My BK Westfall in badalassi cowhide

[Fanch]

Yep, that was what I was trying to articulate badly.

Ah come on Craig. You express yourself in writing better than at least 99% of the rest of us.

 

[morrison2951]

Nice! I've got to say that I am also a fan of longer sleeves myself as well. Why? Why not!

It just looks cool to me to have the longer sleeves. To each his own.

 

[zhz]

OK, I get the point of long sleeves. Will try the longer one next time. But I still like this one very much. Correct shoulder and chest width is more important to me. I think this jacket perfect in these two.

 

[zhz]

Ah come on Craig. You express yourself in writing better than at least 99% of the rest of us.

Totally agree. +1

 

[zhz]

I think it softer than FQHH that Aero use. But don't know how it compare to BK's HH. But I think Andy told me that they are about the same (Liberty HH).

Good looking jacket. How does the Badalassi cowhide compare to HH in terms of pliability. Is it softer/more pliable, or about the same?

 

[Sloan1874]

Ah come on Craig. You express yourself in writing better than at least 99% of the rest of us.

I should have written "articulate poorly", but that's very kind of you. Nice cuff buttons, btw, zhz, and a bit of hot water on that collar will get it sitting just right.

 

[thor]

I think it softer than FQHH that Aero use. But don't know how it compare to BK's HH. But I think Andy told me that they are about the same (Liberty HH).

I've received samples of various leathers and IMHO the Badalassi is similar in weight to the mid-weight HH.

 

[Mark]

Very nice jacket indeed. It's nice to have a cow hide jacket as well as a HH, i find my cow A2 much lighter and more grainy than my HH. Re; the sleeves, prefer mine a little longer but not as much as some here seem to like. Funny but all my jackets fit with one arm slightly longer than the other but of course i think one of my arms must be a tad longer than the other!

 

[zhz]

How to use hot water to treat the collar? I've heard it many times, but don't know the detail.

I should have written "articulate poorly", but that's very kind of you. Nice cuff buttons, btw, zhz, and a bit of hot water on that collar will get it sitting just right.

 

[Seb Lucas]

You wet the collar and then mould it. Simple. My version is turn on teh kitchen tap to fairly warm and hold the collar under this until soaking. Pat dry with a towell and shape as you want it. depending on weather it will dry in hours or a day. Water can't hurt leather.

 

[Sloan1874]

A search on the site here will give you chapter and verse, but basically you want to soak the collar with water - very hot tap water will do. Some people use a plant mister to spray the collar until it's soaked and pliable. Personally, I then stick the jacket on while its still warm and mould the collar into a pleasing shape.
This was an early bit of HWT, though I did it a couple of times after just to push it into shape a bit further:

 

[zhz]

Thanks guys, will try this weekend.

 

[andyfalzon]

Caution: do not use hot water on vegetable tanned leathers.

 

[Sloan1874]

Fair point. I have an aniline, or at least semi-aniline jacket, which I wouldn't HWT as it absorbs water, even raindrops, readily. I take it veg tanned leather doesn't like HWT for the same reason?

 

[Cooperson]

Very nice looking half-belt, love the hide! Sleeves do look a bit short and the button cuffs a bit wide to my eye, but these things are just personal preference. Many of the new jackets I see have sleeves past the tips of the fingers, which to me are way too long - body and sleeve length are such a personal thing, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Thanks for posting, would love to see it again when it's had some wear.

 

[zhz]

Does veg tanned leather will absorb water or something like that? Or the cold water or raindrops is fine?

 

[zhz]

Did some search on internet, according to Wikipedia.
"Vegetable-tanned leather is not stable in water; it tends to discolor, so if left to soak and then dry it will shrink and become less supple, and harder. In hot water, it will shrink drastically and partly gelatinize, becoming rigid and eventually brittle. "
Seems like I should prevent it from the water.

 

[Sloan1874]

I've been caught in the rain with my aniline one on, and it absorbs it easily,. It dries out, away from any heat source, without any water-marking, though, so I don't baby it too much as these things look better with a bit of living. That said, I got a nasty greasy mark on it recently and it was hell to get out. I ended up using a heavy-duty leather de-greaser to lift it, which I wouldn't recommend readily as it can pull colour from the leather if you overdo it. :eeek: Amazing what you can do with a bit of tan polish...

 

[zhz]

Hope the veg tanned leather will do the same.

 

[Monitor]

Incredibly beautiful jacket.