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Five Star Leather Jackets

Riu

Practically Family
Messages
703
Location
UK
Final color coat applied, I’m sure I’ve reached the saturation point and I’ve essentially turned the russet to seal. There’s a little copper tone showing which is cool. I have the satin sheen sealer that I’ll apply tomorrow. Then that’s it.
The moral of the story...Order black or seal and nothing else, unless you REALLY like chocolate milk;
Before:
View attachment 332669
After:
View attachment 332662 View attachment 332663 View attachment 332664

That's why I didn't order anything else but black. You can get away with black even if it's a bit duller but the lack of richness in the colours makes them too boring. A few people already said they didn't place an order with them because of the leather selection and I'm not surprised. I might try that CXL depending on what I see or just wait until they have better leathers.
 

PilotJens

A-List Customer
Messages
340
Is the cxl ready to be ordered?

I want to see more aniline dyed hides without topcoat. My issue with the hides colour is that they mimic the colour of the high end aniline hides but lack the character because it is a flat top colour .For example the conic looks like slightly aged vachetta but more like a single colour code grabed with a photo from the internet.
The quality of the hide is very good and they certainly look very appealing with certain styles and with a little shiny top coat or a buffing at home but they are not really the best choice for heritage style jackets .

But we have to give them time .They already do the best they can . There have been some failure story's about companies directed by forum members .I don't want five star to be one of them . I really want to see more companies escaping fast fashion to a certain degree .

These companies are highly capable .My jackets are a very small size and my Cossack was stiched like a expensive bespoke order which is difficult because of the small cuff openings .
 
Messages
17,476
Location
Chicago
Ok back to being not happy. Applied the sheen topcoat and the dye bled right off. It’s personal now. I don’t even care if I destroy this ******** thing. I’m literally thinking about hitting it with a belt sander. As much as I love the fit and design, the “russet” hide sucks ass.
ED6E7EC6-371C-4F22-B8EF-09BD4BAB9892.jpeg

B50F9477-9A01-41C9-9665-5C4F5F924D51.jpeg
 

TREEMAN

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,560
Location
USA
Ok back to being not happy. Applied the sheen topcoat and the dye bled right off. It’s personal now. I don’t even care if I destroy this ******** thing. I’m literally thinking about hitting it with a belt sander. As much as I love the fit and design, the “russet” hide sucks ass.
View attachment 332927
View attachment 332928
I know whenever I talk like that it’s time to put whatever it is away before it gets injured.
 

Jin431

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,912
Location
Bay Area CA
Ok back to being not happy. Applied the sheen topcoat and the dye bled right off. It’s personal now. I don’t even care if I destroy this ******** thing. I’m literally thinking about hitting it with a belt sander. As much as I love the fit and design, the “russet” hide sucks ass.
View attachment 332927
View attachment 332928

Bummer. Any idea what it is that's lacking with 5* leather dyeing technique? I think the hides itself are of good quality but their processing could be better.
 

Wardo1974

A-List Customer
Messages
330
Hey Ton, I didn't read your entire saga...I gather you're trying to change the colour of the jacket.

I've successfully done this with boots and a jacket myself. Step A is acetone all over to strip the original colour. Then dye. Black shoe cream can even work to get rid of the coppery sheen, just buff it nice on top and any residue that's going to come off does, but the leather stays black. Just an idea.

I'm worried if my dark brown "CXL" jacket is going to look right when it arrives...
 
Messages
17,476
Location
Chicago
Hey Ton, I didn't read your entire saga...I gather you're trying to change the colour of the jacket.

I've successfully done this with boots and a jacket myself. Step A is acetone all over to strip the original colour. Then dye. Black shoe cream can even work to get rid of the coppery sheen, just buff it nice on top and any residue that's going to come off does, but the leather stays black. Just an idea.

I'm worried if my dark brown "CXL" jacket is going to look right when it arrives...
Yeah the color was horrible and not even close to the pics I’d seen on FB and the web. There must be something in the tan age that resists water based dye. I hosed it off, now it’s in the dryer. Tomorrow I will take 1200 grit to it and Acetone what’s left. Not sure what I’ll do after that. Maybe just mad max it and wear as is.
If I were you I wouldn’t worry. From what I can tell that hide looks infinitely better.
 

