Aero Roughout Jerky Horsehide Type III, Size 42: "The Roughneck Brawler"

[Mich486]

Handwarmers can be incorporated into the vertical slanted seams that go down from the chest pockets and you wouldn’t know they are there unless somebody told you.

As to the short and boxy look of the Type III, yes the Levi’s 557xx from the early 60s is short and boxy (less so than the type II) but the late 60s 70505 it’s already slimmed down and much tighter fitting, not a boxy jacket.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Type III should be short and boxy (like Marc has been saying forever). Some denim makers have been elongating and slimming down Type IIIs to accommodate handwarmer pockets. They look awful on every level. I had a couple of denim jackets like that (before I knew better), hated them, and had them shortened by the width of the hem band. Phew, much better...

I've been thinking of doing this to my Brave Star jacket; did the hem band overlap the bottom pocket edge? Is the difference in spacing from the bottom button and second button noticable? Pictures? Thanks

 

[Will Zach]

I've been thinking of doing this to my Brave Star jacket; did the hem band overlap the bottom pocket edge? Is the difference in spacing from the bottom button and second button noticable? Pictures? Thanks

1. No, but close. Maybe 1/4-inch clearance between the bottom pocket edge and the new hem band upper edge.
2. Yes, but it does not bother me as much as an elongated Type III. The new distance between the bottom button and the one above it is 1/2 of the distance between the rest of them.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

1. No, but close. Maybe 1/4-inch clearance between the bottom pocket edge and the new hem band upper edge.
2. Yes, but it does not bother me as much as an elongated Type III. The new distance between the bottom button and the one above it is 1/2 of the distance between the rest of them.

Thanks for the info; food for thought

 

[Will Zach]

Thanks for the info; food for thought

Really easy alteration, just shorten the jacket all around by the width of the hem band, at least in my case. The jacket was 2" too long overall.

 

[Johnny Deadlifts]

Really easy alteration, just shorten the jacket all around by the width of the hem band, at least in my case. The jacket was 2" too long overall.

I'm a bit limited as I only have an inch distance to go up before I hit the pocket edge, but it would still make a difference I think. I need the sleeves taken up an inch as well so I might do the hem since it's going to the "shop" already. Oh and it's a Type 2 jacket by the way. Not originally as boxy as the three, but I'd still like it shorty as I'm not interested in a " slimming" look. Sorry for hijacking thread

 

[Feliksas]

Gentlemen and ladies, for your consideration, I submit my final photos of my pre-break'in-treatment:

I am very, very pleased with the result; from far away, it looks like the jacket has a pebble-grain;

and up close, it's just lovely:

There's that pebble grain look again at the shoulders:

All in all, I used somewhere between 300 and 405g of product, and I would say that the jacket finally weighs "what I feel it should weigh like" after my treatment; a new but "dry" jacket always seems light to me.

A few other observations: the birch pitch smells strongly of smoke, so much so that people sitting next to me would exclaim "is something burning?!", and why I put it in the overhead compartment when flying back to Europe Leather-men here in Eastern Europe that use birch pitch often tell me it fades with time, but that there will always be a bit of that smokey smell. I'm all for it, as the autumn and the smell of woodsmoke are some of my favourite scents. It's slightly reminiscent of Huberd's Shoe Grease; indeed, I feel that my balm is kind of a home-made version of Huberd's, but less greasy. Finally - the birch pitch is a bit sticky, so the jacket will feel a bit tacky the first few days. [EDIT]And now just for comparison! See how far we've come since the Jacket was born at Aero:

If anyone dares to follow in my footsteps, DM me and I'll share the approximate ratios I used to make my proprietary balm.

Off to wear my jacket about town now

F

 

[Khilij]

Gentlemen and ladies, for your consideration, I submit my final photos of my pre-break'in-treatment:

I am very, very pleased with the result; from far away, it looks like the jacket has a pebble-grain;
View attachment 631704
and up close, it's just lovely:
View attachment 631705 View attachment 631706
There's that pebble grain look again at the shoulders:
View attachment 631707

All in all, I used somewhere between 300 and 405g of product, and I would say that the jacket finally weighs "what I feel it should weigh like" after my treatment; a new but "dry" jacket always seems light to me.

