My New G&B After the Washing Machine

[themechanic]

Here's my new Gibson & Barnes Goatskin Expedition after it's been through a full warm water wash cycle in the washing machine. After it came out I blotted some of the water out with a towel and then threw it in the dryer with 3 large bath towels and put it on low heat for 70 minutes.

It was still damp when it came out so then I wore it all that night, slept in it and wore it all the next day and slept in it again so it basically dried on my body. I can safely say that it's broken in now.

These pictures were taken today by my 6 year old son. Some in the shade, some in the sun.

[IndyBlues]

Dude. that looks fantastic! I'm lovin' it! May have to try that with my G&B. How did the liner turn out? Was there any shrinkage of the leather, causing the liner to sag?
Mike

[Ragingblues]

Wow man... you really dove in head first on the "breaking in" process. I think it came out great and really looks like a well worn jacket now!

The goatskin has a beautiful, yet tough look to it that I really like. it looks even better after you put it through the ringer.... I mean the washer.... I mean... well, you get it.

Very nice work,


Ken

[themechanic]

There was some shrinkage which is good, that's kind of what I was going for. The sleeves shrunk up maybe 1/2" if that which was perfect. The liner's not sagging at all. I was very careful when it was in the dryer. I took it out every 5 minutes and put it on to make sure it wasn't shrinking. However much it shrank is the equilvalent to how much it would have shrunk in a good downpour. Of course I don't recommend anyone do this with their jacket. I had an old jacket that I've been using as a guinea pig to test different things, so I basically knew what to expect.

Oh yeah, after it was fully dry I rubbed some Pecards dressing into it, or tried to. The stuff's like Vasoline, in fact I'm convinced that's all it is. I really hate the stuff. It hasn't penetrated any of my jackets and just makes them all greasy. I know alot of people love it, but I'm not one of them. On this jacket some areas came out greasy and some parts came out dull, so it had a blotchy appearance. I rubbed off as much as I could over the last few days and it looks okay now.

On this particular jacket I think I'll stick with a leather lotion if it ever needs it.

[Ragingblues]

Yeah, it is something to be closely monitored. I soaked my Wested lambskin and dryed it on low heat a couple of years ago, so I am a fan of water distressing.


Ken

[comic sidekick]

That really came out nice, Mechanic. Thanks for the pics! Now I have to say I am really tempted to try that on my G&B goat. I'll have to find someone with a better dryer than mine first however. I think that even its lowest setting might be too hot for this sort of thing.

Thanks again for posting this.

[Rock Ford]

Wow looks great, I must say your son did an awesome job taking pictures too!!

[themechanic]

Thanks guys. I washed the jacket along with a load of regular laundry (shirts, jeans etc. in a double load washer at the laundromat. I dried it in a regular home dryer with 3 large dry bath towels. That helped absorb some of the excess water from the jacket and also served to cushion the jacket from the beating it would have taken inside the dryer.

A friend of mine has a dryer that can cycle with no heat. He's washed many a jacket and uses this feature to just tumble and beat up his jackets. It also helps dry the jacket a little faster than if the jacket was just sitting around.

Glad you like it.

[GCR]

Well, what more is there to say? That jacket looks fantastic, man!!!

Granted it already was looking great, but this took it to a whole new level now, and I'm liking it!

About the Pecard's...I've found that the brown tinted kind is great for restoring the finish on a heavily worn or distressed jacket, where the original finish has worn off (or been sandpapered off ). I've never tried to use it on a brand new jacket, though.

Anyways, excellent work on the G&B! My hat is off to you...

[Havana]

The jacket looks fantastic. I've run a goatskin A-2 through the wash before with similar results. I definitely believe in sleeping in a new jacket to break it in. It works.

[comic sidekick]

Mechanic, I meant to ask you if you used any detergent on the wash cycle or just plain water.

Also, props to your boy for the excellent photography! He's got talent.

[themechanic]

I washed it with a load of regular laundry, warm, with a cap full of Woolite, cold water rinse.

[docjones]

Jun 24, 2008 12:04:14 GMT -5 @themechanic said:

I washed it with a load of regular laundry, warm, with a cap full of Woolite, cold water rinse.

As the saying goes, I think you'd have to have brass balls to put a $500 jacket into a washing machine, let alone adding something like woolite. Perhaps I am misjudging the potential damage to the jacket by a washing machine, but given how little I use ours - just like our kitchen - I am just plain ignorant about certain areas of our household my wife won't allow me near. ;D

[themechanic]

I used a double load laundromat washer so there's no agitator in there to destroy the jacket. It just tumbles the clothes back and forth, sloshing them around.
Woolite is the safest soap you can use as well. It's not a detergent and therefore won't break down the fibers of the leather or whatever. Soap also breaks the surface tension of the water, it makes water wetter. That makes it easier for the water to penetrate the leather. Otherwise the water might only soak through the back of the hide. Nothing beats a through and through soaking.

[Deleted]

Sorry it took me so long to reply but ...... Man, that jacket came out GREAT.

Well done.

Cheers,
John

[themechanic]

Thanks G-Mann. It looks and fits so much better now. It probably would have taken 50 years for the jacket to break in like that on it's own.

[macfett]

Just wanted to say Mechanic, this jacket helped me make the decision. So, I now have my own dark brown expedition being made. Unfortunately, it won't be here until mid August.
I'm glad you mentioned the "no agitator" washing machine as I will be very tempted to break mine in as well.

[docjones]

Mid-August? What the hey? They told me about 3 weeks just 2 days ago. Was anything about your order custom?

[macfett]

Jul 11, 2008 23:52:39 GMT -5 docjones said:

Mid-August? What the hey? They told me about 3 weeks just 2 days ago. Was anything about your order custom?

Nope, nothing custom. Just out of stock and had to be made.

[Ragingblues]

Jul 12, 2008 22:33:41 GMT -5 macfett said:

Jul 11, 2008 23:52:39 GMT -5 docjones said:

Mid-August? What the hey? They told me about 3 weeks just 2 days ago. Was anything about your order custom?

Nope, nothing custom. Just out of stock and had to be made.

Just so you know... they are all made to order, and they always tell you it will be longer than it will actually take to make the jackets. I would honestly count on you getting it a couple of weeks sooner than you were told.


Ken

[Deleted]

Every case I know of, G&B quotes a longer delivery time than it actually takes.

Cheers,
John

[themechanic]

When I ordered mine I was told 2 weeks I believe and it showed up exactly 2 weeks later.

[docjones]

My jacket is arriving about 2 weeks ahead of schedule, and since it was so early, I told them to just hold onto it.



J/K, I will post pics later this week...

[crismans]

Again, this was a fantastic job, Mechanic. That is such a beautiful jacket.