Horween USA and Aero Leather Joint Statement

[wild_balls]

Hi,

I have to agree with my fellow loungers about Aero being a company that are loyal and takes responsibility . Hope the company stays small and personal!

Cheers Joakim

 

[frussell]

I liked this thread a lot better before I found out I was one of the unlucky ones. Much more fun to read when you're not in limbo waiting to hear what will be done to remedy the situation, or how much it will cost. I suppose I understand Aero's wish to address the re-makes after their busy Christmas rush, but in essence I have been waiting since June of 2011 for the jacket I ordered, so it's hard to be patient. We only get about two months of winter weather around here each year, and it ends sometime around February, which is when my ill-fitting steerhide arrived. Like a real genius, I sold most of my other good coats during the original wait, thinking I'd be set for life. Time to start digging around in the garage. Frank

 

[Don Tomaso]

...
Also, please note the price difference between 4oz Steer and FQ Horse on our site is £10 not £100.

Duly noted.
Maybe, a next jacket will be steer. Or the nice kudu-jacket, 40ies halfbelt. But for now I'm still having a love-affair with my first jacket.

EDIT: I just checked it on the Aero webpage, the highwayman in European steer costs 520 GBP, in FQHH it is 620 GBP. In my post, I was not referring to "super-heavy steer".

 

[frussell]

Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I'd add a question to this one. Has anyone had any luck or good news about their return/exchange of jackets so far? I'm about 11 days or so since my last reply from Aero, haven't had any questions answered or emails returned since November 30, including a request for exact measurements they need from me to get a replacement made. Hopefully they are just slammed with normal steady holiday business, and too busy to reply. I wanted to see if any other U.S. customers that wanted an exchange for their steerhide jackets had received any good news, or any progress? Just wondering, not trying to slam Aero or stir the pot, so don't get upset, hardcore Aero supporters, please. I'm sure the situation will get resolved, just looking for some updates while I'm in radio silence. Thanks, Frank

 

[Seawolf]

Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I'd add a question to this one. Has anyone had any luck or good news about their return/exchange of jackets so far? I'm about 11 days or so since my last reply from Aero, haven't had any questions answered or emails returned since November 30, including a request for exact measurements they need from me to get a replacement made. Hopefully they are just slammed with normal steady holiday business, and too busy to reply. I wanted to see if any other U.S. customers that wanted an exchange for their steerhide jackets had received any good news, or any progress? Just wondering, not trying to slam Aero or stir the pot, so don't get upset, hardcore Aero supporters, please. I'm sure the situation will get resolved, just looking for some updates while I'm in radio silence. Thanks, Frank

I've been exchanging emails about my replacement jacket with Holly, although the response time hasn't been as quick as it once was with Amanda.

 

[Sloan1874]

I think they're up to their oxters in trying to deal with the mess left behind certain parties, which may explain the lag at the moment. Personally, I've always found Holly very prompt in replying to me. Incidentally, seawolf, I'm expecting to get the long half-belt that you inspired me to order sometime next week! Shall post pix.

 

[frussell]

Got an email from Holly about 1:30 Pacific this morning. Sounds like they are indeed slammed, and won't be working on any replacements until January. She was kind enough to say I could keep the jacket I have now until the replacement is made, but I don't really wear it, as the fit is poor. The bad fit could definitely have been due to the lack of communication between myself, Mark Moye and Amanda, so hopefully that won't happen again. Smart girl Holly, definitely keeping up with the replies on this thread. Thanks, Frank.

 

[tonypaj]

My thinking is pretty simple here. Amanda and others were very helpful to me. Holly and others have tried their best, no major problems there. For now, I will just buy old, generic, leather jackets, as long as they have the measurements I need and look cool to me. Source can be whatever. After a while I will check in again and see if I should do things differently.

 

[Lungomare]

Hello everybody!

The fact that also my black "front quarter horsehide" 1950’s Flight Jacket turned out to be steerhide (despite its lighter weight) and the great and solicitous way Holly and Ken deal with this problem shows that Aero’s customer focus is now again as perfect as it was before some staff members (who meanwhile got the push) started their "game".

I’d like to use this as an opportunity to thank Holly, Ken an all of the Aero staff for their kindness and patience and wish a Merry Chrismas and a Happy New Year to Aero and all forum members.

Thanks and kind regards,

Johannes



My home town Salzburg (Austria) in winter

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Wow..absolutely beautiful Johannes..!

HD

 

[alex1976]

i bought a aero/ironheart caferacer heavy front quarter horsehide colllaboration a few weeks ago from giles padmore...a friend from will lauder....

