I have an old leather jacket and over the years it has shrunken signifigantly...?

Question

How could i stretch the leather, so the jacket could be wearable again?

Answer 1

Yeah, I have that problem too, my pants and belts have shrunken as well.

Answer 2

Leather shrinks when it dries out, so yours must have gone through that.

You can retore its flexibility, but whether or not you can get it fully back to original size is an open question. Probably the best you can do it restore its flexibility, and then wear it, so that it will shape itself to you. I had to do this with a jacket that a dry cleaner virtually killed. It came back not only shrunken, but almost as crisp as cardboard, and it was unwearable.

It came back to life with the best product I could find, and I wore it for years afterward. I have since used it on many things, from belts to purses and to other jackets The product is called Neats-foot oil. You can get it at hardware stores and farm supply outlets. It has been around for many, many, years and is a staple for saddles and other leather items. It is very well-proven.

Apply it with a wide, soft, brush. Be sure to cover every part of the jacket, and then put the jacket away for a while, to let the oil do its work.

Try to avoid a too-heavy application, as you do not need much, and dry leather will absorb the oil irregularly, making some parts wet, and others allowing the oil to run off.

This is nothing to worry about, but is actually what will give the benefits you want and need.

If you have ever seen how a single drop of oil placed on the tip of a rusty bolt will migrate and cover the entire bolt if left alone, then you will understand the capillary effect the oil will have as it works its way through the leather.

Be patient. Wait for a week, or more, before even looking at it.

Since your jacket has already shrunk a lot, a second application seems inevitable, as you need to bring the jacket back to life. There will be a quick initial absorption, but the tiny internal fibers will take time to fully absorb the new life they are getting, and only after that will they stretch.

There will be a very noticeable improvement in flexibility on the first day, but the fibres will have just begun to expand, and it will definitely take longer for the oil to do all its work. Again, be patient.

A second application will also have to be left alone, for the oil to do its best work.

If you have a light shade of leather, you should expect it to be darkened by the oil, but even that may not apply, depending on how the leather was finished initially, and what its conditions is today. This is the only negative point I found in using it for years.

Answer 3

Have the rest of your clothes shrunk too? If so, i suggest it's you getting bigger! Happens to us all. I've not heard of anyway to stretch a leather jacket. Maybe you could soften the leather with olive oil or something and try wearing it. It might soften up and fit better. Don't really know but trying to be constructive. Good luck with it.

Answer 4

SHRUNK...hey I like that..mine has too!!

try using some sort of leather dressing like dubin, I did on mine.

It gives leather a new lease on life and freshens it up right up, it also makes it supple and stretchable...to a point.

you need to apply it quite thickly to the seems as well and work it in, horse riders use it on new leather to soften it up , but its messy and sticky but it does a top job.

secret is to work it in and then leave it for a few days.

The other way is to soak it in hot water and then wear it wet fully done up , leather takes shape and also has a memory so it holds it shape.

The second option is a good one for summer.

My friend Stay of the medievil margerine ...that middle age spread is a bastard LOL

Answer 5

I think the best way to wear that jacket again is to work out at the gym.

Answer 6

mink oil. good stuff.