How to reduce FQHH Cordovan bleed?

[JanW]

I have a beautiful FQHH Highwayman in cordovan, which is one of my favorite jackets. It was a custom order mid-2017. I've worn it most of the time, and I've finally gotten it almost to the "soft and buttery" stage.

The one issue is regarding cordovan bleed, which if anything, has actually *increased* over time. The thing leaves red marks on everything, including at the collar, and on surfaces where my arms rests. I didn't mind too much before, as I figured for clothes at least, it would wash off. Until I wore it with one of my best white shirts, and the marks *would not wash off*. Lesson learned, and I'm still hoping that some extensive scrubbing and bleach would address this issue.

This is exasperating, as this means that I would not be able to wear the jacket with light colored shirts anymore.

I am contemplating to take a piece of paper and/or cloth and scrub away at the collar area, but then that might adversely affect the finish. I'm also finding some posts where the bleed persists for years.

Any help on this issue?

 

[Guppy]

Ask Aero what they recommend.

 

[barnabus]

Ask Aero what they recommend.

Certainly this. But also I know that rubbing alcohol will remove leather dye - perhaps you could use that to remove some of the "excess" that's rubbing off inside the collar?

I wouldn't use it on the outside of the jacket though!

 

[jacketjunkie]

Are you living in very humid warm climate? I'm very curious what may cause this increasing bleeding, so far I had always been under the impression it becomes less over time.

 

[JanW]

Are you living in very humid warm climate? I'm very curious what may cause this increasing bleeding, so far I had always been under the impression it becomes less over time.

I live in Indonesia. It is indeed very hot and humid.

 

[dan_t]

Contact the great folks at Aero.
They made it, they’ll know what to do.

 

[jacketjunkie]

I live in Indonesia. It is indeed very hot and humid.

I'm fairly sure the bleeding is caused by the color rubbing off when warmed up, especially in combination with moisture (especially sweat).. at least that's what I have witnessed on my jackets.. the bleeding usually occurs in spots where the leather touched my bare and potentially sweaty skin, neck, forearms, etc..

Maybe you can use rubbing alcohol or other stuff to wash off excess color and minimize bleeding that way? However I am guessing the problem roots deeper than excess color; it's just the way the hide is colored. It probably will never stop bleeding entirely as long as it's cordovan-colored.

 

[Edward]

I had some of that on my Bootlegger over the years - nothing that didn't wash out easily, mind. Only on light shirts, and always when it got hot or humid (usually when it was really too hot to be wering the jacket).

 

[Thebuzzard]

I had some with my brown cr, took a unpleasantly hot balled up wet rag and scrubbed the bleed zones. Keep the rag as hot as possible for best effect.

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[dan_t]

Perhaps you may need to let this one go & replace with another colour?

 

[ksozay]

I completely endorse Dan_T's comment.

I feel genuinely bad for you. Sell it to me, I will do my best to live with it while helping you get into a color that won't run. It's the least I can do. Really.

 

[dan_t]

Hey! No fair.
That’s what I was angling towards!

 

[JanW]

I had some with my brown cr, took a unpleasantly hot balled up wet rag and scrubbed the bleed zones. Keep the rag as hot as possible for best effect.

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This sounds like a good idea. How much did you scrub? Was it enough to completely strip the color/finish off the area?

 

[Thebuzzard]

This sounds like a good idea. How much did you scrub? Was it enough to completely strip the color/finish off the area?

Not long! I basically made a hot compress with a tee towel, allowed it to warm up, then scrubbed for 20 sec with a hot rag.

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[Fanch]

Not long! I basically made a hot compress with a tee towel, allowed it to warm up, then scrubbed for 20 sec with a hot rag.

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I did essentially the same thing to the collar area of my brown FQHH Teamster when I first got it a few years ago, and now have virtually no bleed off onto my shirt collars.

 

[nick123]

The top color layer around most of my (cordovan steerhide) collar has worn off. I attribute it to contact with my disgusting, oily neck. have not noticed any bleed onto clothing though.

 

[Sloan1874]

Ive had a bit of bleed off my tumbled cordovan BR - I’ve wiped it down with a degreaser to remove the excess and it helped reduce it but personally I jst don’t wear light tops under it.

 

[zebedee]

I have the same thing with a cordovan LHB. Your choices are to either only wear it with dark colours, put up with some level of dye transfer, wear it or rub down the jacket really frequently to try to remove (possibly) excess dye or sell it. To be honest, though, wearing a jacket that carries a label 'some colour loss/transfer can be expected' in the humidity of Indonesia is what will make the problem worse. I wear a goatskin half belt in Hong Kong when between January and perhaps mid-March when it is somewhat cold; if I was wearing a FQHH jacket out of those seasons, I'd expect bleed and possibly a light dusting of mould. These jackets simply are not intended to be worn in such climates, or, to put it another way, if you wanted to increase the likelihood of dye transfer from cordovan into a racing certainty, you'd be well-advised to wear heavy leather jackets in countries such as Vietnam (in the south), Malaysia or Indonesia year-round.

Probably sell the thing, get a light goatskin jacket.

I'm looking forward to returning to colder climates so that I can actually wear these jackets I have!

 

[nick123]

Actually quite fancy the pink-cherry undertone coat. Wouldn’t mind it all weating off. I hope to be that old-aged man wearing a pink leather jacket! Very Elvis.

 

[jerez]

darn, I am about to receive a highwayman on cordovan cxl steer. I hope I don't have this problem.