Wardo1974

A-List Customer
Messages
330
Hope you're right. This is a jacket in the same colour Shawn sent. I think, worst case I'd put black over it.
 

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Messages
17,476
Location
Chicago
That’s Hh’s jacket. I’d be curious to see how close the Shawn-XL is to what’s pictured there (which is actual CXL).
Has Shawn made a jacket in his own SXL hide that we can see? Lots of pics that look like the hide he was sent by Hh but I haven’t seen one of his own it his stuff.
 

Wardo1974

A-List Customer
Messages
330
I didn't know that. He sent this pic to me saying this is how the darker CXL he made looks...I assumed it was the actual leather. If it's really like this I'd be thrilled. The lighter brown in an actual jacket he made looks more like natural CXL, not for me.

I'd guess if he had a jacket yet he'd send a pic. Mine might be among the first. He told me today though there will be a slowdown, as there is a 3 day national holiday and then Covid related restrictions on movement after.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,836
Location
East Java
acetone will strip everything that is reachable to strip, but then there is color trapped in the seams, in the needle holes, and it is a real task to acetone off the entire jacket. water based dye is normally for naked vegtan project.

I think rather than stripping the base color, its better to just hit it with lighter fluid, and try to coat it again, accept uneven ness , aim for antiquing effect.

however well you coat it, later it will age and show the color underneath again, so just give effect to it, make it livelier.

and not all brown color works with blue jeans, gotta accept that, wear it with other pants.
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,836
Location
East Java
from picture here I imagine the choco brown is like my highschool pants uniform I had to live with 4days a week, matching color is white/ ivory/ greyish white and green sage/ greyish sage/ and olive perhaps grey pants too.
 

MrProper

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,287
Location
Europe
Unfortunately the main problem: the absolutely lousy camera that completely falsifies the colors.
Russet in particular is a disaster. that's all chocolate.
seal and black is good. What I like about seal is that it's dark seal.
at russet it seems to me as if there is too much topcoat on it.
I'm curious how the cxl is actually. until I know that, I'll stay with goat in seal and black.
I will definitely not order russet anymore.
 

Carlos840

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,944
Location
London
That’s Hh’s jacket. I’d be curious to see how close the Shawn-XL is to what’s pictured there (which is actual CXL).
Has Shawn made a jacket in his own SXL hide that we can see? Lots of pics that look like the hide he was sent by Hh but I haven’t seen one of his own it his stuff.

It's a bit dodgy of them to use CXL as an example of their own leather...
I doubt they managed to make a perfect copy of CXL overnight!
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,836
Location
East Java
isn't HH's a bit browner/ not as red, and if you compare the side adjuster buckle, it is the other way around than HH's.

isn't this what bread and butter, Oil Pull Up leather or Crazy Horse leather look like? when new they kinda look alike? do they mention combination tan? if they are just chrometan infused with oil and wax, then it won't age into anything interesting looking in texture, not much graining.
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,476
Location
Chicago
I started he acetone bath last night. Actually I’m hitting it with fieblings deglazer. I only did the rear yoke but it does seem like this will take it to a near natural color. I may leave it that way or next stop would be an alcohol based dye. If that doesn’t work I’ll feed this through a wood chipper.
 

Riu

Practically Family
Messages
703
Location
UK
I started he acetone bath last night. Actually I’m hitting it with fieblings deglazer. I only did the rear yoke but it does seem like this will take it to a near natural color. I may leave it that way or next stop would be an alcohol based dye. If that doesn’t work I’ll feed this through a wood chipper.

I'm curious how it looks. Shame the dye bled as I thought the colour was getting much better.
 

PilotJens

A-List Customer
Messages
340
I would definitely scratch the surface to see the leather underneath.Maybe the russet topcoat sits on top and the mahagonie is underneath .I did this with a russet steer hide boot that now has a really nice patina . Every
Time the top coat wears of the mahagonie will surface .

Just use 70% acetone and 30% water .The fiebings deglazer is a rip off in my opinion
 

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