Anyone else experience this with their leather jackets?

[Castor Dioscuri]

Just wondering, has anyone else had their untreated jackets get soaked, and end up with what I can only describe as a floppiness akin to poster paper?

I've had this happen to two jackets I own, one which was left in an extremely humid environment for half a decade, and then sent to be professionally 'treated.' the treatment did more (irreperable) damage than anything, and it's an extreme example of this effect.

The second jacket is my Struzan inspired Nowak, that has this effect on a smaller scale. I wore it out in heavy snow for a season or two, and now it feels different from my other Nowaks made of the same type of leather. Whereas my other Nowaks feel supple and buttery, this jacket bends more similarly to poster paper than fabric.

I'm not really asking for a fix, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has seen this before?

[Indiana Bugs]

You have to keep leather moisturized, or maybe a better word is 'conditioned,' especially if it's often in wet conditions. It's dead skin, after all. Treated dead skin, but dead skin none the less.

[Castor Dioscuri]

Having trouble picturing this...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk...

If it helps, just imagine the jacket laying flat with its back facing up. When I use my thumb and my forefinger to lift up the middle-bottom edge of the jacket, around 3/4 of the jacket back lifts up along with that edge. It also makes a slight 'flop' sound, akin to the same sound a poster would make.

Compare that to an unaffected jacket. Lying in the same position, lifted up the same way, only maybe 1/10th of the jacket back lifts up with it, and there is no accompanying sound.

Otherwise, I'm not quite sure how else to describe it other than with that poster paper analogy... Hope that helps?

P.s. Thanks Indiana Bugs, but again, I'm not really looking for advice on how to fix this- I completely understand the conditioning argument, but I personally subscribe to the 'leave it alone' philosophy. It's just that I've seen jackets dry out before, but the effects of water on these two jackets are somewhat different, and I guess I'm wondering if this is common.

[bullit]

Yeah I think my Goatskin Wested did something similar to what you're describing. It got badly soaked in a rain storm here. It just softened up with normal wear after a few months.

bullit.

[Castor Dioscuri]

Thanks _, and yeah, that was completely what I was looking for! I might give wearing it out a shot, but it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. After all, misery loves company!

That's interesting though, I guess I unintentionally 'tanned' my leather.

[Michaelson]

It's not really a 'problem', per se. It's just what certain type leather DOES when it gets wet.

Leather has natural water resistance, but when that resistance is lost due to the tanning process or natural occurance like being soaked through in a rain storm, that resistance has to be reapplied by using a leather care product.

It's just the nature of the beast, so don't look at it as a 'problem' or being in the company of others in 'misery'. That's just not what's going on here. You have to do due dilligence to keep your jacket 'alive' by treating it when it reaches this stage is all.

Regards! Michaelson

[Michaelson]

Yep, like I said, the 'nature of the beast'. Enjoy it to the fullest!

Regards! Michaelson

[Tennessee Smith]

The same thing happened to my Wings SL after I washed it but like Todd and M said. I took Todd's advice and threw it in the dryer (no heat) for awhile and used a good lathering of pecards. After a few weeks it sprung back and is now my go-to jacket.



-TS


...and while "Misery" does love company, I suggest you keep your feet as far away from sledgehammers as humanly possible

[borntorun97]

I have not treated my Wested custom lambskin Raiders jacket, and have been caught in a rainstorm. It is still as soft and supple as the day I got it. It is slowly losing the new sheen, but is not rough to the touch either.

[warbird]

If leather becomes truly soaked through it is best to apply a conditioner like Pecards or Bick 4 while it is still wet, though not soaking. Leather absorbs conditioner better when wet. This has been a practice of mine for many years with leather jackets and boots. I have never had to toss a leather jacket or a par of boots because they dried and cracked. I have probably 25-30 pairs of cowboy boots and they average 20 years old.

[Michaelson]

Makes sense!



Regards! Michaelson

[warbird]

I will add that this is assuming the leather is only wet. If it dirty with mud, then that should be cleaned off first. Nothing kills leather faster than dried mud. Just like dirty hands dry your hands out very quickly, dirty leather dries out quickly. It pulls all of the natural oils out of the leather and that is what leads to cracked leather. I thought I would state this, though I am sure most here already know that.

[Michaelson]

Always assume others are not aware, so never hold off posting these pearls of wisdom.

You may have just saved someone their jacket with this information.

Thank you.

Regards! michaelson