let's talk about shaping collars with HWT

[schitzo]

With my 50s FQHH HB (gone now but not forgotten) I simply soaked it in the sink in cold water and then wore it till dry taking care to stretch my neck out in all directions a lot. It might have helped that that jacket also got caught in a few downpours. I did that cold water soaking treatment twice, job done.

But with this steer roadster I have the leather seems more difficult to conquer. I have a few questions:

1) I'm using hot water on this one. How hot should it be? Presumably boiling is too hot, right?
2) I think fully submerging it in the sink is surely better than showering, and if it is, then how long should one submerge the ba***rd in order that the water fully penetrates the leather?
3) When you take it out and you start 'shaping' can anyone pinpoint what the precise aim is here, with an exact outline of the shaping method incorporated please? I assume you're trying to fold it down a bit so it's jutting out less. But is that just at the front or at the back too?

Thanks in advance, and if anyone has anything else to add please do

 

[Plumbline]

Hey Schitzo,

If it's CXL Horween steer then use hot water ( not boiling but hot .. dish washing temp) ... If you are soaking the whole jacket make sure you don't have tartan lining ( which is wool and will shrink) ..... if you have tartan lining use cold water. The last one I did I put it in the bath ( 1950's halfbelt - cotton drill lining) and let it soak for about 10 mins ( took about 2 weeks to dry completely ... although was wearable and shapable within a day) .

If I were doing it again I'd do it with a sponge and hold the sponge onto the area I needed to shape ( hot water) and get it just damp enough to be REALLY flexible the wear it and shape it.

HTH

 

[schitzo]

Hey PL, actually it's oil pull steer, which is heavier than the FQHH on my cropduster. For now I am only interested in the collar, the rest of it can happen organically.

So far I did my sink treatment as outlined above - with piping hot water - and it hasn't made much, if any, discernible difference at all. I held it under the water for about 30 seconds, perhaps it needed longer

 

[ButteMT61]

I soak may whole jakcet in the shower using the hot only. Mine is really hot as I set mine higher than normal in the fall. I soak it through, but not the lining.
As soon as it's about 1/2 way dry, I use a sponge and Lexol and add a light coating to it. Hot water sucks out the oils, so this keeps it pliable and soft after drying.
During that phase, I'm either wearing or kneading the bits I want to sculpt/loosen.
I would not use boiling water.

 

[tonypaj]

You are talking about the collar, not the rest of the jacket? Then it is simple, no one can say except from you. All you are doing is accelerating the natural process. How hot is hot? Only you can tell. With the natural process you'd have rain, you'd turn your collar up against it, you'd sweat, get stuff off your hair and skin there.

With anything else, well, up to you. Warm water, bend the edges of the collar, wear it until it's dry, repeat. Shape, your choice. I have done a whole jacket like that once, drier involved (overdid it), that went to garbage Now I do nothing, just go out when it rains, and shape the collar a bit afterwards...

 

[Plumbline]

30 seconds won't even get it damp man ... I SOAK it .... like so it's REALLY WET ( think a jacket which has been out in the pouring rain for 1/2 an hour ) I then mould it till it's damp .. then usually let it sit moulded and nead it occasionally during the drying process ( perhaps even a little bit of conditioner to keep it supple )

 

[schitzo]

well it was fully submerged PL so I think it was more than damp. I guess longer is preferable but standing there over the sink dipping the collar in only is not a task for which I have infinite patience

 

[Plumbline]

 

[Highwaymanman]

I don't like even the idea of HWT. Wear and tear the old fashioned way for me. Recaltricant collars get worn in the rain and manipulated while still wet. Maybe wear the jacket while watching tv or doing yard work and give the collar a knead once in a while. It's all about the journey and more haste, less speed.

 

[schitzo]

I don't like even the idea of HWT. Wear and tear the old fashioned way for me. Recaltricant collars get worn in the rain and manipulated while still wet. Maybe wear the jacket while watching tv or doing yard work and give the collar a knead once in a while. It's all about the journey and more haste, less speed.

