Has anyone removed the plastic/foil lining from their Skyfall Barbour?
sw17
Posts: 32MI6 Agent
Famously, the Skyfall Barbour causes wearers to sweat far more than other wax jackets.
A post on the Dappered Forums in 2015 suggested a solution, which I've quoted below. Has anyone else managed to remove this problem?
"Hello, in advance, I´m from Germany, so, sorry for any grammar failings.
I also want to share my experiences here about this nice jacket, which I bought approx. half a year ago. First I was sad about the fact, that the jacket was off stock everywhere, after Skyfall was broadcasted. But after some months of time it could be ordered again. I bought it from a GB onlineshop. After unboxing it, the jacket looked great and I liked it very much. I was wearing it almost every day, BUT was wondering, why I always began to transpire after 1-2 hours. I also own a almost similar Barbour jacket "Shoreman" and wearing this jacket, I don´t sweat. After this experience I was unhappy about the jacket. Walking through the city or going to work and get wet arms and back, is not comfortable. I began to think about the structure of this jacket and came to the decision that the inner layer has to be the reason for this abnormal sweating.
I got in contact with a local certified Barbour dealer and the told me to send it to a certified Barbour tailor, they will help me. My idea was to exchange the inner layer, which may causes the sweating. I sent a email to this company and described my problem. The reply was a big surprise. The agent told me that Barbour used a membrane between the outer layer and the inner layer, to keep the jacket more rainproof then before. This membrane works like a thermoplastic foil and is unfortunately airtight :-( Now I was knowing the reason for my wet arms and back. I asked if this membrane can be removed and they told me it´s possible. Also they reported that they heard from other customers about this behavior. I sent my jacket to this company (Repair and repoorfing, Meyer & Meyer Logistikzentrum) and after 7 weeks (vacation time and a lot of other orders) they sent it back to me. I payed €144 but every euro is worth it :-) Since two weeks I wear this jacket almost every day and no sweating is noticeable! I´m very happy with this jacket now!"
Comments
Decided to register just to answer this because there is way too little information about this on the internet.
I bought the Barbour Beacon Sports Jacket (closest to the Skyfall jacket I was able to get) in december last year and intended to use it as a spring/fall/maybe summer-jacket. The first time I used it (about late Mars) I was sweating like crazy and it wasn't even hot outside. Did some googling and found the information about the plastic membrane Barbour decided to put inside and that made the jacket practically useless.
I contacted Barbour here in Sweden and sent it away to have the plastic foil removed and the nylon lining in the arms changed to the same lining as the rest of the jacket. Also had the arms shortened by about 2,5 cm. Got it back in about four weeks and now it's actually wearable and one of my absolute favourite jackets.
If you want to actually use the jacket and have the option to send it away to Barbour to change the lining - do it! You will not regret it.
Good to know. Mine is due for a rewaxing, and if this is an option, I might pursue it.
Any photos to show any difference
Maybe it’s just me but I find it pretty comfy until about May, no sweatier than most waterproof jackets
The only visual difference in mine is that the lining inside the arms is now in the same tartan fabric as the rest of the jacket. I'll see if I can upload a picture tomorrow.
I found that as soon as I used it for a walk or went inside with it I almost couldn't stand the jacket because it didn't breathe. Almost like the worthless pvc-coated rain gear we were issued during my military service. But I guess most are quite happy with their jackets since there is so little information about the plastic lining around. Not even Barbour here in Sweden knew about it before I contacted them and asked if I could have it removed.
Edit: I have no idea what a "z" did in "since"...
This is quite interesting, especially since the OP mentions an adress in Germany, which would be way easier for shipping. "Logistikzentrum" sounds like that's just a place that sends it on to Barbour I guess. I had read about the solution to this problem long ago, but have been hesitant, as I think some people mentioned it can cause the wax to seep through the fabric. What are everyones thoughts on that? I do wear the jacket way less than I would want to...
"- That is something to be afraid of."
Do you wear the jacket way less than you'd want to because the membrane causes overheating? Sounds like you have two options- Get it altered, wear it often, and run the risk of wax seeping through eventually, or keep it as it is and relegate it to the back of the closet...
Easy decision, in my opinion. ;)
For what it's worth, I personally have the Dept B variant that I picked up sometime in 2015. Wore it daily for a mild winter season (in the mid 40s to 50s Fahrenheit), and thought it was perfect for that (walking around outdoors for hours). Different story once it creeped closer to the 60s.
YMMV, but if you decide to keep the membrane, perhaps it's just about figuring a temperature range to make the jacket work for you?