Aero Connolly Leather vs FQHH

[KHainez]

Hi all,

First time poster here. I finally decided to join the community after a number of years lurking in the shadows. Anyway I wanted to post about something which really took me by surprise. Over the years I’ve had a number of Aero FQHH jackets and really have been an advocate for that Horween leather. Recently I was fortunate enough to acquire one of Aero’s connolly highwayman’s made in 1984, all I can say is the jacket has completely blown me away it truly is something special. Don’t get me wrong I still love the FQHH but it’s such a shame that the connolly isn’t available anymore in my opinion it’s the finest leather I’ve ever seen. Does anyone feel the same way or had experience with the Connolly Leather over a long period of time?

 

[Dav]

Got any pics?

 

[KHainez]

Got any pics?

Dav pics below

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[Dav]

Cool, thanks, looks beautiful.

 

[Edward]

Connolly steerhide was also used for upholstering the seats in Rolls Royces. If memory serves, Aero used it for the first few years until it became prohibitively expensive; in any case, the company is now long out of business. A thick, grainy steerhide. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere it was "rose-tanned", but I'm not entirely clear what that meant. Usinig roseplants instead of whatever is normally used to veg tan?

 

[KHainez]

Dav, a few pics as requested

Connolly steerhide was also used for upholstering the seats in Rolls Royces. If memory serves, Aero used it for the first few years until it became prohibitively expensive; in any case, the company is now long out of business. A thick, grainy steerhide. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere it was "rose-tanned", but I'm not entirely clear what that meant. Usinig roseplants instead of whatever is normally used to veg tan?

Connolly steerhide was also used for upholstering the seats in Rolls Royces. If memory serves, Aero used it for the first few years until it became prohibitively expensive; in any case, the company is now long out of business. A thick, grainy steerhide. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere it was "rose-tanned", but I'm not entirely clear what that meant. Usinig roseplants instead of whatever is normally used to veg tan?

Edward you’re correct I believe the connolly hides were rose tanned as you can still smell the rose on jacket. I think they substitute vegetable oil with rose oil in the tanning process but due to the rarity of which rose is used to extract the oil it becomes much more expensive as a tanning method. Where CXL FQHH feels like armour and develops beautiful hues. The connolly hide gives off so much grain and drape that the comfort level feels spot on

 

[Edward]

That jacket cetainly looks stunning. (I think I saw it on Ebay a few weeks ago?) The lovely thing about it is that it has aged well and looks well broken in, without losing all the colour. That's perfect to me.

 

[KHainez]

That jacket cetainly looks stunning. (I think I saw it on Ebay a few weeks ago?) The lovely thing about it is that it has aged well and looks well broken in, without losing all the colour. That's perfect to me.

Yeah purchased it last week from the bay.. the seller was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I think my main worry was the fit, because I had heard that the very early Aero highwayman jackets had a different style of fit in comparison to the newer models. As we know fit is everything, but I think I was very fortunate as it fits like it was made for me... Very chuffed


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[rocketeer]

I have one too, really nice thick hide. I have had it quite a while but remember I got it from the 'Bay. Described as an Aero Highwayman with a question mark in the title I guess many potential buyers were put off it may be a fake. Anyway £43 later and it was mine. A really old un with that scroll & globe label and still fits(42-44). Zipper tab was missing replaced with a pre war French coin but thats it. Oh yes it's sheep lined
Still fits but not worn much, I just use it for roughing out the garage or to see how fat I have got lately
here's some pics

 

[KHainez]

I have one too, really nice thick hide. I have had it quite a while but remember I got it from the 'Bay. Described as an Aero Highwayman with a question mark in the title I guess many potential buyers were put off it may be a fake. Anyway £43 later and it was mine. A really old un with that scroll & globe label and still fits(42-44). Zipper tab was missing replaced with a pre war French coin but thats it. Oh yes it's sheep lined
Still fits but not worn much, I just use it for roughing out the garage or to see how fat I have got lately
here's some pics

Rockateer that’s a beauty right there!! And for that price a no brainer. The hand on these older Aero’s are so different. Do you prefer the connolly or FQHH?


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[Big J]

@Edward, yes, Connolly leather was used in vintage RR's and Supermarine Spitfire seat cushions, and since Spitfires also used RR engines I was motivated to buy an old Shadow that now sits in my garage waiting for me to throw money at it because it is literally the closest I thought I could ever get to owning a Spitfire (well, that and the whole sense of the sheer class of the thing- it feels like a Jeeves and Wooster novel).

