Why should my new B3 be stored laying flat and not hanging, can someone explain this?

[JLStorm]

I had asked Aero if the hanging chain in their B3's was really strong enough to hang such a heavy jacket from and they said that the B3 should never be hung up (not even on a hanger), it should only be stored laying flat. Well I dont have room in my house to lay a jacket flat (especially if I want it out of reach of the cats). A B3 is such a heavy duty jacket, what harm can hanging it on a hanger do?

Can someone please explain this to me? The way I see it this is a repro of a jacket that made it through war, why would a hanger cause any damage?

 

[John Lever]

Aero are correct in their advice to you. Sheepskin is heavy but also relatively weak in comparison to horse hide. Over time the shoulders will stretch and could eventually tear due to the stresses of being on a hanger where all the load is on a small area of contact.
I have modified my cupboards [closets] so that they have strong widely spaced shelves to allow me to lie flat my many sheepskins.

I have four Siamese cats and they can sometimes pull the wool from my jackets so I understand the issues you have.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The particular issue for any jacket on a hanger is at the shoulder area, as John says. Basically, on a hanger all the weight of the jacket is being supported by a relatively small portion of the jacket. This can be minimised by having hangers with wider than 'normal' shoulder portions. Remember also that the shoulder seams will be stressed more than normal on a hanger, so you might run into issues of those seams coming undone.

I am of the opinion that storing the jacket on a proper tailor's mannequin is not damaging to the jacket.

Use cheap hangers at your peril.

bk

 

[JLStorm]

Aero are correct in their advice to you. Sheepskin is heavy but also relatively weak in comparison to horse hide. Over time the shoulders will stretch and could eventually tear due to the stresses of being on a hanger where all the load is on a small area of contact.
I have modified my cupboards [closets] so that they have strong widely spaced shelves to allow me to lie flat my many sheepskins.

I have four Siamese cats and they can sometimes pull the wool from my jackets so I understand the issues you have.

Hey, John what type of jacket is that hanging with the big mouton collar? It looks great!

Does folding the sheepskins up cause permanent creases?

 

[aswatland]

Hey, John what type of jacket is that hanging with the big mouton collar? It looks great!

Does folding the sheepskins up cause permanent creases?

Having seen pictures of John wearing most of his sheepskin jackets I would say its his B-2.

 

[JLStorm]

Having seen pictures of John wearing most of his sheepskin jackets I would say its his B-2.

Ah, yes that sounds right. Beautiful jacket.

 

[John Lever]

Yes it is my Few B2.

 

[JLStorm]

absolutely beautiful.

So, since you have a number of sheepskin jackets folded up, have you noticed permanent creases forming from their storage? Are there any negative effects of folding them vs. laying them flat?

I have a few cats, but one in particular only likes to scratch fine leather goods. He will actually skip over cheap leather and go right for the good stuff so having my jackets enclosed in a closet similar to what you have is a must. It sounds like you understand my dilemma pretty well.

 

[MadelienneBlack]

This may sound like a silly question, but if the jacket is meant to be stored laying flat why include the hanging chain at all? Aesthetics?

 

[JLStorm]

This may sound like a silly question, but if the jacket is meant to be stored laying flat why include the hanging chain at all? Aesthetics?

I asked Aero about this, they stated it was just for authenticity. I had them leave the chain off mine as I really didnt want anything that wasnt functional on my jacket. The only thing I can figure is that possibly the military was only concerned about the jacket lasting during the pilots years of service, whereas we are expecting them to last much much longer?

 

[John Lever]

I don't get creases from flat storage. I even fold them sometimes like a sweater if I'm short on space.

 

[JLStorm]

I don't get creases from flat storage. I even fold them sometimes like a sweater if I'm short on space.

Well, that makes things easy then. Im sure I have a shelf in my anti-cat closet that will work for a folded B3.

Thanks!