Iron Heart X Simmons Bilt Horsehide Western Shirt - The Pale Rider - Natural
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@Autorotate said in Iron Heart X Simmons Bilt Horsehide Western Shirt - The Pale Rider - Natural:
Anyway. Here’s a ridiculous picture of me in a towel and a soaking wet horse hide shirt. The wife and kid are on Spring Break and I’m home alone, so what better time for a weird experiment like this.
Guys will be guys when the wife is away
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@Autorotate man, that leather colour has turned so beautiful
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@Autorotate nail(ed) the pale! Truly a work of art! Experimental bastard haha! Enjoy it dude!
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This has quickly become one of my favorite product that I don’t even own* threads.
Much success with your experiment @Autorotate very curious to see how it turns out!
*yet I should add
This thing is tempting… -
This has been a great read - well done @Autorotate this looks insane and admire the dedication
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@weftyarn said in Iron Heart X Simmons Bilt Horsehide Western Shirt - The Pale Rider - Natural:
This has quickly become one of my favorite product that I don’t even own* threads.
*yet I should add This thing is tempting…I know what you mean. I need to stop coming here too...
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So I made it only about an hour laying in the bed last night with a jacket on. I was concerned about permanent creasing in the body of the shirt as well as folding up the collar. I took the shirt off and hung it over a door knob by the collar so as to not warp the shoulders with a hanger. Six hours later woke up, and the shirt was only slightly drier than when I took it off. It was, however, much stiffer. Upon donning it, my body heat took away the stiffness. It still had well formed creases on the sleeves. The shoulders and chest were still fitted, as before, when wet, and the collar where I folded it at the stitching seam appears to be in place (not riding high on my neck). I can tell as all the moisture will leave the shirt it will become as stiff as before. So with regards to draping and accelerating the break-in, I don’t think there is any easy way, other than extended wear.
The placket has slightly warped, in a good way. it’s more wavy now, but the buttons are still aligned and no issues with popping. Looks natural and not “starched”.
I think my 2 favorite results are the collar and the sleeves. I haven’t measured sleeves yet, but they are definitely shorter than before this experiment… stacking. Also, on the cuffs, I now have really cool creases that look much better than when new. The collar isn’t stabbing me under the jaw. It’s folded neatly at the seam and the collar points are spread and laying closer to the yoke.
The color has lightened slightly, but the Pecard’s application (2 total, once brand new, once when damp) is bringing out a great caramel color.
Overall this is a win for me. While not completely relaxed, it is now “my” shirt. I think this is a much better jumping off point for wearing over time.
Bottom line: Wearing experience and comfort is VASTLY improved. Gone is the feeling “I can’t believe I spent this amount of money on a self-torture device”.
I think it will be dry by tonight. I will wear it ALL day. I will measure it then.
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Another observation and perhaps a controversial take.
Small elbow pockets have developed on the outside of the elbow. Very similar to the dreaded knee pocket when wearing and soaking your STF 501’s back in the day. It’s very minor here, but they are there nonetheless. Almost imperceptible.
Hot take:
I don’t think the snaps that are installed on this jacket are ideal. They work, but the stiffness of the leather (not necessarily the fit) it the culprit for snap popping. Even if this jacket were 2 whole sizes bigger, I think with certain arm articulation, you could still get the snaps to pop. Thus a recommendation. Either donut buttons… or… “Pull The Dot” snaps. We used these on our aviation survival vests on pockets that held our gear: knives, flares, emergency radios and beacons. They NEVER would come undone. The only way to get them to open is to pull at the location of the marked “dot”. On this shirt you could align the dot on the snap in the vertical axis, so the snap would never pop in the horizontal axis. 30 seconds of practice and snapping the shirt open and closed would be a… ahem… a snap.
I am mostly interested in this for riding a motorcycle. With the current snaps, it would be impossible to snap the shirt closed on a bike with a gloved hand.
Pics attached for clarity.
Just my .02
Peace brothers and sisters.
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Very cool @Autorotate .. it might be that the previous production run was a bit thicker/stiffer overall... mine feels quite soft and comfortable overall. Of cause I have gone the slightly oversized route, so also no popping of snaps, even with sudden expressive arm movements. My only remaining concerns are a) the color (but that will develop), and b) the collar that rides very high (not sure how to describe that), in particular in the neck.. I have seen this also on side-view shots of others in this thread. Here my hope is that this will settle with sufficient wear. For now I am not considering any interventions, except some sun exposure (if and when we see the sun again in DK)
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@Tobi awesome.
Yes, I be curious to know if there were any modifications with the material from the first generation to now.If you’re not interest in intervention I have a recommendation that worked nicely for the collar. Turn the shirt inside out, put it on a hanger and button it up to the top. With the collar folder inside the shirt, massage the collar down towards the stitched seam. You will see that you can get the material to find a new fold, closer to the seam. Store the jacket like this when not wearing. It made a difference on mine.
That said, I VERY MUCH like how I could shape it so easily when it was wet. And it’s staying that way! -
if I ever get caught in the rain while wearing this and riding. I might keep it on just like you did..
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@louisbosco said in Iron Heart X Simmons Bilt Horsehide Western Shirt - The Pale Rider - Natural:
if I ever get caught in the rain while wearing this and riding. I might keep it on just like you did..
The best leather jackets I have ever seen, have always been the ones worn by bikers. The good jacket’s always respond well to the soaking and drying action of riding in the elements.
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After/Before
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@Autorotate dude had you asked if this process you went through would be a good idea, I would have called you coocoo for coco puffs. But hot damn the after/before photos are incredible. Who knew that would have worked out so well. It was fun reading through your process, kind of reminded me of @Filthy2123ozjunkie 's detailed experimental posts.
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@Oaktavia damn brother. I’ve been around this forum for a while (long time lurker until recently) and that’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever received.
In then end, it was fun and is going to allow me to really get the most out of this epic shirt.
Did @Filthy2123ozjunkie own a Pale Rider?
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@goosehd I guess I need to wear it to dry instead of hanging it up, might not cb e so stiff after