Best way to age an A-2

[Phantomfixer]

Hey all,

I am looking for the best way to age a Flight Suits russet horsehide A-2. It is a year or two old and has great wrinkles but the hide has a bright sheen to it. I would like to dull it down a bit. I have tried two seperate hot water baths. I left it in the rain for a few days. I tried drying it in the sun once. Once it dries it pops back up like new. Any ideas?
John

[Peacoat]

There was a thread on a similar question a while back. But I don't think it was specifically about removing the sheen from a jacket.

What I have used when refinishing gun stocks and on leather projects to remove sheen is the finest steel wool available. It may be 000 but it has been a while since I used it, and I'm just not sure. Use a gentle touch, and you can remove as much of the gloss as you want. You may lose some of the waterproof nature of the finish, but it's a trade off. Go over the surface with a damp cloth when finished to remove the residue.

[dr greg]

At the risk of being facetious, why not just wait.....a truly broken in jacket has an effect that can't be replicated and only achieved by time and the elements.

[Pilgrim]

I agree with Dr, Greg. Wear it, enjoy it, and the wear will take care of itself. It's kind of like "relic' guitars vs. those which have been used for years and show wear from use. One of them is the real thing.

[Stearmen]

Buy a motorcycle and ride the Hell out of it!

[Harry Street]

Even though I'm new to this forum, I've had various A2 and similar jackets over the last 20+ years. Nothing beats the real quality of wearing it and giving it your own history.

I agree, wearing it while riding a motorcycle in all kinds of weather will really do the job though.

Horsehide, by its very nature, will be tough to age, and the sheen is function of the hide and the way it was processed. I've seen original issue horsehide A2's that still look only a fraction of their real age. You will probably be able to pass it on to your kids.

[P5640blouson]

Open air driving will work, too! Pick up mud wrestling and go into it with your jacket on. There are many ways to speed up the process, but I believe the jacket is a reflection of the wearer. A clean lifestyle wearer's jacket will reflect the wearer by its tidyness even when aged. Nothing wrong with this example if you value the fact that every jacket tells a honest story. You don't want your jacket to tell a story of intentional abuse only for effect. YMMV

[johnnyjohnny]

hand grenades

[aswatland]

Just wear it and it will age naturally or sell it and buy a well worn A2.

[Daniel Hunter]

Rub it down with a rag soaked in alcohol, that should remove the shine.

[Doctor Strange]

Personally, I agree that you should let it age naturally. But if you want to age it prematurely, check with the Indy gang over at Club Obi-Wan - there's a huge amount of expertise there on aging leather jackets.

[Mr. Scratch]

I'll second the rag soaked with rubbing alcohol. I recently did this to a near-new condition jacket that had a pretty glossy protective coating. Applied lightly, the shiny coating will come right off. Heavier application will pull out some of the color, which is fine if you want an aged look, but you should be careful if not.

[gtdean48]

I'll second the rag soaked with rubbing alcohol. I recently did this to a near-new condition jacket that had a pretty glossy protective coating. Applied lightly, the shiny coating will come right off. Heavier application will pull out some of the color, which is fine if you want an aged look, but you should be careful if not.
I've used rubbing alcohol to take the finish off holsters & scabbards before I dyed them a different color & re-applied the glossy finish...

[Daniel Hunter]

It also works well to strip away shoe polish from your shoes.

[Spitfire]

wear it, fly with it, sit on it...for the next 20-30 years. That should do the job.;)

[Hawk_Eye]

You could try sleeping in it every night for a year, but then your significant other might start to question your sanity :p

[rmrdaddy]

You could try sleeping in it every night for a year, but then your significant other might start to question your sanity :p


Sounds like Experience talking Hawk..... :p

[deanglen]

hand grenades



lol lol lol lol




dean