? Questions from a Newbie ?

[augustwest]

? Questions from a Newbie ?


Hello all, . . . . . After being a “silent lurker” for about a year and absorbing all the great info/knowledge about custom and vintage leather garments I have a couple of questions to ask.

This last summer I inherited a vintage “bomber jacket”. The jacket was my fathers before he passed away. It is likely from the mid to late 50’s, possibly the early 60’s age wise. It is medium brown in color, probably cowhide, or horsehide, with a quilted burgundy lining. There is no label, so I do not know the manufacturer, or the size. It is snug on me but not so much that I can’t wear it. I’ve cleaned it up from the condition I received it in, using Lexol cleaner and conditioner. However, the snap on mouton collar is shedding so not real usable at this point. Otherwise it seems to be in good condition everything considered. Sorry about being so long winded but wanted to give some background.

Here are the questions –
- The only problem with the jacket is under both arm pits. The seams are coming loose and need to be re-sewn before they get worse. I live in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, so I was wondering if anyone had a local recommendation for someone who can make this repair either in the South Bay, or on the Westside at a reasonable cost? Any guess as to approx. how much a repair like this might be?

- The other question concerns the pockets and lining. Both are dirty. Is there any inexpensive way I can clean them myself, short of having someone removing them from the jacket for cleaning? That would be more of a project than I would like to under take. Or is it best just to leave them "as is" and live with it?


Thanks in advance,
augustwest

 

[Seb Lucas]

You can wash the whole jacket and pockets in warm water and mild detergent. Repair will probably cost under 60 bucks based on what you described. Tailors near army bases are often good at leather. Sometimes shoe repair guys can fix seams. Pockets can easily be replaced. All depends how much you want to spend.

 

[Peacoat]

To add to what Seb has said, for a mild cleaner you might use Lexol PH balanced cleaner, which is made for leather, or Woolite, which is easier to find. Lexol can be found in tack stores, or online. Both the cleaner and a conditioner are available; for your application, you will want the cleaner.

After washing the jacket in cold or lukewarm water, let it dry face up away from a heat source. This should take several days and will reduce the danger of shrinking. Then it might be wise to give the jacket an application of a conditioner, such as Pecard, which is excellent for leather jackets.

Some of the posters here will tell you to have the jacket dry cleaned, but I think that is much more harsh than a gentle washing in Woolite or Lexol. Some will tell you to do nothing and live with the jacket the way it is. That too, is an option.

Welcome to the Lounge. PC