Seeking repair tips on jacket

[raf]

The Verdegris seen on the rivets above can be removed using 91% alcohol on a Q-tip. If it gets on fabric clothing, it's tough to remove. It is a form of oxidation.

As to OP, it's your money/your jacket/your rules.

Personally, I would not modify/repair an "Original" flight jacket unless doing so would enhance its value, which is a touchy subject.

Unless your particular jacket is some sort of rarity, feel free to do as you please. Proper technique is in posts Nos 2 and 3. You may need to apply the dye--and let it dry fully-- more than once to achieve a "stable" color before top-coating it.

 

[Carlos840]

My suggestion is leave it alone...
I've melted finish on a jacket trying to touch up a little spot and made it worst.

In a few weeks you'll have forgotten about it.

 

[jchance]

It’s usually the first jacket that a guy effs up for obsessively caring about it and fixes it that launches him onto a journey of jacket collecting. I’m sure he’d sell that first jacket eventually because that knick still bothers him so much. Welcome—he has the right mindset to belong.

 

[CliffBar_no9]

"No it is not. Wear and tear are of mechanical nature. Patina is due to environmental (actually chemical) processes.
Ofcourse mechanical and chemical processes can influence each other.
Wear and tear are scratches and surface abrasion.
A good example of patina are these dull areas you see on older jackets."

Both can be true. Merriam-Webster says so. Definition 1A yes pertains to the chemical transformation of bronze, copper, and silver. Definition 1B merely states an appearance that has become beautiful with age and use.

To me that would include scratches and abrasions as a garment is used.

Patina, used colloquially in this way is valid. Though I would be happy to interchange patina with another more literarily correct word, if you have one.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patina

 

[Harris HTM]

if you have one.

I don't. English is my 3rd language.
I rest my case. Let scratches be named "patina".

 

[jchance]

Both can be true. Merriam-Webster says so. Definition 1A yes pertains to the chemical transformation of bronze, copper, and silver. Definition 1B merely states an appearance that has become beautiful with age and use.

To me that would include scratches and abrasions as a garment is used.

Patina, used colloquially in this way is valid. Though I would be happy to interchange patina with another more literarily correct word, if you have one.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patina

Dictionary, at its core, is just commonly accepted and consensus definition on a word. Some have narrow, strict interpretation of a word, but others have broader interpretation of the word. People have accepted and used “patina” to include scratches like the OP. The dictionary would be updated eventually to show how a definition has changed and what people have included in a word’s definition. But the Internet’s speech (and word) police aren’t going to leave you and me alone until then.

 

[Technika2]

Thanks for the input, yeah I decided just to leave it as it is. It’s still a great jacket, now I won’t have to care if it scratches again haha

 

[yogamonkey]

Here's my mid 40s Californian, the sleeves show a combination of wear (a part of the topcoat having been worn off) and patina (accumulation of dirt, body oils).

View attachment 742520 View attachment 742521


Semi aniline Shinki, showing darker spots (patina) at the hem where body oils have accumulated from my hands touching the leather when zipping up the jacket.

View attachment 742522 View attachment 742523

Hi ABCD,

Your jacket looks so cool

Can you advise, please? Today, I bought this beautiful, heavily patina'd '40s leather jacket. Is there a good quality conditioner, wax or sealant I can put on the jacket to protect it? I don't want it to become too glossy, and I don't want to lose the beautiful patina, just offer some protection.

Thank you & kind regards,
Derrick