Hot Water Soak on Leather w Quilted Lining?

[jpk_NJ]

I've comfortably done the water soak / bathe on various leather jackets before but none that have had a quilted lining and Im a bit hesitant. Any pitfalls when dealing with this kind of lining? Specifically, a vintage leather jacket with the inner quilting fibers actually made of wool and not polyester stuffing like all other quiltings Ive previously seen.

 

[El Marro]

I wouldn’t take this gamble if I were you. My experiences with wool and even warm water have usually resulted in profound shrinkage. Are you just trying to bring out more character and grain?

 

[Peacoat]

As @El Marro said above, don't chance it. Wool in the liner will definitely shrink. Witness the nylon flight jackets of the 50s and 60s with wool liners that got dunked and suffered as a result.

 

[Monitor]

Thirded. If the fibers truly are wool, I wouldn't do it. Not again. Done that once, leather jacket with wool backed quilted lining and the wool all sort of bunched up into balls inside the quilting. The jacket didn't shrink or anything and looked about the same but the wool stuffing was definitely messed up. Wool shrinks like mad.

 

[robrinay]

Hot water turns wool into felt so not a good idea

 

[jpk_NJ]

Are you just trying to bring out more character and grain?

Just trying to remold the jacket to my body and the lapel folds to my liking.

Thirded. If the fibers truly are wool, I wouldn't do it. Not again. Done that once, leather jacket with wool backed quilted lining and the wool all sort of bunched up into balls inside the quilting. The jacket didn't shrink or anything and looked about the same but the wool stuffing was definitely messed up. Wool shrinks like mad.

Thanks Monitor! That’s kind of what I imagined might happened. Little tiny pellet of balled up wool inside the quilting. Not good.

Good thing this jacket still had the material tag otherwise I would have dunked it!

 

[handymike]

You can HWT the collar without dunking the jacket, and steam the sleeves while wearing it to get them to crease.

 

[Seb Lucas]

If you are just trying to 'remold' the jacket, the easier way to do that is just wear it. If you spray the outside with water and wear it for a few hours it will form to your shape. Or you can just wear it solidly for a week or two. Job done.

 

[bn1966]

I've come unstuck with wool!!!