# Conditioning a painted leather jacket **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385 "2007-12-09T15:53:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/1 "2007-12-09T15:53:33Z")
I have an A-2 jacket with ‘nose art’ on the back. (A friend duplicated the artwork from a jacket worn by a B-17 aircrewman in the 401st Bomb Group. Another reproduction [here](http://www.artbysky.org/images/001/A2VisibilityPerfect.jpg), as I don’t have photos of mine.) I don’t remember what kind of paint he used, but I do know that he researched it to find the best paint for painting a leather jacket. How do I condition the jacket? Is mink oil OK? Or is there a different product I should use? I don’t want to damage the painting. ---
**Author:** ![donaldbyers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b77776/32.png) [@donaldbyers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donaldbyers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/2 "2013-01-31T02:35:01Z")
I can’t answer how to take care of this A2 Jacket as I am looking for the same thing for some friends who have one. However, I am interested in a photo of your A2 Jacket both the old one and the newely painted one. My name is Donald Byers the 401st Bomb Group Historian. Check our web site out at [http://www.401bg.org](http://www.401bg.org) Don Byers ---
**Author:** ![donaldbyers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b77776/32.png) [@donaldbyers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donaldbyers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/3 "2013-01-31T05:00:35Z")
I finally saw Visibilty Perfect is this the one you are speaking of? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/4 "2013-01-31T05:36:39Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Donald… even though the thread you responded to is from 2007 **Johnny** is still active on this forum. He helped me find an A2 when I was in the market a few years ago, and I’m sure he will be around soon to give you what info you want. I’m sure the stories a “bomb group historian” can share will be greatly appreciated on these boards. By the way, the artwork on the linked photos is gorgeous. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/5 "2013-01-31T15:13:32Z")
Hi **Donald**. I didn’t come back to the board before I saw your email last night, and I couldn’t remember where I might have posted about this A2. I’ve sent you two photos of the jacket. I only have the two photos, as I’m pretty lazy about taking pictures. For others who want to see it, [here’s a shot of the back of my A2 jacket](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m305/llaaksonen/Visibility_Perfect.jpg?t=1242960229). [Here’s a closer look at the pin-up](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m305/llaaksonen/VisibilityPerfect.jpg?t=1242960313). **Spud** : I’m glad you like the jacket. It’s a closer copy than my Avirex version, and I’ve always liked their products and customer service. Eastman Leather has a closer copy than either of ours, but I don’t have an extra $1,000 to spend on a jacket right now. In the meantime, I’ve been wearing my [What Price Glory RAF Irvin jacket](http://onlinemilitaria.com/shopexd.asp?id=1607&bc=no) when it’s not too warm or too wet. Fairly authentic, and 1/3 the price of an Eastman. Back to conditioning… I have an original [RAF Coastal Command Irvin](http://www.flickr.com/photos/27492458@N05/8339915525/in/photostream) that I can never wear. (I’d have to shave a couple of inches off my shoulders – and more inches elsewhere.) I used some Pecard’s on it a couple of years ago, and the leather came back fairly well. It could stand another application, but the living arrangements here have changed since then and I haven’t gotten round to it. The larger problem (aside from it being too small) is finding original zips for it. The main one costs £125 alone, and that’s a lot for a jacket I can’t wear. In any case, the Pecard’s did not affect the painted hood. (Coastal Command Irvins had a hood instead of a collar, which was painted yellow for visibility in the water in case of a bail out.) I may be able to use Pecard’s on the artwork on the A2. If this thread turns into a jacket-sharing thread, I suspect it might be moved to MPSIMS. But in keeping with General Questions, I’d still like to see if anyone has any first-hand experience conditioning painted leather. I’m no longer in contact with the guy who painted my jacket, and I’d hate to damage the artwork! ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conditioning-a-painted-leather-jacket/429385/6 "2013-01-31T15:26:38Z")
i guess that the painted area is sealed, the leather under it can’t be conditioned and may dry.