This or That? Gustin or Iron Heart

[AeroFan_07]

Nice work there!! Hope to see some really good photos & fit photos of this very soon. Enjoy it! I miss a good Cafe Racer...

 

[Entropic Thunder]

The waist zips on the standard iron heart version almost ruin the jacket. i love zippers placed at the waist but they use huge #10 zips which never break in and they cause the hem of the jacket to have a hideous bell shape and a flatness on either side of the hips that never goes away. The self edge version smartly deletes the hip zips, plus adds a flannel liner and hand warmer zips. Get the self edge version if you have a choice!

 

[Powerband]

The waist zips on the standard iron heart version almost ruin the jacket. i love zippers placed at the waist but they use huge #10 zips which never break in and they cause the hem of the jacket to have a hideous bell shape and a flatness on either side of the hips that never goes away. The self edge version smartly deletes the hip zips, plus adds a flannel liner and hand warmer zips. Get the self edge version if you have a choice!

Didn’t notice this. Glad I got the Self Edge collab version!


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[El Marro]

All the talk about this jacket planted a bee in my bonnet. I checked it out on self edge and thank God the size 44 is just a tiny bit to trim for me in the chest. This is the case with almost everything from Iron Heart and as soon as they increase their size range a little bit I’m in big trouble...
Can’t wait to see your jacket when you get it powerband!

 

[Powerband]

El Marro, that problem saved you a pretty penny!


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[Rosecitymike]

The waist zips on the standard iron heart version almost ruin the jacket. i love zippers placed at the waist but they use huge #10 zips which never break in and they cause the hem of the jacket to have a hideous bell shape and a flatness on either side of the hips that never goes away. The self edge version smartly deletes the hip zips, plus adds a flannel liner and hand warmer zips. Get the self edge version if you have a choice!

Interesting. I have the IH version and don’t get any bell from the side zips, and find that the drop from the chest makes for a nice trim profile. Maybe torso length plays a part. I also prefer the lack of handwarmers and the drill lining in the IH. In any case, it’s great that versions exist so folks can choose the option that suits their needs best, because it is a fantastic jacket! Looking forward to @Powerbands impressions!

 

[El Marro]

El Marro, that problem saved you a pretty penny!


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Don’t I know it! I just checked out the jacket on the iron heart site and their version would fit me...

 

[Powerband]

Don’t I know it! I just checked out the jacket on the iron heart site and their version would fit me...

Uh-oh. [emoji1]


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[Powerband]

Early morning in the kitchen, an explosion around the breakfast table as we’re trying to rush the daughter out the door to the Girl Scouts all-day event. Sorry for the grainy pictures—the light is low and the sun is barely up... I’m barely up.

Unzipped:

Zipped:

Although this chrome-tanned horsehide jacket was previously worn only half a dozen times, it came out of the box surprisingly pliable, soft, and relenting, yet it exudes presence and structure. The stitches are exact, clean as a surgical instrument.

I own (and have owned) horsehides made from the 50s on through the decades to the present, including front-quarter horsehide and Vicenza horsehide from Aero. I did not believe it until I laid steady hands and close gaze upon this Iron Heart Rider, made by FourSpeed Leathers of Japan, that this is one of the best—if not the single best—horsehide I have personally owned.

As I mentioned, this jacket has been worn previously about 6 times but is already soft; yet, with a thorough exploration, I cannot find any teacore showing through—so it is true about what the seller said: practically new. (For less than half the freaking price.) But that’s not what I’m celebrating. I’m delighted by the fact that this jacket is already breaking in to a soft hand, with developing grains that appear practically over night.

But, wait ‘til the teacore brown shows through like a swirling hologram appearing into a momentary world of jet black. This is most likely to become my favorite jacket of all time. A medium weight jacket whose wear can be extended along the year, into the less cold months.


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[handymike]

Well done! Congratulations!

 

[JMax]

Looks great, at at half price to boot— well done.

