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

[Jejupe]

So I decided to do something different today. I wanted to experiment on aging a FQHH jacket. I decided to use my newish black FQHH Aero Highwayman as a test subject.

Disclaimer: if you feel that the only way to brake in and age a jacket is by wearing it, you might find following text and images disturbing.

What you need for this:

A Highwayman:

A tumble dryer and some tennis balls:

Steel rubbing bad meant for pots and pans:

First place the jacket in dryer with the balls. Make sure the heat is not on! Let it tumble for about 20 hours until the jacket is nice and soft. By now also the grain should start popping up.

Result should look like this:

As you can see the black coating on the leather has already been worn by the dryer on some places like for example seams.

Next step, take rubbing pad and a deep breath and start rubbing the coating of the seams without any mercy!

Wear the jacket for treating the greases on the sleaves:

When done with seams and sleeve greases, start gently working on the whole jacket. Remember not to sand the large panels too hard, because the effect will not work if the whole coating is gone:

What I should have taken into consideration is, that the inside chest pockets started showing through after I sanded the front of the jacket.

All in all I am quite pleased with the result. I am sure many of you disagree and think that I destroyed the jacket. But hey, it is my jacket after all!

 

[handymike]

Good for you! The CXL can handle just about anything.
You could knock down some of the lighter areas that you don't like with Dr. Jacksons Hide Rejuvenator.
Wear and enjoy your personalized piece!

 

[Hh121]

Congrats! I did some distressing work on my Wested Indy jacket few years ago, enjoy your jacket!

 

[marmalademan]

Bravo. I totally applaud the intent behind this project.

But looking at it now I think we can all see why inside pockets of this configuration in leather as thick as this are not a good idea.

My personal 2 bob here is that you now need to find a way to trash it some more because having gone this far I don't feel you've quite gone far enough. All in I say!

 

[Guppy]

It's your jacket, yes. Enjoy it

As for me, I prefer natural aging, and the more I wear my jackets owned from new, the more I want to keep them looking new as long as possible. CXL topcoat picks up scratches and wear so easily! I don't baby mine, I just want to enjoy every stage of the break-in process and savor it as it ages. No rush, no shortcuts.

 

[Jejupe]

It's your jacket, yes. Enjoy it

As for me, I prefer natural aging, and the more I wear my jackets owned from new, the more I want to keep them looking new as long as possible. CXL topcoat picks up scratches and wear so easily! I don't baby mine, I just want to enjoy every stage of the break-in process and savor it as it ages. No rush, no shortcuts.

That's what I do with majority of my jackets. And I think that's the way it will also be in future. Maybe a little tumble dryer action to soften the leather, but I think this sanding will be a one off.

 

[Monitor]

You are a brave man. And it's amazing what just the tennis balls did to the jacket... Always wanted to try that but never could find a dried that had a no heat option. Impressive job in any case but please do be careful not to make them resemble those early 90's jackets that were artificially distressed because those always looked off.

 

[Jejupe]

You are a brave man. And it's amazing what just the tennis balls did to the jacket... Always wanted to try that but never could find a dried that had a no heat option. Impressive job in any case but please do be careful not to make them resemble those early 90's jackets that were artificially distressed because those always looked off.

To be honest I did also do some rolling and twisting of the jacket after each one hour of tumble drying.

 

[MET]

Good for you! The CXL can handle just about anything.
You could knock down some of the lighter areas that you don't like with Dr. Jacksons Hide Rejuvenator.
Wear and enjoy your personalized piece!

As far as I know this is black jerky horse hide, not cxl.

 

[Jejupe]

As far as I know this is black jerky horse hide, not cxl.

No, this one is CXL. . Although I have one Zipsleeve HWM in black jerky of which I posted some photos to "fevorite keeper" thread. I doubt this method of aging would work with Jerky HH

 

[ton312]

That looks incredible!! No way I have the sand to even attempt it. You boldly went there tho. Paid off!

 

[Jejupe]

Here’s a comparison shot of naturally aged Black Jerky HH and artificially distressed and aged Black CXL FQHH.

I

 

[Jejupe]

That looks incredible!! No way I have the sand to even attempt it. You boldly went there tho. Paid off!

Tony, you should do this to your black CR... would look great. Although it might make it more difficult to sell it after month or two when you will move it forward.

 

[ton312]

Tony, you should do this to your black CR... would look great. Although it might make it more difficult to sell it after month or two when you will move it forward.

I wonder if it would make it easier! I couldn't man. I don't baby them but if I bump into something I take it off and inspect it while sweating profusely. This process would make me way to nervous. Does look great tho. You put 50 years on it in fifteen minutes!

 

[willyto]

The jacket looked great until you went berserk with the sanding... it just looks fake because no one gets all the areas you sanded worn out by wearing it.

Specially dislike the new nipples your jacket has thanks to the inside pockets.

I don't agree with the fact that it looks like a 50 year old jacket. No way, that's not real patina nor abuse.

 

[Jejupe]

I wonder if it would make it easier! I couldn't man. I don't baby them but if I bump into something I take it off and inspect it while sweating profusely. This process would make me way to nervous. Does look great tho. You put 50 years on it in fifteen minutes!

Well, I guess I could do the next jacket a lot quicker, but now with this first ever, it took me about 3 hours. I tried to make subtle changes in order not to over do it.

Oh, and not to forget about 20 hours of tumbling...

 

[JMax]

You got giblets man. Looks good. I like how it came out with just the tumble and tennis balls too.

 

[Jejupe]

The jacket looked great until you went berserk with the sanding... it just looks fake because no one gets all the areas you sanded worn out by wearing it.

Specially dislike the new nipples your jacket has thanks to the inside pockets.

I don't agree with the fact that it looks like a 50 year old jacket. No way, that's not real patina nor abuse.

Fair enough. Nipples were indeed an amateur mistake by me. No regrets, though.

 

[ton312]

I don't agree with the fact that it looks like a 50 year old jacket. No way, that's not real patina nor abuse.

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

 

[Jejupe]

You are a brave man. And it's amazing what just the tennis balls did to the jacket...

By the way, dryer and tennis balls seems to work very well on Vanson comp weight. Comp weight doesn't get scuffed or worn like CXL so even extensive tumbling just makes it softer.

however, I want point out, that leather jacket that has been softened artificially will age differently. For example my experience is that CXL FQHH that I have tumbled soft, will not have similar sleeve greases when it becomes older if compared to a FQHH jacket that has just been worn without any tumbling.

So another disclaimer: use my methods at your own risk!