soaking Shinki horsehide in water

rocketeer · Jan 10, 2017

I just wondered whats so special about this 'Shinki' leather. How heavy, like Front Quarter Horse, is it like Aero's Vicenza, is it the surface finish or what?
I wore my Front quarter Highwayman all day in the rain a few years back but it did not affect the sizing at all. Just ruined my T shirt with the colour bleed.

devilish · Jan 10, 2017

I am the beneficiary of someone else's foolish attempt to do an HWT on Shinki, they really didn't know what they were doing. The jacket shrank from a 48 to a 44. Yes the leather looks amazing but he couldn't fit into it anymore. Also the things most people forget are things like lining, knits and zippers. All react differently than leather to hot water. I had to have the zipper replaced because the hot water caused parts of the tape to rot prematurely and it became pretty wavy.
Rain storms don't hurt it much anymore so don't baby it where they are concerned. Especially as when I got it the leather needed a damn good conditioning because it was dry from a lot of it's natural oils being flushed out by the HWT.
The motto is always 'Just wear it'. Around the house, sleep in it, sweat in it. That will break it in soon enough. Or if you have to, a cold dryer and tennis balls would probably work?

willyto · Jan 10, 2017

You will be tempted to accelerate the ageing process.... don't do it. As simple as that. You can tell when the distress on a jacket has been faked. The zippers get wavy, lining doesn't feel right for the leather, it shrinks and it also feels dry which wouldn't be a problem on leather 70 years old but on a leather jacket that is months old? No way it has dried without being abused with fake ageing.

Just now after 4 months since I purchased my Aero jacket I'm starting to see some results and I've been only wearing it since October. It takes a lot of time but the leather jacket will show your story and not fake distressing just to be cool. It's a long road and you don't want to take shortcuts, it feels so nice to see it gets better and better without forcing it.

I have a crispy bacon goatskin ELC A2 to prove that. Don't do experiments although some will tell you to go for it because it's harmless.

Monitor · Jan 10, 2017

Don't do it! Ever!

I've NEVER had any good happen from HWT. Two completely ruined jackets is all I ended up with. Sure, one did fit better which really didn't matter at all considering I didn't want to wear the ugly thing anymore. But it was the other one that made me realize HWT means death sentence for a leather jacket. It literally began cracking to pieces. What Willyto said, it became like dried bacon. It was made from a thin leather but it made me realize that the effect would've been the same on any type of hide, given enough time spent in hot water.

You will mostly hear these reports from people who have a skewed idea on what leather jackets should look like or don't really know much about it. These are the first things that pop up if you Google HWT.
http://helloblackbird.blogspot.hr/2009/07/washing-your-leather-jacket-by-peter.html
https://editbydesign.com/2012/09/06/how-to-machine-wash-a-leather-jacket/

Both jackets are completely ruined.

Also keep in mind that the leather will never ever shrink uniformly! Not two panels of leather are the same, some will shrink more, some less. You might end up with one sleeve longer than the other. Or worse.
It will just lose life and end up looking dry and off, you'll get sagging lining, wavy zippers, not to mention the inevitable dank odor. Look at the two pieces Handymike posted. They're wrinkled, dried up, no sheene which Shinki has plenty of... Would you really give money for a jacket made from that? It doesn't look old or vintage, it just looks bad.

There's a very good reason why every maker on the planet will advise against you against doing it.

Just wear the damn thing. Sleep on it, sleep in it, kick it around the house, run over it with your car. . . But don't HWT it!

nick123 · Jan 10, 2017

Monitor said:
Don't do it! Ever!

I've NEVER had any good happen from HWT. Two completely ruined jackets is all I ended up with. Sure, one did fit better which really didn't matter at all considering I didn't want to wear the ugly thing anymore. But it was the other one that made me realize HWT means death sentence for a leather jacket. It literally began cracking to pieces. What Willyto said, it became like dried bacon. It was made from a thin leather but it made me realize that the effect would've been the same on any type of hide, given enough time spent in hot water.

You will mostly hear these reports from people who have a skewed idea on what leather jackets should look like or don't really know much about it. These are the first things that pop up if you Google HWT.
http://helloblackbird.blogspot.hr/2009/07/washing-your-leather-jacket-by-peter.html
https://editbydesign.com/2012/09/06/how-to-machine-wash-a-leather-jacket/

Both jackets are completely ruined.

Also keep in mind that the leather will never ever shrink uniformly! Not two panels of leather are the same, some will shrink more, some less. You might end up with one sleeve longer than the other. Or worse.
It will just lose life and end up looking dry and off, you'll get sagging lining, wavy zippers, not to mention the inevitable dank odor. Look at the two pieces Handymike posted. They're wrinkled, dried up, no sheene which Shinki has plenty of... Would you really give money for a jacket made from that? It doesn't look old or vintage, it just looks bad.

There's a very good reason why every maker on the planet will advise against you against doing it.

Just wear the damn thing. Sleep on it, sleep in it, kick it around the house, run over it with your car. . . But don't HWT it!

Anyone remember BK's illustration of dipping that piece of veg vs chrome goatskin swatch in the jar of hot water? The veg strip just shriveled up.

Lean'n'mean · Jan 10, 2017

You can lead a horsehide to water but you might make it shrink.

Sloan1874 · Jan 10, 2017

To me HWT is for shaping collars and nothing else.

