Help I think I ruined my Aero Premiere Half Belt

[JM7]

I'd throw it in a large sink with lots of water and Dawn.
Agitate the heck out of it then just let it sit for a few hours.
Rinse it thoroughly then let it air dry or toss it in the dryer on low.
Worth a shot.

I'll try it, I used Dawn & hot water first, then water & baking soda, then water saddle soap. It actually looks a little less hideous.

 

[JM7]

Your brown Aero Half-belt is ruined beyond repair - But - your new black Aero Half-belt is really cool!

I doubt it the stains will go away even through several machine-washing sessions and any solution that might de-grease enough soaked-up motor oil for the stains to fade, will also affect the oils present in the leather to the extent I altogether am not willing to risk messing with.

Thus, as far as damage control goes, I don't believe you can do anything to remedy the situation. Even less-prominent, the stains wouldn't ever fully disappear and the jacket wouldn't look any less shabby. Stains are hideous.

On the bright side, think of what has happened as basically a beginning of a dyeing process which, in many ways, it is so you might as well simply finish the job and enjoy your new jet-black Half-belt.

Thank you for your response. Do you happen to know if I can have it dyed black ? It's natural right now or at least it was. I was thinking of taking it to Johnson's Leather in the City

 

[JM7]

This might sound a little crazy, but have you tried to wash the oil out with Dawn dish washing liquid. Dawn does a good job removing oil. Try it in a small place first and rinse and let dry. The bad thing is leather will soak up oil like a sponge, but I have even used paint thinner to remove stains on leather then dawn dish washing soap, rinsed let dry then applied Neatsfoot oil, the leather will look darker for a little while but after it dries it returns to its natural color. That is a nice jacket, if I had it I would be willing to try any type of cleaner to get the oil out, the leather might dry out some, but after a few light applications of neatsfoot oil it would soften up.

I actually did that first, it made it better but I'm thinking of having it dyed black at this point, thank you for your response too !!

 

[Monitor]

Thank you for your response. Do you happen to know if I can have it dyed black ? It's natural right now or at least it was. I was thinking of taking it to Johnson's Leather in the City

Yes you can, absolutely and without much worry. You can either send it in to JL's for a professional re-dye (provided it is a service they provide) or you can DIY with Fiebing's Leather Dye for instance, with which many a member here had great results.

Once again would I advise against any and all attempts to get the stains out as best anyone can do is speculate on the result which in all likelihood will at best, yield no improvement - Since nothing short of a complete disappearance of the stains can, in my view, be considered success - or might even further complicate things (shrinkage, damage, further discoloration, etc.).

As drastic as it may seem, dyeing the jacket black is guaranteed to make it wearable again.

Well, presentable, actually. Not that it isn't wearable at this point.

 

[Carlos840]

Once again would I advise against any and all attempts to get the stains out as best anyone can do is speculate on the result which in all likelihood will at best, yield no improvement - Since nothing short of a complete disappearance of the stains can, in my view, be considered success - or might even further complicate things (shrinkage, damage, further discoloration, etc.).

+1 to that, i would not try to remove the stains too agressively, you don't want to damage the top coat, the stitching or the integrity of the leather.
As Monitor says, i don't htink you'll find a way to remove the stain, all you will do is risk making things worst.
I would just dye it a darker colour and use it as my beater jacket.

 

[Guppy]

I've seen re-dyes trying to hide a stain, but all it does is show the stain through the dye. You'd need a non-aniline dye that is more like a paint, to topcoat the entire jacket, and that will be next to impossible to penetrate into the seams.

I'd first try to get as much of the oil out, with Dawn detergent and what ever other suggestions, recondition the leather, and reassess, and then maybe dye it.

Another way to go is to lean into it, by applying motor oil to the entire jacket, embracing whatever effect it may have as though you're conditioning it with the oil. That way it should at least be more consistently stained throughout, which might not look as bad. But depending on the chemistry of the original tannage the results might still not be desirable.

Before doing anything else, I'd write to Aero and send photos and ask their advice. They will tell you the best way to proceed.

 

[ton312]

^This. Dye won’t cover the oil. It’s changed the composition of the leather and the dye won’t adhere to the oil spot. I would aggressively coat the jacket in oil (Not motor oil, try obernaufs or something similar first) but an oil based conditioner. Then bake it in the sun. I would like to see a picture of the stain if possible.

 

[oneterrifichog]

I would suggest that rather than using the jacket as a "beater" after dying it black why not just use it as a beater jacket period. First I would first find out if dye would even take on the infected area? Second the cost of dying the jacket could go toward a new purchase from Aero to use for normal wear saving the old Patina filled jacket for kicking around and that full on funky look when you need to go to the hardware store or other serious chores where you need a jacket and don't mind getting it messed up.

