my first post, and my first aero...an older steerhide highwayman.

[Edward]

hello there,

i've been reading a lot of interesting posts about premium leather jackets here. a lot of you guys have helped me to decide to seek out an aero and boys... i'm glad of that. i just now pulled her out of the box (an ebay buy) and tried her on and finally i think i have found the perfect leather jacket. a lovely snug, but not encumbering fit!

i've had many leathers in my years, always vintage and usually ill fitting. my problem with vintage is that i am a size 44 or a 46. i'm 5' 10" and 210. so, the jackets from the 40s and 50s run pretty snug on me. my highwayman fits great and doesn't have that over-shouldered baggy modern look that i frankly abhor.

my highwayman is a 46 and appears to be at least 10 or 20 years old. she has a lot of miles on her in the best possible way and an older model label. i read in some of the posting here that the newer aero jackets run bigger? i already want another one and think a horsehide would be fun. so i guess the question would be...would a newer 44 fit me like my older 46 fits me?

thanks again!

Drop Amanda an email at Aero - amanda@aeroleather.com (from memory), she'll be able to confirm any details about fit. To the best of my knowledge, Aero's sizing has remained constant since they introduced the Highwayman in 83, but it never hurts to double check. I shied away from a Highwayman for a long time as I tend to prefer the more fitted designs, but I weakened and picked up one of the Apprentice Made jackets a few months ago, and I love it. Very different jacket than my Halfbelt or the Bootlegger, and definitely has a place in my wardrobe. Might be worth your while looking into the Apprentice Made jackets if you're considering another.... http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/products.php?cat=salerv (Scroll down). The quality of mine is as good as any of my other Aeros, at half price! It does mean you get the basic, standard pattern - with no inner pockets, though. Doesn't bother me (it's be convenient, but not twice the price convenient ), but worth considering. They tend more often than not to be the European Steer. Lighter than the FQHH (as thick, but softer). I love it - to my eye it is perfect for a boxier jacket like the HWM and the way it drapes. FWIW, it's also very close to (but much more durable than) original Lewis jackets etc from the fifties, at least any I have ever handled.

Did you pick yours up on eBay? Sounds a lot like one I saw on there recently.

 

[dude]

Dude, just as a helpful piece of background, on zippers:

The moving "shoe" of the zipper is called (in English) the slider. These are made in standard sizes numbered from 0 (a doll zipper) up to 10 (heavy leather jackets or luggage). I believe Aero often uses size 5 or 6 zippers. Often the size of the zipper is marked on the back of the slider.

The slider can be removed from the zipper track-- or reattached-- by prying off a sort of staple at the top of the zipper track called the slider stop. Then the slider simply slides down the teeth to the bottom of the zipper track, and a new stop is crimped in place. A good leather repairman should be able to reattach a slider while you wait.

well this is what happened. i went to my shoe repairman and he sent me to his buddy a general leather shop repair guy and for 5 euro he put on a new "slider" in about 3 minutes. i'm good to go.

next will be a cleaning. the inside is a plaid cotton. it doesn't have the dreaded mildew but does smell like basement storage if you know what i mean. i have to decide whether i should give it a nice shampoo in the bathtub and drip dry in the sun...or go the dry cleaning route. any suggestions?

to edward...yeah it was an ebay buy last week from a guy here in germany. very reasonable as the zipper issue and age and a few rips in the lining that i must soon address. it is not extremely heavy but has an undeniable denseness and reeks of quality. "good hide" as they say...