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Hot Water Treatment - Headwind Capeskin A-1

Skyhawk

Well-Known Member
Hello all, I have been beta testing the A-1 for some time now and have really given it rough treatment. It has held up to everything I have thrown at it. I decided to do a HWT on the jacket to bring out more grain, and to shrink it a little as it was a little big on me. The results were fantastic!

I used an extreme method of HWT as I wanted to see how the jacket would hold up. I first soaked the entire jacket in scalding hot water in the bath tub. I then put it in the dryer on high heat, inside out at first, and then leather side out. I did this twice and I am very happy with the results. It shrank about 1/2 size which is just about what I was aiming for, and it now fits great. All the parts held up just fine. At the end of the second high heat cycle in the dryer, something wonderful started to happen! Wear started to form on the pockets and windflap edges. The wear looks very natural and a rich reddish hue started to show through as well. Overall the jacket now looks years older, the shine has dulled and it is starting to show some wear. I am pleased to find that this Capeskin will break in very nicely and show wear and color variations, and more grain and character over the years.









Regards,
Jay
 

John Lever

Moderator
Be VERY careful with boiling or near boiling water. Once I accidentally cooked a beautiful sheepskin and it went from a size 46 to a 34 in a matter of minutes.
 

John Lever

Moderator
At some point during WW2 the Russians were running low on condoms. At the time they were made by the Imperial Rubber Co.in Britain. Stalin asked Churchill to expedite emergency supplies to ease the situation. Apparently Churchill would only allow extra small condoms to be sent out.
Legend !
 

Skyhawk

Well-Known Member
Be VERY careful with boiling or near boiling water. Once I accidentally cooked a beautiful sheepskin and it went from a size 46 to a 34 in a matter of minutes.

Holy crap! That's some serious shrinkage! ;)

I would not do this treatment on a jacket that fits. It will certainly shrink. In this case it was about 1/2 size smaller when complete.
 

bfrench

Administrator


Hi, Jay,

I'd forgotten about this jacket - man is that ever nice.

The only thing I'd change is the forearm to wrist diameter - just needs to be enough larger to allow the cuff to tunnel about half the length of the wrist cuff - then when you straighten your arms such as holding the steering wheel in an auto the arms would still have enough material to not ride up the wrist.

But, wow - you're really hit the nail on the head.
 

Skyhawk

Well-Known Member
Hey thanks Bill! These A-1s have really been getting great feedback from the customers that have ordered them. You are correct on the arms. Good eye. This is one of the test jackets and the entire arm design was widened after this jacket was made. I came to the same conclusion and adjusted the pattern.
 
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