soaking Shinki horsehide in water

[Americanaaa Mark]

So yeah...

I know this leather is coveted by some so they may advise again this but how does it hold up if you want to do a wet break in?

I've done this before with Aero FQHH and it came out completely fine and really sped up the break in process. That leather would of taken a year if not more to break in.

Shinki is soft but I'm impatient. Does this leather do fine with a 45 minute soak in warm water, then worn dry with a long sleeve tshirt on underneath?

I'll post pictures of my before and after results

 

[ButteMT61]

Dunno. Me and another guy with Skinki jackets merely got them wet and they did a bit of a shrink. Unless you have some room to give up, I'd be cautious.

Cue: Guys who say leather doesn't shrink...

 

[handymike]

Short answer: It'll be fine, BUT it will look more "rumpled" which might account for the shrink. These pieces have been soaked.

 

[Fanch]

Don't believe I'd do that with veg tanned Shinki if I were you. You've already said the Shinki is soft. Nothing but downside IMHO.

 

[TREEMAN]

X2....

 

[handymike]

You might do better by sticking it in a cement mixer/ tumbler with a few dozen golfballs.

 

[Superfluous]

You might do better by sticking it in a cement mixer/ tumbler with a few dozen golfballs.

I'll just toss into the cement mixer that I keep next to my desk.

Ps: A dryer also works.

 

[handymike]

Although I won't be putting golf balls in mine

 

[Monitor]

Yeah, definitely not a good idea with veg tanned leather. One jacket that I had soaked ended up much stiffer once it dried up. And it shrunk a good size and a half as well. Don't know what it was, though. It's not smart to mess with leather that way as the result could go either way. Not worth the risk. Tumbler and tennis balls is where it's at.

 

[CBI]

done this with Shinki MANY times. Looks great, makes it a bit stiffer, it will shrink. If you do the dryer, it will shrink a lot. Not as much this time of year outside. Once its a bit less soaked, wear it for a number hours and it will break in really well.

 

[bretron]

I've done both HWT for shrinkage and cold water soak/wear-wet-till-dry for stretching on Shinki GW jackets. you gotta be careful especially with the hot stuff, and ESPECIALLY if you're going to use a dryer to dry it. Also you'll risk overly excessive drying/graining in certain areas (with the HWT).

 

[ButteMT61]

Wow, we actually seem to have agreement here! Lock the thread Bartenders!!!

 

[Americanaaa Mark]

I wouldn't put my jacket through a dryer

I planned to do a luke warm soak for about 45 minutes, pad dry the lining and then wear it dry, not over stretching it or anything.

Seems kinda split on this. I'll think it over but I'm leaning towards YES

 

[Americanaaa Mark]

ya know, I may just tumble it instead in a dryer with no heat and tennis balls

 

[bretron]

In your case, the best thing you can do is just wear the wholly hell out of it

 

[Iron Horse]

Maybe piss off some mobsters, give them some baseball bats, and tell them not to hit the face?

 

[rocketeer]

In your case, the best thing you can do is just wear the wholly hell out of it

There is no shame in wearing a brand new jacket.

 

[navetsea]

do it, and post the pictures
people on other forum washed their battered lamb jackets in washing machine and dryer, I think any horsehide will do luke warm soak just fine.

 

[Peter Mackin]

Save yourself the trouble & get it in the classifieds....if it's a 44 I'm interested.

 

[Sloan1874]

Once wore my shinki jacket in a very hot shower. Gave it hell of soaking, especially the arms, and then wore it around the house for the evening. Overall, it made the grain pop and a little bit shorter - though tbh that would have come with wear. I would just wear the damn thing hard and be done with it!