How do you know when a jacket is broken in?

[Sloan1874]

Just a thought, but at what point do you decide a jacket has finally broken in? Is it when the thing no longer stands up on its own, is it when the original shine has disappeared and an all-over patina has developed? Certainly, some people have written critically about certain grades of horse and steer never breaking in, but at what point of softness/malleability do you say 'I have tamed this jacket!'

 

[cordwangler]

I'd say a jacket can be considered broken in at some undefinable point, a little bit before you stop thinking about it.

 

[majormajor]

When, as you look in the mirror with it on, the smile on your face is sufficiently large, and your brain says"that is a ****ing nice jacket!"

 

[HorseHide]

To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart's (U.S. Supreme Court) famous quote regarding obscenity: you know it when you see it!

 

[Sloan1874]

LOL! I thought this might be the answer. Here's a more focused one: how long do you think it took to break in your favourite jacket, and what made you think "that is a ****ing nice jacket!"(tm MajorMajor) ie. was it the patina, drape, grain etc?

 

[majormajor]

Hi Craig

A bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question...

A few examples:

My last Eastman A2, in "Warhorse" hide, developed the most amazing patina and grain just as soon as it had been HWTed. And the drape of the collar was suberb. It looked fabulous. But within 6 months, the knits had lost their elasticity, and the "****ing nice jacket" smile had left the building. And the jacket left soon after.

My current A2 (Aero) is nice, but the hide is just "OK" compared with the ELC. So no "****ing nice jacket" smile yet.......

FQHH jackets are SO much thicker, hidewise, than an A2, that it is a whole different ballgame. Because I rarely wear the same jacket two days running, my FQs seem to take a good while to stop having a mind of their own. But, as long as you chose the right colour in the first place, once they have actually decided that your shape is what counts, rather than theirs, then the "****ing nice jacket" smile should appear

 

[Sloan1874]

That's an excellent reply, MM. My LHB is coming along nicely - got caught in a downpour yesterday, which seems to have moved the process along somewhat.
You're absolutely right, though, it is a how long is a piece of string question. It's just that 'breaking in' is a term that we bandy about on the FL an awful lot, and as it's something all jacket owners on here wrestle with, it just seems worth getting the collective wisdom of everyone to get a feel for what is seen as 'broken in'.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Well..concerning Aero's Heavy FQHH...it's always a continuing process. My(first Aero utility jacket) 'Highwayman' purchased in 2001 was spankin new and somwhat cardboard stiff out of the box...and so unique that I couldn't help wearing it often. The compliments spurred me on to spray mist it..shape the collar..and always grab 'that one' going out the door. Gradually it began to form to my body shape as the HH relaxed..soften..and I noticed that it was becoming like well worn comfy leather house slippers(if you will). Seemed like that snuck up on me to an extent. Now I was grabbing it not only to 'show it off'..but for the comfort as well..and the added developing charactor. It had worn into something else. The 'cadet' new look had transformed into a well used burnished highlighted appearance becoming similar to a well used saddle (?). I just don't know when this Horween hide will actually be 'broken in'. However,for me,it's been a worthwhile journey. Quite different than most any other hide.
Now I'm working on my newer FQHH Bootlegger and Stuart..which seem to be 'evolving' quicker. Maybe it just seems that way because I know what to expect.
HD

 

[Plumbline]

for me it depends on the hide and the jacket .... I view "broken in" as has sormed to my shape and moves with me rather than resisting my movement. I'm not so worried about " patina" and the newness wearing off .... more about comfort.

MHO in terms of duration to break in ( wear rates being equal)

Oilpull Steer .. is an amazing hide and breaks in VERY quickly ( a couple of months)
Mid weight steer and horse ... about the same 4 months typically ( not including HWT or any other accelerating treatments)
Vintage HH ... 4 months ... my black VDR is now super soft Vintage HH ( 8 years old)
Jerky Horse .. next up .. about 6 months
Heavy FQHH and Steer ... man .... a year, perhaps 2 ... my black brnstormer is 10 years old and has only now started to be really comfortable ( it is 6.5kg - 13lbs) .... my Brown VDR ( the heaviest FQHH jacket I own) is 12 years old and feels like a 6 month old jacket ( it doesn't look like one ... but it's a mean mother of a jacket ... I do love it though and it still stands up all on it's own)

They all look GREAT though ... even the new ones ..... and not too small either

 

[Sloan1874]

I like the "worn comfy leather house slippers" simile. I already find it pretty comfortable - I think this is the first jacket I've ever owned that actually fits me, which is a starter for 10 - though it needs a bit of work on the front and the collar. I've got a few scuffs here and there, where it's caught a wall or two, but I'm guessing that's all part of the process. Mind you, it's currently perched on the edge of the chair next to me at the moment, and the back is looking pretty shiny, so maybe there is a bit of distance to go. The arms are nice and broken though, I'm fairly certain of that.

