More notes on the beauty of aging. From the infamous J. Peterman Catlog:

How to take care of the Mailbag:

The first scratch will kill you, but in fact, it’s the first step in the right direction: patina.

So the sooner it gets scratched, nicked, bumped, dug, hit, squeezed, dropped, bent, folded, and rained on, the better. Really.

When you receive your mailbag, it’s so fiercely new looking I’m almost ashamed of it. But there’s no choice. It would cost too much to pre-age each mailbag before sending it out to a customer. (Antiques cost more than new, for a reason.)

Here’s my recipe for “accelerating” the aging process. First, spend one day (the day you get it) the way it is. Brand new. Then, the next day, scratch it all over with your fingernails. Lightly. This will horrify you, at first. Then, spray-mist it with plain water, lightly. Let it dry. The scratches will lose their rawness. They will look old. Repeat this treatment as often as you can stand to; once a week for 5 weeks. Then once a year. (Clean mailbag with plain water only. Not petrochemicals, not oils, not detergents, not mystery solvents, not leather “cremes.” It will do just fine with plain water and will outlast both of us.)

My favorite line is: “…so fiercely new looking I’m almost ashamed of it”. Much like a new pair of sneakers or a fresh haircut—some things don’t look right until the “new” wears off.