Help... Patina or Discoloration?

[wasisnug]

Hello everyone, i just got this Schott 641 series for a great deal. Fits perfectly & already broken in. However, i have never owned a steerhide previously i have no idea how the patina looks on a steerhide jacket.

But the jacket currently has brown-reddish (terracotta) spots all over it eventhough the jacket is in black color.
Could this be discoloration (i.e. colorbleed) or just the natural patina?

 

[jchance]

Previous owner used alcohol to wipe off the dye, leaving uneven dye throughout the jacket. If it bothers you, you can redye the jacket to black. IMO, I think it looks good as is.

 

[wasisnug]

Previous owner used alcohol to wipe off the dye, leaving uneven dye throughout the jacket. If it bothers you, you can redye the jacket to black. IMO, I think it looks good as is.

Appreciate the info! Made much more sense now

It doesn't really bother me, though it did made me wonder what was really happening, I'll leave it as is, looks kinda good to me.

 

[raf]

Wipe down with alcohol is a necessary pre-requisite to re-dying, as it removes dirt/crud, and any surface "conditioners" that might impede the re-dyeing process. Cleaning with saddle soap prior to dying is not recommended.

Suspect that the leather was not "vat-dyed" and so the dye is a surface dye and dye does not penetrate the full thickness of the leather. Common with less-expensive leather garments.

If I am correct about the leather, the "Patina" will increase over time, as the surface dye wears off.

You can certainly re-dye it, if desired, or leave as-is. You can also apply some decent leather conditioner which will darken the lighter areas a bit. If you want to re-dye, expect that you will need quite a bit of dye and some nitrile gloves. More of both is much better than too little; both keep well. Do Not apply conditioner or oil prior to re-dying, if going that route.

 

[Carlos840]

I disagree with what was posted above, if you zoom in on picture three you can see the thread has some red on it too which would not be the case if was an acohol wipe down.
I would say this is paint overspray or something like that.
It's something sitting on top of the leather, not some black dye removed from the leather.

 

[AeroFan_07]

I disagree with what was posted above, if you zoom in on picture three you can see the thread has some red on it too which would not be the case if was an acohol wipe down.
I would say this is paint overspray or something like that.
It's something sitting on top of the leather, not some black dye removed from the leather.

I tend to agree with what Carlos has mentioned here. Looks like someone tried to "make your own patina" on this jacket:

 

[wasisnug]

I disagree with what was posted above, if you zoom in on picture three you can see the thread has some red on it too which would not be the case if was an acohol wipe down.
I would say this is paint overspray or something like that.
It's something sitting on top of the leather, not some black dye removed from the leather.

I didn't even noticed that earlier. Sounds really bad now, if that's the case, what can i do to actually restore the jacket / remove that red paint?

 

[Carlos840]

I didn't even noticed that earlier. Sounds really bad now, if that's the case, what can i do to actually restore the jacket / remove that red paint?Attach files

Nothing really, just leave it alone, anything that will remove the paint will most likely remove finish with it.
Just wear it, you now have a beater leather jacket.

 

[Carlos840]

I didn't even noticed that earlier. Sounds really bad now, if that's the case, what can i do to actually restore the jacket / remove that red paint?

Piece of wood covered in orange paint in the background... Coincidence?

 

[wasisnug]

Nothing really, just leave it alone, anything that will remove the paint will most likely remove finish with it.
Just wear it, you now have a beater leather jacket.

Now i know why i only got it for 70 bucks lol. Wonder how the actual patina will look like when it comes out

 

[jchance]

Carlos and Aerofan may be right. I looked up Schott 641 and it’s not listed as Teacore; I should have checked that first instead of assuming that it was Teacore. In any event, the paint would come off with wear over time, so the jacket would become less red and more black.

 

[cbez]

I'm not convinced it is painted, maybe some chemical on the top coat.

If it were natural wear, you'd expect it to be pronounced in high wear areas like the pits and cuffs.

 

[wasisnug]

Piece of wood covered in orange paint in the background... Coincidence?

Hahaha definitely a coincidence! I got the jacket online from a local thriftshop.

These two pictures are the ones uploaded by the seller, honestly doesn't look that bad on the pictures but turns out the actual condition is worse hahaha

 

[cbez]

Op if you scratch an inner section that is black, is there reddish under it?

 

[raf]

Suggest you kinda relax, since no responder has personally and minutely examined the jacket. All of us are guessing, based on supplied pix.

Suggest waiting a bit before taking re-finishing measures. It kinda depends on "if" surface/external finish was applied to the jacket, or if the discoloration is due to "natural" wear/aging of the jacket.

Suggest you be patient, and await further comments.

I see nothing that says a careful re-dying of the leather, followed by an application of decent leather conditioner/oil would not suffice. A lot of folks would wear the jacket (if it fits) as-is.

 

[wasisnug]

Op if you scratch an inner section that is black, is there reddish under it?

Just tried it, and no there's no reddish under it, the black peeled off a little bit

 

[AeroFan_07]

For $70, if it fits you, just rock it and don't worry about it!

 

[cbez]

Just tried it, and no there's no reddish under it, the black peeled off a little bit

I'd say most likely it was cleaned in a way that slightly discolored the top coat. Not really a big deal.

 

[cbez]

If you hate it, you could try something like a black leather conditioner.

Venetian Shoe Cream

Fine oils, gentle cleaners and imported waxes formulated to clean, condition, preserve and polish all smooth leather footwear and articles Not for use on suede or nubuck leather Available in five colors: Dark Brown, Black, Cordovan (Burgundy), Tan and Neutral. Color guide: Dark Brown - Carolina...

www.rancourtandcompany.com

These have some color in them, without being as strong and easy to mess up as a full on dye job.

 

[Carlos840]

Op if you scratch an inner section that is black, is there reddish under it?

No need, you can see the undercoat at the natural wear points at the wrists, it's grey, like a lot of chrome tanned leather is.

It's clearly covered in paint... It's not worth trying to fix, unless you just want to go all @ton312 on it and have fun.