Monitor · Jan 10, 2017

Photos of a 50 years old TT Leathers jacket. This belonged (or still belongs) to my friend, she was the bass player in a girl punk band. Riot Grrrl sorta deal, except completely underground and unsuccessful. One of her... guys gave her this jacket, used to wear it on a bike and she then wore it for over 10 years while playing with the band in the worst pits you can imagine. The guitar strap completely chewed up through the shoulder padding. But even though the jacket musta been soaked with rain, beer, mud and... other liquids, one thing she never did was HWT. She gave me this jacket to keep it safe and alive which is what I'm doing. So I'm just gonna leave this here to remind you that despite everything it has been thru, it STILL looks better than anything that I have seen coming out of a HWT and that just wearing the thing and enjoying your life in it will only make it look better. At least I think it looks really awesome.

bretron · Jan 10, 2017

Monitor said:

I've always wanted a viper skin coat!

No.88 · Jan 10, 2017

Don't HWT it.
Stick the damn thing on your back.....& rock it!

CBI · Jan 10, 2017

having done HWT treatment many times, my overall best advice..................just wear it. Yep, it take TIME

Azog · Jan 10, 2017

HWT on a veg tanned jacket will result in a jacket looking water damaged - not nicely broken in. Veg tanned leather often gets stiffer after getting wet which is the opposite to breaking in a jacket and having it soften up nicely. You get too many and unnatural looking creases in the arms, wavy zippers, stiff crumpled leather etc. A water damaged look.
The only time water treatment is ok is on old chrome tanned jackets that reek so much of mothballs or mould that they make your eyes water and would otherwise be unwearable.

Americanaaa Mark · Jan 10, 2017

Alright. I've decided I'm not going to do any water treatments to it since I'd rather not take the risk cause of the veg tan.

I still think it's fine to do with some jackets though if you balance the risks. Soaks can be indistinguishable from actual wear depending on how it's done. My Aero made from chrome tanned FQHH came out excellent after I soaked it TWICE in cool water for an hour then wearing it dry.

sweetfights · Jan 10, 2017

Iron Horse said:
Maybe piss off some mobsters, give them some baseball bats, and tell them not to hit the face?

The whole 'Al Capone' baseball bat treatment was mentioned in another thread recently. I tried it on my Veg Tanned Thedi Buffalo cafe racer, worked very well. Stay away from the hardware.

ButteMT61 · Jan 10, 2017

Americanaaa Mark said:
Alright. I've decided I'm not going to do any water treatments to it since I'd rather not take the risk cause of the veg tan.

I still think it's fine to do with some jackets though if you balance the risks. Soaks can be indistinguishable from actual wear depending on how it's done. My Aero made from chrome tanned FQHH came out excellent after I soaked it TWICE in cool water for an hour then wearing it dry.

All leather is not the same. Sure, many of us - me included have successfully done hot, cold soakings and even used a dryer. Outcome is 100% based on the leather at hand and being careful. My Aero FQHH (two of them) took very well to this. I'd never ever do it to the GW Shinki. I also had mixed results with goat. So I think you made the right choice here. I would put less value on posts found in other places than those here. This is the place where knowledge on such things reins king.

kirkaero · Jan 10, 2017

Americanaaa Mark said:
Alright. I've decided I'm not going to do any water treatments to it since I'd rather not take the risk cause of the veg tan.

I still think it's fine to do with some jackets though if you balance the risks. Soaks can be indistinguishable from actual wear depending on how it's done. My Aero made from chrome tanned FQHH came out excellent after I soaked it TWICE in cool water for an hour then wearing it dry.

Good decision. You can wear it in the rain or hit it with a spray bottle. You can also roll it up while you watch TV or something. Just roll it up and unroll it over and over. If you want to bring out the grain. HWT is too dangerous. However, my favorite rain jacket is a GW A-2 in Shinki. I have worn it in the rain over 50 times since 2011 with no problems.

handymike · Jan 10, 2017

I think you made the right call!
I too have had success with HWT on my Horween FQHH and vintage horsehide, but I wouldn't do it to my GW (except for the collar). I did a cold soak for the collar of a vintage goat jacket with good results, but again- I wouldn't do the whole thing.

TREEMAN · Jan 11, 2017

Half the fun in getting a new leather jacket is breaking it in. Hot water treatment sounds like some kind of torture.....why would anyone want to do that to a jacket they love............

Iron Horse · Jan 11, 2017

sweetfights said:
The whole 'Al Capone' baseball bat treatment was mentioned in another thread recently. I tried it on my Veg Tanned Thedi Buffalo cafe racer, worked very well. Stay away from the hardware.

Yeah I saw that and tried it with a smooth wooden sticks on my Lost Worlds (in addition to working out over with my hands some) and it worked a bit. Jacket is much more wearable now.

CBI · Jan 11, 2017

this is a great example of one of the drawbacks for many with vintage stuff. So many of us want a classic broken-in look. The sort of look that comes from years of wear and in many minds a classic "nostalgic" idea of hard work or tough living that shows in the character of clothing..............except today, we don't want to wait for it and, probably most of us don't live those sorts of lives. There's a thread on VLJ about high-end denim (which I love) but I commented on how not worth it, it is for me to try to get that look I want in all those great old photos of awesome old jeans. It takes a few years of wearing them and who wants to wait that long or go through that much trouble hoping that they (or jacket for that matter) will look the way you want it. I mean, it's just clothing and it's cool but life's too short and who wants to obsess about clothes that much (outside of clothing makers)? I guess way-ish off topic.

soaking Shinki horsehide in water

Call Me a Cab

A-List Customer

One Too Many

I'll Lock Up

I'll Lock Up

I'll Lock Up

Call Me a Cab

New in Town

One Too Many

Familiar Face

A-List Customer

My Mail is Forwarded Here

New in Town

Call Me a Cab

Vendor

One Too Many

Similar threads

Log in

Forum statistics