Fixing "stiffness" in the leather???

[AVbat]

Hey there all, I recently got a Todds standard and let me tell you these jackets really are great, especially if you are going for the look and feel of Raiders. Anyways I gave the jacket the ol' "wet and wear til its dry" treatment and the aging from the treatment really made the jacket pop, but even after hitting it with pecards several days later, a good portion of the jacket is still very stiff, and does not want to drape and fold the way it should when i move. What would you fellas recommend? Another coat of pecards? Oil? Any help would be good . . . Thanks.

[Hollowpond]

Wear it!!!

Travis

[damian della morte]

Yes its a sturdy jacket don't let the price fool ya the more you wear em. The better they look

[Vaderbreath]

Mine was the same so I just wore the heck out of it and it's now soft again.

[Dalexs]

Don't ever hang it up. Take it off, ball it up, throw it in the corner...

Alternately, throw it in the dryer on Air fluff (NO HEAT!) with a sneaker or such.
Let it run for about an hour or so...

[Michigan Smith]

Don't ever hang it up. Take it off, ball it up, throw it in the corner...

Alternately, throw it in the dryer on Air fluff (NO HEAT!) with a sneaker or such.
Let it run for about an hour or so...

I use the dryer/no heat/tennis balls myself and it works quite well. If you want to rough it up a bit, use soft or hard balls.

[Michaelson]

You can also try using the Pecards 'Leather Creme' (actually a jell, but whatever ). It was specially formulated to help soften leather as they use less beeswax like they put in the standard dressing. It may help.

Regards! Michaelson

[191145]

Good suggestions; I have a 1980s cowhide A2 that's always been a little 'hard'. I think I'll try the dryer/balls trick with some leather creme afterwards. I use Obenauf's leather products that work great on quality leathers, but I bought this jacket used in the early '90s and nothing has softened it yet. I sent it off a few years ago and had the lining, knit cuffs and waistband replaced. It's a true early A2 replica in the lighter brown hide with no collar stand or hand-warmer pockets, which is the only reason I keep it. I'm thinking it would be best to zip it up before tumbling to protect the liner. Liners are the weak point in leather jackets because they're expensive to replace, while the leather will easily last a lifetime with any care at all.

[191145]

I had a chance to get the jacket in the dryer for about about 20 minutes with 5 tennis balls. There's definitely something to this idea - the jacket seems to be a little more supple in the areas that were the worst. The whole problem with it is the use of non-matching hides in it as far as thickness goes. But another effect I liked was minor scuffing which showed up on all rolled seams/edges. I can see doing some more of this! I had to cut off the dryer because of the noise with the tennis balls, but I'll have another chance today with nobody home...heh heh

[Michaelson]

Just feint ignorance when you wife notices all the enamel that's been knocked off the inside of the dryer drum.

Regards! Michaelson

[191145]

I gave it a good hour with only two tennis balls (a lot quieter and still effective), and I can feel the difference, plus there is more gentle 'scuffing' on the high points. I came across a statement in a generic search where the guy gave some pro advice; he said to first use a good leather treatment on it, then knead the whole thing by hand - they call it 'milling' - before doing the dryer bit. This means basically doing anything to it you can manage by hand - twisting, rubbing, balling up, etc. For the tumbling media, he mentioned shoes wrapped in toweling (terry cloth). I'm going to try that too, since the jacket needs a treatment. After the dryer yesterday, I was wearing it (cool, rainy day) on the porch while I did in a big cup of Starbuck's 'VIA' (the best instant coffe of all time) and a 'KUBA KUBA' by Drew Estate. I tell you, this retirement is tough . Anyway, I had to go out into the drizzle to speak with my neighbors for a minute, and I watched as the drizzle hit the jacket and instantly soaked in. The dryer treatment seems to remove any gloss and opens the pores of the leather, which seems to be an excellent time to hit it with a treatment, do the 'milling' and throw it back in for more. I haven't noticed any ill effect on the lining or knit cuffs/waistband, so one more time isn't going to hurt it. I would heartily recommend the leather treatment, 'milling' and dryer tumbling for any stiff leather garment including ones that have been soaked.

[191145]

'Just feign ignorance'

'And all I had to do was - act naturally'. Buck Owens.

I got in a rush and did a treatment and the dryer without hand-milling - turned out very well. This time I used a German product called 'Lederbalsam' which is a white creme in a large tube. I used a detailer's sponge to apply it and it rubs in very easily. I left the excess on the surface and threw it in the dryer with two old used tennis balls. I had the 'Lederbalsam' in my box of leather-related stuff for several years - I think I got it at a 'Restoration Hardware' store. Today I looked at the jacket again and tried it on - it's noticeably softer and is showing more 'bunching' or 'wrinkling' indicating more supple leather. Also, I stuck a sleeve under the faucet and water rolled right off with no penetration, showing the 'Lederbalsam' waterproofed it as well. It gave the leather more sheen than it had before but it's not a garish shine. 'Lederbalsam' contains wax, emulsifiers, mineral oil and vegetable oil, so if you're opposed to using petroleum-derived substances on your leather you should try something else.