Patina, Colour Change, & Leather Jacket Treatment

[Feliksas]

Howdy folks,

Semi-lurker here with but a few posts, but as I'm lining up to buy an Aero J-106, I've started to post some more.

I've been wearing Ike jackets since forever, but since Aero won't make me a leather one, I've decided to go for a *natural* CXFQHH. Why? Because the brown is darker than I usually wear, and I think I'm going to try and use one coat of Huberd's Shoe Grease on the natural jacket to both condition it for its first year of life, and to darken it somewhere in between the light tan that it is and the chestnut brown of the brown CXFQHH.

Has anyone dared to use Huberd's on their jackets? If so, or if you've used something similar, how has the jacket aged? From what I read, some claim that there is *no* patina for Huberd's users, while other's claim that while the leather is darkened, it does nevertheless form a patina over time.

For what it's worth, my plan is to use the J-106 as a four-season's jacket for everything, including days long hikes and camping, which is why I'm more inclined to treat it a little than would perhaps those who would only wear their jackets in the city.

Any advice would be welcome!

Cheers,

-F

 

[Monitor]

Don't know about Huberd's but Thedi makes what is essentially a leather Ike!

 

[Guppy]

I've never used Huberd's.

But I can tell you CXL FQHH will not need conditioning for its first year of life. Maybe in 20 years.

Natural CXL will darken and patina on its own without treatment. Give it wear, give it sun. That's all it needs.

 

[Feliksas]

I've never used Huberd's.

But I can tell you CXL FQHH will not need conditioning for its first year of life. Maybe in 20 years.

Natural CXL will darken and patina on its own without treatment. Give it wear, give it sun. That's all it needs.

Alright, you and aero have convinced me not to apply Huberd's to the new jacket, once it's in And your comment about the leather darkening makes me think that the natural, lighter, leather I've picked is the right choice, as I'm aiming at something as close to olive drab, and less chestnut brown, as possible!

Photos once it's in! Hope the size is right

Cheers,

-F

 

[Feliksas]

Don't know about Huberd's but Thedi makes what is essentially a leather Ike!

Oh man, if the pockets were higher at breast level, I'd seriously consider it! I've even tried to find someone here in Eastern Europe to make me a leather Ike jacket by using one of my old ones for a pattern, but no dice!

Also, I think I'm going to risk the size 38 J-106 I like a tight jacket, my 38R Ike is dry-suit tight, and Holly says that if the HWM 38 fits, the J-106 is mostly tighter around the waist, which is fine by me. If not...I guess I'll have a J-106 up for sale soon, unless the famous Aero "we'll make you another size" is still in effect!

Thanks again,

-F

 

[navetsea]

I doubt natural leather would patina into olive drab without any dye involved. I once applied virgin olive oil onto a chemical tanned goathide wallet that start out white, the result was grey and overtime developed greenish tint like sage, but I won't dare to try such on leather jacket.

 

[Feliksas]

I doubt natural leather would patina into olive drab without any dye involved. I once applied virgin olive oil onto a chemical tanned goathide wallet that start out white, the result was grey and overtime developed greenish tint like sage, but I won't dare to try such on leather jacket.

I don't think it will turn into olive drab What I mean is, that since I usually wear olive drab, it will darken to a brown that is closer to OD than will the regular brown HH.

Anyway, final discussions with Holly, hopefully I'll have something to show in a few months time! I haven't seen very many brown J-106, much less natural, light brown, j-106 pics, so I can break some ground there.

Cheers for the advice guys,

-F

 

[Peacoat]

Alright, you and aero have convinced me not to apply Huberd's to the new jacket, once it's in And your comment about the leather darkening makes me think that the natural, lighter, leather I've picked is the right choice, as I'm aiming at something as close to olive drab, and less chestnut brown, as possible!

Photos once it's in! Hope the size is right

Cheers,

-F

Now I am confused. How do you get from a light, natural leather to an olive drab? Olive drab is a dark green color. Think the old time Army/Marine WWII battle uniforms. We called them fatigues for the style, not the color. Surely you mean something else. Perhaps a Khaki color? Although in this country many people say khaki when they mean olive drab. Confusion reigns supreme around these two colors, but I think you mean khaki instead of olive drab. It is a light shade of brown with a yellowish tinge.

 

[Feliksas]

Now I am confused. How do you get from a light, natural leather to an olive drab? Olive drab is a dark green color. Think the old time Army/Marine WWII battle uniforms. We called them fatigues for the style, not the color. Surely you mean something else. Perhaps a Khaki color? Although in this country many people say khaki when they mean olive drab. Confusion reigns supreme around these two colors, but I think you mean khaki instead of olive drab. It is a light shade of brown with a yellowish tinge.

Gosh, I must really be having a hard time, you guys are not the first that have been confused by my comments!

I mean that my Ike jacket is a lighter overall colour than is the standard brown horse hide used for the J-106; I know the natural tan HH won't turn into olive drab, but if it darkens over time, it will be closer to the darkness/shade of the the olive drab that I currently wear, which is what I want. If it's still too light, I reckon I can darken it a bit more if necessary with Huberd's.

