Special Hangers for Heavy/Expensive Leather Jackets?

[Hammer Down]

Now that I am starting to collect some nice leather jackets, I was wondering which hangers would be best to help maintain the shape of the shoulders. Any suggestions?

Brand names, shapes, types, wood vs. plastic? I'm all ears.

I would assume that the heavier jackets need special hangers because the weight of the jackets can warp the shape of the leather in the shoulder lines of the jackets over time if the right hangers are not used.

No matter how often one wears a favorite leather jacket, it will inevitably spend more time on a hanger than on the wearer's body. And if the jacket gets wet and is then hung on the wrong shape hanger (too small, too straight, too curved, too narrow, etc.), over time the outline of the jacket could certainly warp undesirably.

Hangers must matter. Just a hunch. You guys are the zen masters of leather. Enlighten me.

 

[UWEZ]

With each Aero I bought one of those:
http://www.original-flightjackets.com/shop/Marken/Wolf-Laufenbergs/Spezial-Holzbuegel::170.html

 

[Edward]

With each Aero I bought one of those:
http://www.original-flightjackets.com/shop/Marken/Wolf-Laufenbergs/Spezial-Holzbuegel::170.html

Nice!

I bought a job lot of wooden hangers on eBay from a guy that was liquidating the contents of a shop. Nice wide shoulders on them. Not pretty, but very sturdy and cheap. My leathers and nylons will all go on those. Shearling jackets I prefer to keep on a shelf or the floor.

 

[OneEyeMan]

I just throw my leather jackets on the floor.
Helps with the lived in aged look
Lenny

 

[dr.velociraptor]

I just throw my leather jackets on the floor.
Helps with the lived in aged look
Lenny

+1 I just toss it on the couch or on the floor next to the bed, I never hang up a leather jacket because eventually the hanger will warp the leather.

 

[aswatland]

+1 I just toss it on the couch or on the floor next to the bed, I never hang up a leather jacket because eventually the hanger will warp the leather.

I only use wide hangers for my originals and repros. I have Wartime A2's that have been on hangers for over 60 years in vets' closets and the leather has not warped at all. I would always avoid thin hangers, especiallly wire ones.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

I have Wartime A2's that have been on hangers for over 60 years in vets' closets and the leather has not warped at all. I would always avoid thin hangers, especiallly wire ones.

Pretty hard to believe that one to be honest. Leather by its very nature bends, creases, and conforms. I highly doubt a leather jacket sat on a hanger undisturbed for 60 years and showed zero signs of being on a hanger for 60 years.

 

[IXL]

Aerostitch has LARGE, WIDE hangers. Hang a leather jacket on one of these and from the side it almost looks like someone is wearing it. Full support for the shoulders.

 

[ButteMT61]

I get them at "The Container Store"
ABout $10 a piece for good, wide and thick wooden hangers.

 

[Peacoat]

Pretty hard to believe that one to be honest. Leather by its very nature bends, creases, and conforms. I highly doubt a leather jacket sat on a hanger undisturbed for 60 years and showed zero signs of being on a hanger for 60 years.

If Andrew says it, I am inclined to believe it.

PC.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I've never used a hanger for leather ever. I fold them up and pile them in plastic boxes in by wardrobe. Four jackets per box - no lid so there is ventilation.

 

[dr.velociraptor]

If Andrew says it, I am inclined to believe it.

PC.

I think there may be some hyperbole involved myself as it seems to go against the very laws of nature and what leather actually is. leather is an organic material, it forms, it creases it takes the shape of its vessel. it's hard to believe 6 decades on a hanger has zero impact on a jacket at all.

I tried on a Vanson jacket that sat in a clothier for probably five years and it was all sorts of distorted and odd fitting and Vanson competition leather is some durable stuff.

 

[ButteMT61]

I agree. I've had leather get stressed on a hanger after a day! Maybe 'cause mine weigh 10lbs, but it happens on every jacket without a good hanger.
The only way I see this not happening is if you have lots of stuff packed together so the jackets are being held up by each other - which my closet was doing late last year. Now that I've got rid of 4 of them, they settle on the hangers, and thankfully, they're all good ones.

 

[aswatland]

Pretty hard to believe that one to be honest. Leather by its very nature bends, creases, and conforms. I highly doubt a leather jacket sat on a hanger undisturbed for 60 years and showed zero signs of being on a hanger for 60 years.

I bow to your superior experience of leather and A2s!!!:eusa_doh: I only own 20 original A2s and have handled hundreds, many of which have been on hangers for most of their life, most with no obvious damage, apart from those unfortunate ones stored on wire hangers. Tell me about the Wartime jackets in your collection....

 

[dr.velociraptor]

I bow to your superior experience of leather and A2s!!!:eusa_doh: I only own 20 original A2s and have handled hundreds, many of which have been on hangers for most of their life, most with no obvious damage, apart from those unfortunate ones stored on wire hangers. Tell me about the Wartime jackets in your collection....

I guess since you have 20 A 2's that means that leather doesn't distort over a hanger, good to know. I still would never recommend anyone hang their leathers and certainly not unworn for 60 years and expect it to be fine, because likely it won't be. You can do what you like but your experience has not been mine, I've been riding motorcycles for quite a while now and have handled my fair share of leathers too, and many hung on a wood hanger for only a couple years that were all sorts of distorted.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I bow to your superior experience of leather and A2s!!!:eusa_doh: I only own 20 original A2s and have handled hundreds, many of which have been on hangers for most of their life, most with no obvious damage, apart from those unfortunate ones stored on wire hangers. Tell me about the Wartime jackets in your collection....

Yep..It's the wire ones that are criminal.

 

[HorseHide]

Yep..It's the wire ones that are criminal.

HD is channelling Joan Crawford now.

 

[ButteMT61]

Ah, another TFL thread turned into a p*ssing match... :eeek:
We all have different experiences. Let's leave it at that.
Wire hangers are death, but those in between wire and really good, thick and wide hangers also can produce stretching (which is damage) in the shoulders. Seeing as some here wear small jackets, they indeed may never see this like someone in a 48-52+ jacket would. Those jackets don't fit any normal hangers, and the edges will stretch rather quickly. Small jackets fit a normal hanger OK and weigh less.
I don't have any wartime jackets but all of my modern jackets that I hung prior to getting good hangers did this, and I then took them off the hangers and put in boxes until I got proper hangers.
It happens with cow, horse and to a lesser extent, goat. I won't put sheep on any hangers. I had a hole poke in a (granted, cheaper) B-3 on a decent hanger. Never again!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

[video=youtube;tUkE9qaVgmo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUkE9qaVgmo[/video]

 

[ButteMT61]

[video=youtube;tUkE9qaVgmo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUkE9qaVgmo[/video]

Case in point - no damage done to any jackets lol