Just a thought

 

[Darrell2688]

After washing the leather with Dawn dish liquid, hang it up and let it air dry, applying heat may cause some shrinkage in the leather. The leather will soak up any oil applied to it, so if you decide to change the color, you will need to get as much of the motor oil out as you can. You could contact Fiebing's Leather Dye company and tell them about the oil stains, ask for suggestions for removing the oil stains or a dye to use on the leather. Fiebing's has a couple different dyes, some are oil-based dye and if you're going to change the color, oil-based dye would be the best way. Leather used for jackets is light weight and some dyes will actually dry out the leather causing it to shrink up and crack. I would skip coloring the leather jacket with more motor oil, I don't think that you would like the smell. If you are able to get the oil stains out to a point where it is something that you are happy with, you can apply Neatsfoot oil, apply it evenly with lite coats and let each application completely dry before applying another coat of the oil. If there are still signs of the motor oil, you could apply Neatsfoot oil to the jacket staying away from the motor oil stains.

 

[Monitor]

Another way to go is to lean into it, by applying motor oil to the entire jacket, embracing whatever effect it may have as though you're conditioning it with the oil.

I was thinking of suggesting this as well but there is a small matter of smell - Though that can be countered. Oil based dye would be the best choice in this matter so why not simply mix some motor oil with leather dye, maybe add some lanolin and other conditioners and just bathe the entire jacket in the solution. . .

I am positive the worst that can happen is that it perhaps will not get evenly dyed in which case the process can be repeated. Plus, I have stumbled upon several people recommending motor oil to be used as a conditioner on those gun holster and saddle forums and these guys do seem to be in the know.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Just saw the photos. If you are in San Fran it doesn't hurt to ask JL for their opinion. Maybe they can even reach out to Horween and ask for their help. I assume this is Horween's Natural CXL. CXL leathers are tricky because they don't take redye well with all that oil and waxes in there. I tried on mine without much penetrating sucess. Will try again in the summer and let the sun do most of the work. Maybe Horween has an solution. Maybe.

 

[ton312]

I too just saw the photos. I’m fairly confident no amount t of dye will cover or adhere to the oil spots. As Guppy said, time to lean into with more oil. Oil and sun may be the only choice you have. Those oil spots will never be covered but I think can be camouflaged with more oil. Either way, this jacket has found it’s way to beater status for life.

 

[Will Zach]

Just saw the pics as well. Hot damn. That is a lot of oil that has soaked in. I was not suggesting more motor oil, but rather Obenauf's Oil to darken the rest of the jacket. Obenaufs is a leather treatment which will darken the natural leather pretty much permanently, by at least one shade. Not sure if it will cover up those stains though. Levity: You can always use the jacket to take hipster IG pictures pretending you are working on a car engine wearing this jacket - they love this stuff over on IG. Better than checking your cuffs dressed up as a lumberjack. Just kidding of course, don't take it the wrong way, I feel for you. Tough spot, even the dye may not take evenly.

 

[Grayland]

I hate to write this as my heart would be broken if it were my jacket - but that jacket is ruined forever. The oil stains are never going to come out in any meaningful way and will show no matter how dark you stain it.

 

[ton312]

Tough spot, even the dye may not take evenly.

Dye won’t adhere. Those stains are there for life. Even if dyed black, those oil stains will absolutely show.

 

[ton312]

@JM7 if you are willing to throw caution to the wind, send it to me and I will dye it with cordovan dye, which I believe may be your only chance at camouflaging the oil. Cordo is naturally light and dark. It might work. I love a good challenge and I have a ton of cordovan dye. I would like to try and fix this. I would document the procedure here. I have resurrected horrible jackets in the past with dye. Worth a thought if your up to it. It certainly will come back to you better than it looks now.

 

[Will Zach]

...and do send these pics along with the pic of the leaking seal to Home Depot and Pennzoil. Directly to CEOs, don't bother with Customer Service. This should not have happened.

 

[ton312]

The more I look at it….I think cordo dye is the answer. You need to achieve what I call mottled fruit. I did this with my 5 Star. You can see how it progressed. With this dye you will have natural variation in the color spectrum. From light to dark, tan to brown to cherry.
From start to finish. Granted my jacket didn’t have any oil stain but I believe this could effectively camouflage it. I can also walk you through this process if you’d rather do it yourself.

^Those very dark spots are shadows
In controlled light:

The key would be blending those heavy dark spots. I think it can be done. Never perfect but damn near. And perhaps only noticeable to you b/c you k ow it there.

 

[Darrell2688]

Whatever you do, stay away from motor oil to fix this problem. The leather will soak up any oil that is applied. I make western style gun holsters and belts and after I finish working on a new belt and holster, I apply Neatsfoot oil in light applications, rubbing it onto the leather with a cotton cloth, a little goes a long way and I let it dry for a day after each coat, I use 8–9-ounce leather, a leather jacket is a lightweight leather, if you are able to check the inside of that jacket, the motor oil may have soak all the way through. You could always find someone that likes a good challenge and see if they can help you or work on your jacket. Getting the motor oil out is definitely a challenge, I would even try to get that oil stain out, the smell alone is bad enough, I hope that you can get the stain out along with the smell. Right now, someone owes you a new jacket, companies just can't handle a negative review, it has a tendency to hurt the bottom line.

 

[born113]

companies just can't handle a negative review, it has a tendency to hurt the bottom line.

It is much more efficient/cheaper for any company to buy lots of positive reviews, which they do.