Aero FQHH Motorcycle Jacket vs. Schott 618HH

[Monitor]

Good afternoon,

It's time for these two to finally battle it out - which one is the ultimate The Wild One / Brando jacket?

Nah, just kidding, this isn't a showdown nor anything of a sort, just what I hope to be a useful side-by-side comparison for those who are, like me, looking into getting that coolest, timeless and most iconic MC jacket and cannot decide between the two most famous manufacturers that are currently offering this particular style. I know I certainly would've found a great use of a comparison like this, had it existed before I spent this much money on all those jackets. Or maybe it would have made my choice even harder? Who knows. Who cares. Again, the purpose of this thread is not to ignite an argument about which jacket is better, I only tried to do as thorough job as I could with the photographs so to hopefully provide anyone with some decent insight into these jackets. All photos have been taken in a natural sun light, they're as high res as my cheap camera allows, aaand... that's that, I guess.




Link to gallery: http://s866.photobucket.com/user/DogLizard/library/MC?sort=2&page=1&postlogin=true

Staring with Schott, then Aero and little comparing at the end. Don't forget to click the magnifying glass icon. The images are quite large!

Aero my be older than Schott but it's certainly not as old as it looks - the jacket that I have is made from Aero's vintage FQHH so it does seem to have a lot more developed character to it, but looking at the pictures of an old Schott horsehides, I'm not in the least bit worried that my 618 will fail to follow in this regard. Other than that, as you can see from the photos, to claim that either of the jackets has thicker leather, better stitching, superior this-and-that than the other would be completely unfair. My personal opinion is that Aero has much better lining but other than that, I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either one. I really love them both and am always having trouble deciding which one to put on when I'm going out.

 

[Worf]

After looking through the gallery I REALLY prefer the Aero's choice in belt buckle, snaps and zips. The antique brass seems to work better for me I suppose. Not my style of jacket though.

Worf

 

[Monitor]

I agree, I prefer antique brass hardware too and I wish Schott offered it on their classic styles. But then again, I somewhat prefer Schott's larger belt buckle, though. You can squeeze Aero's out of the belt loop...

 

[Smithy]

Both look wonderful but I'm with Worf, it's the Aero for me if I had to choose. Just seems to have more character and that leather is just going to develop more and more patina.

 

[Seb Lucas]

This design is not for me at all but I think I prefer the Schott leather and confident pattern as it's the epitome of how these jackets have generally looked like when I've seen them around, while the Aero hardware seems nicer. The leather and cut of the Aero just seems a little off to me. These were worn by so many people in this town back in the 1980's, only to be replaced by the baggy A2 knock off.

 

[Bunyip]

Schott should offer brass fittings. I've got a couple of. Perfectos that I wish had the brass, I also think for a classic perfecto, they could offer a better lining. I'm a Schott fan, and I would be interested in feeling. The weight of both. Of these jackets....I've heard varying reports of the quality of hh Schott uses...both lovely jackets, I like that with Schott you can get a snap on mouton collar. I think that's a great touch...

 

[Monitor]

Seb Lucas, I know what you mean. Aero's MC jacket is a tremendous piece but there's just something about Schott and this style - it's kinda hard to explain but you put it on and you're wearing that jacket. Not only does it fit and look good, but it just feels right. Same feeling I have with Aero's HWM, it's like this is what a leather jacket should be like. Though maybe that's just me? But yeah, despite what people may say, Schott really knows what they're doing.

Bunyip, well, there is always Schott PER2 which supposedly comes in both cow and horse, but from all the pictures that I've seen of it, it doesn't seem to be very motorcycle friendly. More like a fashion piece, slim cut and all. Agreed about the lining.

I too have heard all kinds of things regarding Schott hh but I don't know... The leather that my jacket is made of is just as thick as any Aero hh that I have or have handled, and so far it had been dealing with rain and bugs equally well so I honestly don't see what could be so bad about it - other than the shine which might put some people off but that's supposed to wear off anyway. Right now I really just can't imagine one jacket falling apart before the other. And there's definitely no felt being fused anywhere inside the jacket so it's good to know they've stopped doing that.

Worth noting is that for some reason, Aero is considerably heavier than the Schott but I'm guessing that the additional weight could come mostly from that super heavy cotton the jacket is lined with. Plus mine has got an additional tartan lining which probably adds even more weight. Truth be told, Aero's hh does appear to have more weight to it than Schott hh, but the hides are obviously tanned differently so...
I really dislike Schott's shitty nylong lining, though. It's got sleeves lined with a nice cotton at least which I wish they'd just used for the rest of the jacket... And yeah, mouton collar is a big plus! I'm having one made (wanted a real fur instead of synthetic).

 

[ChubbMuff]

What a fantastic thread - thanks for taking the time to take the photos and show the difference between the two makers and their patterns, leather and style. Really appreciate it.

 

[Monitor]

Sure thing, mate! I'm happy that you find it useful.

