Stains on an otherwise mint M-41 field jkt....

[everforward]

I have a '42 dated M-41 FJ that is basically brand-new except for something that has been splashed on it many years ago....at first I thought it was ink but what ever it is actually has some thickness to it, for you can rub your fingers across the staining and feel how it is raised and not level with the jacket material....has a slight crusty feel to it as well.

 

I am somewhat leery of taking it to the cleaners now, but years ago I used to take my WW2 uniforms to these old ladys who worked at the local cleaners since WW2...knew exactly how to handle the stuff.....trusted them completely....but sadly nothing lasts forever. At any rate, I am now willing to try something....

 

I will try to post some pics of the M41 later today, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone had anything to offer off the top of their head to add to the discussion...thanks in advance to everyone......

[fortworthgal]

You mention that the stain is raised and crusty. My advice would be to get something flat and hard, but NOT sharp, like a credit card, and try peeling or carefully scraping at the stain to see if you can remove any of it manually. You might also try gently rubbing with a very fine grit sandpaper to see if you can remove the majority of the crusty, raised material, then you can treat the stain itself underneath.

 

FYI for ink stains, plain old hairspray is the best remover. I also highly recommend Carbona Stain Devils for all stain removal. They come in small yellow bottles with white screw-caps, most grocery & hardware stores sell them near the laundry supplies. They're inexpensive, make different formulas for different types of stains, and they'll remove darn near anything.

 

I would not take it to the cleaners in the current condition.

 

Otherwise I'll be interested to see photos of the stain and make suggestions.

[everforward]

You mention that the stain is raised and crusty. My advice would be to get something flat and hard, but NOT sharp, like a credit card, and try peeling or carefully scraping at the stain to see if you can remove any of it manually. You might also try gently rubbing with a very fine grit sandpaper to see if you can remove the majority of the crusty, raised material, then you can treat the stain itself underneath.

 

FYI for ink stains, plain old hairspray is the best remover. I also highly recommend Carbona Stain Devils for all stain removal. They come in small yellow bottles with white screw-caps, most grocery & hardware stores sell them near the laundry supplies. They're inexpensive, make different formulas for different types of stains, and they'll remove darn near anything.

 

I would not take it to the cleaners in the current condition.

 

Otherwise I'll be interested to see photos of the stain and make suggestions.

 

Thanks for the reply...I will get some pics up for you to look at later tonight once some other chores are out of the way. Thanks as well for the removal tips, and I'll try something out based upon what we all talk about here on the thread. This particular jacket is the best one I've ever had save for the stains, and it would be a shame to see it wither away if I tried to clean it up....more later. :thumbsup:

[everforward]

Okay, I was finally able to get some shots off to show basically what I'm up against...Th jacket was issued (see collar pic) but could not have been worn more than once or twice, possibly 'cause it was splattered with something. I included a pic of the tag as well.

 

Looks to me not so much raised off of the material as I thought, but more like an oil splatter or something to that effect...Fortworthgal, nothing to scrape off as I thought, nothing too crusty it would seem----I actually haven't had this out of the cedar closet in years...

 

Anyhoo, here are some pics....comments welcome, thanks.