# I solved the Barbour sleeve length problem



## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

After losing about 70 pounds, my size 44 Beaufort was billowy beyond belief. Sold it here last fall. I had tried on new coats and found the size 38 coat to provide the appropriate amount of room for a zip-in liner or sweater underneath. The problem is that I'm 6'3 with a 36 inch sleeve length. The size 38 coat was about 2 inches too short in the sleeves.

I called Barbour USA and talked to a few folks about options for tall people who need to buy small sizes so the jacket doesn't swallow me whole. They don't offer a custom program like Filson. Barbour said the best option was to go to my local shop and purchase a new coat that fits in the shoulders, chest and stomach. I could then ship the jacket to Barbour USA and they would put new 36 inch sleeves on the coat for $115.

So I waited for the Barbour coats to go on sale this spring. My local shop ran a 25% off sale on them. Picked one up for about $320 after tax, sent it to Barbour in New Hampshire in May, they charged my AmEx $115, and I finally got it back this morning. It is absolutely perfect. I'm amazed at how well the finished product turned out.

Just thought I would offer this option as a viable solution to the taller folks who don't like short sleeves on the Barbour coats.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

....and all for a price no greater than that which you would have paid if the new jacket you purchased had not been on sale! Well done, sir. May you long wear that Barbour and may you do so only in good health.


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## TheJohan (Mar 28, 2013)

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper if you let a tailor do the job?


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

^Perhaps, but if you send it back to the factory, there's very little risk the work will be done wrong.


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## mayostard (Mar 10, 2013)

Can you post pics? I would like to see how they do it.


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## Tilton (Nov 27, 2011)

It also voids any future warranty claims to have it done elsewhere and Barbour is unlikely to give your jacket back and say "Sorry, sir. I don't think this turned out quite how we expected" and leaving you with something worse than you had before. 

While you think you may not need that warranty, I've used it once on all three of my Barbours, mostly for the same issue (holes appearing at the top corners of handwarmer pockets) and well before I would have expected to do so. Sometimes it is just better to do things the right way from the start.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

That's a pretty common "fix" done to many Barbour jackets at their repair facility in NH. I know I posted a "price list" somewhere on the forum with all the alteration options available. Everything from adding pockets, to leather trim to lengthening bodies and even custom, one-off stuff can be done (best prices I've seen are through Orvis). A local tailor would be a good option for anything having to do with the liners or fixing stitching, but adding fabric and reproofing would best be left to Barbour. They no longer sell their repair kits that have matching waxed cotton patches and it would take some black belt Google-fu to find some 100% matching fabric from another source.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Very interesting. At 6'4", Barbour sleeves are a bit too short for me. I've read about people putting on leather trim, but haven't seen the end product. I've read that Barbour extends the sleeves, but I assumed that meant they sewed 2" additional fabric to the ends with a resulting hideous seam. That must be quite the job for them to sew on entirely new sleeves.

I too would love to see pictures.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Pentheos said:


> Very interesting. At 6'4", Barbour sleeves are a bit too short for me. I've read about people putting on leather trim, but haven't seen the end product. I've read that Barbour extends the sleeves, but I assumed that meant they sewed 2" additional fabric to the ends with a resulting hideous seam. That must be quite the job for them to sew on entirely new sleeves.
> 
> I too would love to see pictures.


The "leather" trim is really a synthetic leather edge piping they can sew onto the sleeve, pocket and body hems. With regard to extending the sleeves, the standard procedure is to add the length at the sleeve end (and relocated the internal cuff). The seam is visible, though hardly "hideous." Looks a bit like a turned back cuff (couldn't find any pics, though). You can have them add entirely new sleeves to the jacket if you don't want the seams visible but it's very expensive.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

To clarify a couple things....

1) You can get sleeves lengthened for $75. They will add a leather or waxed-cotton cuff to the end of your current sleeves. It is an extension of the sleeve. Looks something like the cuff on the International Jacket. Something like this...









2) Or you can pay the $115 and they literally just give you completely new sleeves. They have the Barbour factory make 2 sleeves that are the length you want. They take off your current sleeves. They put on the new ones with the full lining and everything. It's no different than replacing a sleeve that has been ripped or torn badly.

I would post pictures but the coat just looks like a regular Beaufort with the normal sleeves. The sleeves are just 2.5 inches longer than the normal sleeves on a size 38 coat. Same color, same width, same lining, same opening.....same everything.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

hardline_42 said:


> The "leather" trim is really a synthetic leather edge piping they can sew onto the sleeve, pocket and body hems. With regard to extending the sleeves, the standard procedure is to add the length at the sleeve end (and relocated the internal cuff). The seam is visible, though hardly "hideous." Looks a bit like a turned back cuff (couldn't find any pics, though). You can have them add entirely new sleeves to the jacket if you don't want the seams visible but it's very expensive.


It is $75 for extending the sleeves and $115 for getting brand new, longer sleeves. I wouldn't call an additional $40 "very expensive" when we are talking about a $400 coat.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

nolan50410 said:


> It is $75 for extending the sleeves and $115 for getting brand new, longer sleeves. I wouldn't call an additional $40 "very expensive" when we are talking about a $400 coat.


