I Got Stuck in My Jacket

[Guppy]

This applies to the Talon zipper, not the Universal. They work great with all my Aeros. Only the one with the Talon ticks when closing.

That may be. Almost all of my Aero jackets have Talon zippers.

Somehow my vanson jackets that have had Talon hardware haven't had any problems, though. They're beefier and the teeth are more exposed, and I think that explains the difference more than the brand.

 

[4444Design]

This applies to the Talon zipper, not the Universal. They work great with all my Aeros. Only the one with the Talon ticks when closing.

Seems i need to check the brand of the zipp of my halfbelt ...

 

[zebedee]

This happened to me years ago with a LHB. I had to get it over my head and remove it like a sweater. It was a serious struggle, I tell ya. Part of the problem is that a lot of the leathers used are much heavier than Talon zippers of the size used were presumably designed for. I think my tan steer hide Cafe Racer talon will definitely pop its clogs soon - and there'll be no way I'll be able to get it off, eh?

Never with any others, though, and they all have Talons.

Ask for their Universal zippers.

 

[Jon Crow]

This happened to me years ago with a LHB. I had to get it over my head and remove it like a sweater. It was a serious struggle, I tell ya. Part of the problem is that a lot of the leathers used are much heavier than Talon zippers of the size used were presumably designed for. I think my tan steer hide Cafe Racer will definitely pop its clogs soon - and there'll be no way I'll be able to get it off, eh?

Never with any others, though, and they all have Talons.

Ask for their Universal zippers.

I can't remember the brand on my motorcycle boot I had to cut off, but the boots were vintage goldtops, well peeved off

 

[zebedee]

I can't remember the brand on my motorcycle boot I had to cut off, but the boots were vintage goldtops, well peeved off

I've been lucky in that I've only had one 'bad' zip. If I could afford the time, I'd get Riri or Universal put on all my jackets.

 

[RDS]

Not wishing to tempt fate I haven’t had a Talon zip completely fail on an Aero jacket. However, on two Highwaymans one lost a tooth and the other had the metal puller snap in half.
Both occurred at the same place, which was towards the bottom where the leather hem strip joins the jacket.
The resulting thickness of the seam puts undue strain on the zip and I now part the leather ‘tunnel’ with my fingers when fastening or unfastening the jacket to try and prevent any further problems.

 

[Jon Crow]

I've been lucky in that I've only had one 'bad' zip. If I could afford the time, I'd get Riri or Universal put on all my jackets.

I've had vintage jackets already fitted with German RiRi, smooth as silk

 

[Jon Crow]

I've been lucky in that I've only had one 'bad' zip. If I could afford the time, I'd get Riri or Universal put on all my jackets.

Incidentally if I remember the Germans had nylon/plastic RiRi zippers in ww2 on flight clothing

 

[Tom71]

My two complaints about Aero are their zippers are not heavy duty enough for their heavier leathers, and no revised Type III trucker with 80s handwarmer pockets for us nostalgic 80s kids.

But by far it's their refusal to do anything about the zippers that gets me. They just refuse to acknowledge that they are not sturdy enough to handle the heavy weight leathers. They might be fine for lighter stuff.

That, and they hide the zipper teeth so inside the leather piping that it's really difficult to get them started.

This!

Thankfully, the Universal-option they introduced seems a reliable enough way out of the dilemma.

As to the story: same here. Got trapped in a Primo HWM in the pouring rain; had to pass at my cobbler´s who forced me out of the jacket AND replaced the zipper with a no-name one that hasn´t failed since. That was after two replacements like-for-like by Aero themselves.

Aero is a great company, run by formiidable people, but the zipper-stubbornness really is beyond my understanding. When each and every repeat-customer shares the same experience, it´s a serious defect in the product to insist on zippers that are bound to fail in action.

 

[Togs]

Haven’t had any zipper failures yet; however, I do count a couple Talon/Hookless #5 jackets in my rotation. From all these reports, it’s just a matter of time before they go bust.

Travelling earlier this year within a winter climate, I was conscious to bring a jacket whose zipper was not at risk of failing - that would have been an inconvenience if not a matter of safety.

 

[Worf]

I've been trapped twice as well. Once or twice by my Pike Brothers B-10 which is overbuilt lining wise but with a VERY small zipper that likes to get caught in the fabric. And more than a few times I've been trapped in my Canada Goose full length Parka. These parka's have a double zip design so they can be zipped in both directions to allow for better freedom of movement. I had to pull the coat over my head and then get a pair of pliers. I must've looked like a Sand Worm with that black parka over my head and the arms flailing about, thank God it was in my living room! Eventually I was able to beat the coat into submission. Now I just take more care when seating both ziippers.

Worf

 

[LordOfLeather]

Does anyone know when Aero began offering Universal as an option? Last I knew they only had the talon zippers, but I haven't exactly kept up on such things. I've only bought Aero jackets pre-owned, so what's there is what I get.

For what it's worth, the zipper on my Vicenza Board Racer hasn't failed me yet in the last 5 years, and I know it had several years of use before I got it. The lighter weight leather (compared to CXL, etc.) must be a contributing factor. That being said, I still feel like I have to be very careful with it. I just want to shove the pin in and zip with reckless abandon, as I do with other jackets.

I've been very happy with the zipper Thurston Bros. put in my Cafe Racer. It's called My Zip. I've not heard of it before, but I have no complaints. It doesn't just do the job, it FEELS so smooth when zipping that it's very satisfying. I've experienced this with a few other zippers and the common theme seems to be the highly polished teeth. It may not look period appropriate, but I don't care about such things.

Here are some photos for interested parties.

 

[Harris HTM]

Does anyone know when Aero began offering Universal as an option? Last I knew they only had the talon zippers, but I haven't exactly kept up on such things. I've only bought Aero jackets pre-owned, so what's there is what I get.

For what it's worth, the zipper on my Vicenza Board Racer hasn't failed me yet in the last 5 years, and I know it had several years of use before I got it. The lighter weight leather (compared to CXL, etc.) must be a contributing factor. That being said, I still feel like I have to be very careful with it. I just want to shove the pin in and zip with reckless abandon, as I do with other jackets.

I've been very happy with the zipper Thurston Bros. put in my Cafe Racer. It's called My Zip. I've not heard of it before, but I have no complaints. It doesn't just do the job, it FEELS so smooth when zipping that it's very satisfying. I've experienced this with a few other zippers and the common theme seems to be the highly polished teeth. It may not look period appropriate, but I don't care about such things.

Here are some photos for interested parties.

View attachment 679092

View attachment 679093

I ordered my Highwayman in december 2022 and Universal was luckily an option. I currently own two Aero's with talon's, a 30's HB I bought back in 2015 and an almost brand new A2. Fingers crossed that it won't fail.