White distressing on tea core Shinki?

[soundwavvves]

Hey guys,

So I finally came up on an RMC Buco J-24 recently and it looks to be in great overall shape with the normal tea core patina showing through in the usual rub areas (see last two photos), but then there are also a few places on the arms with faint white scuffs/scratches at the grain level. Is this just normal light surface wear and a precursor to more brown underneath or could it be a sign the jacket is due for some conditioning? Does your black RMC have wear like this?

My only other Shinki jacket is a TFH WRJ-53A and that leather is very different with no similar issue after extensive wear.

 

[Guppy]

Normal and not worth fussing over unless you are super fussy.

 

[Carlos840]

Is that not just schmoo stuck in the grain?
I have received used jackets from people who must have been using a lot of handcream/skin care that showed similar things, it usually goes away when rubbed with a damp cloth.

 

[handymike]

Cxl is unique that way. Most leathers don’t do that- but you can touch them up a number of ways.

 

[DorKlonn]

I've seen these on my shinki jackets before, I believe they are just oils/conditioning that has somehow pushed up to the surface. A quick wipe and a good brushing usually blends them back in; I dont think they are any cause of concern!

 

[JMax]

The white marks possibly are bloom/spew. Wiping it down with water works but it may come back. A light vinegar-water solution works, but it still may come back. When I get to this stage, I use a spew remover by LeatherMasters. Not cheap, but it works.

If it isn’t spew it won’t come back with just a water run down. Either way, nothing to worry about.

 

[Blackadder]

I agree with those who posted before me that those may just be dirt and you should try cleaning it with damp cloth or leather lotion.

Can you not rub it out? My only premium jacket so far is made of chromexcel steerhide, and I can literally rub out scratches, scuffs, and marks with just my finger. I'm curious, you can not do this with Shinki? Because if you can't, I would wear that jacket out very fast. If every little scratch and nick stays on Shinki, I will never get one, I'll be sticking with chromexcel.

CXL is a type of oiled leather and like the oiled leather used on most Red Wing Heritage boots, when you apply heat and force, the oil within the leather will get squeezed out and darken the leather to mask scuffs. Also they put a coat of wax on CXL leather so rubbing the wax also helps mask the scuffs. Because it is heavily oiled, the leather surface turns hairy. Even if you lose the coat of wax, the hairy fibre get a chance to sort of re-arrange to cover up the scuffs when you rub it. It is why most leather work boots now use oiled leather because most people do not shine their work boots.
People do however shine their dress shoes which are normally not made of oiled leather. So should not be a big issue for a lot of people. Besides, I think people who buy Shiniki want those wear to show.

 

[soundwavvves]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

So I wiped down those areas earlier with a damp cloth multiple times, but as soon as the dampness dries the white is back.

And after looking into it, I was on board with @JMax about it being bloom/spew. Cool, that’s plausible and nothing too much to fix or ignore.

So I was dying to wear it and wore it out with my girlfriend and our dog to the bar down the street for a couple hours this afternoon and lo and behold I come back only to find it’s in now in more places than before.

What the hell is going on???

 

[JMax]

Yeah, it will pop up like that. Try the diluted vinegar. It may come back but after a couple/few wipe downs there is a good chance it goes away. If not, the spew remover will make the oils stay put in the hide, where they belong. The most I’ve ever needed to wipe an area down with this stuff is 2x.

 

[JMax]

OP— here is the spew remover. In case you decide to go that route. It’s not mold.

BTW- in my experience it does not negatively impact the feel and appearance of the leather. Just gets rid of the spew/bloom.

 

[Canuck Panda]

If they are “coming back” in the same spots, then it could be (oil/fat) bloom from inside the leather. Spew remover would lock them back into the leather.
But this leather looks to be pigment finished, so it could just be dirt. Patio seating will expose the jacket to pollens or salty sea air crystals. Just wipe clean.

 

[JMax]

It’s not mold.

 

[Blackadder]

Is that mold? Whatever is happening, I don't like it one bit either. You know, I want to see a photo of a rough worn Japanese Shinki or other Japanese premium leather jacket. I just realized I have never seen one. I have seen plenty of rough worn American, UK and Italian leather that withstood the test of wear and time.

Every single photo that is posted by leather jacket hobbyists on this forum who imply that Japanese make the best leather attire, are always wearing brand new, hardly ever worn jackets. These are not jackets that are real world worn and you can tell. They are… "I just bought this jacket and have the camera ready for some juicy photo" type of jackets. One cannot know a leather jacket with such limited experience with them.

