Pocket money crosszip adventure

[barnabus]

I have bought a no brand old Perfecto-stylee crosszip off eBay for next to nothing. It's allegedly from the eighties (and looks to be, in fact), and it's tank-heavy cowhide with brutal chunky-gauge hardware.

Postie brought it on Thursday and the thing smelled like a museum, do it went straight in the washing machine (don't start!) and I've hung it outside since Thursday evening to dry out and air the thing into inoffensiveness. I've been out to put it on and prance about in it every few hours to make sure it ends up human-shaped, and because it's you guys I thought I'd snap a few quick phone shots.

Apologies for the ugly-looking thing in the pictures, but that's my actual face.

Apologies also for the wretched unsightly shorts I'm wearing, but I've been working on my car today, so.

Ok. This thing is heavy. I've no idea about thickness but it weighs over 2kg. It's battered but in pretty excellent shape - no holes or horrid scrapes, but some scuffs - and the grain is ridiculous.

So what's the adventure? Well, I'm going to clean this thing up, feed it and treat it to some dressing, and then wear the living hell out of it to see if you really can produce something brilliant at the end of the dark eBay tunnel.

And also: fit. Of course I welcome thoughts and opinions. I'm a bit of a dunce and I've got nothing on the experience and knowledge of the Lounge, but I know what I like. And I like this. It fits me exactly how I hoped it would - snug in the waist, spacious at the shoulder and chest, tapered in the sleeve and short.

Fire away!

 

[Guppy]

Looks like it fits you as well as you could hope for. That belt looks thick, too. If the rest of the jacket is similarly thick, I think you got a good jacket. How'd the odors come out? Any idea who the maker is?

 

[barnabus]

The label just says "Leather Studio", which could be a maker or it could be a pompous description.

It is properly thick hide though. You're right about the belt; I'd be happy with that to hold up my 21oz Unbrandeds!

e: the odours are a work in progress, still. Reduced, but I'm not happy yet.

 

[barnabus]

Right: that's it. I have deployed the Febreze.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Cool looking jacket. Great adventure. Could you describe how you washed it? Front loader, gentle cycle, did you turn it inside out? Stuff like that. I want to try this but not confident yet.
Again, cool crosszip, great find.
Be well. Bowen

 

[bn1966]

Remember my mate wearing one almost identical in the 80's that he purchased from the Kings Road, I had similar which got passed down to my brothers and eventually traded on (I was rocking a G-1 by that time). Good luck with it Sir

 

[barnabus]

Cool looking jacket. Great adventure. Could you describe how you washed it? Front loader, gentle cycle, did you turn it inside out? Stuff like that. I want to try this but not confident yet.
Again, cool crosszip, great find.
Be well. Bowen

I washed it the right way round, outside out. I found an old pillowcase and loosely folded the jacket into it (once it was done up) so it wouldn't clatter my (wife's) washing machine into oblivion.

Then it went into our front loading washing machine for just 15 minutes at 30°c. I used a small amount of gentle laundry detergent, to ensure the lining had the best chance to get clean and a bit less stinky.

As soon as the machine cycle finished the jacket came out (dripping wet) and I took it outside. I put it on for a few minutes while it was soaking, which is pretty horrible but I think necessary. I flexed and posed a bit around my garden, stretching and bending, and then hung it on my washing line on a big, thick-shouldered hanger. That was in the evening. Then I went inside and forgot about it until the next evening.

After work I went back outside and put the jacket on, again flexing and posing and giving it the full Zoolander >fires Blue Steel at Bowen< for several minutes. Then again I hung it up on the hanger on my washing line and tried to forget about it until the next day.

So. The next day I put it on again and wore it done right up (zipped, belted) for a much longer period. By this stage it starts to look like I've been wearing it for years and years; it moulds to my shoulders and sets some creases where my elbows bend.

Then we were lucky enough to have some blazing sunshine, so I laid it out on my daughter's trampoline in the garden, to get some sun and some air. I undid it and opened it out, and left it. But each time I went outside (working on my car or hanging the washing) I put the jacket on and yet again fannied about bending and pretending.

So now it's still outside hanging, having had a fullsome dose of Febreze to batter the remaining odours.

It's fully dried now, and as you can hopefully see from the pictures it's moulded itself to me pretty nicely already. The next stage will be a proper inspection of the hide and the surface, and then I'll decide how to progress. Hopefully some leather nutrient dressing will do enough to bring back the gloss and suppleness, but I'm not closed to the possibility that I might be looking at re-dying it the same colour before I get to the dressing.

Then it'll be cloth work to buff it until I'm happy.

