Freewheelers Horsehide Tear - Repair Recommendations

[DorKlonn]

Wow, I applaud your attitude bro. I would be tore up from the floor up. I dont see how casual wear would do this? I have always been drawn more to equipment jackets vs. Fashion because of the fear of this happening. I hope the best outcome possible for you. Sorry about this experience.

You missed the part where I stood in front of a mirror for a solid few minutes in disbelief, I dont think I've ever had a leather rip on me like that, but as @dudewuttheheck said it may have just been an unlucky combination of a so many factors, my luck just ran out I guess...

 

[jglf]

You missed the part where I stood in front of a mirror for a solid few minutes in disbelief, I dont think I've ever had a leather rip on me like that, but as @dudewuttheheck said it may have just been an unlucky combination of a so many factors, my luck just ran out I guess...

Can you measure the stitch count per inch on your jacket? Seems like the sweet spot is 6-8spi. I would be a little nervous with a jacket approaching 9-10 unless they use cotton thread.

 

[Carlos840]

Can you measure the stitch count per inch on your jacket? Seems like the sweet spot is 6-8spi. I would be a little nervous with a jacket approaching 9-10 unless they use cotton thread.

Just measured a few of mine:

Freewheelers LaBrea: 10-12
Lost worlds: 8-9
Vansons: 6-8
Aero: 6
Himel: 9-11
Schott: 6-7
Langlitz: 6
RMC: 8
Eastman 8-9

I agree that the sweet spot at least visually is somewhere around 7-9, more than that looks neat but fragile...
The only two jackets i have seen tear that way where a Freewheelers and a Himel and they are top of my list in spi.
Coincidence?

 

[Harris HTM]

The only two jackets i have seen tear that way where a Freewheelers and a Himel and they are top of my list in spi.

I was just ready to comment on this Carlos. I too remember the other jacket with the complete sleeve torn off, it was 3-4 years ago right?

 

[Carlos840]

I was just ready to comment on this Carlos. I too remember the other jacket with the complete sleeve torn off, it was 3-4 years ago right?

Yep, something like that, it was a brown Humel Canuck i think on eBay.
Didn't save the pics back then and can't find them online anymore.
It was far worst than that i think, a good 20cm tear i the exact same spot.

 

[DorKlonn]

Can you measure the stitch count per inch on your jacket? Seems like the
sweet spot is 6-8spi. I would be a little nervous with a jacket approaching 9-10 unless they use cotton thread.

Echoing @Carlos840 my RMC clocks in at around 8 spi, while the Freewheelers/Bootleggers seem to be edging on 9-10 spi, a lil less than the La Brea it seems

 

[dudewuttheheck]

@DorKlonn your jacket's label does put it as at least relatively on the older side. My label is much different than yours. My jacket is a 2015-2017 jacket. I forget which exactly, but the label is different. That puts yours at 5 years old minimum, but likely much older than that.

However, that still does not make it acceptable. I'm just trying to add some more information. I would at least try reaching out to Freewheelers to see what they say. Good chance they won't reply unfortunately, but should be worth a shot.

 

[Mich486]

I might be wrong but the rebranding from Bootleggers to Freewheelers happened in 2009. So the jacket is at least that old.

That of course only tells so much as wear frequency and possibly the kind of wear the jacket is subject to is much more important. And unless it’s been worn on a building site for 10 years (which of course it hasn’t) that shouldn’t have happened.

 

[Marc mndt]

If you compare a RM or FW jackets to your HD Sportster, you will see that they would have about the same stitch count.

HD Sportster 8
Field Leathers 9
Eastman 8-9
Y2 7
Thedi hh 7
Thedi buffalo 8
Aero 5-6

 

[navetsea]

just another theory... I wonder if in 4 seasons countries during the winter, is it possible if somehow the the stitching and area surrounding it become wet and then refrozen with water still in the leather, and as the jacket is worn the micro ice crystals in the leather or in the stitching holes tenderize the leather from inside and make it brittle overtime, that's why you wax the thread or snow proof your leather gear right? I live in the tropics so I never truly understand, so I only compare it with my frozen loaf of bread that I accidentally dropped from the freezer to the floor and how it shattered like cookies that one time, even the plastic bag was torn too, the upper bag was still in my hand, it broke right at the clip and the whole weight of the loaf and the rest of the bag fell to the floor and shattered across the kitchen floor.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

@navetsea that also reminds me of hearing about people having issues with leather jackets in extreme humidity as well. Japan has some pretty extreme temperature swings. Again, I don't think any of that would be an excuse for this happening unless the owner was truly careless and wore the jacket in extremely hot and humid weather. Sweating in a leather jacket during a Japanese summer would not be good for any leather jacket, though I doubt anyone would be daft enough to do that. I also live in a dry, temperate climate so I have no idea how true any of these weather related issues are. I'm pretty lucky with not having much of that to wear about. These are interesting issues to think about, however.

As much as I love leather jackets, there is always that issue of leather being animal skin and there are flaws that go along with that. For example, with jeans, you can have holes and tears darned, but with leather tearing, it's not as easy to fix even when it actually can be repaired.

I have a deep cut on a pair of boots that I own that is never going to go away, for example.

 

[jglf]

Maybe the previous owner got the jacket wet multiple times without ever conditioning it. I know veg tanned leather is more brittle than chrome tanned if it gets wet multiple times.

 

[DorKlonn]

Yeah now knowing about how old this jacket truly is, makes me wonder if it has gone through its fair share of abuse, I did condition it when i first got it (as a precaution since i didn't know its history), but perhaps the damage was already done

 

[DorKlonn]

I wonder if in 4 seasons countries during the winter, is it possible if somehow the the stitching and area surrounding it become wet and then refrozen with water still in the leather, and as the jacket is worn the micro ice crystals in the leather or in the stitching holes tenderize the leather from inside and make it brittle overtime, that's why you wax the thread or snow proof your leather gear right?

I have lived in the eastern coast for a while now, and it may get wet enough in snowstorms, but its rare that you would stay out long enough for the coat to freeze, especially since your usual body heat is already enough to keep thing below freezing temperature. I guess you could get your jacket wet enough and leave it outside, but from day to day use I would say it would be rare to have it freeze just by being outside.

 

[DorKlonn]

Also just a general update, Dena said its fixable, I just have to find a time to drop off the package at the post office, I'll keep you all updated as this repair progresses

 

[navetsea]

great to hear^, sometime with auto body repair and leather seat repair... I almost belief magic is involved in the process

 

[TREEMAN]

Also just a general update, Dena said its fixable, I just have to find a time to drop off the package at the post office, I'll keep you all updated as this repair progresses

Now that’s good news !!

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Very good news!

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Quick update: I have a friend who is extremely knowledgeable on Freewheelers. You could say he's somewhat of a collector of Freewheelers. He says that the label indicates that the jacket is about 10 years old and the first he knows of the Caboose was from 2008 and would have had that same label/lining combination whether it was 10 years old or from 2008.

 

[DorKlonn]

He says that the label indicates that the jacket is about 10 years old and the first he knows of the Caboose was from 2008 and would have had that same label/lining combination whether it was 10 years old or from 2008.

Thanks so much for following up for me, I guess this jacket ended up being a lot older than I first expected. Especially since I received it basically with minimum wear and practically no creasing. but I should ask for a whether a full conditioning is required by Dena as well... just incase...