Purchasing a Jacket That Smells

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Hey folks, I was wondering what the general consensus is on the smell of old leather jackets. Is it assumed that old things can smell and if you purchase an older item on the lounge that you would have to accept that it might smell, or should the seller forewarn the buyer? I know everyone's nose is different but I've purchased a couple of jackets now that stink up the room: or I've had to roll down the windows in the car just transporting it around. Both jackets require relining as ascertained by the dry cleaners. I take responsibility and I'm not disgruntled in any way as " buyer be ware" should always be in play, but for future purchases is it silly to ask a seller if a decades old jacket " smells" or is it just a risk taken with the purchase? Thanks as always for your input.

 

[Bfd70]

I think it should be disclosed.

 

[Monitor]

Jacket emitting an odor that cannot be qualified as a smell of leather absolutely should be disclosed, yeah. Though, if a jacket has any kind of smell that is perceivable from distance, such as an odor associated with Horween CXL, it would be best to mention this as it's still something that comes as a surprise to many people.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

You got your typical musty smell, that's fine...but then there's a distinct 'basement flood' aroma, that should be avoided if entirely possible. There's also a chemical smell like delousing agent, like a thrift store smell, generally that will wash out unless it's a dry clean only affair such as sheepskin. The last pair of gloves I bought used smelled like a ladies perfume, and it stung my eyes at first, fresh out of the package. It's nothing I can't live with, some people are more sensitive to different smells, allergies to old clothes.

Old clothes generally have an 'air' of familiarity.

A seller should probably mention that, but it's buyer beware in most cases.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

You got your typical musty smell, that's fine...but then there's a distinct 'basement flood' aroma, that should be avoided if entirely possible. There's also a chemical smell like delousing agent, like a thrift store smell, generally that will wash out unless it's a dry clean only affair such as sheepskin. The last pair of gloves I bought used smelled like a ladies perfume, and it stung my eyes at first, fresh out of the package. It's nothing I can't live with, some people are more sensitive to different smells, allergies to old clothes.

Old clothes generally have an 'air' of familiarity.

A seller should probably mention that, but it's buyer beware in most cases.

Yes, " basement flood" description is the proper wording that I was looking for. I enjoy the smell of old leather, even the faint smell of body odour is acceptable and expected, but our brains are wired to pick up on strong, offensive odours as part of our survival mechanism. Hard to believe that it wasn't noticed previous to sale but one can't assume malice, and this post wasn't intended to cast blame in anyway. Thanks for your input

 

[El Marro]

I expect a bit of odor from an old jacket but I remember one of the first vintage G-1s that I bought smelled as if it had been used as an ashtray for the last 20 years. This had not been mentioned at all by the seller and I promptly returned the jacket.

 

[belfastboy]

Hey folks, I was wondering what the general consensus is on the smell of old leather jackets. Is it assumed that old things can smell and if you purchase an older item on the lounge that you would have to accept that it might smell, or should the seller forewarn the buyer? I know everyone's nose is different but I've purchased a couple of jackets now that stink up the room: or I've had to roll down the windows in the car just transporting it around. Both jackets require relining as ascertained by the dry cleaners. I take responsibility and I'm not disgruntled in any way as " buyer be ware" should always be in play, but for future purchases is it silly to ask a seller if a decades old jacket " smells" or is it just a risk taken with the purchase? Thanks as always for your input.

I have learned the hard way. Now always ask, "any smells, odours, or unseen flaws in the leather"? That way if the seller misrepresents in any way I have a claim for a return....especially from Ebay.

 

[Peacoat]

Your next question should be, "How do I get rid of the odor?" Below is a thread on cigarette odors, but it applies to all odors.

Cleaning Cigarette Smoke From A-2 Jacket?

Last year, I found a Roundtree and York A-2 repro jacket at a thrift store. It's in great shape, but has a heavy stink of cigarettes. I took it to a local cleaners, however it came back no better. I imagine the smell is in the liner as well as the leather. Does anyone know of a place I can send...

www.thefedoralounge.com

 

[casechopper]

I've had 3-4 jackets come in with bad smells.

One of my favorite jackets smelled very mildew/musty. It ended up taking close to a year of airing out and a vinegar/water bath mix to tone it down. I still get an occasional whiff of the vinegar on it around 2 years later. It was cheap and the fit was as near to perfect as I've ever found so I'm happy with it. I don't know that I'd do it again though.

A couple others came smelling strongly of stale cigarette smoke. I'm an outlier in that I actually love the smell of burning tobacco in pretty much all of it's forms. Stale cigarette smoke smell buildup from years of exposure isn't a good smell though. That went away with light airing after a few months. Unless it's extreme I wouldn't personally worry much about a bit of smoking smell.

The last one had a very strong BO smell. I treated with baking soda and toned it down but it never really went away. I would probably avoid that in the future as it's a very offensive smell.


In all cases I would have appreciated being informed of the smell before purchasing. None of the sellers did inform me. I dealt with it but was not really happy when opening the boxes on arrival.

 

[Edward]

There's little takes the edge off a much-anticipated new arrival than a problem out of the box. I do sometimes wonder if it's a second hand, personal sale that smells of cigarettes whether there's an element of it being "innocent"; I've known some heavy smokers who really just don't notice the smell of cigarettes any more, in the same way that someone with a pet might not notice they smell of dog (not dog wee, I mean a natural, normal, healthy doggy smell. I used to be very aware I could smell my late grandmother's dogs, but now I have one myself I never notice any smell of her in the air). It would annoy me, though I think I'd be less ticked off about the omission to mention it than if I bought from a dealer. I know when I sell anything online I think it's important to fully disclose any potential issues at all and let the buyer decide on that basis.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Generally speaking, this along with fit issues has kept me out of the "vintage" market by and large. I am rather sensitive to smells and really dislike any smoke, body or moldy/musty odor. Any 30+ year old jacket is going to have its' smell, and that may indeed be quite a challenge to get rid of/change/etc.

