May be an interesting topic.... my understanding is that a "worn" vest brings a certain small amount of respect... wind-whipped threads are pretty good evidence that you're riding and they're not hanging in the closet all the time. Anyhow, I've always favored denim, which obviously comes apart more easily than leather. My Dad does to; whenever his start to run threadbare he stitches another one inside it for structure and keeps going, lol. I'd do that, but living in Arizona, I'm less willing to wear five layers on denim in 115 degrees than I am black leather, so, the question is, what to do, what to do.... I have a new denim vest, can't decide to move my patches and retire my old one, or line it.... I'd kind of feel like I'm betraying a friend... is that weird? LOL

I guess it all depends. Gaining respect of other riders isn't up there on my priority list but thats just me. Put the nomenclature on your new vest and ride hard to make it look like the old one.

jb

lol, a small part of it... no, a pretty decent part of it, is that I'm too lazy to move all my patches LOL

The way I look at it, they all started out new, somewhere down the line. But the patches? Anybody that's been riding for any length of time, will recognize the patches, and give the appropriate response. And unless that vest is bluer than a cold corpse on a patch of ice, I wouldn't sweat over it. Ride Free
Tweek

I had the same leather vest for YEARS.  It is well decorated with patches and pins and I planned on wearing it forever.  But the darnedest thing happened - it shrunk! And it shrunk in the weirdest way... the shoulders and length didn't shrink a bit, but right around the belly area it shrunk about 4 inches to where it won't close - even with extenders.  Go figure!

So last year I had to break down and buy a new vest and went with denim this go 'round.  Still haven't got around to moving everything over yet so all that's on it is an American Flag, a CycleFish patch and a name patch "Lucky".

I didn't think leather shrunk, but the same thing is happening to all of my belts????

Question to everyone: Is it better to purchase a new vest that fits instead of wearing an older one with 12 inch extensions?

Ha Ha Ha Ha Luckys funny, I thought the shrinking was just a Oregon thing...I wear Leather vest over a leather Jacket when it's on the brrrrr side, however my vest has my story on it,  I just had some repairs done on it....but I'd say the most important thing is....
You Ride....
RandyJoe...Ride Strong...

I've got three vests. So wearing just ONE out is kinda hard to do. But like some of you, my oldest vest has started shrinking. So I'm having to around for the appropriate extenders.
Anyone else have more than one vest?

LOL! you guys are crackin' me up with the shrinking leather thing! (maybe my denim shrunk, too?) It still fits pretty well if I don't have my leather jacket under it, which I usually do.

Yeah, Mike, I'm still around! Working more, daughter is heading for 2 years old FAST! Not as much play time as I used to have lol! AZ is great, Ask me in a month or two and I may just start whining about the heat, but I'm working midnights, so for the most part, I'm sleeping through the heat! Riding weather year 'round is hard to beat, though, that's for sure! ...hmm, what else is new, since I haven't talked to anyone in so long.... eh, the bike is RUNNING, but the electrical system is trying hard to take a crap. It started with a bad key switch, Dad wired a by-passed toggle that would serve the same purpose, but now I'm having to push-start EVERY time, 'cause hitting the button just makes a crackling noise in the battery compartment, AND I have to put it on the battery charger every day if I want to be sure I have lights. I recently noticed that my turn indicators are almost always glowing ever so faintly, at least one of them... sometimes brighter than others. (turn signals don't work anyway!) And I also discovered today that if I hit the horn button it really makes a kinda wobbly and quiet moan rather than HONK. I don't know a THING about wiring... never made sense to me when it was working, makes even less sense when it's not. (Oh, yeah, I did disconnect the battery to "test" the charging system, and wonder of wonders, it'll run all day with no battery. but it'll run.) So, that's basically what's new with me! Good to hear from you guys again, too!

OH, and Wheels, I can't answer that, 'cause I haven't earned my 12 inch extensions yet!!!! ask me about that in 20 years or so! (I HOPE!) LOL

My Vest jeans and T Shirts all shrunk.I reckon its coz its been so wet down here this year..When we were in Deadwood last year a coupla little wankers decided they wanted my jacket mopre than I did and took off running out of the Number 10 bar with it.After A broken nose for one and a broken jaw for the other they decided they didnt want it that much.To me my jacket and my vest are a part of my history and very important to me..I adjusted mt vest out a bit and its still cool.holding out for extenders a bit bloody longer.Oh yeah Hawk sounds like you got an earth problem somewhere mate.They are a real bastard to find so good luck with that..CHEERS BOOF

kinda figured I have a bad ground somewhere. IDK what I'm going to do about that, they are a PAIN to find, and I don't know where to look, nor money to pay someone who does. *sigh* That's ok, it's FUN to push start her every time! LOL *sarcasm, I love it!*

As calm as I generally am, I'm with you... if someone actually tried to steal my threads, I can not be held responsible for my actions. It is a "story of my life" item... I have patches on there that I bought when I was 10! And, no lie, I actually went along trying to remember what I actually had into my vest and riding jacket money-wise, and I actually have more into that vest than the suit that I wore to my wedding. Lucky for her I wore a suit at all!!!*