Btw: I've monkeyed around with loads of jackets over the years - I only ever buy cheap and play around. And pretty much always my first port of call is the washing machine.

Be brave!

 

[barnabus]

Remember my mate wearing one almost identical in the 80's that he purchased from the Kings Road, I had similar which got passed down to my brothers and eventually traded on (I was rocking a G-1 by that time). Good luck with it Sir

Back in about 1989 I bought one like this:

and wore it for actual years while I was a student (I've never been a biker). I bought it in Pettycoat Lane.


e: btw, that picture is also me in another jacket that I bought in the vain hope years later of recapturing the joy and carelessness of being a student

E2: I've just remembered: I'm wearing shorts in that picture too. Good grief, what am I like?!

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Hey B:
Great write up. Answered all kinds of questions. My main concern is i have a top loader washing machine and i don’t know if the thing will eat a jacket, puke then die. I know...then go to the laundromat! Just haven’t.
Thanks for taking the time to post your adventure.
I think your jacket would love some Pecards. That stuff brings old gnarly black jackets back from hell!
Be well. Bowen

 

[scottyrocks]

The fit looks great. Hopefully the (bad) odors will be completely eliminated in time.

 

[barnabus]

I'm now wearing this around the house, for some reason. I've just tucked my daughter into bed while I'm wearing a rank old bike jacket, in the hopes it will just get that little bit more pliant and "me".

Wish me luck!

 

[Boyo]

@barnabus, nice jacket & it certainly fits you very well.
For me the enjoyment of this leather jacket thing is the “process” . the hunt, the anticipation before delivery, the washing, the wearing when wet, the wearing in the house, while doing chores etc..
Enjoy the process.. I’m sure there will be others!

 

[seres]

@barnabus, nice jacket & it certainly fits you very well.
For me the enjoyment of this leather jacket thing is the “process” . the hunt, the anticipation before delivery, the washing, the wearing when wet, the wearing in the house, while doing chores etc..
Enjoy the process.. I’m sure there will be others!

I really agree with this statement. My favorites seem to be the ones I had to work on. Washing, stretching, conditioning... It all adds to the wearing process. Yes, enjoy!

 

[dan_t]

“...but I know what I like. And I like this.”

What more can we all add?
Man, if YOU are happy, then SHAZAM! you’re winning.

I love it & the back story that accompanies the jacket. I think we all take it a little too seriously around here sometimes.

After all, they’re just jackets (ducks for fear of something being thrown in his general direction).

But shorts?!?!?!?!?!?
This IS the lounge & there are standards man.

 

[ProteinNerd]

My main concern is i have a top loader washing machine and i don’t know if the thing will eat a jacket, puke then die. I know...then go to the laundromat! Just haven’t.

I recently put the cigarette odoured Brooks from Hell through my top loader about 5 times to get rid of that damn cigarette smell....didn't do a lot for the smell until I added an odour neutraliser (worked a lot better than spraying a heap of febreeze on it.)

It didn't do any damage at all. Use the gentle cycle and if you re really concerned but it in a pillow case as well.

nb: no responsibility taken lol

 

[barnabus]

I've never been afraid to put any of my jackets through the wash over the years, but then again I'm right at the bottom end of the market. I might feel differently about something that cost hundreds of £s, but I've never had a jacket costing hundreds of £s.

The very worst case scenario for me is that it doesn't work out the way I wanted, and then I'd flip it and try to recoup my spend. I don't mind about the time or effort that goes into them because I just enjoy that anyway.

 

[Corky Corcovado]

I had a cafe racer with a mildew odor, I handwashed it with a spray bottle and rag 3 or 4 times and let it hang in different postures for weeks and weeks outside in the dry and sunny Colorado climate, it took in my impatient estimation way too long! Nevertheless it worked and the jacket is now stinkfree and being enjoyed by my cousin's husband! The sun does wonders for bad odors...over time.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Thanks Guys:
All good suggestions. Gonna re-read some of the thread about stenches and washing and take the plunge with an old jacket. Got garment washing bags for it. I’ll just do a long soak with some additives then watch it through a gentle cycle. Prob outta do before and after pics. We see.
Thanks
Bowen

 

[barnabus]

I've drenched the jacket in Febreze several times over now, while it's hanging inside out on a hanger on the washing line in the garden. Again the sun is blazing down today so it's been drying out as quickly as I can soak it. The retro hum is going though, finally.

Also, the sheer heat of the sun has really softened the jacket up, although I'm sure this is only temporary. Whenever I put it on to shape it back up, it feels more pliable and flexible than ever.

 

[barnabus]

And a couple of close ups showing the nice grain to the hide: