How to really soften stiff, thick leather? Extreme methods only!

[Monitor]

Yeah, I know we've had couple of hundred threads like this in the past but...

• One; Opinions on the matters of leather seem to evolve constantly...
• Two; There still is no definite consensus what works, primarily because most threads get diluted by participants who only want to chime into the discussion by recommending their favorite conditioner...

What I need is a method that actually, really, truly makes leather softer & more pliable - Obviously, safety of your leather garment is hardly a priority - so please, let's avoid talking about commercial conditioners, greases, lubricants, etc. 'cause they all do mostly nothing and some do nothing at all.

So! What is the most extreme and consequently most successful method you had employed, that positively had some, any effect on the usability of your leather item?

 

[born113]

Glycerol. It's not extreme, but safe and somewhat effective. I've tested on a lot of leather but not on jackets.
And yes. I'm also interested in other ways.

 

[Yamahana]

Yeah, I know we've had couple of hundred threads like this in the past but...

• One; Opinions on the matters of leather seem to evolve constantly...
• Two; There still is no definite consensus what works, primarily because most threads get diluted by participants who only want to chime into the discussion by recommending their favorite conditioner...

What I need is a method that actually, really, truly makes leather softer & more pliable - Obviously, safety of your leather garment is hardly a priority - so please, let's avoid talking about commercial conditioners, greases, lubricants, etc. 'cause they all do mostly nothing and some do nothing at all.

So! What is the most extreme and consequently most successful method you had employed, that positively had some, any effect on the usability of your leather item?

Is it “raw” veg-tanned leather that you want to work with, create something or a finished leather such as a jacket? If the 1st you have to “case” it.

 

[Monitor]

Glycerol. It's not extreme, but safe and somewhat effective. I've tested on a lot of leather but not on jackets.
And yes. I'm also interested in other ways.

First reply and already a suggestion that I have never read of before! Excellent. Thank you. I'll definitely look into it!

Is it “raw” veg-tanned leather that you want to work with, create something or a finished leather such as a jacket? If the 1st you have to “case” it.

It is a finished item, leather trousers, but they are unlined with the only bit of hardware being a zipper so there isn't much to worry about. I just want them softened up.

What does "casing" means?

 

[ton312]

If you are fearless, use Acetone

 

[Guppy]

So! What is the most extreme and consequently most successful method you had employed, that positively had some, any effect on the usability of your leather item?

I've applied Pecard to stiff CXL and saw it soften up considerably, becoming much more pliable after.

Beyond that, simple wear -- flexing the leather where it needs to bend. This takes more time. Pecard can help accelerate it.

Nothing extreme about it, really.

 

[Boyo]

a warm Clothes dryer with a few tennis balls or a pair of sneakers (trainers)

 

[Yamahana]

First reply and already a suggestion that I have never read of before! Excellent. Thank you. I'll definitely look into it!



It is a finished item, leather trousers, but they are unlined with the only bit of hardware being a zipper so there isn't much to worry about. I just want them softened up.

What does "casing" means?

Casing is adding a little moisture to the leather then bagging so the moisture/humidity softens the leather for carving, stamping or forming

 

[Will Zach]

Drenching a stiff leather jacket with Obenaufs Oil worked for me. They say do not over-apply, so I of course applied two thick applications and used hair dryer to work most of it in. The jacket was wet and sticky for weeks. But eventually all of it went in, and is now (and always will be) soft as baby's ass.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

a warm Clothes dryer with a few tennis balls or a pair of sneakers (trainers)

That's what I was going to suggest. I thought I'd heard of someone doing this. Go with something heavier than tennis balls if you're feeling brave. If stone washed denim can be soft, then I suppose a stone tumbled jacket can be too... you did say "extreme."

 

[Monitor]

@ton312, Absolutely fearless. Will try.

@Guppy, not that I lack faith in your words, just never had Pecard doing much anything to any of my leathers. Either way, I don't have any left... And really would love to skip the whole wear-in process. It's bothersome.

@Boyo , @dudewuttheheck, done that 10 times. Some minor result, which is why I believe I need to turn to chemistry.