Thanks for the clarification. It's been a while since I saw the price list. For some reason, I thought that new sleeves were in the ballpark of $200 for the pair.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

nolan50410 said:


> 1) You can get sleeves lengthened for $75. They will add a leather or waxed-cotton cuff to the end of your current sleeves. It is an extension of the sleeve. Looks something like the cuff on the International Jacket. Something like this...
> 
> View attachment 8430


That's not bad at all. I had pictured a seam midway up the forearm.


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## TheJohan (Mar 28, 2013)

Oh i must have miss-understood, i thought you had the sleeves shortened. But when it comes to lenghten the sleeves i would have done the same and sent it to Barbour.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

Only a Tyrannosaurus Rex would need to shorten the sleeves of a Barbour coat.


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## mayostard (Mar 10, 2013)

Ah, I didn't realize completely new seams were an option, I had only heard of the lengthening process. 

In any case, since I only buy used I would be leery of the complete sleeve replacement as an older garment with new sleeves would probably look funny due to uneven wear/fading. With just the added cuffs that would probably be less obvious.


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## ada8356 (Dec 14, 2007)

I'm looking to by a Barbour this fall. Does Orvis do a sale at any point?


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

ada8356 said:


> I'm looking to by a Barbour this fall. Does Orvis do a sale at any point?


I've never seen Barbours on sale at Orvis. However, they often have $25 off coupons available and offer a 10% discount on one purchase for signing up to receive emails. I used these along with some gift cards bought online at a discount and was able to trim a hefty amount (about $115, IIRC) off the full price.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

Don't think Orvis normally discounts the regular Barbour wax outerwear (Beaufort, Bedale, Border). You will have better luck, as I did, with locally owned shops looking to clear out seasonal merchandise in the spring months.


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## ada8356 (Dec 14, 2007)

Thanks. That's what I thought but wanted to make sure. 

I plan to buy from Orvis regardless as I've spent quite a bit of time in there trying on different versions.


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## AncientMadder (Apr 21, 2011)

Great idea, Nolan. I'm about the same height as you and will try the same thing next time I buy a Barbour.

My Beaufort is a size 40. It's just long enough in the sleeves but too big everywhere else after weight loss. I sent it to Barbour a few weeks ago to have the sides taken in 4". I'm not totally confident it's going to look great—I'm worried they'll take in the body without taking in the sleeves a proportionate amount—but figured it was worth a shot.


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## AlfaNovember (Jun 27, 2011)

hardline_42 said:


> I've never seen Barbours on sale at Orvis.


Sale pricing on Barbour at Orvis may be unusual, but it does happen, particularly for the lower-volume variants. I bought mine on sale at the local Orvis shop in early summer. It is the "flyweight" version of the beaufort, with 4 oz. fabric rather than the standard 6 oz. The lighter weight happens to be ideal for local conditions, so I've been quite happy with it.


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## Tilton (Nov 27, 2011)

Orvis does not discount Barbour's core products (Beaufort, Bedale, etc in original thornproof or Sylkoil). They will discount seasonal and "fashion" items, though. 

Also: Hardline, you're afraid to reproof your jacket yourself? I sent one back to Barbour one time and it wasn't vastly better of a job than I do in my own kitchen, took months to turnaround, and cost 4x what a can of wax does. I always thought it was sort of a relaxing, manly task. Then again, my father find vacuuming cathartic - I guess we all have our limits.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Tilton said:


> Also: Hardline, you're afraid to reproof your jacket yourself? I sent one back to Barbour one time and it wasn't vastly better of a job than I do in my own kitchen, took months to turnaround, and cost 4x what a can of wax does. I always thought it was sort of a relaxing, manly task. Then again, my father find vacuuming cathartic - I guess we all have our limits.


I'm not afraid of it. I've done it. I don't discourage anyone from trying it if they want to, I just don't like the task. A can of Barbour Thornproof wax costs $15-$20. Having it waxed by Barbour costs $29 through Orvis, shipping included. I don't mind paying $9-$14 dollars once every two years and I've never had to wait months. I just send it in at the beginning of summer and it takes a few weeks at most.

I understand the value of DIY'ing clothing maintenance and repairs and I do a lot of stuff others wouldn't touch (turning shirt collars, for example) but I don't like dealing with wax. If there was a service for sno-sealing and welt-sealing boots that costs $9 in labor, I would send off every pair I own.


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## Walter Denton (Sep 11, 2011)

Until recently I lived a couple of miles from the Orvis outlet store in Lake George, NY. I have seen the Beaufort on sale there although I can't recall how much they were discounted. They may have been seconds but there was no indication of that and I didn't find any problems.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

If the Fishing on the Cape website is still around, they used to feature some deeply discounted pricing on selected Barbour designs. I have not been able to get it to come up, but will do a bit more research! :icon_scratch:

PS: The site is Fishing the Cape. Go to www.aaronsofeastham.com. You will occasionally find some incredible deals! Good luck and enjoy the hunt.


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## Malabar (Nov 9, 2012)

I saw Barbour sale only once - in Philadelphia this March - 50% off. Nevermore I founded it even in online shops.
But this June i`ve found a local 30% off in Moscow - Classic Bedale in Sage cost app. 290$ after taxes, usual price in UK.


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