A few other observations: the birch pitch smells strongly of smoke, so much so that people sitting next to me would exclaim "is something burning?!", and why I put it in the overhead compartment when flying back to Europe Leather-men here in Eastern Europe that use birch pitch often tell me it fades with time, but that there will always be a bit of that smokey smell. I'm all for it, as the autumn and the smell of woodsmoke are some of my favourite scents. It's slightly reminiscent of Huberd's Shoe Grease; indeed, I feel that my balm is kind of a home-made version of Huberd's, but less greasy. Finally - the birch pitch is a bit sticky, so the jacket will feel a bit tacky the first few days. [EDIT]And now just for comparison! See how far we've come since the Jacket was born at Aero:

View attachment 631709

If anyone dares to follow in my footsteps, DM me and I'll share the approximate ratios I used to make my proprietary balm.

Off to wear my jacket about town now

F

Wow! Fantastic! The depth of color is marvelous.

 

[mumpy]

I don’t know man, I would just wear the jacket. It seems like too much distressing for no reason. The end result is not getting better with all this treatment.

 

[ton312]

I don’t know man, I would just wear the jacket. It seems like too much distressing for no reason. The end result is not getting better with all this treatment.

I agree. I liked the roughout better. Now it looks like oiled nubuck or something along those lines. Nothing wrong with it but I think the original jacket as first pictured on page one looked much better. I also think it’s a good thing Aero sticks to the no handwarmer policy. Absolutely ruins a type III.

 

[Feliksas]

I don’t know man, I would just wear the jacket. It seems like too much distressing for no reason. The end result is not getting better with all this treatment.

I hear you, and most probably do as you say - but for me, it's a pleasure and a process to break a new jacket in; I do the same thing when William Lennon sews me a pair of boots, and I guess I would probably trace it back to my time in the infantry. Maybe the advice has changed, but back then, it was to throw you boots in the tub over-night, and then wear them the next day until dry.

-F

 

[Will Zach]

I like what Feliksas has done because I absolutely, totally lack patience for natural hide to develop its patina through daily use. It would drive me nuts on my own jacket. So any accelerated distressing that is well done, whether by navetsea, Feliksas, or Thedi, is fine in my book. Of course it has to be well done, which in this case it is.

 

[NZJono]

Gentlemen and ladies, for your consideration, I submit my final photos of my pre-break'in-treatment:

I am very, very pleased with the result; from far away, it looks like the jacket has a pebble-grain;
View attachment 631704
and up close, it's just lovely:
View attachment 631705 View attachment 631706
There's that pebble grain look again at the shoulders:
View attachment 631707

All in all, I used somewhere between 300 and 405g of product, and I would say that the jacket finally weighs "what I feel it should weigh like" after my treatment; a new but "dry" jacket always seems light to me.

A few other observations: the birch pitch smells strongly of smoke, so much so that people sitting next to me would exclaim "is something burning?!", and why I put it in the overhead compartment when flying back to Europe Leather-men here in Eastern Europe that use birch pitch often tell me it fades with time, but that there will always be a bit of that smokey smell. I'm all for it, as the autumn and the smell of woodsmoke are some of my favourite scents. It's slightly reminiscent of Huberd's Shoe Grease; indeed, I feel that my balm is kind of a home-made version of Huberd's, but less greasy. Finally - the birch pitch is a bit sticky, so the jacket will feel a bit tacky the first few days. [EDIT]And now just for comparison! See how far we've come since the Jacket was born at Aero:

View attachment 631709

If anyone dares to follow in my footsteps, DM me and I'll share the approximate ratios I used to make my proprietary balm.

Off to wear my jacket about town now

F

Nice jacket. Does the balm improve the water resistance of the leather or is it purely for the look?. I enquired a while back about getting an unlined type 3 from Aero in goat chocolate suede which is a lovely leather.
It definitely would remain ‘unbalmed’ though!.