 

[Canuck Panda]

@Monitor
Mink Oil.

I just used it on my Natural CXL that was stiffer than most horses. It softened immediately. The downside is it darkens and pulls out all the imperfections (scars and marks) in the leather. This is an upside for me though.
For most of my other CXL jackets, all that's needed is a warm up. This natural CXL (4+oz) is the only one that needed more.

I've also used the same mink oil on my new 5.75oz Badalassi jacket. It went from unwearable to tolerable. But I think it needs another few more coats because its thicker.

Again, all the imperfections will show after being oiled up with Mink oil. I love it but not everyone does.

I just used the cheapest mink oil I could find in liquid form. It happened to be Fiebings brand. I did also bought another aerosol can one from Angelus, it was about 5 bucks more for half the oil but it seemed handy with the spray. I couldn't find any Kiwi brands which I believe would cost the least. Mink oil is mink oil, just read the ingredient list and get it in liquid form.

I've also tried Vaseline on my 5star, too much work too little result. Mink oil seems to give faster results.
I have no idea what the long term effect are, so do at your own risk. The leather will show all the scars after being mink oiled. Kinda funny to see what the tannery tried to hide in the first place. Like invisible ink.

Vaseline takes too long and isn't as fast as Mink oil. And given how much I had to use it cost more than Mink oil. A tub of Vaseline cost me about C$5 bucks, only did 2/3 of the jacket. Mink oil cost me C$10 and has already done 4 jackets with more to go.

 

[Salmosalar]

@ton312, Absolutely fearless. Will try.

@Guppy, not that I lack faith in your words, just never had Pecard doing much anything to any of my leathers. Either way, I don't have any left... And really would love to skip the whole wear-in process. It's bothersome.

@Boyo , @dudewuttheheck, done that 10 times. Some minor result, which is why I believe I need to turn to chemistry.

One thing I tried that seems to have worked really well on an old Lewis jacket from the 70s that was like cardboard was to unpick a few seams in the lining and then use a cloth soaked in pure neatsfoot oil (not the compound version) to the inside of the leather on the suede surface. This eventually soaked through and the jacket is v soft now. I avoided getting too close to the seams though, and focused on the main panels - just in case the oil eventually rotted the stitching in the long run. I applied Pecards along seams instead but it did next to nothing to soften the really stiff leather in the main body of the jacket and neither did any other conditioners - the pure neatsfoot was the only thing that did. It needed a good 48h to disperse but the jacket is finallt wearable and very comfortable to boot…

 

[Salmosalar]

Urad do a “leather softener” called Tenderley or somesuch - has anyone here tried that?

 

[Canuck Panda]

Just curious, What leather item are you trying to soften?

 

[58panheadfan]

Go to the nearest construction site, toss your pants into a sturdy sack and run a cement mixer with rocks in it…

 

[Viking752]

I recently had a need to soften the stiff leather panel on the lower back of one of my Moto jackets. I did apply Chamberlains leather milk for my own peace of mind and I hand rolled the leather. Then i proceeded to “knead” the leather back and forth and then actually stood on it for a bit. Rinse and repeat, it did enough to satisfy me. YMMV

 

[yellowfever]

I understand you want to soften some leather jeans, but what kind of leather is it? What weight? What thickness? What finish? And what are you expectations/hopes? An easier break in (doable I think) or easy wearing right from the off (difficult)?

Some non-expert thoughts of various levels of seriousness:

- Plasticy surface finishes may be stiff and are unlikely to absorb treatments well/at all as they are there to protect the leather, so doing the treatment from the back (suede) side may be optimal as others have suggested. I’ve had some success with Obernaufs - the oil version is best being more easily absorbed. And given you say the pants are unlined access to the suede side is not a problem. But it may take a while to lose the stickiness from a really good soaking of oil… and you’re still going to need to break them in, it should help but they’re not going to be butter soft right away or anything

- you could also take the surface finish off (with the acetone suggestion already made) which should reduce stiffness and also allow better product absorption from the outside of the leather. But then you are losing the finish which was put there to protect the leather/hide imperfections…

- waxy finishes are stiff specially when cold. So if it is a waxy leather then wearing in warmer weather/after gentle heat near radiator should make them more supple when you put them on. Body heat should then keep the waxes from hardening whilst wearing them. This can help whilst you break the jeans in. Or again try removing the waxes from the leather. Acetone will do this… but then you’ll lose some of the character of the leather and the protection the waxes give it and you’ll need to condition the leather afterwards. Again it’s not going to turn it into a lamb leather style soft drape.

