Cold water treatment

[Stef]

I read JC recommendations for HWT, and some from you too on the forum.
Any chance to work the grain with cold water to avoid shrinking the jacket ?
What does shrink the jacket more : hot water, or dryer ?
is spraying water and let it dry is enough, or is it required to work the jacket with hands ?
Did anyone had a bad surprise with that technique ?
i will probably try it on my new AERO scotland 15142 when it comes, just to quickly add some character.
I won't on a NEW GW, they are GOOOOD enough !!

thanks

 

[John Lever]

My advice would be to experiment on something cheaper first.

 

[RCSignals]

Wearing it constantly and in all weather is the best way of adding character to a leather jacket

 

[Stef]

I agree, wearing the jacket a lot is probably the best way to work a jacket and probably can't be duplicated by any artificial technique, but in case of a leather that lake caracter, it may help ? I like the result of HWT on JC's CD !

 

[Who]

Loosening up a jacket by putting in a washing machine is no problem. It makes it easier to wear and is a short cut. Life is about short cuts. I use warm water and a little soap. Takes several days to dry. I've done it to 10 jackets with no harm and no shrinking, ever. I've done it to goat, steerhide and conventional 3.5 oz cow. A front loader is best as it doesn't agitate the jacket.

 

[ButteMT61]

I did the HWT on my beater USWings G1 last night. Came out great. It did shrink a bit, so I stuck it in the sun today, let it get really hot, and then put a nice slathering of Pecards on it. Let it bake again on both sides, and it's lovely. Can't beat it for an (on sale) $175 jacket. Just take your time with the process. I like using the shower. Just run that water on hot and soak it. I cycle between hot dry and fluff in the dryer until it's ~65% dry. Then I hang it up over our stove which is on all the time. Took it out today, and did the sun/Pecards thing. Done it with three jackets now. Two FQHH Aeros and this USW goat. Just take your time.

 

[RCSignals]

Be very cautious using the washing machine and dryer. eBay regularly has jackets for sale that have had this method of treatment, and are no longer useable to the owner.

 

[ButteMT61]

Be very cautious using the washing machine and dryer. eBay regularly has jackets for sale that have had this method of treatment, and are no longer useable to the owner.

Yeah, I'm not brave enough nor have I needed the washing machine. I think most people get too impatient and indeed, many nice jackets have been ruined. Not everything can be done instantly. That's the problem with us today - immediate gratification is what everyone wants. Can't always have it!

 

[HackerF15E]

So long as it's done properly, the washing machine treatment works well.

 

[dmar836]

I would like to see some before pics of Butte's jacket as I don't see a whole lot of effect. For $175 I say go for it. That's a nice pattern for sure.
I feel the washer/dryer method might be too much of a good thing. Wet is one thing, soaked is another, and washed and dried is way over the top IMO. Using detergent would likely just remove some of the sought after oils in the leather and drying could be a disaster. The dryer just might have been the damaging factor of my Star A-2. Seldom are quality effects with anything accomplished so easily. I've got the guts to jump into about anything(to a fault) and I might try it with a goodwill jacket or a $175 jacket but with a GW? No thanks. Besides, John's latest hides don't need it.
I microwaved some damp goatskin once for 10 seconds or less and, while I know that is extreme, it shrank and hardened the leather in spots. Nothing would soften it. Heat is generally a no-no with the accelerated wear crowd - not that it isn't done but it just might not be necessary.
IMO, all this accelerated wear could create wear patterns that have little or nothing to do with how they fit our bodies and that just looks wrong. For example, ELC's timeworn treatment. It has nothing to do with where the worn areas would be and begins to look worse the more you naturally break it in. It's at that time you wish for the full dye to be back so you could appreciate the grain and breaks that YOU have created. This doesn't take that long. Plus we live in a relatively inactive society. Wear them as much as possible, wash the car in them, change the oil, whatever. The WWII patina(in spite of the different hides then) for many was obtained over no more than 2-3 years.
JC gave me a tip that I hesitate to share but I must. Hand twisting and wrinkling will wear your hands out but it WILL soften your leather and induce folds that give into the breaks your body creates. Try it! If the hide is a good quality at all this should work. I'd bet many a house ELC could be made to work out with this and a little dampness and abuse.
JMO,
Dave

 

[HackerF15E]

Wet is one thing, soaked is another, and washed and dried is way over the top IMO. Using detergent would likely just remove some of the sought after oils in the leather and drying could be a disaster.

I have successfully put three G-1s and four A-2s (all 'modern era' USAF jackets -- Coopers and Avirexes) through cold water (and even hot water) washing machine cycles, with no detergent, and air dried with no ill effects. I always followed with generous treatment with Pecard's or Lexol after they were mostly dried out.

