Help Aging A Leather Jacket With A Thick Urethane Finish

[mannydantyla]

I bought a leather motorcycle jacket the other week but it is way to stiff, shiny, and "un-worn" looking. I was told it was from the early 70s but it's probably from the 80s and looks like it was never taken out of the closet. Its made in Argentina out of genuine leather (that's all it says) and made by (or licensed to) Oleg Cassini.

I would like to make it look like Indiana Jones or Steve McQueen has been wearing this jacket for the last couple of decades

It has a very thick, waterproof finish on it which I think is urethane. Check out the close-up pic I'm attaching. It's all a uniform grey color and looks and feels like a car seat.

Anything I can do?

First and foremost, this is a motorcycle jacket that I bought to protect me when I'm riding my jockey rocket. So what ever happens, the strength of the leather must not be compromised. With that said, I'm open to any suggestions no matter how crazy. Or, if there's nothing I can do, then that is acceptable as well. I wouldn't at all mind if the color is darkened, but not lightened. And it also must not shrink, it fits just perfect.

I applied a small amount of rubbing alcohol to a test area inside the collar and it dulled it nicely. I then rubbed some leather conditioner on it but it just rubbed right off and didn't affect anything. I have some steal wool (grades #1, #00, and #0000) too but have yet to try that. Some websites say to throw it in the washing machine and dryer, but I wonder if that would work for a jacket like this.

Thanks for any help!

[electrathon]

You need a clean cement mixer and a couple pieces of heavy chain about a foot long. Tumble the jacket with the chain for a while, do it some more, till you get the look you want.

Aaron

[Cyberthrasher]

You need a clean cement mixer and a couple pieces of heavy chain about a foot long. Tumble the jacket with the chain for a while, do it some more, till you get the look you want.

Aaron

That, or just use it and abuse it. Think about it - it's not "aged" because it hasn't been used. Put it through 20 years of "use" like scenarios and you'll have a jacket with the look you want. If it's real leather, nothing you do along these lines should ever weaken the leather. Putting it in the washing machine may ruin it for you though.

[mannydantyla]

Thanks, guys, keep the advice coming!

Forgot to mention: when I rubbed on the alcohol, grey color appeared on the white cloth I was using. So the color is also in this vinyl-like finish just as I suspected.

I will post pictures of the finished product after I artificially age it. May take a few weeks though!

Edited November 13, 2013 by mannydantyla

[petersenj20]

I have a vest with a shiny finish. had to remove a patch somebody superglued in place which left a bad looking square. I used a finish sander with medium grit sandpaper to blend that spot. Looked aged in short order. I never did the rest of it but I think it would work fine. It did lighten the color a bit, but I'm sure Indy would approve.

[Feraud]

That, or just use it and abuse it. Think about it - it's not "aged" because it hasn't been used. Put it through 20 years of "use" like scenarios and you'll have a jacket with the look you want. If it's real leather, nothing you do along these lines should ever weaken the leather. Putting it in the washing machine may ruin it for you though.

I'm of the "use it and let it age naturally" school too.

Steve McQueen's jackets didn't look the way they did because he sat around with sandpaper and steel wool scrubbing his outfit!

[Sylvia]

I've distressed veg tanned leather but nothing pre-finished like this. But here are my crazy ideas.

When I looked up a photo of McQueen and his leather jacket the first thing I noticed is that it looks sort of dirty. So to mimic that look I suggest that you get an antique finish a shade or two darker maybe a brown and a little black and strategically put some of that on where a jacket would normally get dirty and worn.(Lower front torso area and sleeves and elbows) Considering that this jacket has a finish it might be smart to sand those areas before putting on the antique so that it would grab the color.

Another thing you can do is work/roll the leather toward the shiny side. This should impart wrinkles and help soften it, just as wearing it would.

Good luck and show us the results.

[mannydantyla]

When I looked up a photo of McQueen and his leather jacket the first thing I noticed is that it looks sort of dirty. So to mimic that look I suggest that you get an antique finish a shade or two darker maybe a brown and a little black and strategically put some of that on where a jacket would normally get dirty and worn.(Lower front torso area and sleeves and elbows) Considering that this jacket has a finish it might be smart to sand those areas before putting on the antique so that it would grab the color.

Yes, I was thinking that too. This is what I have available from Hobby Lobby: http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/acorn-brown-eco-flo-all-in-one-stain-and-finish-64162/ but it's water based and I'm thinking I might need something spirit based so that the color will dissolve into finish. What do you think?

[Sylvia]

Hi... I would go to stecksstore.com and look for his Fiebings paste antique. It's already spirit based and comes in a tub. His prices are reasonable and he is very fast at shipping.

http://www.stecksstore.com/servlet/Categories