Leather Jacket Relining Question

[jdbenson]

I've got a A-2 that needs to be relined for the second time. It's a heavy steerhide jacket and the satin lining has just shredded over the last couple of years. The pockets need to be relined as well. I've got a place in town willing to reline the jacket for under $175, and I trust them as they did the first reline and did a WONDERFUL job!

My question is this: Would I be better served to put in a cotton lining? Would it last longer than the satin/rayon? I thought about cotton drill in the body and rayon in the sleaves. Any suggestions?

 

[JanSolo]

In general synthetic linings hold up better than cotton of similar weight. However some linings of higher priced jackets are made from acetate which is silky smooth and can be mistaken for nylon or polyester. Acetate is not very durable but was extensively used on vintage jackets and is therefore accurate for an older jacket.
If durability and comfort is your main concern try to locate a shop that deals with raw fabric and buy a couple of square feet of dacron twill. (Quality track suits are made from that). Make sure to buy outer shell thickness. It should be available in various colours (i.e. black, red, wine, navy blue etc.). Although it's thicker than the usual synthetic lining stuff, it's still quite thin. Thinner than heavyweight cotton but probably harder wearing and more comfortable.

Hope that helps.

 

[jdbenson]

Dacron

Dacron twill makes perfect sense. I'll double check with the tailors and see if they have or can get any...

Thanks!