Good ways to soften up Italian HH

[B-Man2]

Jan
When I was a kid the first thing we did to break in a new baseball glove or catchers mitt and soften it up a bit was to saddle soap the hell out of it and then shove a baseball into it and tie it closed with cord or tape and let it dry to get the glove to form a pocket around the ball …….. it always softened the glove up nicely.
Now I don’t know if the saddle soap thing would work with a jacket but you might do a little research on the idea so see if it might work on your jacket … the saddle soap thing not the baseball…
( I think I just dated myself there didn’t I?)

 

[entertainment]

Jan
When I was a kid the first thing we did to break in a new baseball glove or catchers mitt and soften it up a bit was to saddle soap the hell out of it and then shove a baseball into it and tie it closed with cord or tape and let it dry to get the glove to form a pocket around the ball …….. it always softened the glove up nicely.
Now I don’t know if the saddle soap thing would work with a jacket but you might do a little research on the idea so see if it might work on your jacket … the saddle soap thing not the baseball…
( I think I just dated myself there didn’t I?)

I have heard that saddle soap is bad for leather in the long term because the pH is not neutral.
I would at least do some research before using it.

 

[B-Man2]

Damn … that sounded like such a great idea
Sorry Jan !

 

[mulceber]

No worries at all - I haven't done anything yet, so it can't hurt to throw around ideas.

 

[Kermit3D]

Soften the leather ? But why didn't I think of that before ?
You probably need this

 

[Chandler]

Jan
When I was a kid the first thing we did to break in a new baseball glove or catchers mitt and soften it up a bit was to saddle soap the hell out of it and then shove a baseball into it and tie it closed with cord or tape and let it dry to get the glove to form a pocket around the ball …….. it always softened the glove up nicely.
Now I don’t know if the saddle soap thing would work with a jacket but you might do a little research on the idea so see if it might work on your jacket … the saddle soap thing not the baseball…
( I think I just dated myself there didn’t I?)

You forgot the step about putting it between the mattress and the box spring!

FWIW -- in my 'hood we used mink oil, not saddle soap.

 

[Micawber]

Ah the rocky subject of leather treatments and dressings. Everyone outside of the conservation and restoration world has their own experience and favourite product or technique so you pays your money and takes your choice.

 

[JonnyCrow]

...beyond wear the piss out of it?

I've had my BK Star for about 2 years now, I've worn it ton, sat on it repeatedly, and it still feels pretty stiff compared to my two Horween Good Wears. It may well be just an unusually tough batch of Liberty HH, but does anybody have any tricks for getting leather to soften up?

Piss being the appropriate word, guess how the Romans softened leather haha Jan I was brought up in a trawler town guess how the fishermen softened their boots haha I'm joking of course but there must be a way, and not to piss on your jacket

 

[Blackboxr1200S]

Carefull there... all that Guinness might darken the leather.

 

[JonnyCrow]

Carefull there... all that Guinness might darken the leather.

Seal brown? Haha

 

[Stravaiger]

I am new to here but not new to leather , I have been wearing leather jackets since 1969. Mainly biker jackets and they all soften up with being worn.

 

[Nickb123]

I found the answer. Put on some Bocelli.

 

[Greg Gale]

Yeah, I’ve had other BK jackets in Liberty that did soften up pretty well, and I’m told the batch they got in shortly after they made mine is some of the softest ever. For whatever reason, this jacket is a whole other animal (literally and figuratively).

Liberty Gator?

 

[CombatWombat]

I don't know if this would work for the horsehide you've got Jan.....
But I picked up a 50's German police coat that was in NOS condition that could stand up by itself......after my usual procedure for cleaning NOS military gear (hang it on the balcony railing and hose the bejebus out of it until all the dust/wax coating/rat's droppings are flushed out) it seems like it's made it wearable and hasn't damaged it/shrunk it

 

[Thomas Koehle]

I know the Inuit of Greenland chew their seal leather in order to soften it ... - but imagining the taste ...

i used saddle soap before for softening; cleaning and conservation of WW2 pistol-holsters and had some good experience

And when i was still active in reenactment i used to wear the garment for sleeping - Nick already brought up that idea

most of the time i got some heavy "eyeballing" and facepalms from my wife but she got used to it ...

 

[CombatWombat]

I know the Inuit of Greenland chew their seal leather in order to soften it ... - but imagining the taste ...

i used saddle soap before for softening; cleaning and conservation of WW2 pistol-holsters and had some good experience

And when i was still active in reenactment i used to wear the garment for sleeping - Nick already brought up that idea

most of the time i got some heavy "eyeballing" and facepalms from my wife but she got used to it ...

I used to do reenactment as well..... sleeping in my roughout "musketeer vest" was how I got it from a inflexible and stiff thing that resembled a corset into a moderately comfortable outer layer
Though I did get caught out in a typical Queensland monsoon once....that may have helped it the most

 

[dbtk44]

I've gotten jackets that had never been conditioned up to that point, or even looked like they'd been worn at all....no sign of wear at all. Stiff as cardboard, felt like wearing steel plate, and squeeked if I blinked too hard.

My conditioner of choice is dubbin (homemade), and I would give it a liberal treatment, let it sit and absorb for 24hrs, then throw it in the dryer and tumble on air fluff (no heat) for 45-60min.

The difference was always nothing short of Amazing. One heavy cowhide motorcycle jacket in particular I did this to, went from "stand it up against the wall" stiff, to one of THE most comfortable jackets I've ever had on. The difference was Night and day.

 

[Blackboxr1200S]

I've gotten jackets that had never been conditioned up to that point, or even looked like they'd been worn at all....no sign of wear at all. Stiff as cardboard, felt like wearing steel plate, and squeeked if I blinked too hard.

My conditioner of choice is dubbin (homemade), and I would give it a liberal treatment, let it sit and absorb for 24hrs, then throw it in the dryer and tumble on air fluff (no heat) for 45-60min.

The difference was always nothing short of Amazing. One heavy cowhide motorcycle jacket in particular I did this to, went from "stand it up against the wall" stiff, to one of THE most comfortable jackets I've ever had on. The difference was Night and day.

and this is the part where you tell everybody the secret... what's in your homemade dubbin. ;-)

Type below the dotted line
.....................................

 

[dbtk44]

My homemade dubbin roughly consists of beef tallow, pork lard, beeswax, lanolin, a bit of cod liver oil, and a little bit of glycerin. Pretty much all natural stuff. It's basically the consistency of thick Vaseline, but I apply it by hand (with gloves on) and the heat of my hand and the warmed leather makes it go on very easily, almost like hand lotion.

At first application it makes the leather pretty greasy...but, I let the treated item sit for at least 24-48hrs so the hide can absorb it all, and no trace of a greasy feeling after that.
If theres excess on the surface after that ( "bloom") i just rub it down with a warm, barely damp rag and takes care of it. Pretty rare unless I really put a heavy layer on though. Hides take in as much of this as they can hold, and the rest just comes back up to the surface, so it's pretty hard to screw it up.

I always buff out the item after it's sat for 24-48hrs with a soft cotton towel or rag, and the beeswax really gives it a nice sheen.

I made a big batch a while back and I'm not sure where my notes got off to, but I'll see if I can find them...and if anybody is interested in the exact amounts, I can share the info.

 

[dbtk44]

I have no idea why that posted in all bold type..not enough coffee this morning maybe lol