 

[regius]

Monitor, you are absolutely right about the "that jacket". Schott, after all, was the godfather of this Brando style jacket, maybe they weren't the first to invent this design, but they definitely were the very original Brando jacket and all such designs after that. What makes the "Real" Brando jacket tick is the action back design, the vertical action back vs. the curved "pseudo" action back as seen on the Aero. Lots and lots of imitation Brando jackets use the curved action back, which is not as functional and cool looking as the vertical action back. The vertical action back is harder to make than the curved, or other types of action back such as the King of the Road or Buco style, that goes all the way to the kidney panel.

For Aero, I would go for the Daytona or the King of the Road, for a non-D pocket, Brando jacket, I would go for Schott.

 

[Edward]

Picked up this thread today as I've just taken delivery of my own Perfecto 618, acquired used, on eBay. Excellent condition. I took a risk on the sizing, but that has paid off: the size down would definitely be too small. If you're looking at these, follow Schott's instructions to go up a size. I was concerned that might lead to a baggy, "modern fit" look, but absolutely not. I also have the Aero version of this. Both my jackets are steer, so again I'm comparing like with like. The hide on the Aero is that little bit nicer, but not a massive difference. The hardware on both is nice. The Schott has a more modern, chunkier zip, in reality the sort of thing that seems to have appeared later on (based on jackets which I have personally handled, I'd guess very early seventies is when that started). The lining on the Aero is better in my opinion - heavy, black cotton drill. The quilted nylon in the Schott is certainly well executed - just a matter of personal preference. It doesn't put me off the jacket, though. One flaw in the Schott is that the lining in the left sleeve can push out with the hand, beyond the end of the jacket sleeve, which is a minor irritant.

Overall, my personal opinion is that the Aero is the superior jacket, and worth the GBP150 price diference when buying either one new in the UK. However... it will be the Schott that stays with me. While over the shoulders and chest both the 42 Aero and the 46 Perfecto are around the same fit, the Aero nips in very suddenly on the waist (it's actually slightly neater at the waist than a size 42 Thirties Halfbelt!), making it just tighter than is comfortable for me - even with projected weightloss in the next few months. I did give firm consideration to buying a new Aero, but ultimately decided that in a world of limited funds that I'd rather save that money towards a different Aero model that will be worn much more often, and pick up a cheaper Perfecto style jacket as I feel compelled to own one of these, even though it is, for me now, less versatile than a halfbelt or Highwayman. Then this Schott came along at a very good used deal, and that was that...

Both fine jackets, all in, the Aero is just a cut above, as its higher price bracket suggests. I'm going to compare the Schott against my Johnson tonight; not quite the same jacket, as the Johnson is a D pocket and cut a couple of inches longer in the body to boot, but comparing quality will be interesting.

 

[Worf]

^^^^^ Thanks Edward that was VERY well done...

Worf

 

[regius]

Just want to follow up on this thread to see what kind of PATINA the Schott HH has developed. I have had a HH Legedary Black Horse from the late 90s for a good five years, it never developed the kind of crease or patina I was after, the whiteness just shows off at places where the finish rubs off.

 

[LouisBailie]

You might want to look at the Vanson offerings, I have just sold just sold 9 Schott jackets after their limited repair/alteration positions. If you want Horsehide get it from Lost Worlds or Horween and send it to them, they will make you the jacket of your wishes, do it once and right.

Their hardcore and dominator models are much heavier weight and sturdier then my old 118 and 689 jackets.

 

[winterland1]

Cool thread. Classic design. I have an older Wilson Leather Perfecto. The leather is not in this league but the jacket is still solid and looks good.

 

[Alex Neves]

Very good info!!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Monitor]

Very good info!!! Thanks for sharing!

lol sure, I'm happy you found it useful.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Excellent thread idea! I've been wearing Perfecto style jackets since college, and that feels a long time ago now. Tried on several Schotts, never owned one, and tried several Vanson's as well. Funny, but seems to me with the double breasted design, that a white dress shirt and tie go great with one of these jackets, and I've worn them this way at times too!

One thing about the Schott perfecto, and this may not apply to all of them. I believe several models come with a fixed "poly-fill" quilted lining. This would not work for me, I prefer at least zip or snap-out lining (vest or full sleeve) or none at all. I just get too warm, so find that seperate layers work better. I have also found that many newer Schotts are made in far-away places, so check the tags well. While I like the brass zippers of the Aero, I find thier zippers to be a bit light duty compared to the Schott or Vanson zippers. Whichever of these two you choose, you really can't go wrong.

 

[Edward]

If you like heavy zips, you'll always find those more available on a modern jacket that isn't trying to be a repro of a jacket spec from the 50s or Back When - as noted above, chunky zips are a much more modern feature. Vanson are great stuff; Over here in the UK, Vanson and Schott seem to be about the same price, which makes the Vanson the better buy for the money, imo, but that may well be different over in the US, where I think Schotts are significantly cheaper than their UK price.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Edward = thanks for the tip and info!