New jacket issues

[Superfluous]

We do understand that our classic Highwayman fit isn't to everyone's taste hence why we recently released our Premier Highwayman as another option. It is a much trimmer fitting jacket with slimmer sleeves, raised arm holes, narrower shoulders etc ......

Your Premium line of jackets fit great!

 

[4spurs]

Make a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray the jacket, wear it. I was wearing my FQHH CXL Aero Teamster and sprayed my arms all around the elbows; instantly felt the leather relax.

A cowboy bootmaker I know told me that if I wanted to stretch my boots to use a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, and then wear the boots till they dried. He said that it's the water that stretches the boot, but that the alcohol helps the water penetrate the leather. I figured that if that mix of alcohol and water could be used to stretch boots, that it might soften my Teamster. I was right.

Now I love my Teamster!

 

[Monitor]

I wonder if that would work for Vanson leather...

 

[Otter]

Wait, 50/50 pure alcohol and water, isn't that what vodka is ?

 

[Superfluous]

^ Exactly. Get your jacket drunk.

Wait a second -- doesn't excessive alcohol consumption lead to shrinkage?

 

[Roma]

I like my new FQHH jacket, looks great but it's incredibly uncomfortable and stiff. I just can't bring myself to douse it in water and smash it around and stuff. I've worn the jacket everyday and the thing has not softened even a hair. It's literally like wearing a straight jacket. I imagine at this rate it will be ten years until it's actually comfortable and looks lived in, and by that time it likely won't fit me anymore.

Maybe I'll get a halfbelt in a mid-weight softer leather? How is goat or steer? I'm looking for something relatively comfortable out of the box and that will break right in from wear alone quickly. I know I'm done with thick horsehide, just too dang uncomfortable for me.

Thank you for any input.

Goat is always supple and you never go wrong with it in terms of comfort and durability. Vicenza is much more supple than FQHH. I have a Langlitz in goat. In spite of the fact it weighs pretty much, it still very supple. I also have a FQHH Aero Cafe Racer, really heavy and stiff after even 2 years and recently I got a A2 in Vicenza: it's definitely better as a comfortable jacket out of the box. Shinki is a good choice in this respect but I've never had one. But the rest are from my personal experience.
Another advice, try a 4 oz Lost Worlds jacket and your FQHH will become a t-shirt for you. The last one is a joke, of course. I am a great fan of heavy jackets and if the jacket doesn't weigh more than 7 lbs, I feel like I'm wearing no jacket at all.

 

[Roma]

I too am not a fan of Horween's FQHH. Shinki HH is MUCH more pliable, comfortable and wearable, and requires much less break-in. Vincenza is also good, although I prefer Shinki.

I think Shinki is the best. Just IMHO.

 

[Roma]

Cow(steer)hide can be equality stiff as the CXL horse stuff, just as horse can be as soft as a mall lambskin. Best way to go about it is to become a man. I mean, what would Stu say if he heard all this? Not to mention it's isn't even LW Horsehide people are complaining about.

No, really, why not just throw it in a dryer with some tennis balls? No heat, leave it in for three cycles and try it out. Shouldn't do any harm to the jacket.

+1 ))))))))

 

[TREEMAN]

I wonder if that would work for Vanson leather...

Vanson might need a 75/25 mix!! Couple of good bar fights wouldn't hurt either !!

 

[Otter]

What's wrong , have we all turned in to wusses and New Men ? Take a leaf out of the Lost Worlds playbook, New jackets are supposed to break you in !

 

[Monitor]

What's wrong , have we all turned in to wusses and New Men ? Take a leaf out of the Lost Worlds playbook, New jackets are supposed to break you in !

I've been wearing that thing through Winnipegan December and tropical summers, and could still list is as Near New - Not Broken In on eBay. Enough is enough!

 

[Fanch]

Make a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray the jacket, wear it. I was wearing my FQHH CXL Aero Teamster and sprayed my arms all around the elbows; instantly felt the leather relax.

A cowboy bootmaker I know told me that if I wanted to stretch my boots to use a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water, and then wear the boots till they dried. He said that it's the water that stretches the boot, but that the alcohol helps the water penetrate the leather. I figured that if that mix of alcohol and water could be used to stretch boots, that it might soften my Teamster. I was right.

Now I love my Teamster!

I don't know what the effect of a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and water would have on a jacket, but I have used this same formula for cowboy boots, generally over the vamp in order to shrink the leather as I have a very low instep. However, if the vamp is tight over the instep or ball of the foot, the leather will stretch when worn after being sprayed with the 50/50 mixture, or will also stretch with the use of a boot stretcher. So, the leather will expand when stretched or shrink when static when the leather is sprayed with the 50/50 alcohol and water. Hope what I just said makes sense.

 

[ProteinNerd]

Doesn't the alcohol remove some of the top layer and colour? I've heard a lot of recommendations for using alcohol to artificially age a jacket.

 

[pauleway]

Do yourself a favor and sell it. It is a perfect fit, looks great, BUT - it is not comfortable to wear, and no matter how you beat it up, wear it for hours and hours, it will always be a little stiff,and heavy. You will only wear it out of what I call "guilt wear", and never truly enjoy the experience of wearing something you really like. FQHH is a great hide, but not for everyone!
If you like that style jacket, order one in the Vincenza HH, you won't be disappointed. It is a mid-weight, supple and fairly soft leather right out of the box, no breaking in, just wearable and enjoyable right from the get go!

 

[4spurs]

Doesn't the alcohol remove some of the top layer and colour? I've heard a lot of recommendations for using alcohol to artificially age a jacket.

No, it hasn't changed the color of the jacket at all, nor did it change the color of any cowboy boots I stretched. Yesterday I sprayed the jacket and today I wore it and it is still much more supple than before I sprayed it and wore it while wet.

I don't know what the effect of a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and water would have on a jacket, but I have used this same formula for cowboy boots, generally over the vamp in order to shrink the leather as I have a very low instep. However, if the vamp is tight over the instep or ball of the foot, the leather will stretch when worn after being sprayed with the 50/50 mixture, or will also stretch with the use of a boot stretcher. So, the leather will expand when stretched or shrink when static when the leather is sprayed with the 50/50 alcohol and water. Hope what I just said makes sense.

I had never considered using the mixture to shrink leather, but it makes sense, especially if you put the sprayed boot in the sun to dry.