|
Post by Ragingblues on May 16, 2006 23:22:29 GMT -5
Here are a couple of shots of my distressed, dark brown, Wested lambskin, Raider's jacket: I have taken in all the methods used by gear heads before me, and also chose to do so in stages. So, it still may have more done to it, as time rolls on. I used a combination of ultra fine 400 grit sandpaper, 100 grit with very light pressure, hard bristled plastic brush, wetting then drying it with heat (for a light shrinking), tumble drying with no heat, touches of Pecard's brown leather dressing, and Fuller's Earth - Natural being brushed into cracks and rubbed onto the surface. I think the ultra fine sand paper took the place of using acetone for me. It only removed color, and left the leather pretty much the same. I was doing it this way on purpose, just as a test... and wound up liking the results. I bought some acetone, but haven't needed to use it so far. I felt this method was less risky than moving a bunch of color around with chemicals... for me anyway. The jacket looks better when it's lightly sprayed with water, then wrinkled to dry. Those wrinkles tend to hold longer than the ones it gets from just dry wrinkling (which is how I keep this one, when not worn). Also, it is actually slightly more distressed than these pictures show. Some of my last batch of gear photos show other areas better, since it's outdoors. (link in signature) Just sharing, as I enjoy seeing this sort of stuff from others around here as well. Ken
|
|
|
Post by Havana on May 17, 2006 7:28:15 GMT -5
I'm not a big fan of artificial distressing since I'm so rough on my jackets as is but this jacket looks great. It's got just the right amount of wear and looks natural in character. It really looks like one of the film jackets. The pocket flaps look especially well done.
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 17, 2006 7:45:12 GMT -5
Wow. That came out really nicely, RagingBlues! Looks like a jacket that's been around and has earned the weathering. That looks great! Definitely the right amount and not overdone at all!
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 17, 2006 9:41:17 GMT -5
Thanks alot fellas! I was taking the "less is more" approach by doing it in steps. Also, I should have mentioned that those lighter areas on the front of the jacket are mostly Fuller's Earth that has been brushed into the jacket. It's not a lack of color there, so it can go back to the way it was if needed. I guess that's part of the beauty of using that stuff to distress with... it can be removed. Thanks again, Ken
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 18, 2006 11:29:37 GMT -5
Well, your lambskin has the right approach and the right amount of distressing. (I learned my lesson by trial and error on my own and went with sandpaper since most if not all I had seen were recommendations on using acetone. GAH!) Even though mine is heavily overdistressed, I still prefer sandpaper over acetone because there's a textured realism behind it that IMO just looks more authentic than an acetone job. "Hey, this 1985 Jeep Cherokee is in prime condition! No scratches and it runs like a dream. I never drove it." "Well, the paint job shouldn't look that bad then, should it?"
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 18, 2006 11:39:13 GMT -5
Ken, I am glad that I passed that jacket over to you. It really looks excellent. To anyone that has distressed your jackets, my hat is off to you all. I don't have the guts. I had to buy an old used one (pre distressed) , the cowards way out. ;D Cheers, John
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 18, 2006 14:05:32 GMT -5
Thanks fellas! I do appreciate compliments from guys with so many more years of Indy gear experience than little old me. Tone, I'll save the acetone (hmm.... any relation?) for the paintjob on my truck. That should help the resell value, don't you think? I was worried that I might smear too much color around with it anyway, so I was playing it safe more than anything. I agree with your thought process on it too. If you had worn it through 50 dangerous missions, the color wouldn't just disappear. It would have been rubbed off, scraped, brushed, and banged around, which would make texture changes as well. John, How lucky was I, to be the same jacket size as you? It was a great offer on a great jacket, that you made to me..... which was the best part. Thanks again for that, as well. As far as you buying an old used one instead..... I guess people never found out who's jacket you bought did they? I will leave that to you, if you want to say. But, it's not exactly like you bought some old jacket, from the thrift store.... it's kind of a piece of Indy jacket history. Thanks again guys, for your advice, opinions, compliments, and most importantly... your friendship. Ken
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 18, 2006 15:15:38 GMT -5
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! No telling where the jacket came from! ;D ;D It's like relic hunting among ourselves! Can't just post who has what from where. Where's the fun in that? The items must be researched. Think of the mystery: (Library: Interior) Two people converse quietly over some items in a box. A man holds up a piece of clothing: "This item....this jacket; thought to have been lost by the community; an Indy jacket no less but....from the amount of research we've been able to gather, it is not only an Indy jacket, but it appears to be one of a highly significant role." "I thought that jacket had just disappeared or been turned over to a museum." "Not at all. We've spoken to several people, including the original owner, all confirming the same story. This jacket is still out there and being worn today." "But, who owns it now?" "Ahh, you see? This is what happens when you skim threads and post to the most previous entry without reading the whole thing."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 18, 2006 15:29:03 GMT -5
OK. No secrets. I bought MK's old Expedition. If I remember correctly it is actually one of the very first ones made. The product of hard work by guys such as Patterson, Keppler and MK. It was shown to HF's people previous to the making of K-19. It is very nicely distressed by MK himself and is a VERY screen accurate Indy jacket. But then again this is a Wested Thread so bye bye. Cheers, John
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 18, 2006 15:39:39 GMT -5
John, I think you just threw a big stumbling block in the way of Tone's new career "Garment Investigation". He was probably looking forward to a nice juicy reward for cracking the secret code, if you will. (will you?) Anyway... how dare you even mention the Expedition on this forum, much less in the middle of my precious Wested thread. Even if it was originally your Wested.... "Did somebody say "my precious"? No Gollum, go back into the fires of Mt. Doom. I'm kidding, of course. Yep, John owns a nice piece of Indy jacket history, and a fine one it is. Ken
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 18, 2006 15:46:31 GMT -5
Okay so tell us already. What is the jacket?!
