BK aeronaut sizing?

[sunzisheng]

Anyone has experience with BK's sizing? I saw an aeronaut 38 for sale on eBay and I am very interested because it's made of the so-called victory HH (which is a mystery to me that why it costs so much). I wear 38 for Aero's mulligan perfectly and Himel as well. I wear a 40 coat from Freewheelers and Himel, too. However, the measurements from the seller are unexpectedly small, like my 36 MF campus jacket which is tooooooo tight on me. I am OK with a not roomy feeling for an A-1 jacket, but just afraid that it would be too small for me. Anyone has experience with this jacket? Does it have some design that make the measurement disproportional with its tagged size?

Measurement from the seller:
Length in front 20.5"
Shoulders 17.5"
Pit 2 pit 20.5"
Sleeves 25"
Length behind 24"

 

[tmitchell59]

I owned a 42 Himel Heron and a 42 BK Aeronaut. They both felt like their indicated sizes. If anything the Himel felt a bit smaller cut.

Here is a video with both of them

My experience with other BK jackets I own; they fit as marked.

 

[sunzisheng]

I owned a 42 Himel Heron and a 42 BK Aeronaut. They both felt like their indicated sizes. If anything the Himel felt a bit smaller cut.

Here is a video with both of them

My experience with other BK jackets I own; they fit as marked.

Thanks for the reply! I watched your video before really nice ones. I am just worried about the measurements provided by the seller, which are too away from a 38 jacket.

 

[handymike]

It's not far off of a 38 for the BK slim-fit Cossack, but the front measurement seems short...The collar in the listing photo isn't as wide as the Aeronaut which is a Himel Heron (basically). The Victory hide is pretty sweet, but oof the price is steep.

 

[sunzisheng]

It's not far off of a 38 for the BK slim-fit Cossack, but the front measurement seems short...The collar in the listing photo isn't as wide as the Aeronaut which is a Himel Heron (basically). The Victory hide is pretty sweet, but oof the price is steep.

Yeah the chest measurement doesn't seem to work with me.

 

[Jeremiah]

I have a Victory Hide A2. The current cost on website is too high, but the one on Ebay? worth it. The hide is unlike anything I have ever handled before. So soft and pliable and rich. Perhaps there is it's equal out there, but my guess is its chrome tanned. This is veg tanned. Its amazing stuff.

 

[handymike]

I agree that it's BK's best hide, but $1200 seems rich for a 2nd hand BK jacket.

 

[Jeremiah]

perhaps second hand I would agree. Mine was bought New for a little higher price. But, considering this hide is nearly extinct and what is left is close to $2000, I'd say this was a bargain.

 

[Superfluous]

 

[tmitchell59]

Dearly Departed BK, The Heron flew away soon after

 

[Mich486]

It's not far off of a 38 for the BK slim-fit Cossack, but the front measurement seems short...The collar in the listing photo isn't as wide as the Aeronaut which is a Himel Heron (basically). The Victory hide is pretty sweet, but oof the price is steep.

Isn’t the Aero Aeromarine basically the same jacket too? Do you know who was the first to make it? The differences between the three jackets are minimal to my eye.


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[Dr H]

The Heron (Himel Bros.) was the first to reinvigorate the interest in this simple design from the ‘20s, but go a little further back and you’ll find plenty of others (e.g. RL, LVC, etc.).
The Heron stimulated a slew of other versions (BK, Aero, GW to name but three).

 

[Mich486]

I just never heard saying the Aero or the GW versions were basically Himel Heron. I appreciate folks around here don’t like BK for a number of reasons but I think it often takes underserved bashing.


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[sunzisheng]

I agree that it's BK's best hide, but $1200 seems rich for a 2nd hand BK jacket.

The seller is selling it lower than $1200. A real bargain.. It's just the sizing that stopping me from getting it.

 

[sunzisheng]

Dearly Departed BK, The Heron flew away soon after

I have owned a few jackets using the Shinki horsehide. would love to see some jackets with distressed looking.

 

[Dr H]

I just never heard saying the Aero or the GW versions were basically Himel Heron. I appreciate folks around here don’t like BK for a number of reasons but I think it often takes underserved bashing.


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They are all very, very similar with minor stylistic differences (hide, lining, depth of collar, pocket shape/placement, etc.).

If you go back far enough, you’ll probably find that Monarch made an early one (I’m sure that Dave Sheeley would know).

I have no issues with BK quality (I owned one of their custom Type A-1 jackets). I’d happily have an Aeronaut in the right weight of hide.

 

[handymike]

Bk actually had a Heron in hand while developing the Aeronaut...
I believe they later sold it. AFAIK Goodwear doesn't do a shawl collared jacket based on the Heron style. John's sample was a loan from @tmitchell59.

 

[Dr H]

AFAIK Goodwear doesn't do a shawl collared jacket based on the Heron style. John's sample was a loan from @tmitchell59.

It looks pretty close to my eye...

 

[handymike]

We had a good discussion re: homage vs copy a year or so back...
John made a jacket based on a no longer made 30s jacket whereas BK made a version of a currently produced model (and named it closely to another competitor's jacket)...

 

[Dr H]

Then I missed your point - I was addressing who produces a casual buttoned windcheater jacket in the ‘20s format (and that Himel kicked off the trend again more recently) not who was copying whose jacket.