Washed Aeros?

[jack miranda]

Hello:
I'm a new member here. I stumbled across this forum while googling A-2's; it was through the forum that I found John Chapman's GoodWear Leather Company. I visited John last summer at his shop and I recently received my russet brown goat Dubow A-2 from John. Nice jacket. Worth the wait. So, first of all, thank you for the tip about GoodWear.

I was reading some old threads and came across Mr. H's post from last May singing the blues about how stiff his FQHH Highwayman was. The recommendation to him was to throw it in the washer (!!) to break it in. If anyone can comment further on this, I'd love to hear about it. I have a new Aero 'Bootlegger' that needs some serious breaking. Thanks.

 

[eClairvaux]

Jack,

I have an almost new Highwayman and I must say, I can't quite understand why one would like to speed up the breaking in.
Basically, breaking in is really a sign of stress wearing the leather into a more used form. I would not choose to force this.

Secondly, I find the stiff FQHH not that annoying, it doesn't bother me at all.

cheers

Daniel

 

[Peacoat]

There is a discussion about this topic at the bottom of page 6 or the top of page 7, depending on how many new threads have been added before you check. See: "How to Break In Horsehide Quickly." I don't vouch for all of the techniques discussed there, but you might find one you feel comfortable with. The thread does cover washing the HH, as you mentioned. Good luck.

 

[jack miranda]

Thanks. I'll go have a look. The more I think about this, though, the less inclined I am to toss a new leather jacket into a washing machine.

 

[jack miranda]

Peacoat: I read the posts you mentioned. Interesting. Wetting the jakcet down with a spray bottle as Hoosier Daddy suggested is an option; so is sleeping in the jakcet for a couple of weeks. It is certainly cold enough just now in northern California. Well, by northern California standards it's cold. Thank you.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

the dRinK or the beD...

howdy...

i had a discussion with dave marshall, the leather master at gibson and barnes (flightsuits.com) when he brought up breaking in jackets...someone had bought a heavy horsehide from them, and marshall told the fellow that it would take at the least, months of wear to have any break-in

a few weeks later the guy came back with his wife to drop off the jacket for some work, possibly a patch put on, and dave noticed the jacket was fully broken in...he took the wife aside and asked what had her husband done to accomplish that

her answer was that it wasn't just the two of them in bed, but the jacket too...he'd been wearing it to sleep since purchasing it

way 'one' to do it, if it doesn't get in the way of your marriage...or, perhaps, it enhanced it...who knows

as for the dRiNK...i never could bring myself to wash my leather jacket, any one of them, even after hearing some heavy duty support for the practice on this forum...i did however take a sponge and go over a new current issue cockpit usa a-2 goatskin with a sponge, soaking water only onto the outside, then blotting it uP...i did this several times, wetting, letting it dry, twice with a hair dryer, then doing it again...i think i spent three times

the leather pretty much wasn't stiff to begin with, and only got modestly softer...plus there was a very modest look of having been worn a bit, but without damage or real wear to the leather...just a variegated lightening of the leather, especially around seams, so it looked a bit aged

i'm sure dunking it in the washing machine, with all that moving around, would be more effective...howeVer, i couldn't really get myself to do that to a jacket costing what a high-grade jacket costs

sLeep sounds like the way to go if it doesn't mess up your interpersonal relationships.
good luck, and would be interested in hearing which way you gO

 

[Peacoat]

What you will learn from reading the posts here is that Hoosier Daddy is usually spot on with his suggestions. I would take his suggestion of spraying water on the jacket a step further. After you spray the leather, lay a damp towel over the leather, lifting the towel to spray the leather every thirty minutes or so.

The reason I suggest using the towel is because the chrome tanned HH is water resistant. It generally resists spray bottles and rain. However, once the leather has been wet for a while, it will absorb some of the water you spray on it. You might get a little bit of shrinkage anytime you get leather wet. So, if you have a close fit, this may not be the method for you. I used it successfully to shrink a goatskin G-1 just a little bit. The chest was a good fit, but it was a little large in the back. So I used the spray/towel method to take a little out of the back only; worked great. I will say that I dried it on a very warm bathroom floor heated with radiant heat. This may have had some effect on the slight shrinkage that I got. I put two dry towels between the floor and the drying jacket to protect it from the direct heat.

I have heard of the sleep method being used, and actually thought of doing it myself but decided against it. My wife would think I was nuts if I tried that, and would say, "No more leather jackets for you!" What I do is wad up the jacket as much as possible and put it under the mattress. I change the way it is "wadded" every day so that it breaks in more evenly. If you put it at the foot of the bed, it doesn't much interfere with your use of the bed. I also wad it up and sit on it.

