How to age (or destroy?) a CXL FQHH Highwayman (pic heavy)

[seres]

HD gave me a good tip that I should polish the jacket with sheep wool.

His good tip combined with my creativity (read: laziness) led to this:

Stage 3: the powertool

For this stage we need a polishing machine with a woolen pad:

Definately a worthwhile stage! Its hard to capture it with photos, but the leather has regained lost shine and it isn’t so matte and nubuck-like anymore.

I will continue polishing tomorrow and see if I can make it even better!

The leather is starting to be really really soft and buttery at this point.

A rotary polisher is something I would NEVER have considered. I still remember my almost-new car that I burned a section of paint with a rotary polisher.

But I am surprised at the improvement on your jacket. Did you use anything with the wool pad, or just applied it dry? Just for informational purposes…

I’m firmly in the camp that favors natural aging. But this thread is interesting, and your jacket is looking nice…

 

[Fanch]

On unrelated topic, I just picked up my new car from the dealer. Now I have to take it home and give it good sanding and maybe hit some dents on it to look it nice, old and worn... [emoji6]

What make is the car above? Toyota RAV4?

 

[navetsea]

you're a brave man, now you need to wear it alot or bring a buffing cloth to buff smooth those "worn" edges, because old worn edges that naturally happen by daily wear are smooth, the rough ones are caused by incidents

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Looking much better Jejupe. I like it..!! Buff it a little more..but don't over do it. Then wear the hell out of it and be proud of it. It's beginning to look like some original wear that I have seen. Not so artificial now.
HD

 

[HoosierDaddy]

On unrelated topic, I just picked up my new car from the dealer. Now I have to take it home and give it good sanding and maybe hit some dents on it to look it nice, old and worn... [emoji6]

Very nice..!! Yes..tell us what brand it is..!!

 

[Jejupe]

What make is the car above? Toyota RAV4?

Its a Volvo V90 Cross Country.

 

[Jejupe]

A rotary polisher is something I would NEVER have considered. I still remember my almost-new car that I burned a section of paint with a rotary polisher.

But I am surprised at the improvement on your jacket. Did you use anything with the wool pad, or just applied it dry? Just for informational purposes…

I’m firmly in the camp that favors natural aging. But this thread is interesting, and your jacket is looking nice…

I applied it dry.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm not sure what a rotary sheep's wool buffing pad is like. Does it feel like it has lanolin in the pad..or just dry? A piece of actual cut sheep's wool pad on display at a shoe shop ( used for hand polishing or buffing )will have a 'lotion' feel to it, slightly greasy which is the natural lanolin of the sheep. This lanolin lubricant is what will shine or smooth the leather best. If your rotary pad is dry without a slightly greasy feel, use some kind of lube ( leather dressing..?? ) to help the rotary buffer polish the leather.
HD

 

[Jejupe]

I'm not sure what a rotary sheep's wool buffing pad is like. Does it feel like it has lanolin in the pad..or just dry? A piece of actual cut sheep's wool pad on display at a shoe shop will have a 'lotion' feel to it, slightly greasy which is the natural lanolin of the sheep. This lanolin lubricant is what will shine or smooth the leather best. If your rotary pad is dry without a slightly greasy feel, use some kind of lube ( leather dressing..?? ) to help the rotary buffer polish the leather.
HD

Unfortunately its dry. I couldn't find a raw wool pad. But I know what you mean, and if I find some raw wool I will definately try it.

I did find a Lanolin based lotion. I might give it a go. Its meant for sore nipples, so maybe it would work on my jacket too considering the nickname my inside pocket sanding error.

https://lansinoh.co.uk/product/lansinoh-hpa-lanolin/

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Check a local shoe shop, hardware, Walmart type store or maybe even Tandy's Leather.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I think i liked the jacket best right after the 20h tumbling. Not so much a fan of sanding off the topcoat, but now after all the polishing and conditioning it is in a state again in which i would put that jacket on.

In fact, this thread inspired me to try and put one of my stupidly stiff jackets (which i don't wear enough to realisticly ever break in) in the dryer too. I was kind of scared the zippers would fly around wildly and scratch the jacket, so i tested it for 30 minutes and inspected the jacket. There was no dmg at all. So i put it into the tumbler for another 120 minutes. when it came out, there were slight signs of wear and the sleeves were significantly softer. body of the jacket was still fairly stiff. i can conclude my experiment saying putting a jacket into the dryer to soften the leather does work and in my case did no damage to the jacket. I may repeat this again, same jacket for more hours to also break in the body of the jacket.

