Aero Highwayman

[Tomek61]

Hey guys,
I've just become the proud owner of a new highwayman in standard black FQHH. It was a bit of an impulse purchase based on a stock jacket that happened to be my size and I didn't want to wait the usual 3 months or so. The quality of the leather and the workmanship is faultless but man is it stiff! I mean this puppy will stand up on its own if you position it right! It's a bit like wearing a plywood jacket.

My questions that I'd welcome comments on are (1) is this normal; and (2) how long will it take to break in? I'm guessing it might be ok after a year or two of living in it, dragging it behind the bike etc!

Best

 

[IXL]

Wlcome!

1) yes
2) the rest of your life

 

[Plumbline]

1) Yes
2) at least the next few years ....

 

[Fanch]

1) Yes
2) Later than sooner

 

[Gromulus]

Welcome and congratulations on your (first?) Aero jacket!

My FQHH Bootlegger was purchased (used) off ebay and it has not softened very much after two years of wear. Like many here, I use Pecards conditioner to treat the leather.

While I use Obenauf's HD LP conditioner on my leather boots I was curious about their Leather Oil. While supposedly not as long lasting as their HD LP, I recently applied some to my Bootlegger over the recent holiday period.

While the leather oil did darken the brown FQHH slightly, I did notice it being "softer" and not nearly as stiff since the application. I am very pleased with the appearance, feel and even smell of the jacket since the application.

I should mention that my jacket was used and seemed to be visually "dry" in several areas - most notably the chest and arms. The jacket soaked up the oil in these areas like a sponge while other areas left a little residue that I wiped off. The oil in no way left the jacket with a greasy or oily appearance or feel. I also have a black FQHH half-belt that was always noticeably more pliant and I never applied any oil or conditioner to this one.

If you do decide to go this route I am not sure how much the black leather would darken, if at all. I would try it in an inconspicuous area before committing to the entire jacket. Also, let the oil dry for a few days before fully evaluating.

http://www.obenaufs.com/product-p/leather-oil-16.htm

 

[morrison2951]

Welcome to the madness! FQHH will outlive you! ha ha ha

 

[gtdean48]

If you can stand the noise, get a pillow cases with a zipper (pillow cover?) & put 4 softballs inside.
Run the jacket & the case in your dryer with air flow only setting.
I sped up the break in of my Vanson Enfield plus my son's Carhartt jacket.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Hi Tomek61,

I think often break in times vary from person to person and the particular animal the hide came from. Some will tell you it takes a lifetime and some will say it takes a few weeks to see some kind of change in the hide. I think the thing to do is not to baby the jacket regardless of how many kidneys you had to sell to buy it. If you search "breaking in FQHH" you will find 101 different ways to speed up the process some of which aint for the faint hearted!!

I have an Aero Teamster in FQHH arriving next week so we can compare notes on which form of hide abuse works best.

Garry

 

[tropicalbob]

There are widely different feelings on this. Yes, it's a bit stiff at first, but as you wear it your body heat softens it up. Then you start to notice little networks of creases, and the grain starts to show. People seem to have different reactions, but after a few months of wear I barely noticed any stiffness at all.

 

[Smithy]

Ah the joys of FQHH! It can be a bit daunting the first time you encounter the stuff but just wear it and wear it often. One of the joys of FQHH is breaking it in. Wear and enjoy. Repeat ; )

 

[pawineguy]

I have always been of the opinion that the break in time has been a bit exaggerated, but YMMV depending upon the particular hide you received and the amount of time you spend in the jacket. If you wear the jacket open most of the time, it's going to break in MUCH SLOWER. Even if you don't like the look of the jacket totally zipped up, when you are in the car, or by yourself working in the yard, etc... keep it zipped and the body will break in much faster.

I agree with the majority of the above posters that Horween FQHH (and the steer for that matter) is so much stiffer than most jacket leather, that unless you are used to Vanson or something similar, it will feel like a suit of armor for a bit depending on how much work you put into it... but, once you have it broken in, you will have tamed a beast that is now uniquely yours.

 

[zebedee]

Wear it all the time. Get smashed and fall asleep in it. Pretty soon it'll yield. Wearing it in the rain (or a warmish shower) helps initially. Don't hang it up; leave it on the floor.

 

[Smithy]

Wear it all the time. Get smashed and fall asleep in it. Pretty soon it'll yield. Wearing it in the rain (or a warmish shower) helps initially. Don't hang it up; leave it on the floor.

Wise words to live by when it comes to FQHH!

I've slept in my A-2 several times and altough it's not FQHH , it was one of the best things to help breaking in.

 

[nick123]

I have always been of the opinion that the break in time has been a bit exaggerated, but YMMV depending upon the particular hide you received and the amount of time you spend in the jacket. If you wear the jacket open most of the time, it's going to break in MUCH SLOWER. Even if you don't like the look of the jacket totally zipped up, when you are in the car, or by yourself working in the yard, etc... keep it zipped and the body will break in much faster.

I agree with the majority of the above posters that Horween FQHH (and the steer for that matter) is so much stiffer than most jacket leather, that unless you are used to Vanson or something similar, it will feel like a suit of armor for a bit depending on how much work you put into it... but, once you have it broken in, you will have tamed a beast that is now uniquely yours.

Great, great point. I always wear mine unzipped. Makes sense.

 

[Fanch]

After my earlier wise*** remark, i thought that I'd qualify my response. I used to own a black vintage (tumbled) FQHH HWM that was stiff and inflexible as a horse saddle. However, my brown FQHH Teamster is very flexible, even more so that my brown MWHH Mulligan, although the FQHH is heavier than the MWHH. I will say my brown FQHH Teamster is made from fantastic leather and is my go to jacket for cold, rainy weather. I do think break in is augmented by wearing the jacket around the house buttoned up or zipped, whichever the case might be.

 

[andywuzc]

Before I had only a few crappy and cheap jackets from Pakistanis leather and never thought of getting an expensive one. When I received my first real horse leather jacket (aero half-belt), I was surprised this was so stiff and hard to wear. Almost cried and wanted to return the jacket.
Thank to this forum, I have become a fan of this premium leather and start to get knowledge from it.

For me, it takes 2,3 months before the jacket soften tremendously. The parts that break in the fastest are the arms and elbows. Then very bottom part in the front near belly if you sit and stand a lot when zipper is zipped.
Then, front side arm pits and pectoral regions.....Still some parts are still smooth without grains and ceasing.....

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Just wear it as often as you can. Spraying with a spray bottle of tap water until quite wet and wearing until dry will help to mold it to your body(and water will help to shape collar,etc). What ever you do..don't lather it up with leather conditioner. It just doesn't need it unless the leather begins feeling dry. Aero's FQHH is already tanned with fats and oils (notice the waxy feel). Over saturating with a conditioner is easy to do compared to many other leathers that are tanned differently. Well that's my 2 cents,anyway...
HD

 

[Edward]

The golden rule: Just wear the damn thing. It'll break in in its own good time.

 

[Aether]

I'd echo what HossierDaddy has said. Aero FQHH jackets rarely need any sort of conditioner or other types of treatment - they're rugged jackets made for hard wear and they look and feel the best when they're treated as such. Maybe give it a wipe down with a damp rag or some wet-wipes if you really need to, but otherwise just wear it around the house, on the bike, in the car, cutting down a tree etc, and it'll break in a look great in no time!

 

[cloudylemonade]

A lot of the stiffness in Chromexcel Horsehide is due to the wax used in the tanning process, and the stiffness isn't helped by cold weather. It’s a good idea to leave the jacket somewhere warm overnight, that will soften the leather noticeably and make the jacket warm and ready for a cold morning