On the positive side, afterward they were cleaner (I had the same 'black water' that many report seeing during the cycle -- yuk!), better smelling, and the leather was softer and had much better character. Never had an issue with damage, shrinkage (unless I wanted it), discoloration, or any of the other complaints that most people have.

Again, so long as you're careful, I believe you can use the technique to accomplish a couple of different specific goals on jackets.

 

[RCSignals]

The WWII patina(in spite of the different hides then) for many was obtained over no more than 2-3 years.
JC gave me a tip that I hesitate to share but I must. Hand twisting and wrinkling will wear your hands out but it WILL soften your leather and induce folds that give into the breaks your body creates. Try it! If the hide is a good quality at all this should work. I'd bet many a house ELC could be made to work out with this and a little dampness and abuse.
JMO,
Dave

That's true about WW2, and what we see now in many of the original jackets is way beyond their WW2 wear. Some forget that, and want to duplicate how they look today.

The hand manipulation of the leather is a good practice, and it is something I have posted here before as well. Work the leather of a new jacket with your hands, ball it up, twist it up, leave it balled and twisted when you aren't wearing it. It will soften very quickly and form to you more readily.

 

[RCSignals]

Wet is one thing, soaked is another, and washed and dried is way over the top IMO. Using detergent would likely just remove some of the sought after oils in the leather and drying could be a disaster.

I have successfully put three G-1s and four A-2s (all 'modern era' USAF jackets -- Coopers and Avirexes) through cold water (and even hot water) washing machine cycles, with no detergent, and air dried with no ill effects. I always followed with generous treatment with Pecard's or Lexol after they were mostly dried out.

On the positive side, afterward they were cleaner (I had the same 'black water' that many report seeing during the cycle -- yuk!), better smelling, and the leather was softer and had much better character. Never had an issue with damage, shrinkage (unless I wanted it), discoloration, or any of the other complaints that most people have.

Again, so long as you're careful, I believe you can use the technique to accomplish a couple of different specific goals on jackets.

I think the chrome tanned goat may be a positive factor in these results, as well as the air drying.

But careful is key

 

[ButteMT61]

I would like to see some before pics of Butte's jacket as I don't see a whole lot of effect. For $175 I say go for it. That's a nice pattern for sure.
I feel the washer/dryer method might be too much of a good thing. Wet is one thing, soaked is another, and washed and dried is way over the top IMO. Using detergent would likely just remove some of the sought after oils in the leather and drying could be a disaster. The dryer just might have been the damaging factor of my Star A-2. Seldom are quality effects with anything accomplished so easily. I've got the guts to jump into about anything(to a fault) and I might try it with a goodwill jacket or a $175 jacket but with a GW? No thanks. Besides, John's latest hides don't need it.
I microwaved some damp goatskin once for 10 seconds or less and, while I know that is extreme, it shrank and hardened the leather in spots. Nothing would soften it. Heat is generally a no-no with the accelerated wear crowd - not that it isn't done but it just might not be necessary.
IMO, all this accelerated wear could create wear patterns that have little or nothing to do with how they fit our bodies and that just looks wrong. For example, ELC's timeworn treatment. It has nothing to do with where the worn areas would be and begins to look worse the more you naturally break it in. It's at that time you wish for the full dye to be back so you could appreciate the grain and breaks that YOU have created. This doesn't take that long. Plus we live in a relatively inactive society. Wear them as much as possible, wash the car in them, change the oil, whatever. The WWII patina(in spite of the different hides then) for many was obtained over no more than 2-3 years.
JC gave me a tip that I hesitate to share but I must. Hand twisting and wrinkling will wear your hands out but it WILL soften your leather and induce folds that give into the breaks your body creates. Try it! If the hide is a good quality at all this should work. I'd bet many a house ELC could be made to work out with this and a little dampness and abuse.
JMO,
Dave

My process this time was to bring out more of the grain, and to give the collar a more worn look. It was new before this, worn ~5 times. I wasn't looking to drastically alter it - first time I messed with Goat and hot water.
I'll tell you though - it looked a lot different after the hot water/dryer than it did in the pics above after I placed it in the hot sun to heat it, then hand-applied Pecards to it - still in the sun. The sun/heat takes out the wrinkles from the hot water/dryer, but that's OK. It's a good tip to remove someone else's wrinkles if you buy used or to start clean with it. It happens on FQHH too. The before pics would not have looked much different - but I might have some around. With HH, it will look a lot different. Goat's just more stubborn to age/wrinkle, etc. It was too stiff before the sun/Pecards. now, it's back to being soft and looks/feels great.