 

[mumpy]

I like what Feliksas has done because I absolutely, totally lack patience for natural hide to develop its patina through daily use. It would drive me nuts on my own jacket. So any accelerated distressing that is well done, whether by navetsea, Feliksas, or Thedi, is fine in my book. Of course it has to be well done, which in this case it is.

Yeah don’t get me wrong it looks good but personally I would stop after the initial wash + conditioning!

 

[Mickiemac]

Gentlemen and ladies, for your consideration, I submit my final photos of my pre-break'in-treatment:

I am very, very pleased with the result; from far away, it looks like the jacket has a pebble-grain;
View attachment 631704
and up close, it's just lovely:
View attachment 631705 View attachment 631706
There's that pebble grain look again at the shoulders:
View attachment 631707

All in all, I used somewhere between 300 and 405g of product, and I would say that the jacket finally weighs "what I feel it should weigh like" after my treatment; a new but "dry" jacket always seems light to me.

A few other observations: the birch pitch smells strongly of smoke, so much so that people sitting next to me would exclaim "is something burning?!", and why I put it in the overhead compartment when flying back to Europe Leather-men here in Eastern Europe that use birch pitch often tell me it fades with time, but that there will always be a bit of that smokey smell. I'm all for it, as the autumn and the smell of woodsmoke are some of my favourite scents. It's slightly reminiscent of Huberd's Shoe Grease; indeed, I feel that my balm is kind of a home-made version of Huberd's, but less greasy. Finally - the birch pitch is a bit sticky, so the jacket will feel a bit tacky the first few days. [EDIT]And now just for comparison! See how far we've come since the Jacket was born at Aero:

View attachment 631709

If anyone dares to follow in my footsteps, DM me and I'll share the approximate ratios I used to make my proprietary balm.

Off to wear my jacket about town now

F

The transition from New Born to Well Worn in such a short time is impressive. Not sure I have the patience or stamina to subject such a pricey jacket through the routines you did but I do like the results. I recall a natural horsehide jacket that you transformed into a work of art (image attached) that has been preceded by your latest work. The Aero Type III is iconic and the two I have will never achieve the patina or appeal that yours possess. Thanks for sharing your jacket journey on this forum.

 

[Feliksas]

Nice jacket. Does the balm improve the water resistance of the leather or is it purely for the look?. I enquired a while back about getting an unlined type 3 from Aero in goat chocolate suede which is a lovely leather.
It definitely would remain ‘unbalmed’ though!.

The balm significantly improves the water resistance--for now, water is beading even on the rough-out, similar to a treatment of Huberd's.

Funnily enough, while I love how the jacket looks because of my treatment, I wouldn't do it if it weren't primarily functional; I would be happy to commit to wearing it every day for a year to get it to break in "naturally" if the benefits were only aesthetic.

However, I can't stress enough how strongly the birch pitch smells; people in shops move away from me, and it's only getting a bit better now, some days later. For most people, I would recommend my neatsfoot oil and beeswax formula over the formula with birch pitch; or, if I can get my hands on some pine pitch, perhaps the smell is more "familiar" to people and therefore less offensive.

On the other hand, birch pitch has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which is a plush for leather that you know is going to be frequently wet for long periods of time...

-F

 

[javajakamama]

nice results with your oil. you achieved a great depth of color.

 

[cbez]

I liked it a lot after your first soaking.

The new field leather roughout looks v interesting.

 

[Feliksas]

I liked it a lot after your first soaking.

The new field leather roughout looks v interesting.

I haven't heard about this - any links?

 

[99Tjadams]

The new field leather type II

https://www.reddit.com/r/leatherjacket/s/pg1Si7CTY7

I am trying to decide if Inshouod try to snag one or go with this aero instead. I love what you have done with it.

Does aero let you custom order the back length? Is it possible to get a size 42 with 25” length, or is it only the sleeve length that’s customizable?

The field leathers size 44 is pretty much my perfect measurements.