Concerning those hardcore jackets

[Metatron]

Hello once more! I was looking at the various posts concerning classics from aero, lost worlds, eastman etc, and I would like to ask a few of questions:

I like the idea of making one good jacket investment that will turn into a personal trademark over the years, and I presume that people would suggest aero to fill this slot.

Seeing as I have never handled one of those thick horsehide jackets that stand on their own, I would like some opinions on them.

Are they mostly for people who use them in adverse weather and for protection while riding a motorcycle, or do they actually make practical jackets for someone like me in an urban environment?
Do they break within a reasonably short amount of time?
Or am I better off going for something like goatskin or cattle leather? Do aero make custom versions of their jackets with softer leathers?

Small note on the LostWorlds website: I know the person behind those dramatic essays on manliness and American history is a controversial figure here, but the guy has style. After reading a couple of those jacket descriptions I was on the verge of buying one and jumping into a P-51 Mustang to save the world. Or something. However his website looks surprisingly amateurish considering the quality of his products and his writing. Shame.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Or am I better off going for something like goatskin or cattle leather? Do aero make custom versions of their jackets with softer leathers?

Aero offers a medium weight horsehide if you don't want to go with FQHH. I've got Aero jackets with each of the aforementioned and the medium weight is significantly softer than the FQHH. Depending on your preference I don't think you can go wrong with either one.

 

[Dav]

Are they mostly for people who use them in adverse weather and for protection while riding a motorcycle, or do they actually make practical jackets for someone like me in an urban environment?
Do they break within a reasonably short amount of time?
Or am I better off going for something like goatskin or cattle leather? Do aero make custom versions of their jackets with softer leathers?

Hi Metatron
Firstly I don't ride a bike so wear my FQHH Aero when urban/dog walking in all weather and find it absolutly fine for such purposes,others may disagree.
Secondly I've had my Aero now for five months and it is very soft an pliable like wearing melting chocolate, it didn't seen to take long for it to be soft enough to wear but the more you wear it the softer it becomes.
Lastly Aero has a lot of different hides as far as I know they will make any jacket in any hide apart from the longer styles ie the Cheyenne in goat as they can't get large enough hides anymore.

 

[Gancho]

Hello Metatron,

if you are going to order an individual jacket, than AERO is the first choise. AERO is willing and able to change details on each jacket as you want. If you try this with the freindly guy from LW, he will sit in a P-51 and bomb you to hell. His jackets are top notch, but ordering can be complicated.

The stiffness of horsehide is only question of time, but it take a while.AERO offers also a vintage horsehide, thick like the frontquarter, but softer. Amanda will send you examples if you ask for. The weight of the jacket will not change during the livetime of the jacket. For me that is the question: Do you like heavy jackets? If not, then definitely go for a midweight leather or goat.

Enjoy the choosing

Oliver

 

[Edward]

That seems fair to me - Aero are very accommodating as to fit. I certainly can't fault LW for quality, and they might work out cheaper if you're based in the US (work out a little expensive from over here, as compared to Aero). Less open to making alterations, though, especially if you are, ahem, 'unmanly' enough to want a lighter hide. lol Eastman I don't think do any custom at all beyond adding the odd inch to a jacket sleeve and so on, but then their business model is based so much more on military repros where authenticity to the original spec is the holy grail - not surprising they're less open to custom than Aero whose major output is on their civilian side. All of them produce a fantastic jacket, so it's really up to you which you want to go with. As to Aero's range of hides, I have jackets in their goat, FQHH and steerhide. All great hides. The FQHH is beautiful, though its well deserved reputation shouldn't be allowed to overshadow the quality of their others. You'll find if you do go for the FQHH that it breeaks in and becomes comfortable really quickly with regular wear. The biggest difference, imo, for a street jacket is in the wear pattern: FQHH will show a certain degree of 'antiquing' much faster than the others; goat will have that 'box fresh' look for years by comparison. My Bootlegger and Thirties halfbelt are FQHH, and I love them; my next Aero will be goat.

