Hello KMM,
I live about 50K north of Toronto in a rural area outside of the GTA (we just got cable! We have a septic, have a well, etc) , so I get the mild temperatures that you state, but of course, being rural, it's colder than the city at nights.
And I get the enduring appeal of the ANJ-4. I still hanker for one, in spite of the sagely warnings from Sloan! On balance, the Aero ANJ-4 is the one to go for, I think.
But I think a lot of this depends on your lifestyle. I used to spend two hours a day walking all our dogs in the GTA, so I was outside a lot in Winter and ended up wearing my ELC RW B-3, C-3, B-6 and Irvin a lot, all rotating daily. I even got a nice, vintage USAF N3-B for the coldest days - but when it was cold enough for that, the dogs refused to go out and then dashed back in, so that one has hardly been off the coat hanger in the wardrobe!
But since I moved up here 2.5 years ago and now commute on the highway, I find myself wearing my Buzz Rickson B-15D almost exclusively - often with my C-3 - and I wear my Irvin and B-3 occasionally. I still love them immensely, but I think I could sell on the Irvin and just keep the RW B-3. I no longer need them both. I'd cook if I wore them in the car or on the GO train.
As much a fan of the Buzz jacket as I undoubtedly am (and I could extol it's virtues in a whole other way, but shan't here as it's not what you're after), I can't recommend the B-15D completely as it's nylon and it struggles (and fails) in the rain and sleet, so sheepskin works much better in a broader sense and leather will age better as the years go by. Treat it well and it's almost waterproof.
So I would recommend a B-6 or D-1 to you as they fare very well around -5C > +5C and can handle the transitional weather from snow > sleet, so it's more versatile in the milder temperatures, as you require.
And the Aero Longshoreman is another sheepskin-lined candidate that has a leather exterior has always appealed to me and perhaps you might like to have a look at...?
Hope that helps somewhat. Enjoy the hunt and don't rush it.
Cheers.
I live about 50K north of Toronto in a rural area outside of the GTA (we just got cable! We have a septic, have a well, etc) , so I get the mild temperatures that you state, but of course, being rural, it's colder than the city at nights.
And I get the enduring appeal of the ANJ-4. I still hanker for one, in spite of the sagely warnings from Sloan! On balance, the Aero ANJ-4 is the one to go for, I think.
But I think a lot of this depends on your lifestyle. I used to spend two hours a day walking all our dogs in the GTA, so I was outside a lot in Winter and ended up wearing my ELC RW B-3, C-3, B-6 and Irvin a lot, all rotating daily. I even got a nice, vintage USAF N3-B for the coldest days - but when it was cold enough for that, the dogs refused to go out and then dashed back in, so that one has hardly been off the coat hanger in the wardrobe!
But since I moved up here 2.5 years ago and now commute on the highway, I find myself wearing my Buzz Rickson B-15D almost exclusively - often with my C-3 - and I wear my Irvin and B-3 occasionally. I still love them immensely, but I think I could sell on the Irvin and just keep the RW B-3. I no longer need them both. I'd cook if I wore them in the car or on the GO train.
As much a fan of the Buzz jacket as I undoubtedly am (and I could extol it's virtues in a whole other way, but shan't here as it's not what you're after), I can't recommend the B-15D completely as it's nylon and it struggles (and fails) in the rain and sleet, so sheepskin works much better in a broader sense and leather will age better as the years go by. Treat it well and it's almost waterproof.
So I would recommend a B-6 or D-1 to you as they fare very well around -5C > +5C and can handle the transitional weather from snow > sleet, so it's more versatile in the milder temperatures, as you require.
And the Aero Longshoreman is another sheepskin-lined candidate that has a leather exterior has always appealed to me and perhaps you might like to have a look at...?
Hope that helps somewhat. Enjoy the hunt and don't rush it.
Cheers.
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