That is a good looking jacket @KBlake !
Still haven't decided to what to do for my 40th birthday jacket but I've ordered samples from FS and will shortly be ordering samples from Aero. I did email SB but it has been 6 days and they haven't responded so far, so not hopeful. Plus if they can't respond to a simple email it makes me worry about their customer service. I once bought a jacket from BK, that I later sold, and the lack of customer service infuriated me to no end. Don't want to go through that again.
It looks like my choice will either be between a custom FS jacket or a non custom Aero jacket (since Aero doesn't do custom jobs at all, the most they will do is customize the length of the jacket).
I know this thread is full of people having bad experiences of FS jackets, but then you have some people who have good experiences like KBlake. And I guess I'm wondering whether, if I specify things EXACTLY, whether I will end up with something good for the price.
It will be interesting to compare the leather samples from Aero to that of FS. I know the Aero leather is better, but I'd be keen to see if I can tell the difference myself. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the problems people find with FS jackets are just because they are leather jacket experts. I am most definitely not an expert.
Why not just buy off the shelf from Aero? I could but... I don't know why but I'm wanting to make a specific kind of jacket that doesn't really exist.
A bit of background... I've always kinda wanted an A2. The jacket that I had BK make for me, that I then sold, was an A2 (a Dubow). But I've realized.... it has a certain coolness factor but it also has things about it that suck. Like the knits (don't like knits) and the fact that the waist pockets make it have an unflattering fit. I saw someone describe an A2 as fitting "presidential" and yeah, that kinda killed it for me. I don't want to look like Obama, Bush, Biden etc etc. No offense to them or anyone's politics!
So what I want is an A2 that isn't an A2. Which is a bit what the Indiana Jones jacket is, if you think about it, but it still has the waist pockets.
My idea:
Chest pockets from an M65
No knits
Side slash pockets/kidney pockets (like KBlake's jacket above)
Back like a Roadmaster(this specific jacket)
Epaulettes on shoulders (box stitching like the epaulettes of an A2 but maybe closing with a snap near the neck)
Collar something like that of a Roughwear but no collar snaps or throat latch
No wind flap
Three piece curved sleeves
Something like their brown pull up leather - thick and grainy.
So I'll make a decision once I've got the samples from FS and from Aero. If I decide to go with FS, I'll maybe ask this community's help in drafting the perfect request for FS so that it is detailed and exact without being 38 pages.
Still haven't decided to what to do for my 40th birthday jacket but I've ordered samples from FS and will shortly be ordering samples from Aero. I did email SB but it has been 6 days and they haven't responded so far, so not hopeful. Plus if they can't respond to a simple email it makes me worry about their customer service. I once bought a jacket from BK, that I later sold, and the lack of customer service infuriated me to no end. Don't want to go through that again.
It looks like my choice will either be between a custom FS jacket or a non custom Aero jacket (since Aero doesn't do custom jobs at all, the most they will do is customize the length of the jacket).
I know this thread is full of people having bad experiences of FS jackets, but then you have some people who have good experiences like KBlake. And I guess I'm wondering whether, if I specify things EXACTLY, whether I will end up with something good for the price.
It will be interesting to compare the leather samples from Aero to that of FS. I know the Aero leather is better, but I'd be keen to see if I can tell the difference myself. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the problems people find with FS jackets are just because they are leather jacket experts. I am most definitely not an expert.
Why not just buy off the shelf from Aero? I could but... I don't know why but I'm wanting to make a specific kind of jacket that doesn't really exist.
A bit of background... I've always kinda wanted an A2. The jacket that I had BK make for me, that I then sold, was an A2 (a Dubow). But I've realized.... it has a certain coolness factor but it also has things about it that suck. Like the knits (don't like knits) and the fact that the waist pockets make it have an unflattering fit. I saw someone describe an A2 as fitting "presidential" and yeah, that kinda killed it for me. I don't want to look like Obama, Bush, Biden etc etc. No offense to them or anyone's politics!
So what I want is an A2 that isn't an A2. Which is a bit what the Indiana Jones jacket is, if you think about it, but it still has the waist pockets.
My idea:
Chest pockets from an M65
No knits
Side slash pockets/kidney pockets (like KBlake's jacket above)
Back like a Roadmaster(this specific jacket)
Epaulettes on shoulders (box stitching like the epaulettes of an A2 but maybe closing with a snap near the neck)
Collar something like that of a Roughwear but no collar snaps or throat latch
No wind flap
Three piece curved sleeves
Something like their brown pull up leather - thick and grainy.
So I'll make a decision once I've got the samples from FS and from Aero. If I decide to go with FS, I'll maybe ask this community's help in drafting the perfect request for FS so that it is detailed and exact without being 38 pages.