Aero? Simmons Bilt? Looking for my "Forever Leather Jacket"

[Madhouse27]

Don’t come here for your “forever jacket.”
Stay here and you’ll end up pushing in and out 20 jackets in 3 years. English, american, japanese… then vintage.
You’ll leave with a 70’s Bates cafe you scored off the bay for $125

There may be some good advice for ole Chilli mixed into this. . I’ve had a lot of fun buying and selling jackets on eBay and learning about different makers, styles and finding which ones look best on me and what makes me feel good when I put it on. Most have been vintage or slightly newer and probably under $200 or so. I’ve at least broken even with all the comings and goings although money wasn’t really the objective. Getting to see the jackets in person and feel the leather and get a sense of their history is just such an awesome experience.

To try out some different styles, you could could catch and release a bunch of different jackets virtually risk free and find the style that works for your taste and body shape. Once you do, then get a higher end version from a better maker in that style. I had a $60 Excelled “Perfecto style” jacket that I looked like a stallion in. Eventually I got an older Schott that looked even better. Sold that and got a Schott 618 horsehide and might make one more move up to a Schott 613sh. The point is, without the $65 Excelled I wouldn’t have found my jam as I’m not quite brave enough for $1000 experiments (yet).

Whichever way you go Chilli, good luck with your fitness goals and finding that forever jacket. Be careful you don’t end up with a closet full.

 

[Will Zach]

I started this adventure with a couple of HD white label Sportster CRs (they were cheap then) because I swore I'll never wear a cross-zip. Three years later the CRs are gone, and three cross-zips are hanging in the closet. Plus a couple of a 50's cop straight zips. Oh, and I also swore that I will never wear a jacket with a badge holder...lol.

 

[Madhouse27]

I started this adventure with a couple of HD white label Sportster CRs (they were cheap then) because I swore I'll never wear a cross-zip. Three years later the CRs are gone, and three cross-zips are hanging in the closet. Plus a couple of a 50's cop straight zips. Oh, and I also swore that I will never wear a jacket with a badge holder...lol.

A classic tale! After quite a CR parade I’m down to two….a Schott 141 that I want to turn into a 641hh and a pretty cool vintage USA one that I need to figure out the brand before I sell it. I’m digging the horsehide crosszips and desperately need one with a d-pocket.

 

[Albe64]

Don’t come here for your “forever jacket.”
Stay here and you’ll end up pushing in and out 20 jackets in 3 years. English, american, japanese… then vintage.
You’ll leave with a 70’s Bates cafe you scored off the bay for $125

This definitely makes sense....Imho the "forever jacket" doesn't exist, being more a myth than reality....In this moment my "forever jacket"'s closet has at least 3 jackets in and in winter time they grow until 5... Having said this, Aero, Thedi, Himel (if you are canadian David's is a must have) and a vintage USA one (your choice) are mandatory members of the "forever jacket" team...but not the only ones of course...

 

[TartuWolf]

Personally I feel a certain fascination/nostalgia when I think about cartoon characters and how their wardrobe/clothes were always the same and were part of their identity. Not to mention the simplicity and consistency. These ideas tie into the "forever jacket" idea for me.

I also wanted to kind of have one proper jacket and not go out buying and selling for years.
Now I'm starting to accept the idea of different fits for different layering possibilities. And the black vs brown thing.
1 t-shirt fit brown, 1 t-shirt fit black, 1 layering fit brown, 1 layering fit black.
Lucky (or not so lucky...) I don't ride, all my jackets are casual.

 

[Albe64]

Personally I feel a certain fascination/nostalgia when I think about cartoon characters and how their wardrobe/clothes were always the same and were part of their identity. Not to mention the simplicity and consistency. These ideas tie into the "forever jacket" idea for me.

I also wanted to kind of have one proper jacket and not go out buying and selling for years.
Now I'm starting to accept the idea of different fits for different layering possibilities. And the black vs brown thing.
1 t-shirt fit brown, 1 t-shirt fit black, 1 layering fit brown, 1 layering fit black.
Lucky (or not so lucky...) I don't ride, all my jackets are casual.

