. Bring it to your shoe repair person and ask their professional advice.

I keep thinking I'm Ms. "I can do it myself" but my shoe repair guy fixes all my leather mistakes. I finally gave up trying to do these types of projects myself, because he does such a fantastic job, and well...I don't.

Vintage Betty

 

[Vintage Betty]

You know, the stuff thats most likely to damage the wee beastie which donates its skin for your leather jacket.

What do folk think about this sort of marking on leather for a new jacket:

Not acceptable under any circumstance....
Acceptable as part of the leather's character and originality....
Acceptable only if located in areas generally hidden in every day use....
Depends on how bad it is.........

H35

I bought a jacket and never noticed this type of mark until much later (I think it was hidden under polish). Truth be told, it bugged me until I stopped wearing it, because I thought people could see the marking.

I personally wouldn't make that same mistake again for a brand-new jacket, and I'm much more careful with my inspections. With a used or vintage jacket, it would depend on the jacket and my desire to have it.

Where is the mark located?

Vintage Betty

 

[Black Prince]

I keep thinking I'm Ms. "I can do it myself" but my shoe repair guy fixes all my leather mistakes. I finally gave up trying to do these types of projects myself, because he does such a fantastic job, and well...I don't.

Thanks Betty. I too have a tendency to be a bit gung-ho in such circumstances - and I love the Aero police jacket enough that I really don't want to screw it up with a botched 'repair'. Will follow your advice!

 

[carebear]

In holsters at least scars are not considered acceptable. The maker will usually not use that piece of leather and if one slips though on a mass-produced item, will discount it significantly.

There's enough good, clean leather out there to not excuse producing a marked item, certainly not at full price.

 

[Hornet35]

I bought a jacket and never noticed this type of mark until much later (I think it was hidden under polish). Truth be told, it bugged me until I stopped wearing it, because I thought people could see the marking.

I personally wouldn't make that same mistake again for a brand-new jacket, and I'm much more careful with my inspections. With a used or vintage jacket, it would depend on the jacket and my desire to have it.

Where is the mark located?

Vintage Betty

My original post was a 'hypothetical' question and I wouldn't want to elaborate.