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

[tropicalbob]

You'd never see anything like this on StyleForum or any of the others. Thanks, Jejupe! And the jacket looks great now.

 

[Peacoat]

The below pics of my Schott CR show natural aging. I have never done anything to this jacket other than ride a lot. Most of that riding time while wearing this jacket has been in the sunlight. I also have included pics of my Johnson Leathers heavy MC jacket and my Vanson Enfield in competition cow for comparison. The Schott gets used the most (obviously) not because it is my favorite, but because it can be easily folded and placed in a saddle bag when the temps worm. Or if it is 80 or below, I will wear it the whole day. The Johnson and Vanson are too heavy to wear as the temps rise.

Believe it or not, that Schott is not the most salty in my club. That honor belongs to a member who puts in 30,000 to 50,000 miles a year on his MC. He and his wife have been all over the country, Canada and Mexico.

 

[HawaiiShrimp]

Hey man,
Good effort. Although it's not real natural wear, I think the result is decent to the eyes. Good job, man!

 

[breezer]

I am sure many of you disagree and think that I destroyed the jacket. But hey, it is my jacket after all!

Don't have a problem with you breaking the jacket in.....but sweat pants in the Fedora Lounge, really? We must maintain standards god dam it! As I write this I am wearing sweatpants, but I would get changed if I was doing pictures......., just saying. ( tongue firmly in cheek by the way )

 

[Jejupe]

I am sure many of you disagree and think that I destroyed the jacket. But hey, it is my jacket after all!

Don't have a problem with you breaking the jacket in.....but sweat pants in the Fedora Lounge, really? We must maintain standards god dam it! As I write this I am wearing sweatpants, but I would get changed if I was doing pictures......., just saying. ( tongue firmly in cheek by the way )

Those are (sweat)shorts. What does the rules say about shorts with leather jackets? I like to show off my muscular calves while same time hiding my beer belly in a Highwayman.

 

[kronos77]

It seems hard to believe that the tennis balls could have taken the shiny coating off of CXL leather. I experimented a bit with my jacket and nothing that really worked, except when I experimented with some rubbing alcohol on the inside of the jacket. That finish that Horween puts on is almost indestructible.

 

[seres]

It seems hard to believe that the tennis balls could have taken the shiny coating off of CXL leather. I experimented a bit with my jacket and nothing that really worked, except when I experimented with some rubbing alcohol on the inside of the jacket. That finish that Horween puts on is almost indestructible.

I noticed on my jacket that rubbing the leather with my rough fingers will put a very light abrasion to the shine. And fingernails leave slight marks. So I guess a rough tennis ball hitting the leather for hours (how many hours did the OP say, was it 20 ??) would slightly abrade the finish.

Anyway, I did like the look of the leather after just the tennis balls in the dryer, but I'm not going to do that to my jacket. I just like them shiny, as is.

 

[Guppy]

That finish that Horween puts on is almost indestructible.

Apart from scratching super easily, and rubbing off on white clothing, and cordovan bleed...

 

[jacketjunkie]

It seems hard to believe that the tennis balls could have taken the shiny coating off of CXL leather. I experimented a bit with my jacket and nothing that really worked, except when I experimented with some rubbing alcohol on the inside of the jacket. That finish that Horween puts on is almost indestructible.

I have made completely different experiences with my Aero jackets and disagree with your assessment about the jacket having been more through than just tumbling.

All my Aero jackets, both CLX HH and CLX Steer lost their initial finish within weeks of wearing it and dulled significantly. I actually wished that shiny finish had lasted longer, because I quite like it. The only reason i still look at LW and even Schott HH is because these don't lose their initial shiny finish and quickly as CLX.

The CLX finish is the opposite of hard-wearing, it shows wear faster than most other leathers I have seen and in fact I believe CLX was even designed to be like that, fast-aging to show wear similar to vintage jackets.