Change hardware color

[jay_cali]

I once ordered a custom G-1 from Shaul so that I could specify the shoulder, chest, back, and arm length measurements. The turnaround time was amazingly fast, I paid for the jacket online Sunday evening and received it that Wednesday. Unfortunately, none of the measurements I specified were correct Chest and shoulders were both at least an inch bigger and the body length was 2 inches longer than I had asked for. I sent off an angry email to which he replied that I should send the jacket back and he would fix it. He was not at all apologetic and I got the distinct feeling that he didn’t really give a damn.
From the photos you have posted the jacket looks quite nice, but I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing similar (or worse) treatment from U.S. Authentic.

Apart from shoulders, I can still accept other minor things. My calls are going directly to voicemail, so I think he has blocked me. I clearly said I need exact sizing, he added his tolerance limit to all. He is still not accepting his mistake and was mad since I wanted him to redo shoulders. not keeping this for sure.

 

[jay_cali]

@El Marro Did he fixed the shoulders?

 

[El Marro]

@El Marro Did he fixed the shoulders?

Jay,
I was so frustrated after reading his email that I decided to try the hot water treatment, followed by an hour in the dryer on high, to see if I could shrink the jacket myself. Believe it or not this worked magnificently and the jacket shrunk down to almost precisely the size I wanted it to. The grain on the goatskin really popped out as well.
I have heard others here strongly caution against using HWT on goatskin but it worked for me.

 

[jay_cali]

@El Marro but thats temporary right? does horsehide has same effect? its fit in other places and wont fit if I shrink more.

 

[El Marro]

@El Marro but thats temporary right? does horsehide has same effect? its fit in other places and wont fit if I shrink more.

Jay,
No, the shrinkage was quite permanent. It worked in my case because the jacket shrunk pretty uniformly and ended up where I wanted it. It does not sound like it would work for you because the areas of the jacket that fit perfectly now would almost certainly be too tight.
I have used HWT on a horsehide jacket from Aero and also had good results, again this was a jacket that was too big in every area and even now is still a slightly loose fit.
If you are not happy with your jacket, I think pursuing a remake from Shaul is a safer bet than attempting to shrink it with hot water.

 

[lucky23]

Yeah it is tbh. If they sent you something wildly different then that’s another story but those look within the same family (from what I can tell).
For example, these are all cordovan, different batches.
View attachment 160059 View attachment 160060 View attachment 160061

That 3rd Aero pic is my dream jacket. Really. No kidding.

 

[lucky23]

Apart from shoulders, I can still accept other minor things. My calls are going directly to voicemail, so I think he has blocked me. I clearly said I need exact sizing, he added his tolerance limit to all. He is still not accepting his mistake and was mad since I wanted him to redo shoulders. not keeping this for sure.

Custom is custom. If you're not satisfied, they should refund you, no questions asked.

 

[Carlos840]

Custom is custom. If you're not satisfied, they should refund you, no questions asked.

Apart from shoulders, I can still accept other minor things. My calls are going directly to voicemail, so I think he has blocked me. I clearly said I need exact sizing, he added his tolerance limit to all. He is still not accepting his mistake and was mad since I wanted him to redo shoulders. not keeping this for sure.

I'm not sure you guys get what custom means...
It doesn't mean "we will start again until you are 100% satisfied", it means "we will make a jacket to your given measurements within our allowed tolerance"
Every maker can decide what the acceptable tolerances are. Aero says 0.5", some apparently have a bit more.

In the gran scheme of things, 0.5" added or removed means very little. After a couple months of wear it will blend in. To some extent even 1" difference can disappear once the jacket is broken in.

 

[Guppy]

I'm not sure you guys get what custom means...
It doesn't mean "we will start again until you are 100% satisfied", it means "we will make a jacket to your given measurements within our allowed tolerance"
Every maker can decide what the acceptable tolerances are. Aero says 0.5", some apparently have a bit more.

In the gran scheme of things, 0.5" added or removed means very little. After a couple months of wear it will blend in. To some extent even 1" difference can disappear once the jacket is broken in.

Still, it's very difficult to understand why it's not possible to hit target measurements with greater precision. It can't be a matter of not being able to cut panels to precise measurements. Or of being able to put the stitch holes in exactly the same place relative to the edge of those panels. It must be an accumulation of many small margins of error. But to be an inch off seems pretty excessive.

 

[Carlos840]

Still, it's very difficult to understand why it's not possible to hit target measurements with greater precision. It can't be a matter of not being able to cut panels to precise measurements. Or of being able to put the stitch holes in exactly the same place relative to the edge of those panels. It must be an accumulation of many small margins of error. But to be an inch off seems pretty excessive.

I agree with you, but it seems this thread has gone from:

"The fit is perfect but i forgot to mention which specific hardware i wanted and because of that the maker used what he deemed standard for that jacket"

To:

"Shaul got everything wrong, he is entirely to blame for everything, i must now find as many things wrong with the jacket as possible and get my money back one way or another"

This seems like a massive change of heart that is IMO not fair on the maker.

 

[Guppy]

I agree with you, but it seems this thread has gone from:

"The fit is perfect but i forgot to mention which specific hardware i wanted and because of that the maker used what he deemed standard for that jacket"

To:

"Shaul got everything wrong, he is entirely to blame for everything, i must now find as many things wrong with the jacket as possible and get my money back one way or another"

This seems like a massive change of heart that is IMO not fair on the maker.

True. If the fit is really perfect, who cares if the measurements aren't right?

On the other hand I've tried on jackets and thought fit was fine on first impression, only to notice issues later.

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Color is one thing, but how do the panels compare in thickness, softness, and texture? As others have said, the colors will patina and slowly become a cohesive unit with time. But if the leather feels different, that is a whole other ball game. When I bought my letter jacket in high school...back when we did such things...each leather sleeve was a different thickness and a very different suppleness. One was perfect. It was soft and supple. The other was a mess. It was substantially thicker, didn't crease well, and hard. I was young and didn't know to/feel I should demand a replacement jacket, but I immediately didn't like the drastic difference. Because of this, I rarely wore the jacket. Every time I looked at it, it bugged the hell out of me. It was ultimately a waste of money. So I get your vibe here. if this is going to prevent you from wearing and/or enjoying the jacket, then what is the point of the jacket? On the other hand, swapping out hardware sounds like an invitation to screw it up. If it isn't to the point of preventing enjoyment, then it might be best to deal with it as is.

 

[handymike]

Hi All,

I received my custom jacket from U.S authentic today. The fitting is perfect but it came with gold hardware which was not discussed and I don’t like it. Have any of you tried changing the color ? I saw a YouTube video where she paints nail polish , but I think it’s not permanent atleast for zippers. Snaps stay a while .

Thanks ,

Try ammonia or "Liver of Sulphur". If left long enough, it will turn black though. I had good luck using Loctite Rust-neutralizer to turn a shiny brass belt buckle to a warm brown....

 

[seres]

Similar story here… I paid for a custom G-8 and gave the exact measures I wanted. It arrived with the P2P about 1.5 inches too big. I contacted Shaul and he said to send it back. A week or so later it came back, fixed.

If the jacket fits reasonably well now, just keep wearing it and it should mold to your shape. As for the hardware, I would leave it alone. It will tarnish with use and be fine.