How I Distressed My Wested Lambskin Raiders Jacket

Hello All,

I purchased my Wested Raiders Lambskin back in 1998. I'd literally only been on the internet (for the first time ever) for 5 minutes before I stumbled across info about Peter's Wested jackets on www.indyfan.com. I was overjoyed at the prospect of getting my hands on an authentic Indy jacket and so bought one without hesitation.

Although very impressed with the jacket when it arrived I was a little taken back at how new it looked fresh out of the bag. I figured wear and tear would eventually age the jacket but 8 years later the jacket still didn't look much different than from the day I received it. This is actually quite a testament to the quality of the jacket, as Wested have literally built a jacket that will last a lifetime.

Therefore, a couple of months ago I decided to try distressing it myself. This was not a hasty decision as the prospect of destroying my beloved Wested with acetone and sandpaper was something of a nail-biting decision. Anyway, after much investigation on various websites I decided to take the plunge.

The first hurdle was actually finding some acetone. I live in the North of England and had quite a search to actually find a stockist, as acetone seems to have been somewhat outlawed in the UK in recent years (NB. most nail polish removers are now acetone-free). Equally hard to find was Fuller's Earth, which one store owner informed me was now illegal to sell in the UK! It was necessary to purchase some of the powder via eBay, as I could not find a single retailer. Once I finally did manage to get my hands on 'the ingredients' it was time to start the work.

It is necessary to keep the area of leather that is being worked on completely flat so I used a broad ironing board. I applied the acetone onto the leather using paper kitchen towel. This was something of a mistake as the combination of friction and wetness caused the paper to disintegrate within seconds and left little bits of paper all over the jacket. So, I had to switch to use a much more heavy duty paper (industrial strength, you may say, such as what is often found next to petrol/gas pumps at garages). I first started applying the acetone very gently, working in a circular motion (like polishing a large surface i.e. car, glass, table) but this was a fruitless exercise. You do need to apply quite a heavy amount of pressure when rubbing to achieve results. By the end of working on the jacket I was actually rubbing the jacket as hard as I could. Once you have worked on one area then move onto the next, allowing the initial patch to dry so you can see the outcome once it has dried. Don't be too aggressive on any one area for too long though otherwise you may find yourself removing more colour than you intended. I've read elsewhere that you can 'push' the colour around if you take too much off, but I didn't find that I could at all so once the colour/dye is removed then it's gone for good, so be warned! Also, be aware of anything beneath the area you are working on such as seams, edges, etc as the acetone will probably 'highlight' this into the leather. Imagine brass rubbing and you get the idea. One area to pay particular close attention to is the inside pocket. There is a seam running around the edge of the pocket, which is especially prominent at the top. Rubbing over this seam can cause a noticeable line showing within your distressing on the front of the jacket.

Regards the acetone, be advised that you will go through it very quickly. I could only buy it in 130ml bottles but went through 11 bottles before I'd finished. It's also important to apply the liquid as soon as you put it onto the paper (NB. get the paper wet but not soaked), as it dries up very quickly. Also, make sure you have plenty of ventilation as the fumes from the acetone are very strong and potentially dangerous.

Anyway, once I'd worked on the jacket for about 11 hours (I kind you not! Be prepared to spend time on this) I was finally happy with the level of discolouration. I then used fine sandpaper on the edges of the pockets, collar, etc. to give the impression of long-term wear and tear. Finally, using a powder puff, I applied a generous application of Fuller's Earth. This powder gets into all the cracks and seams, and gives the jacket the final touch to look like it's had one adventure too many. Again, apply the powder in a well ventilated area (outside, if you can) and I would suggest wearing a mask as it gets everywhere and I don't think breathing it in can be good for you.

Personally, I'm glad I did it. I now much prefer the look of my jacket and it may be my imagination but the leather feels softer and suppler. Here are a few images of my finished jacket for your reference...