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Aero black FQHH -- Nickel or Brass zips..?

IXL

One Too Many
Messages
1,284
Location
Oklahoma
Me too! Not a T/A but a '78 Camaro. Not new but my first car. Worked my balls off for it. It ran like shit, was a constant pain in the ass and left me stranded fairly regularly. But blasting Zeppelin and smoking cigarettes in it was about as good as life gets.

Yep, blasting down the byways with Led Zeppelin II cranking out at full tilt, and taking deep hits on unfiltered Camels......we were the boys that fathers warned their daughters about. In spite of that, I ended up married to a schoolmarm.
 

AdeeC

Practically Family
Messages
646
Location
Australia
I prefer nickel but natural brass is also nice. It develops nice authentic patina. I don't like antique brass. Looks so fake. Reminds me of cheap 1970's faux antique bric a brac and light fittings.
 

AeroFan_07

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,740
Location
Iowa
Neat observations & inspirations here! I also really liked the Smokey & the Bandint Trans Am's in the 70's but as a little too young to understand. Golly, to have those days over again....

So I have both, and I agree for a Perfecto Jacket there's any number of reasons for preferances between Brass & Nickel. My first brass zipper Perfecto is my Gibson & Barnes Coronado, and it's drawn plenty of up and down's from folks wearing other Perfecto models. My Highwayman in Brown has nickel zips and I like thse too. My Cafe Racer has nickel, yet my 30's HB is antique brass. All comes down to preferance, and function. I have noted the Nickel zippers are a little smoother, and tend not to bind quite as much...
 

Superfluous

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,995
Location
Missing in action
NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL

Personally, I prefer nickel on ALL leather jackets. That said, I am particularly adamant about nickel on black leather. I have seen brass on black leather that looks interesting, and I appreciate the artistic qualities associated with the combo, but nickel remains an essential component of any black leather jacket that I purchase. Stated another way, brass is a deal breaker for me on a black leather jacket. I am open to antique brass on a brown leather jacket, but I prefer nickel even on brown leather.
 

nick123

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,371
Location
California
Yep, blasting down the byways with Led Zeppelin II cranking out at full tilt, and taking deep hits on unfiltered Camels......we were the boys that fathers warned their daughters about. In spite of that, I ended up married to a schoolmarm.

That is the life. But Physical Graffiti is their best. ;)
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Brass or nickel? I don't think it matters unless you subscribe, as some do, to the notion that black and brass don't match. Silver and black do look crisp but the combo also reminds me of those bad Perfecto repros that everyone wore in the 1980's, immediately after the Indiana Jones look went out. I like brass and black too and have had a cafe racer and a long half-belt with that combo. There were also Brimacos made that had both brass and silver zips on the same jacket.
 

Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Yep, blasting down the byways with Led Zeppelin II cranking out at full tilt, and taking deep hits on unfiltered Camels......we were the boys that fathers warned their daughters about. In spite of that, I ended up married to a schoolmarm.

Doesn't it always end that way? :D
 

Sloan1874

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,427
Location
Glasgow
NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL . . . NICKEL

Personally, I prefer nickel on ALL leather jackets. That said, I am particularly adamant about nickel on black leather. I have seen brass on black leather that looks interesting, and I appreciate the artistic qualities associated with the combo, but nickel remains an essential component of any black leather jacket that I purchase. Stated another way, brass is a deal breaker for me on a black leather jacket. I am open to antique brass on a brown leather jacket, but I prefer nickel even on brown leather.

Nickel on brown's an interesting combo - cold and warm. On reflection, I'd probably agree that on a black jacket, nickel's the best option.
The think the thing about antique brass, for me anyway, is that it foregrounds the leather on the jacket. But it depends on what effect you're looking for: with my Board Racer, I was trying to get a 'found in the back of the stockroom' NoS look, so I wanted an oxidised effect on the brass.
That said, and this is something that's just occurred to me, the original Crown zipper on my A-2 shines like a new penny, so maybe we should take a lesson from that...
 

Peter Mackin

One Too Many
Messages
1,113
Location
glasgow
With me I think it's an age thing..even on my motorcycle jackets I go with brass or antique brass...not wanting to look like the oldest swinger in town ,I also prefer the zips to reside behind leather facings .
 
Last edited:
Messages
16,855
Haven't said nothing about it so far 'cause I know most people might cringe even at the mere thought of it but what's truly my favorite thing in the world on a black leahter jacket is mixed hardware. Nickel main zip, brass pocket zips, nickel snaps, brass... um... belt buckle, etc., etc. Just something I really dig. Don't even know why...
 
Messages
17,512
Location
Chicago
Haven't said nothing about it so far 'cause I know most people might cringe even at the mere thought of it but what's truly my favorite thing in the world on a black leahter jacket is mixed hardware. Nickel main zip, brass pocket zips, nickel snaps, brass... um... belt buckle, etc., etc. Just something I really dig. Don't even know why...
Like this guy!
IMG_8467.jpg
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,084
Location
London, UK
That mix of brass zips with chrome stud fasteners was correct to a number of original jackets. If memory serves, one of the Buo D-pockets was like that at a time, while the Indian Ranger brand also had jackets like that. I like it, myself - I think I might well go that way with my J106 when comes the time, unless I decide to go shiny brass all over.

I've had a bunch of leathers with shiny brass, chrome, antique brass.... After almost 27 years since I got my first leatrher jacket, I like 'em all, though I much prefer chrome and shiny brass over antique brass on black leather. For a black jacket in a non-MC style, I like shiny brass the best.
 

lina

One Too Many
Messages
1,055
Location
Washington DC
So, for you Led Zep fans, if you have the chance to see them I highly recommend Lez Zeppelin, the all female Led Zep cover band. I took my daughter and a friend when they were 12 to see them, expecting it to be fun but not much else, and the truth is they killed. I mean, it's fun and all, but I was surprised at how good they were as musicians and how much of their own presence they have, beyond just imitating LZ. And they put on a big old rock show. We were right in front of the stage and my daughter and her friend were sort of stunned (in a good way).

lez%20zep_zpssdjefb42.jpg
 

bretron

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,519
Location
NW
Few things make a better combo than beat up black leather and well patina'd brass hardware. I won't even entertain a counter argument to this ;) That said, I am definitely partial to nickel on a black jacket. My black FQHH Dustbowl is fitted with nickel hardware and I wouldn't change a thing on it. Now if we were taking a Premier Highwayman in black Vicenza, I might argue to go brass.
 

lina

One Too Many
Messages
1,055
Location
Washington DC
Few things make a better combo than beat up black leather and well patina'd brass hardware. I won't even entertain a counter argument to this ;) That said, I am definitely partial to nickel on a black jacket. My black FQHH Dustbowl is fitted with nickel hardware and I wouldn't change a thing on it. Now if we were taking a Premier Highwayman in black Vicenza, I might argue to go brass.
Have you posted pics of the Dustbowl..?
 

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