While sitting around watching TV, reading or even driving, I wear the jacket and constantly flex my arms at the elbow to loosen the leather. This works well and gives a month's worth of wear at the elbow bends in just an hour or so.

The best method is to wear the jacket as much as possible. This is easy to do this time of year.

Those are my suggestions, for what they are worth.

 

[kojax]

hello guys if i call dave marshell at gibson -barnes can i order a grainy a-2 horshide jacket instead of there smooth leather.............i would never wash my leather jackets that is a NO NO LOL

 

[scotrace]

Shrinkage: I have a goatskin jacket with a nylon liner which I sprayed to get to a smaller size. It worked, mostly, but now the liner is oversized, and sticks out below the cuffs a good 1/2".

 

[jack miranda]

Thanks one and all for your input. I've had a night to sleep on the notion of washing the jacket (not on the jacket itself), and I'm going to try the spray bottle wetting technique. Also, I've been folding the 'Bootlegger', a medium brown, incredibly stiff steerhide, and sitting on it while I'm at the computer. It has softened a little. I will report how the wetting proceeds.

By the way, it is a real treat to meet a group of folks who are enthusiasts about leather jackets. I have one friend who ran a used leather jacket store in Seattle for twenty years, but, he was never mad about wearing them. Other people in my sphere, including my wife, think I'm a bit daft. From your comments, I gather some of your spouses also view this as some mild, and relatively harmless aberration in your personality.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[icecold]

Shrinkage: I have a goatskin jacket with a nylon liner which I sprayed to get to a smaller size. It worked, mostly, but now the liner is oversized, and sticks out below the cuffs a good 1/2".

Hmm, this shrinkage thing worries me a bit. does this only apply to goat, or FQHH could experience the same? I'm madly in love with my new Aero 30's slim fit halfbelt in stiff FQHH. But, the fit is really close (just perfect for me). If I ever get caught in the rain for any noticeable period of time, are you saying that it would shring to suffocate me ?

 

[jack miranda]

Evening, all:
Yesterday, as it happens, it rained for hours, a hard cold rain that we in California need a lot more of to fill our vanishing reservoirs. So, I took the 'Bootlegger' and slung it over a lawn chair on the back porch for a few hours. I brought it in, wiped the rain off of it and put it on, wore it all evening to warm it up a bit. Amazing: the jacket lost nearly all of its 'suitcase' stiffnes, and began to feel like 'my' jacket. I'm a believer now. I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days.

 

[icecold]

Evening, all:
Yesterday, as it happens, it rained for hours, a hard cold rain that we in California need a lot more of to fill our vanishing reservoirs. So, I took the 'Bootlegger' and slung it over a lawn chair on the back porch for a few hours. I brought it in, wiped the rain off of it and put it on, wore it all evening to warm it up a bit. Amazing: the jacket lost nearly all of its 'suitcase' stiffnes, and began to feel like 'my' jacket. I'm a believer now. I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days.

The only thing that could make the story better is if instead leaving the jacket on a chair, you wore it while scoping the fields with your faithful dog under the rain, until you reashed a rustic bed & breakfast, heated only by a small fireplace (so you had to keep your jacket on while having lamb for dinner) lol :eusa_clap

I'm still ambivalent about purposefully wetting my new and stiff aero, but I won't be running in horror if caught in the rain with it . Also, just waering it it does noticeable break in. Just after a week, the sleeves I think are soft and comfortable. The body is still stiff.

The first scuff on the pristine leather broke my heart, but now I can't punish this bad boy enough

 

[jack miranda]

Aero Bootlegger pic

Morning, Ice:
Here is a pic of the me wearing the former 'suitcase', now well on its way to becoming a civilized member of the family. The jacket, not me. Its roomy enough for a wool shirt or light sweater underneath, and I really like that collar.

My first leather jacket was a version of this style I found in a second-hand store nearly forty years ago. It was beat up when I bought it, and I flat wore that old jacket out, even back-packed across the Olympic Mountains in Washington wearing it. Pre-Goretex days, they were. I visited Aero's website one day, well, nearly every day, in fact, and saw the Bootlegger and remembered that first jacket with its winged collar, and diagonal zipper and knew I wanted another.

But, as I've already posted, this steerhide is incredible. It is thicker and heavier than the HH in my Aero 'Hercules'! But, oh, the color, and the smell and the feel of a new Aero. There is nothing on planet Earth like it. My wife, of course, thinks I'm quite mad. S'okay, she's probably right, but, not for being crazy for great leather jackets.