 

[malligator]

i bought a aero/ironheart caferacer heavy front quarter horsehide colllaboration a few weeks ago from giles padmore...a friend from will lauder....
i send him ma jacket back to check it out about the leather problem with aero....horse or steer...here are the answers from him

some news about the question which leather is the collab from AERO/IH

here is a statement via mail from Giles to me about ma aero ironheart collab after checking out the leather!


On 21 Dec 2012, at 10:13
"I have spoken to Will. He and Johnny (the expert cutter) are convinced your jacket is HorseHide.

If you send it in to Aero, I am sure they will say it is not Horse Hide, because then that ****s Will and Alexander Leathers.

It is actually the case that it is so difficult to tell apart that some tanneries sell Steer as Horse because even the jacket makers can't tell the difference.

What would you like to do.

Giles"




On 14 Dec 2012, at 14:48
"No idea. It is pointless me even looking, even experts can't tell the difference.
Giles"

^^ Giles statement to me via mail some mails before about my question about the leather...Horse or Steer

Giles sold Aero/IH collaboration Horsehide Jackets and can´t say some Weeks later not 100% sure if it Horse or Steer!

i think everybody can think what he want now!

So you think this whole thing is a hoax? You think Aero smeared their own name just to smear Will's name? You think Aero, who is already up to their eyeballs with orders, opened themselves to making God knows how many replacement jackets free of charge just to smear Will's name? Really?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Certainly a 'safe' statement and explanation from IH. Keep in mind that they had a close relationship for awhile with the once MD at Aero...and where their allegiance may actually be.
Something still concerning is that Horween is involved on what seems to be Aero's side of the issue and the claim that steer was indeed sold as HH. Leads one to believe that the difference in hide really isn't that difficult to tell apart by the experts...and that DNA isn't actually required...as suggested by some.
HD

 

[wdw]

So you think this whole thing is a hoax? You think Aero smeared their own name just to smear Will's name? You think Aero, who is already up to their eyeballs with orders, opened themselves to making God knows how many replacement jackets free of charge just to smear Will's name? Really?

My understanding was that Alex1976 had bought an Aero through the third party mentioned in his quote and that the mail copied here was that third party's response to a query about the hide.

The "other" thread appears to have been deleted now, possibly as a result of Alex1976's expletive-ridden rant directed at everyone other than who actually sold him the jacket.

 

[Equality 7-2521]

That was not his opinion, that was the opinion of Giles from Ironheart. He merely showed the correspondence here.

 

[schitzo]

you must have missed it Equality. He went on to voice his own juvenile opinions after that; a succinct invitation for aero and Alexander leathers to go forth and multiply. This guy's a real charmer

 

[hpalapdog]

On 21 Dec 2012, at 10:13
"I have spoken to Will. He and Johnny (the expert cutter) are convinced your jacket is HorseHide.

If you send it in to Aero, I am sure they will say it is not Horse Hide, because then that ****s Will and Alexander Leathers.

It is actually the case that it is so difficult to tell apart that some tanneries sell Steer as Horse because even the jacket makers can't tell the difference.

What would you like to do.

Giles

Complete steer and horse hides are a different size and shape.

http://horween.com/leathers/equine-hyde-chart/

http://horween.com/leathers/bovine-hyde-chart/

Easy to tell apart, the horse has a mane down the front centre. On the other hand, a calf off-cut and an incomplete light weight horse hide could be confused IMHO, but that's not what most of Aero's civilian jackets are made of !

Whatever, Alex's jacket looks great (top of page)

http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4093.msg215093#msg215093

 

[JLStorm]

Hello everybody!



My home town Salzburg (Austria) in winter

That is absolutely breathtaking! I'm not easy to impress, but I am in awe. Wonderful photo.


On another note, while I am one of the folks who have no dog in this fight, since I prefer steerhide over horse, I've always found that steer has a much heavier grain than FQHH does. I'm not sure if I've just been lucky in getting heavily grained hides or not, but I don't recall ever seeing a FQHH jacket with much of a deep grain to it?

 

[majormajor]

I've been reading Gary Eastman's excellent new A2 book, and it would seem that a fair proportion of original A2s were, in fact, steer, rather than horse.

This includes the Aero 42-15142P. So, I guess, if you are looking for the most accurate A2 replica, you may well be hoping Aero used steer on your jacket.....

 

[Aerojoe]

My home town Salzburg (Austria) in winter

I visited your home town one summer. I was in the castle and at Mozart's house. Very nice