Well, if you do not ride you are reducing relevantly your leathers' need....half of my jackets are answering to a (supposed) riding need (season and kind of ride)...

 

[Madhouse27]

Well, if you do not ride you are reducing relevantly your leathers' need....half of my jackets are answering to a (supposed) riding need (season and kind of ride)...

Two things that I’ve yet to buy-a leather jacket solely for casual wear (all have been designed to ride in) and a brown one.

 

[zebedee]

Two things that I’ve yet to buy-a leather jacket solely for casual wear (all have been designed to ride in) and a brown one.

Get a brown one - for casual wear. That's how you sort that one out.

 

[nattevagten]

^ Aye, liking brown more and more myself. SB has some hides with great ageing potential, this one being Horween Lux (pic from eBay):

 

[zebedee]

Aero has the brown fqhh (really, really nice as it ages), which I think is their best leather. I also rate the seal goat and dark seal Vicenza highly, although they won't patina like the brown fqhh.

 

[zebedee]

Dark seal Vicenza is great, too, but it will take a long time to show any lighter undertones.

 

[Albe64]

Aero has the brown fqhh (really, really nice as it ages), which I think is their best leather. I also rate the seal goat and dark seal Vicenza highly, although they won't patina like the brown fqhh. View attachment 530438 View attachment 530439

Look at that! Beautiful!

 

[zebedee]

Look at that! Beautiful!

Yes, the brown fqhh is amazing. Lots of tones develop over time and it keeps improving. That one's my oldest Aero and only recently needed a zip replacement. It didn't take long to break in (unlike a tan steer hide café racer which is taking ages).

 

[Albe64]

Yes, the brown fqhh is amazing. Lots of tones develop over time and it keeps improving. That one's my oldest Aero and only recently needed a zip replacement. It didn't take long to break in (unlike a tan steer hide café racer which is taking ages).

Did you send it to Aero for the replacement?

 

[TartuWolf]

Curious about the replacement as well. Unless they do it for free I would not even contemplate sending back to Aero for another #5 zipper. Would definitely upgrade it to a #8 or #10 depending on the jacket size.

 

[nattevagten]

Upgrade? Nothing wrong with #5 zippers if they are made by Universal.

 

[TartuWolf]

In my opinion #5 is fine for midweight leather, but I'd much rather have at least #8 for CXFQHH or CXSH.

 

[Chilliwack]

Aero has the brown fqhh (really, really nice as it ages), which I think is their best leather. I also rate the seal goat and dark seal Vicenza highly, although they won't patina like the brown fqhh. View attachment 530438 View attachment 530439

I do like a good brown leather!

I don't ride either, so while I love the cross zip style, it might be less "poser" of me to wear something more akin to a bomber jacket, like what you have there. I do have this deerskin jacket I used to wear in college. Very vivid yellow, aged, lots of fringes, INTENSELY well worn and soft. Got lots of compliments. But I've gained too much weight to button it up.

No brand-identification of any sort. I looked everywhere. I think it might have been made locally by First Nations craftsmen.

But as I've said, I am shedding those pounds at a steady rate, so who knows. Maybe in another 20-30 pounds, I'll be able to wear it again! Since I last tried it on 30 pounds ago, now I can at least cross my arms comfortably!

 

[zebedee]

Did you send it to Aero for the replacement?

Yes, sent it back to Aero. Hardware replacements/changes do entail a cost, but I'd rather they do it (using the original holes and undetectable) than risk a botched job elsewhere. In the grand scheme of things, I'm ok with paying for a new zip. The jacket is over 10 years old and it has been through extremely varied weather types, scrapes, broken glass, used as a pillow, worn in rain for hours on end, etc. The leather never let me down; I don't expect zips to last 10 years, let alone more.

 

[zebedee]

Curious about the replacement as well. Unless they do it for free I would not even contemplate sending back to Aero for another #5 zipper. Would definitely upgrade it to a #8 or #10 depending on the jacket size.

I've never had any problems with the talon zip (thread tape aside); I have Universals on new Aeros now only because I felt like a change.