 

[Justhandguns]

Metatron, you may also want to consider other brands as well. It also depends on what kind of style you want and which country you are ordering from. If you are in Europe, Aero probably is the one which offers the biggest range, if you want the classic biker style jackets, you also have Lewis Leather which offers top notch classic biker leathers. If you are on the other side of the Alantic, you may also want to look at Vanson, Lost World and Langlitz.

Yes, a lot of quality leather jackets, be it horsehide, cowhide or steerhide, they often start their life on the stiff side. My Vanson Model B, for example, could stand on its own when I first unpacked it; the whole package actually weighed at 14lb. I wear it back to work (my job does not require formal dressings) from time to time, I don't see a problem with that. I think as long as it is not extremely "loud" with metal spikes and skull paintings on it, I don't see people will care. Custom makers like Aero (and Vanson now) do offer thinner leathers if you don't feel like having a heavy jacket. But I do think that the heavier hides actually will age and last a lot longer if you want to have your own "trademark" jacket.

 

[Metatron]

Thanks guys, you are really helpful. Does one get a price reduction with lighter hides?
Justhandandguns and Edward, i'm in the UK, so the European stuff is more accessible to me. I like classic/historic/aviation styles. So are there any other companies that fulfill a similar role to aero? I'd say i'm willing to spend up to around 500 gbp for a good jacket.

Of the aero offerings, I seem to be drawn to the HG-5 design cause I like the wind flap. Does anyone here own one of these? I'd love to see some photos of the fit.
I apologize for bombarding you with questions but hopefully these are things you enjoy talking about.

 

[apba1166]

Deerskin

One hide that's not talked about much--as opposed to horse, goat, cow--is deer. I have several deerskin coats, and they are so supple that sometimes I forget that they are rugged and tough, can take the elements and don't scratch or tear on branches and the like, as other supple hides might. Don't know if Aero would do one, but LW might, or perhaps some other maker. Then again, as far as European goes, nothing historic about deerskin in the way it might be for aficionados of Americana.

 

[TheSnark]

One hide that's not talked about much--as opposed to horse, goat, cow--is deer. I have several deerskin coats, and they are so supple that sometimes I forget that they are rugged and tough, can take the elements and don't scratch or tear on branches and the like, as other supple hides might. Don't know if Aero would do one, but LW might, or perhaps some other maker. Then again, as far as European goes, nothing historic about deerskin in the way it might be for aficionados of Americana.

Yep, I have a couple deerskin jackets for summer use (supple, lightweight, and light color to beat the heat), and it's great stuff. I recently asked Stu at LW about the possibility of a deerskin jacket, and unfortunately, they do not currently have a source... nor do they expect to get one. Apparently demand just isn't enough to warrant ordering a batch large enough to be economically feasible, so LW won't be making any deerskin jackets in the near future. Aero does offer a "not-deerskin deerskin" jacket (whatever that is... Calf? Goat? Llama? Unicorn?), so I suppose you mignt contact them and ask....

 

[Peacoat]

.

Are they mostly for people who use them in adverse weather and for protection while riding a motorcycle, or do they actually make practical jackets for someone like me in an urban environment?
Do they break within a reasonably short amount of time?
Or am I better off going for something like goatskin or cattle leather? Do aero make custom versions of their jackets with softer leathers?

Don't count on Aero's cowhide to be much, if any, easier to break in than the FQHH. It is a thick heavy duty hide that will take some work to tame it.

 

[Peacoat]

Aero does offer a "not-deerskin deerskin" jacket (whatever that is... Calf? Goat? Llama? Unicorn?), so I suppose you mignt contact them and ask....

It's not Unicorn as they have been extinct in Europe since around the turn of the century--last century--and have never been present in this country (USA).

 

[jon z]

LOL - How can a mythological creature be extinct as it never existed in the first place to become extinct???

 

[Metatron]

Come on Jon, aren't you English? You're supposed to be all over the absurd humour!

So does anyone own an Hg-5 per chance?

 

[Aether]

Hi Metatron, try this link http://blackandtannedny.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/label-spotlight-aero-leather-clothing/ it's got a few pictures of a guy wearing an HG5.

I'm waiting for my third (and definitely not last) jacket from Aero, and I'd highly recommend them. Great jackets, nice people and a UK company too.