 

[Jejupe]

I think i liked the jacket best right after the 20h tumbling. Not so much a fan of sanding off the topcoat, but now after all the polishing and conditioning it is in a state again in which i would put that jacket on.

In fact, this thread inspired me to try and put one of my stupidly stiff jackets (which i don't wear enough to realisticly ever break in) in the dryer too. I was kind of scared the zippers would fly around wildly and scratch the jacket, so i tested it for 30 minutes and inspected the jacket. There was no dmg at all. So i put it into the tumbler for another 120 minutes. when it came out, there were slight signs of wear and the sleeves were significantly softer. body of the jacket was still fairly stiff. i can conclude my experiment saying putting a jacket into the dryer to soften the leather does work and in my case did no damage to the jacket. I may repeat this again, same jacket for more hours to also break in the body of the jacket.

In my experience the body of a jacket breaks in better if the zip or buttons are left open. However this might cause more scratches on the leather and lot more noice from the dryer.

You can also expect that the top coat of the leather gets worn quickest from points of collars and from jackets hem points near the zipper. All this of course depends a lot on type and colour of the leather. I once worked on a cordovan cxl on which the tips of collar lost their top coat after first tumbling. On other hand I am currently tumbling a Vanson Comp weight jacket which looks visually same as new after 10 h of tumbling!

 

[Fanch]

Its a Volvo V90 Cross Country.

Nice ride.

 

[Jejupe]

Nice ride.

Thanks! I used to be with cars the way I am with leather jackets now. Always trading, collecting and dreaming of new ones. At one point I had six or seven cars at the time, including some sports cars and classics. Now I'm strictly one Volvo at the time kinda guy. Good thing is that in comparison to Car madness this jacket madness is cheap as dirt!

 

[rocketeer]

As an advocate for wearing in from new, I agree with Willy. I'm sorry it just looks fake. There are creases where they would not happen and the arm creasing doesn't look natural. Someone else mentioned too much wear on all the joins and seams.
It does indeed look like a 35 year old jacket at least. One of those pre distressed 'Top Gun' jackets available in the 1980s.
But hey! It's yours to do with as you please so enjoy it just as much as I, Willyto and others do wearing ours.
Just remember, you ask a question here and some will go straight for the Jugular

 

[rocketeer]

I disagree. This CAL is less than 50 and has similar wear.
View attachment 117527

Looks like this has had the collar replaced

 

[rocketeer]

As an advocate for wearing in from new, I agree with Willy. I'm sorry it just looks fake. There are creases where they would not happen and the arm creasing doesn't look natural. Someone else mentioned too much wear on all the joins and seams.
It does indeed look like a 35 year old jacket at least. One of those pre distressed 'Top Gun' jackets available in the 1980s.
But hey! It's yours to do with as you please so enjoy it just as much as I, Willyto and others do wearing ours.
Just remember, you ask a question here and some will go straight for the Jugular

I've just noticed I have been drawn to this conversation but a few days into it haha. Looks a lot better now the jacket has been buffed up

 

[Jejupe]

Just remember, you ask a question here and some will go straight for the Jugular

Thank you for your polite feedback! I don't think I asked any questions but I knew from the beginning that I will get answers nevertheless... All I wanted to do was try out some new things and share the process with some people who might be interested. People close to me in real life don't share my interest in leather jackets so I search for support and enabling online.

For the record, I have absolutely no problem at all if someone's opinion is that my jacket looks fake, ugly or what so ever. What I personally don't like in any discussion on any subject, is if someone doesn't realize that his or hers opinion isn't the absolute objective one and only truth.

 

[navetsea]

now you need UV fading on it since what make old jacket looks that way is fading from sun, sooo perhaps you need an inflatable mannequin and put the jacket in the sun with the sleeve bent in riding pose.

 

[AeroFan_07]

So I've been quiet about this one, and just as you said it's fully up to you (the owner of the jacket) to determine how best to break-in, or not a new jacket.

Frankley, I really do like the results after using the polisher on the jacket. Being a car guy too, I like at lease some "gloss" in both a jacket and a car. It indeed does look much better and I have to imagine it feels much better putting it on these days. That's a beautify Highwayman and I really appreciate your courage to attmpt this experament.