I want to see a well-worn top brand Japanese jacket that has done more than just hang in a closet or taken for a walk on the sidewalk every once in a while.

Who's got some photos? I don't trust these Japanese jackets, I think they are flagrantly overpriced quality frauds. I have seen too many cases of disappointment with them.

Here are some photos of a worn RM J-24

The Real Mccoy’s Buco J24 茶芯馬皮機車重機皮褸皮衣 biker jacket 42碼

HK$8,500 | Condition: Used | Size 42碼

www.carousell.com.hk

THE REAL McCOY'S BUCO Vintage J-24 D Pocket Riders Size 34 Finest Horse Leather

I like it but it is not for everyone. Shiniki and CXL are almost at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of characteristic. Shiniki is dry and rigid while CXL is puff with oil and wax and is quite supple once warmed up. The only similarity is that they both have teacore and are not dye through.
Forget the best leather comment. It does no good. BK made claim that their Victory HH is the best leather here some time ago and its claim has such negative effect. You see how people simply shut BK out here. To be honest, Victory leather looks good and BK did pretty good work but he lost a lot of business with that claim.
Just people's preference and opinion. I remember someone complained about CXL here too.

 

[DorKlonn]

Wow the vitriol, this is turning needlessly hostile; lets roll it back alright? I guess strong proponents bring strong detractors; but at the end of the day, these are just jackets, let everyone enjoy what they have and what they want. No need to bash each other's preferences.

At a second look, that does seem to be spew (or could be mold too, hard to tell without being up close); I would do what everyone recommended and see if it improves; really unfortunate to see that on a jacket, but far from the end of the world. Last owner must've stored in a place without too much airflow.

In regards of Shinki jackets, I want to offer photos of mine to add to the list of reference, hopefully we can keep this conversation civil; I like to think I wear it relatively hard, and don't baby it and I think its developing some character. Is it the best leather? its all preference I think; but I do like Shinki for some of its characteristics, and other leathers for their respective characteristics too.

 

[DorKlonn]

I think its time to take a walk and take a breather, we are all adults here, no need to result to calling each other vermin over something this small

 

[HarryLime]

Who's got some photos? I don't trust these Japanese jackets, I think they are flagrantly overpriced quality frauds. I have seen too many cases of disappointment with them.

Damn this sounds more xenophobic than anything else. If you haven't seen well-worn Japanese leathers, you must be avoiding Instagram, Rakuten, Yahoo Japan, other men's fashion forums. Even Self Edge has several hanging in their shop.

 

[Aloysius]

Can you not rub it out? My only premium jacket so far is made of chromexcel steerhide, and I can literally rub out scratches, scuffs, and marks with just my finger. I'm curious, you can not do this with Shinki? Because if you can't, I would wear that jacket out very fast. If every little scratch and nick stays on Shinki, I will never get one, I'll be sticking with chromexcel.

You can rub out scratches easily on CXL or other oil stuffed leathers, but they also scratch much more easily in the first place.

It is much, much harder to scratch a dry leather. In fact, I don't know that I've ever done it.

 

[Aloysius]

I have not toured the vast internet about this subject, most of what I know is actually from this forum. Showing the photos' and saying, here you go, would have sufficed, but you just had to place the race card unjustly like a little twat and now you've made an enemy. Congrats.

I would advise calming down, both of you.

I'd also add, as a note of clarification, that I would hesitate to consider the often weird "Japanese leather jacket" fandom (it really is the most accurate word) on the internet, entirely among westerners, with the subculture and manufacturers in Japan itself. They're quite different.

The Japanese are the most ardent collectors of vintage Americana, for instance. American companies make runs of their most traditional stuff for the JP market, which appreciates it more than Americans do. (Aero was the original example of this– a Scottish craftsman who loved Americana which Americans neglected, and where did he find his market? In Japan, not the US or UK.)

 

[DorKlonn]

How about we all go for a walk and come back; I think we should all reflect on this needless machismo display as we sit comfortably behind screens. This is getting way out of hand, and frankly a little embarrassing.

 

[Aloysius]

It's an extremely famous shot of Orson Welles in a classic 40s film. Before leather jackets became the most active topic, 40s menswear was probably the most discussed topic on the site.