- buy jeans in a thinner/softer leather. I know that doesn’t solve what you have now, but sometimes it may simply be easier/cheaper to just sell something that’s not working for you and start again. Thinner cowhide or steer hide with minimal finish may work. Or lamb is very soft and drapes well, albeit not so robust and small hide size probably means unsightly panel seams at knees. Goat is both strong and thin and has a fairly soft drape and a nice distinctive grain (if you like that). Maybe a good choice if you can find it… ditto kangeroo (tho’ with much smoother grain). You might even be able to get leather jeans made affordably in goat or lamb skin eg in Pakistan (5* leather?). Send a good fitting pair of regular jeans and get them to replicate in light leather? Then they’ll fit you well and be made of a leather that’s easy to wear from the start.

- the tumbling suggestions in dryers/concrete mixers that have already been made may help, but personally I think that’s a bit unfocussed for jeans. I expect there are only particular areas that are really an issue for break in - articulation points at knees and hips, plus waist and crotch. Working these areas repeatedly by hand (after soaking in a conditioner) whilst watching TV may help. Or wearing the pants doing eg squats, exercise bike/whatever etc gets your fitness improved as well as breaking in the pants where they need to be broken in faster than just regular wearing. You might also look at any particular seams that might be causing discomfort and work on those by hand. By definition these thicker parts will be stiffer.

- Another thought in this is you say the jeans are unlined. Adding a slippy half lining to just below the knee should allow them to move better and be less restrictive/grabby… it may also be they don’t fit quite as you’d like. If so an alteration may make them more comfortable…

- get your gardener/butler/manservant to wear the jeans for you for a few months like aristocrats allegedly got their gamekeepers to do with their new tweeds… though you may have to pay them a small bonus/hire a servant with the exact same dimensions as you…

- sell all your other trousers so you only have this pair left, thereby forcing you to wear them everyday until they are broken in.

- find a nice used pair already nicely broken in on TFL, like I did buying from a certain @Monitor (thanks by the way - they’re really excellent!)

Good luck and I look forward to reports/before and after pictures of whatever route you take!

 

[Will Zach]

Have Shawn make you a soft replica at 5*.

 

[JMax]

@Monitor
Mink Oil.

I just used it on my Natural CXL that was stiffer than most horses. It softened immediately. The downside is it darkens and pulls out all the imperfections (scars and marks) in the leather. This is an upside for me though.
For most of my other CXL jackets, all that's needed is a warm up. This natural CXL (4+oz) is the only one that needed more.
View attachment 399281
I've also used the same mink oil on my new 5.75oz Badalassi jacket. It went from unwearable to tolerable. But I think it needs another few more coats because its thicker.

Again, all the imperfections will show after being oiled up with Mink oil. I love it but not everyone does.

I just used the cheapest mink oil I could find in liquid form. It happened to be Fiebings brand. I did also bought another aerosol can one from Angelus, it was about 5 bucks more for half the oil but it seemed handy with the spray. I couldn't find any Kiwi brands which I believe would cost the least. Mink oil is mink oil, just read the ingredient list and get it in liquid form.

I've also tried Vaseline on my 5star, too much work too little result. Mink oil seems to give faster results.
I have no idea what the long term effect are, so do at your own risk. The leather will show all the scars after being mink oiled. Kinda funny to see what the tannery tried to hide in the first place. Like invisible ink.

Vaseline takes too long and isn't as fast as Mink oil. And given how much I had to use it cost more than Mink oil. A tub of Vaseline cost me about C$5 bucks, only did 2/3 of the jacket. Mink oil cost me C$10 and has already done 4 jackets with more to go.
View attachment 399282

Wow. That’s Pornhub levels of Vaseline. It all soaked in?