Happy holidays!
--Jack

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Hey,Jack..
Great looking jacket! Looks like my next Aero will be the Bootlegger. Photos like yours pushes me closer to ordering one(like I NEED another leather jacket!). However..the Bootlegger is a mighty stylish jacket,indeed!
HD
I suggest getting a plastic spray bottle...and spray down the jacket until quite wet...then just wear until dry. After several sessions of doing this..it will form and mold to your body shape...and crease and soften. It's worked on all my heavy HH Aero jackets. Wearing the jacket while quite wet seems to be "key"..at least for me. I have had no noticable shrinkage(just stay away from drying it with any kind of heat..especially extreme heat). It does look great now..but with this process...will become much more comfortable and easy to wear..plus..gain broken-in "charactor"as well.

 

[icecold]

Morning, Ice:
Here is a pic of the me wearing the former 'suitcase', now well on its way to becoming a civilized member of the family. The jacket, not me. Its roomy enough for a wool shirt or light sweater underneath, and I really like that collar.

My first leather jacket was a version of this style I found in a second-hand store nearly forty years ago. It was beat up when I bought it, and I flat wore that old jacket out, even back-packed across the Olympic Mountains in Washington wearing it. Pre-Goretex days, they were. I visited Aero's website one day, well, nearly every day, in fact, and saw the Bootlegger and remembered that first jacket with its winged collar, and diagonal zipper and knew I wanted another.

But, as I've already posted, this steerhide is incredible. It is thicker and heavier than the HH in my Aero 'Hercules'! But, oh, the color, and the smell and the feel of a new Aero. There is nothing on planet Earth like it. My wife, of course, thinks I'm quite mad. S'okay, she's probably right, but, not for being crazy for great leather jackets.

Happy holidays!
--Jack

Aahhh, damn you sir . I thought that I had managed to eliminate the bootlegger as one of the jackets that I'll be getting from aero. But, the pic above made me reconsider (so now I'm back to a list of 5-6 jackets). The madness has caught up with me. I live in Texas and I have hard enough time breaking in ONE jacket. But, it doesn't matter - I do keep a list lol .

Now back to the topic of breaking in. My new (and only) areo is a heavy FQHH. I've had it for 2 weeks, and being the purist I am, I avoid any un-natural interference with the natural break in process - no wetting, no wadding, no massaging, no anything - just everyday wear (except for sleeping in it one time, which made me feel like Henry Fonda in the Easy Rider).

Anyway, my point is that although the jacket is still very stiff, especially in the body, it is already softening up noticeably and getting quite comfortable, just from wear. For example, although out of the box it (he) was stiff enough to stand upon itself (and - i'm pretty sure - pour itself a beer if it (he) was in the mood), it is getting harder and harder to have it stand up by itself. It still does, but it's like melting icecream - everytime I do this, it slouches more and more, until one day soon it will collapse completely on the floor, in a welcomming state of submissiveness. Then I'll know that it (she???) is trully mine.

For me the best part of the break in process are not necessarily the creases, but the softening leather, and most importantly - the grain that comes out (but is initially hidden underneath th epaint/polish). All in all, quite an experience. I only wish we had more cold days here in texas.

I am at a point where I consider moving back to the north, to a crappy or no job if need be, just so I could wear leather jackets all the time. Now THAT would be madness .

 

[bobjones]

My brown FQHH Stockman has been breaking in nicely since I have been able to wear it daily up here for the past 6-7 weeks. I have "pounded" it a a little, by rolling it up like a ball and "kneading" the leather a little bit, kind of like what the pizza guy does to the dough before putting the sauce on it - wow I'm getting hungry.

Anyway, the jacket has softened up considerably over the last month and is much more comfortable to wear. I would guess that it would probably take about 3 full seasons of daily wear for it to really soften up and act like a lambskin would have from day one.

 

[Twp]

Breaking in an aero leather jacket

I have 2 barnstormers from Aero and I do not think that they will ever get broken in but its a jacket to last a life time Cheers-tim

 

[Twp]

Breaking in aero leather jackets

Honest guys I do not think these jackets ever break in but like I have said before these jackets last a lifetime

 

[jack miranda]

You, know, Twp, I b'lieve yore right.

Aint it cool? It's cold and clear here in the Bay Area today. I wore my alpaca-lined Highwayman out early this morning, but, this afternoon for strolling on the avenue with my sweetie, I put on the Bootlegger. Made me feel 22 and ready for anything. Definitely put a spring in my step.

Oh, I did leave it out for about three hours in the hard, steady rain we had here yesterday. The lining wasn't even damp! Put it on and wore it for the rest of the day. The sleeves are showing a lot of progress--I can actually reach the the top of my pate now!