I recently picked up a pair of White's boots off ebay that were built in 2019 out of Horween Horsehide as per the documentation from White's. The first owner had worn them very little - but they obviously sat in a smoke-filled home. You can smell the smoke smell from a couple feet away. Fortunately being for feet - which are naturally a little more smelly anyway, I am not that concerned, and I got them for less than 50% of new cost with about ~ 1 hour of wear on them. So I am keeping them.

 

[Worf]

It took me three years and multiple applications of a smoke odor remover for me to get years of tar and nicotine out of my one and only Langlitz. It's practically smell free but the previous owner/seller never disclosed that it was worn by a smoker. Everyone in my family smoked growing up BUT me and after years of playing in smokey joints till the cig ban I developed a seething hatred for the smell of stale cigs. If I'd a known about the jackets condition I NEVER would have bought the thing.

Worf

 

[belfastboy]

There's little takes the edge off a much-anticipated new arrival than a problem out of the box. I do sometimes wonder if it's a second hand, personal sale that smells of cigarettes whether there's an element of it being "innocent"; I've known some heavy smokers who really just don't notice the smell of cigarettes any more, in the same way that someone with a pet might not notice they smell of dog (not dog wee, I mean a natural, normal, healthy doggy smell. I used to be very aware I could smell my late grandmother's dogs, but now I have one myself I never notice any smell of her in the air). It would annoy me, though I think I'd be less ticked off about the omission to mention it than if I bought from a dealer. I know when I sell anything online I think it's important to fully disclose any potential issues at all and let the buyer decide on that basis.

Good point. I have learned if I am buying a fur felt hat or leather jacket to probe a little deeper and ask if the item is coming from a smoker's home or a pet owner's home. And I then recalibrate my interest in the item based on the response......how bad do I want it and am I feelin' lucky.

 

[navetsea]

how about that ozone machine,

I have UV-C light ( bought it at the height of covid19 hysteria) that kill virus and emitting some ozone smell in the air post treatment, dunno how effective it is to neutralize smell, but I think purpose made ozone generator would be far more effective.

 

[navetsea]

with smell sometime our nose is self calibrating to omit familiar smell, so a heavy smoker won't even smell their clothes of stale smokes or a drooling retriever owner won't be aware his house smelling of pet. same with BO maybe, the owner of BO will smell it less offensive than other people who is new to the stink.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

with smell sometime our nose is self calibrating to omit familiar smell, so a heavy smoker won't even smell their clothes of stale smokes or a drooling retriever owner won't be aware his house smelling of pet. same with BO maybe, the owner of BO will smell it less offensive than other people who is new to the stink.

Good point, I should probably run the next jacket I sell past the neighbor for a "sniff check"; he would think I'm crazy but it might not be a bad idea just to be sure that my sniffer isn't out of wack, lol

 

[Tikimel1]

I think it’s a safe assumption that any clothing item that is vintage is going to come with some kind of smell. Not every seller will disclose it and not every buyer will ask. It also will vary as to how much smell anyone is able to accept.

I picked up a vintage (mid70s) Golden Bear goatskin/shearling A-2 type jacket that had only a slight “older” smell. I sent it out to have it cleaned, and knits and mouton replaced; when it arrived back to me, it reeked of smoke. Not sure if the tailor was a smoker or if the cleaning somehow unleashed the stench.

It’s taken a full tub soak, plus two ozone cleanings to get the smell nearly out. I still get a slight waft every now and then, but it’s my favorite jacket so I live with it.

Worst was a suede shirt jacket I acquired that smelled of Febreeze… so gross.

 

[Marc mndt]

think it’s a safe assumption that any clothing item that is vintage is going to come with some kind of smell.

Nah, I wouldn't say every item. I buy a lot of vintage. About 50% of the jackets doesn't have any smell at all. 40% smells slightly musty or comes with a faint cigarette smell. Of the remaining jackets which smell really bad half of them can be salvaged, the other half can't be fixed.

Not sure if the tailor was a smoker or if the cleaning somehow unleashed the stench.

I've wondering about this too. Sometimes when I receive a jacket there's hardly any smell at all but after wearing it for half an hour it suddenly smells bad. My theory is that some of these jackets haven't been worn for years. All the 'surface smell' is gone yet bad odors are still in the core of the leather or lining and are 'reactivated' when wearing / handling.

Worst was a suede shirt jacket I acquired that smelled of Febreeze… so gross.

Oh man, I rather have a musty smell than a jacket that smells of cologne or Febreeze. Theres no way to remove cologne from leather. At least I haven't figured it out yet how to do it.

 

[AeroFan_07]

I've wondering about this too. Sometimes when I receive a jacket there's hardly any smell at all but after wearing it for half an hour it suddenly smells bad. My theory is that some of these jackets haven't been worn for years. All the 'surface smell' is gone yet bad odors are still in the core of the leather or lining and are 'reactivated' when wearing / handling.

This is sometihing I have observed. Body heat, and warming up a jacket that has not been warm in many years will indeed reveal smells that intially cannot be detected. I have had this happen multiple times after buying inexpensive jackets in thrift shops. My rule is - if I can smell anything in the thrift shop - then unless it's really desired I will pass as the smell will only come out more and more as it's gets worn.

 

[ton312]

I have yet to encounter a smell I could not defeat with water, sun and wind. Not saying they don't exist, but in my experience, it's very rare that any smell cannot be eliminatd.