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 18, 2006 15:49:07 GMT -5
Uh-huh! THAT'S the kind of thread-skimming question I'm talking about. ;D
Yes, it's out of the bag. By the way, all, that library scenario was not to say information should be hoarded. It was a satirical look at things if you will. (Will you?)
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 18, 2006 16:12:12 GMT -5
I will.
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 28, 2006 14:55:31 GMT -5
Here are a few new night photos I just did. The flash seems to show off more of the distressing, so I thought I would throw a few in this thread: Ken
|
|
|
Post by indianatone on May 28, 2006 15:14:06 GMT -5
Just the right amount of distressing on that jacket! The flash captured it very well here. That jacket looks great!
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 28, 2006 16:32:27 GMT -5
Much appreciation for your complimentary remarks sir! Ken
|
|
|
Post by jweaver on May 28, 2006 19:32:26 GMT -5
I agree, it looks natural and not overdone!
|
|
|
Post by IndyBlues on Jul 13, 2006 19:25:17 GMT -5
Your jacket looks great, Ken. Question: Does your jakcet still have that leather smell, or does it lose that in the aging process?? I have a really distressed Raiders lamb, and it has ZERO leather smell. Kind of a drag. That's the only thing keeping me from aging my other Wested. 'Blues
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on Jul 13, 2006 20:37:39 GMT -5
Hey Blues,
Thanks much for the compliments! This particular jacket was bought from G-Mann, and had already been worn a little. Thus, the new jacket smell was wearing off by the the time I got it anyway. However, I bought this one from him with the sole intent on distressing it, so I was concerned about that part. I guess having one to keep in "new" condition (which I do) really helps one be brave about beating it up.
So.... the long winded answer to your question is.... no. It doesn't have the new jacket smell, but since it didn't really have it when I got it, it's hard to say what all my abuse has done to that. I can't imagine it helping, that's for sure.
Thanks again,
Ken
|
|
|
Post by strider on Jul 14, 2006 8:12:00 GMT -5
Much wootage. Is this your first time distressing, RB? If so, it came out great. I'm just glad you didn't have to go through what I went through my first time out. After that, I'm sticking to Fuller's Earth!
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on Jul 14, 2006 8:25:01 GMT -5
Wootage? As in, can I get a woot woot? ;D
Anyway, thanks much Sir Cactus! It was my first time distressing, but I had the benefit of reading/seeing what everyone else had done before me. I read everyone's experiences and the detailed tutorials as well, before deciding which approach to take.
Your jacket came out mighty fine too, as a matter of fact. It's not only a great save, to be able to "Pecards" away the visibility of unwanted distressing... it's also a great technique for achieving a distressed jacket that doesn't look too dry. I have applied Pecards to a few areas after distressing myself, just to keep them looking different than others. I may do a few more that way, since all I have to do is add more Fuller's Earth (which sticks better then) in case I want to take it back the other way again.
Thanks again,
Ken
|
|
|
Post by strider on Jul 14, 2006 18:00:06 GMT -5
Well, that jacket got sold, and the person who bought it was happy with the distressing, so it all worked out in the end. I recently dusted up my new lambskin Wested with Fuller's to get that dirty look for the comic con.
|
|
|
Post by Ragingblues on May 14, 2007 15:36:46 GMT -5
Here's a new shot of my distressed lambskin Wested. I did this one for use elsewhere, but wanted to share it here too. It seems to look even more Indy when it's in the right setting. Ken
|
|
|
Post by Kaplan on May 14, 2007 16:18:45 GMT -5
that pic is just plain awesome. Great looking jacket Ken!
|
|
|
Post by IndyBlues on May 14, 2007 16:41:54 GMT -5
I love that pic,...going to be my new wallpaper. I'm not talking about on my monitor,....I'm having this printed up and making it into wallpaper!!! 'Blues
|
|