 

[Plumbline]

should have added ... goatskin and capeskin feel "broken in" from NEW ( although a little creasing is desirable but that happens VERY quickly)

Sheepskin ... 2 months .... D-1 thickness much quicker than Irvin thickness ( lost worlds B-3's are made of the most resistant carpet like sheepskin I have EVER seen .... sold mine after battling it for 2 years ..... GREAT jacket but you'd need 60 years to break it in)

Buffalo / Bison - 6 months

as always depends on the tanning / thickness and weight .....

 

[Sloan1874]

Your pov on the sheepskins is interesting, Pl - I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on one for next winter. I've heard some people saying that in some cases they found it hard to bend their arms at first, so I can't imagine how long it takes to get one of those babies supple. Oddly, I've also heard people saying that shearlings can be vulnerable to being torn, so it doesn't necessarily follow that the stiffer a hide is, the tougher it is (or am I wrong?).

 

[Plumbline]

You're not wrong re. sheepskin .... there are two main issues :

Thickness of the "skin"
Thickness of the "Fleece"

the D-1 / B-6 thickness is perfect just about any temperate climate in winter ( Scotland) - 2mm skin, 10mm fleece

The B-3 and Irvin thickness on Aero/Eastman sheepskin are about as thick as you need ANYWHERE - up to 2.5mm skin, 25mm fleece ( add horsehide reinforcing as per the B-3 and it becomes stiff to bend ( more due to the sheer volume of material)

The Aero ANJ-4 and Lost Woprlds B-3 (3mm hide and 35, fleece) are tough jackets .... my ANJ is just about broken in at 4 years old ( only worn in winter) .... the LW B-3 NEVER got comfortable ... but jeez are both SOLID BUILT jackets. The advantage of the ANJ is the sating linings in the armpit and the lack of fleece in the bottom front 1/4. Which make it MUCH more comfortable to wear ..... no less heavy at 4.5Kg !!!!!!

The ANJ is the ULTIMATE serious winter jacket IMHO .. add oilpull horse re-inforcement and it's a jacket which will outlast you.

will post some pics of the ANJ over the next few days ... and maybe some others

They;re a good fit so you'll think they're massive (hee hee)

 

[Plumbline]

It is much more suseptible to tearing than steer or horse .... but I've never ripped one ( and I'm not soft on jackets). It doesn't have the penetrative resistance to horse or steer .... but is MUCH warmer

 

[Sloan1874]

LW do seem to over-engineer their jackets to a ludicrous extent. I'm not sure what they're expecting their owners to do with them. The ANJ seems to be a balance between the armour of a standard jacket and the warmth of a sheepskin. I suppose Aero's Thunderbay is the civvy equivalent.
Oh you and your fitting jests. Would be interested to see your jackets - especially what an ANJ looks like with a bit of breaking-in - and I promise no comments about sizing.

 

[Sir Jacket]

It's mainly the patina. I recommend going out wearing it on new year's eve in a wintry country, then waking up in the snow, definitely having poured beer on it and ideally having got into a minor scrap. Bit of vomit probably doesn't go astray, either (scraped off).

Then we're talking character.

SJ

 

[Edward]

LW do seem to over-engineer their jackets to a ludicrous extent. I'm not sure what they're expecting their owners to do with them.

Stuart might say you're just "not manly enough" or his jackets. lol

 

[Cole]

LOL! I thought this might be the answer. Here's a more focused one: how long do you think it took to break in your favourite jacket, and what made you think "that is a ****ing nice jacket!"(tm MajorMajor) ie. was it the patina, drape, grain etc?

It took me about six years of daily wear over all four season to break in my HH Vanson X1 jacket (there was no need for another jacket in that time). The jacket can still stand on its own if put to the floor right, but that's a thick HH problem. At least I've got the impression that stuff gets stiff again, if you don't wear it often enough.

The long break in period has it's origin in the fact that I imagined a very special look when I bought it 11 years ago.

My Aero A2 is breaking in a lot faster. In fact I thing another half year and it is how it should be.

 

[Sloan1874]

The jacket can still stand on its own if put to the floor right, but that's a thick HH problem. At least I've got the impression that stuff gets stiff again, if you don't wear it often enough.

I have heard this is the case. God knows how, though. I suppose it allows the oils and whatnot in the hide to coalesce and stiffen again.

And you're probably right about LW. I have visions of Stu reading this forum with a deepening depression, mumbling to himself "buncha pansies" and coming up with new ways to make his jackets even more bullet-proof.

 

[Plumbline]

It's NOT .. how they wore them during the war ... it's how I wear them ..Aero ANJ-4 ( oilpull horse reinforcement panels) .... one seriously warm and ultra tough sheepskin jacket ( bought "unworn" from Germany on ebay) used but not abused