 

[Monitor]

Hi all,

First time poster here. I finally decided to join the community after a number of years lurking in the shadows. Anyway I wanted to post about something which really took me by surprise. Over the years I’ve had a number of Aero FQHH jackets and really have been an advocate for that Horween leather. Recently I was fortunate enough to acquire one of Aero’s connolly highwayman’s made in 1984, all I can say is the jacket has completely blown me away it truly is something special. Don’t get me wrong I still love the FQHH but it’s such a shame that the connolly isn’t available anymore in my opinion it’s the finest leather I’ve ever seen. Does anyone feel the same way or had experience with the Connolly Leather over a long period of time?

Agreed. I've had only one jacket made from this hide and it was all what you say. It's the kinda hide that's... Like I said earlier, exactly how I'd always imagined a leather should be like. I love CXL as well but yeah, there's something just right about Connolly. On and off, I've been looking for a HWM made out of it but these earlier ones always got sleeves that are too short for me. I kinda consider it to be the Aero HWM. Like the J-24 or something. You know, the original.

@rocketeer, man, that's a perfection! And it's gotta be warm! Man, why did I miss that one, would've made it a perfect winter jacket!!! If you ever decide the jacket shrunk too much, let me know!

 

[KHainez]

Agreed. I've had only one jacket made from this hide and it was all what you say. It's the kinda hide that's... Like I said earlier, exactly how I'd always imagined a leather should be like. I love CXL as well but yeah, there's something just right about Connolly. On and off, I've been looking for a HWM made out of it but these earlier ones always got sleeves that are too short for me. I kinda consider it to be the Aero HWM. Like the J-24 or something. You know, the original.

@rocketeer, man, that's a perfection! And it's gotta be warm! Man, why did I miss that one, would've made it a perfect winter jacket!!! If you ever decide the jacket shrunk too much, let me know!

Monitor I feel for you I’ve been searching for many many years for that holy grail jacket that fits perfectly.. and it can be frustrating because even though I love all my jackets and wouldn’t part with them each one has very tiny fit discrepancies that no one apart from myself would notice. I think it’s part of the journey and the addiction. I just got lucky because I have no discrepancies with at all with this highwayman, thing is all I want to wear now is this jacket. I contacted Ken over at Aero and he said it’s definitely a Well St, Moffat factory jacket and then said he probably made it himself


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[handymike]

Beautiful stuff!
If it ever dries out or starts to crack, use Connelly Hide Food. It actually repairs cracks (or so my parents claim). Did so in an old Jaguar of thiers.

 

[ButteMT61]

When I went to Aero in 2011, Will's son showed me his jacket that looked of similar hide and vintage. I was in love with that jacket, and these here are equally beautiful! Jealous but nice to see some great older jackets!

 

[KHainez]

Beautiful stuff!
If it ever dries out or starts to crack, use Connelly Hide Food. It actually repairs cracks (or so my parents claim). Did so in an old Jaguar of thiers.

Thanks handymike good to know. Apparently it becomes very clear when Connolly Leather needs conditioning. I don’t think this jacket will need anything for a long time. The collar I’m guessing would be the first area that would need attention


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[KHainez]

When I went to Aero in 2011, Will's son showed me his jacket that looked of similar hide and vintage. I was in love with that jacket, and these here are equally beautiful! Jealous but nice to see some great older jackets!

Thanks Butte I still need to make the trip up there it’s well over due. Will have to incorporate it into the family holiday. I can imagine the smell alone to be intoxicating


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[tmitchell59]

I owned this Highwayman. I bought with no knowledge of the Connolly Steerhide. It was very nice and smelled of Roses. I've made that comment before and no one mentioned the use of Roses in the tanning. That is interesting.

I sold mine here and it was not an easy sell! I should I had kept it for no more than it sold for. I wish I could bottle that aroma. It was intoxicating.

The Lee Trevor below has the same scent.

 

[jacketjunkie]

Geez, that Lee Trevor literally is the reason I have a Lee Trevor search list on the bay.. too cool.

 

[rocketeer]

@Edward, yes, Connolly leather was used in vintage RR's and Supermarine Spitfire seat cushions, and since Spitfires also used RR engines I was motivated to buy an old Shadow that now sits in my garage waiting for me to throw money at it because it is literally the closest I thought I could ever get to owning a Spitfire (well, that and the whole sense of the sheer class of the thing- it feels like a Jeeves and Wooster novel).

So you are driving along in your Japanese Euro mobile listening to nothing serious on the radio. You casually look in your mirror to keep a tab on things then all of a sudden a tall vertical grill centres on the said rear view mirror, what is it? A massive Silver Cloud that just oozes oppulance, luxury and says you have money. Nothing says it like a Rolls Royce(never called them 'Rollers' that is a 70s pop group from Scotland) Range Rovers? No, my favourite Cadillacs? No, only the Mercedes 600 Grosser comes anywhere near and that was also built in the 60s