 

[Graemsay]

Aero's FQHH does soften up significantly over time, but it needs a fair amount of breaking in. They do offer lighter hides, and I think that their oil pull looks great, particularly after some wear.

That said, it's not really that stiff, and you get used to it fairly quickly.

Aero will modify their jackets, so you could get a windflap added to any of the styles on their web page. The Route 66 is shown with one behind the zip, for example.

Lastly, Goodwear are doing some very nice civilian jackets these days. That's another option, and John is open to customising the non-reproductions.

 

[Traut]

I found a unique Aero Buffalo hide Bootlegger. Heavy but more supple than my other Aeros. See if Amanda has a sample of it. My jacket was reportedly a "one off" a few year back.

 

[TheSnark]

So does anyone own an Hg-5 per chance?

Actually, I do own an HG-5 (in brown), and I love it. I had some photos once, but I seem to have deleted them. I can take some more shots and post them this weekend, if you like. Or possibly tomorrow evening... not enough daylight left today, and photos with built-in flash just isn't fair to good leather... natural light is always preferable.

The wind flap looks nice, but not especially effective as wind protection while riding; an internal storm-flap design is much more effective, but invisible when the jacket is zipped. And I really should have ordered an internal pocket... internal pockets are not standard on the HG-5. The HG-5 is clearly a modified Highwayman, so the cut and fit is very similar.

My only real complaint about the jacket is that it took Aero more than 13 months (yeah, > thirteen months) after the order date to deliver the jacket (after an initial estimate of 12-16 weeks). In the meantime, all my requests for a REAL delivery date were either brushed off ("it should be soon") or ignored completely. During the same period, other members here reported getting their jackets within 12 - 14 weeks... and the others had requested far more extensive customization. That's the thing about Aero... I like their product, but God help you if they randomly select your order for neglect.

Peacoat - You mean my original WW2 unicorn-hide A-2 isn't real? Dang! Oh well, I'm sure Eddie Rickenbacker didn't know that; the guy who sold it to me assures me Rickenbacker was the original owner, and it even has his signature on the inside liner, just above the map. At least the jacket and the signature are authentic, even if it isn't real unicorn, right? Right?

 

[Peacoat]

Peacoat - You mean my original WW2 unicorn-hide A-2 isn't real? Dang! Oh well, I'm sure Eddie Rickenbacker didn't know that; the guy who sold it to me assures me Rickenbacker was the original owner, and it even has his signature on the inside liner, just above the map. At least the jacket and the signature are authentic, even if it isn't real unicorn, right? Right?

Don't despair quite yet. I have heard from European sources, mostly Eastern European, that a few of the creatures were kept in captivity and bred for their hides and their horns even after the turn of the century. There were, of course, none left in the wild, only on the breeding farms. This isn't widely known outside of Eastern Europe. There was so much upheaval there during the war, that the story of the domesticated Unicorn before WWI has mostly passed from European memory.

The last time I talked with Captain Rickenbacker--you know, pilot to pilot talk--he told me about this exceedingly rare flight jacket he had back during WWI. He said there were only 5 of them in existence and he got it while in Romania before the war. He was on a trip to Switzerland to visit the birthplace of his parents, and made a side trip to Romania.

The devastation of WWI eliminated the Unicorn breeding stock in Romania and Hungary, and obviously, put an end to the manufacture of this most desirable hide for vintage flight jackets. The one you have is quite valuable. Its value is not only in the type of hide it is made from, but also, and perhaps just as important, it is signed by one who was awarded those little white stars on a blue background.

Don't ever sell it, but if you think you might want to, please let me know.

 

[HighandDry]

My only real complaint about the jacket is that it took Aero more than 13 months (yeah, > thirteen months) after the order date to deliver the jacket (after an initial estimate of 12-16 weeks). In the meantime, all my requests for a REAL delivery date were either brushed off ("it should be soon") or ignored completely. During the same period, other members here reported getting their jackets within 12 - 14 weeks... and the others had requested far more extensive customization. That's the thing about Aero... I like their product, but God help you if they randomly select your order for neglect.

Somehow, you must have made Amanda mad!

 

[1087]

To TheSnark;
Sir... you own too many jackets!
I would really love to see your collection.