Thanks for trying to understand me, all

-F

 

[regius]

Speaking of patina, dunno how many of you here has seen the front cover of the Lightning magazine, you can just google it but best to view upfront. That’s a HD D pocket jacket, probably it’s the photography, the the D pocket texture against the body, the oily feel, the depth of the brown, is just incredible, but, very rare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Feliksas]

Don't know about Huberd's but Thedi makes what is essentially a leather Ike!

Now what do you make of *this* jacket? It looks lighter than the brown chromexel HH, so could it be an aged natural HH? Found here while searching for examples of natural cxlhh: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schott-CXL...itm=303020154659&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1

 

[Peacoat]

I don't think it will turn into olive drab What I mean is, that since I usually wear olive drab, it will darken to a brown that is closer to OD than will the regular brown HH.

Anyway, final discussions with Holly, hopefully I'll have something to show in a few months time! I haven't seen very many brown J-106, much less natural, light brown, j-106 pics, so I can break some ground there.

Cheers for the advice guys,

-F

Yep, I'm still confused. Olive drab is a green; how will it darken to a brown? Greens and browns are two different colors; not sure how one would darken into the other? It may change shades (become darker) but not sure how it would change colors. Maybe you could post a picture of the olive drab you usually wear so I will know the starting point.

 

[Feliksas]

I'm going to quit trying to explain my colour rational ; ) But, of interest, is this:

https://www.contextclothing.com/brands/schott-nyc/ss14-model-113-cxl

Tracked down that other jacket. Essentially, I'd like an Aero variation of this, built on the J-106 base.

 

[navetsea]

Why not russet, it is a lighter shade of brown. Going from natural to light brown sucessfully would take some time and many unpleasant stages, look at the patch of your jeans. Being natural also means it is "weaker" since no top coat applied, so if things happen like ketchup or mud or blood might stain it, might get blochy when partially rained on since some of the surface dirt get absorbed by the wet part. Belt, and wallet is small and mostly out of sight and people dont mind it look stained, but i imagine if huge soy sauce splatter across the chest panel on your otherwise still a pristine natural beige color... it would be painful especially since you said you like to live outdoor away from a bottle of leather cleaner and old cotton t shirt to act fast on it.

 

[Feliksas]

Why not russet, it is a lighter shade of brown. Going from natural to light brown sucessfully would take some time and many unpleasant stages, look at the patch of your jeans. Being natural also means it is "weaker" since no top coat applied, so if things happen like ketchup or mud or blood might stain it, might get blochy when partially rained on since some of the surface dirt get absorbed by the wet part. Belt, and wallet is small and mostly out of sight and people dont mind it look stained, but i imagine if huge soy sauce splatter across the chest panel on your otherwise still a pristine natural beige color... it would be painful especially since you said you like to live outdoor away from a bottle of leather cleaner and old cotton t shirt to act fast on it.

That's a good point, but is the natural cxl sans top coat? I was under the impression that it referred to the colouring, and that everything else was the same? I suppose I should drop Horween a line just to hear it from the horse's mouth, but my my, it's hard to help myself. Probably because of the army, I'm that guy who goes swimming holding a rock to make it more challenging I might have to try just to see how it goes. But--anyway, the weekend to sleep on it before I have to write Aero back.

I've tried to search for good pictures, I find it hard to find pictures via the search here. Do you remember any good threads on Horween natural cxl hh?

Cheers

-F

 

[Guppy]

Now what do you make of *this* jacket? It looks lighter than the brown chromexel HH, so could it be an aged natural HH? Found here while searching for examples of natural cxlhh: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schott-CXL...itm=303020154659&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1
View attachment 161632 View attachment 161633 View attachment 161634 View attachment 161635 View attachment 161636 View attachment 161637

Yes, that's natural Horween CXL FQHH. I have the same jacket. The leather ages really well if you wear it a lot. Not so much in the closet.

 

[Guppy]

I'm going to quit trying to explain my colour rational ; ) But, of interest, is this:

https://www.contextclothing.com/brands/schott-nyc/ss14-model-113-cxl

Tracked down that other jacket. Essentially, I'd like an Aero variation of this, built on the J-106 base.

Lol, it's an original Schott pattern D-pocket Perfecto from 1928. The J-106 takes inspiration from the Buco J-24.

 

[Feliksas]

Yes, that's natural Horween CXL FQHH. I have the same jacket. The leather ages really well if you wear it a lot. Not so much in the closet.

Brilliant! Tell me everything! Can you comment to the above, that it's not coated and will stain easily? I don't mind very much, just curious! I reckon a build like that on the J-106, as my daily jacket, could be quite something. I hear it's a good long year of breaking, not a matter of months, to get the natural cxl looking good?

Thanks!

-F

 

[Guppy]

Brilliant! Tell me everything! Can you comment to the above, that it's not coated and will stain easily? I don't mind very much, just curious! I reckon a build like that on the J-106, as my daily jacket, could be quite something. I hear it's a good long year of breaking, not a matter of months, to get the natural cxl looking good?

Thanks!

-F

I don't think there's a topcoat, but I wouldn't necessarily know for sure. I have not tested it for stain resistance, and have no intention to!