 

[El Marro]

Wow, congratulations Powerband!!!
Self Edge should take your grainy kitchen photos and put them up on their website because that jacket looks a million times better in real life. Fit looks perfect and I would have to agree with Monitor that they got everything right on this jacket.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Looks amazing Powerband!!! Great catch there and may you and this Iron Heart enjoy a long and great time together. Keep wearing and enjoying it there sir.

 

[Powerband]

Gentlemen, I appreciate ALL the answers, comments and compliments from the start to the most recent. Thank you.

This jacket is easy to wear and to take along; it is mobile on the torso and in the hand. I have a habit of carrying a jacket and a satchel almost everywhere, and this jacket is right for that.

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[ton312]

Wow! Spectacular jacket and fit!

 

[Bfd70]

Agree with @elmarro. Your pics make it look nicer than IH site. Glad it worked out.

 

[Edward]

It's largely academic for me as I wouldn't buy either, but of the two the IH looks like a vintage cut jacket, while the Gustin is a fairly uninspiring, modern cut. The Gustin looks far too modern for my tastes, and period aside, the length throws the proportions off and makes it unattractive to me.

Iron Heart jackets used to be made by Simmons Bilt - who do they outsource to these days?

At the risk of going over old ground, this one certainly doesn't look enough like the Aero pattern to be an SB. Last I heard they were using other companies as well, but still working with SB. The one in these photos has a nicer look to it than the early collaborations (first with Will when he was still MD at Aero, then with AL /SB when he moved); whoever made this one has clearly moved away from the comically over-sized zips of the earlier IH leathers.

 

[Powerband]

The one in these photos has a nicer look to it than the early collaborations (first with Will when he was still MD at Aero, then with AL /SB when he moved); whoever made this one has clearly moved away from the comically over-sized zips of the earlier IH leathers.

Good info—thank you. This IH/SE Rider is built by FourSpeed Leathers in Japan.



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[Monitor]

Early morning in the kitchen, an explosion around the breakfast table as we’re trying to rush the daughter out the door to the Girl Scouts all-day event. Sorry for the grainy pictures—the light is low and the sun is barely up... I’m barely up.

Unzipped:

Zipped:

Although this chrome-tanned horsehide jacket was previously worn only half a dozen times, it came out of the box surprisingly pliable, soft, and relenting, yet it exudes presence and structure. The stitches are exact, clean as a surgical instrument.

I own (and have owned) horsehides made from the 50s on through the decades to the present, including front-quarter horsehide and Vicenza horsehide from Aero. I did not believe it until I laid steady hands and close gaze upon this Iron Heart Rider, made by FourSpeed Leathers of Japan, that this is one of the best—if not the single best—horsehide I have personally owned.

As I mentioned, this jacket has been worn previously about 6 times but is already soft; yet, with a thorough exploration, I cannot find any teacore showing through—so it is true about what the seller said: practically new. (For less than half the freaking price.) But that’s not what I’m celebrating. I’m delighted by the fact that this jacket is already breaking in to a soft hand, with developing grains that appear practically over night.

But, wait ‘til the teacore brown shows through like a swirling hologram appearing into a momentary world of jet black. This is most likely to become my favorite jacket of all time. A medium weight jacket whose wear can be extended along the year, into the less cold months.


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I'm so glad you pulled the trigger on this jacket and I'm also glad I wasn't wrong about it, despite never actually seen it in person.

The jacket looks stellar and it fits you fantastically. Perfect CR. But man, after what you've just said about that HH... Now I'd really like to see one!!!

 

[Captain Sensible]

Leather looks amazing. Any signs of teacore showing? Would love to see the evolution on this one, can we count on you?

Gentlemen, I appreciate ALL the answers, comments and compliments from the start to the most recent. Thank you.

This jacket is easy to wear and to take along; it is mobile on the torso and in the hand. I have a habit of carrying a jacket and a satchel almost everywhere, and this jacket is right for that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk