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Breaking in leather jackets in sauna and/or steam room?

JanW

New in Town
Messages
43
Hi all,

This might be a stupid question, but my wife and I are staying in a nice hotel for a couple of days as the building we're staying in is undertaking some repairs. The hotel has both a sauna (dry heat) and a steam room (wet heat).

I think you know where this is going... Dispense with the question on appropriateness (and assuming I would be willing to make a fool of myself), would it be possible to break in a leather jacket quickly by wearing it in either the sauna or steam room? My thinking is that since humans can survive in either conditions, that it would not harm the leather to be exposed to either.

I am, in particular, thinking of ways to a) slightly shrink and set creases on a jacket (goatskin); and b) break in a tumbled CXL FQHH jacket and make it much softer (somehow).

Any views on this (very possibly stupid) plan?

Thanks!
 

SkyTurtle

Familiar Face
Messages
90
Like Guppy said, the heat/moisture probably won't hurt the FQHH itself but the lining could be a different story. I've been buying Vanson competition weight jackets for a number of years and when I get them, the first year I roll it into a ball and sleep on it a couple nights. Then unroll it and roll it up again and sleep on it another couple of nights. Then borrowing a method from my baseball days, I use a wooden mallet wrapped in a t-shirt to gently pound the seams around the arms and shoulders to make it just a bit more comfortable to wear. Then I wear it whenever and wherever I can. I even wear it while sitting at my desk in the summer (when the A/C is running full blast!) while working on the computer. I also wear it in the rain whenever I can and then let it dry thoroughly hanging inside. By the second year it has really started to form to my body and fits like a leather suit of superhero armor.

Admittedly, this process takes some time and commitment but it produces custom-fit break-in without damaging the jacket -- inside or out.

I wouldn't do anything at all to the goat.
 

dubpynchon

One Too Many
Messages
1,045
Location
Ireland
Like Guppy said, the heat/moisture probably won't hurt the FQHH itself but the lining could be a different story. I've been buying Vanson competition weight jackets for a number of years and when I get them, the first year I roll it into a ball and sleep on it a couple nights. Then unroll it and roll it up again and sleep on it another couple of nights. Then borrowing a method from my baseball days, I use a wooden mallet wrapped in a t-shirt to gently pound the seams around the arms and shoulders to make it just a bit more comfortable to wear. Then I wear it whenever and wherever I can. I even wear it while sitting at my desk in the summer (when the A/C is running full blast!) while working on the computer. I also wear it in the rain whenever I can and then let it dry thoroughly hanging inside. By the second year it has really started to form to my body and fits like a leather suit of superhero armor.

Admittedly, this process takes some time and commitment but it produces custom-fit break-in without damaging the jacket -- inside or out.

I wouldn't do anything at all to the goat.

Man, I am impressed. If this lounge gave out an award for how best to break in a jacket I think you would win.
 

bn1966

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,108
Location
UK
Love a sauna for clearing the old pipes out, leather in the locker though :)
 

JanW

New in Town
Messages
43
Like Guppy said, the heat/moisture probably won't hurt the FQHH itself but the lining could be a different story. I've been buying Vanson competition weight jackets for a number of years and when I get them, the first year I roll it into a ball and sleep on it a couple nights. Then unroll it and roll it up again and sleep on it another couple of nights. Then borrowing a method from my baseball days, I use a wooden mallet wrapped in a t-shirt to gently pound the seams around the arms and shoulders to make it just a bit more comfortable to wear. Then I wear it whenever and wherever I can. I even wear it while sitting at my desk in the summer (when the A/C is running full blast!) while working on the computer. I also wear it in the rain whenever I can and then let it dry thoroughly hanging inside. By the second year it has really started to form to my body and fits like a leather suit of superhero armor.

Admittedly, this process takes some time and commitment but it produces custom-fit break-in without damaging the jacket -- inside or out.

I wouldn't do anything at all to the goat.

Yes! This is exactly the kind of commitment and attention to detail that I aspire to. I might just do that for the FQFF.
 
Messages
15,563
Location
East Central Indiana
Like Guppy said, the heat/moisture probably won't hurt the FQHH itself but the lining could be a different story. I've been buying Vanson competition weight jackets for a number of years and when I get them, the first year I roll it into a ball and sleep on it a couple nights. Then unroll it and roll it up again and sleep on it another couple of nights. Then borrowing a method from my baseball days, I use a wooden mallet wrapped in a t-shirt to gently pound the seams around the arms and shoulders to make it just a bit more comfortable to wear. Then I wear it whenever and wherever I can. I even wear it while sitting at my desk in the summer (when the A/C is running full blast!) while working on the computer. I also wear it in the rain whenever I can and then let it dry thoroughly hanging inside. By the second year it has really started to form to my body and fits like a leather suit of superhero armor.

Admittedly, this process takes some time and commitment but it produces custom-fit break-in without damaging the jacket -- inside or out.

I wouldn't do anything at all to the goat.

My gawd man....I can't believe you didn't include dragging it behind a car at 60MPH on a gravel road full of potholes. Jeeze...I almost feel sorry for those jackets. :eek:
 

Vezio

One of the Regulars
Messages
132
Location
Italy
I think that rather than soften your jacket, if the managers of the Hotel or customers see you with the jacket in the sauna, they will certainly put a video on YOUTUBE that will make you rich, with millions of views, or, in the worst case, you could have a mandatory medical treatment (on call of the nearest hospital, by the hotel staff) that will make save your money for the stay at the hotel;):)
 

navetsea

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,840
Location
East Java
you risk getting mold growing with trapped humidity and warm temperature between the liner and the jacket. just wear it normally, breaking in a new jacket is a rewarding process, even more if you take pictures often and compare the evolution from time to time.
 

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