Highwaymanman I'm with you 90%. I wouldn't do anything to the rest of a jacket, but at the minute this collar doesn't look right + where I'm headed there aint gonna be much rain about, if any at all. I used to have a Timberland stratham jacket that looked a bit like a highwayman in a similar colour to this roadster now and thinking back to that jacket - it was a hefty piece of cow hide - the collar was more wrinkled and a slightly darker shade than the rest of it. That thing was totally relaxed and it does make me wonder what they did to get it that way as if I knew I'd repeat the dose

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

What did the trick for me was to have tap-warm/hot water on it and then quickly lay it down and shape it and make it stay that way preferably all this before it cools down and then let it stay in that position until dry.
You probably have to overdo the shaping since it goes back a little.

You might have to do it multiple times, and then you might have to shape it now and then while wearing it.

I understand completely both sides to this, but a straight and unatural collar doesnt look good, it looks better if its shaped some, we are talking about serious thick leather here and it sometimes it needs a little help. I have seen collars that would never in the jackets lifitime become curved like some people like them to be (me included)

I think this shape looks better then if it were pointing straight out into the air.

 

[simonc]

Dude, zip it up, hold it upside down by the hem over the bath, hot water on full through the shower head and blast it, spin it round and round. Kill the shower and twist the shit out of the jacket, body arms collar etc. The repeat. Twist and repeat. Then wear (it will be dry on inside) and do a range of stretches, touch toes, side stretches etc, bit of boxing, hold elbows etc etc, take off put on hanger which has two jackets on it already hang up and work the collar until lapels are in a shape you desire, then let it dry and it will set in that shape. See below.

 

[schitzo]

Update

On day 2 I soaked it for 3 minutes in the sink (timed it on my phone) and wore it. With hindsight no real 'shaping' took place but I wore it all day rolling my neck in all directions and it definitely made it more comfortable.

Day 3 was the breakthrough. This time I soaked it in the sink for 5 minutes and when I took it out it was butter soft and malleable all over. Whereas 3 mins the previous day didn't do much 5 mins did everything. Then I took Simon's advice and twisted the shit out of it for 5 minutes straight + threw in some folding and kneading. I wore it for most of the day, again with the neck rolling. I can report it has made quite a difference and that some satisfying shape is developing. Some nice grain also started popping out and today - a day later - it's completely dry yet remains much more malleable than before.

IMO now that I can see the benefits first hand I would say this is a necessary (not advisable) process for jackets in leather like this. I'll add a pic or two soon


@Simon I still only want to do the collar though, the rest can age naturally with wear.
@Griff I think the kink on your collar is a bit more pronounced than I want but I agree it def looks better than bolt straight. Thanks for the pic

 

[simonc]

@schitzo you are still gay.

 

[schitzo]

are there not better outlets for your homophobia?

 

[Plumbline]

Yeah 5 minutes .. that's better ... 30 seconds ... Pah! Yer a wimp ... get it wet man

 

[ProteinNerd]

Sorry for the thread necro but its better than starting a new thread on the same topic.

Ever since reading this thread way back in 2013, I've been wondering what shape people are actually trying to get their collars to stay at using this technique.... pics as examples would be appreciated.

Not sure I'm really liking the collar shape of the pic that Griff linked too just above, and with the example given by simonc, is that how you wear it or just part of the shaping process?

The main reason I ask is because the collar on the Aero premium half belt is significantly longer and a bit pointier than the regular Aero collar, I'm just not sure how exactly I should be shaping it after giving it a bit of a soak.

 

[handymike]

Here's what I do:

 

[handymike]

My other one:

 

[dan_t]

Hi ProtienNerd, here's what mine looked like straight out of the box. Kind of 'flat' in appearance;

And after a little shaping.

It's a subtle difference & I note that I seem to prefer the opposite shape to most. I tend to curve mine outwards, rather than a mini ski slope shape.