Long Half Belt

[zebedee]

I am foolishly considering purchasing a fourth Aero which I do not need and have no earthly use for. Obviously I have lied to myself about my finances, imagined colder weather not actually on the way and generally massaged the whole wants/needs spectrum into a delusion justifiable to myself.

What I'm trying to find out is how a lhb fares in the experience of owners on the forum and what issues folks have had, what modifications people have had made, etc. I'd quite like a dustbowl style back, straight-edge pocket flaps and no snaps, in cordovan leather.

 

[Sloan1874]

I noticed that there's an LHB without the cargo pockets on the way, you might want to ask about that. Personally, I got mine without any mods, bar a tartan lining, and love it - almost went for the cordovan myself but ended up with the classic brown. A Dustbowl back might work, but it's more of a 30s half-belt design.

 

[Grayland]

My first Aero was a LHB with no mods. The only thing I'd change is the alpaca lining. It's a little prickly and slightly too warm. I'd prefer a lighter weight tweed lining. Other than that, I think it is perfect. The length makes it a bit dressier in my opinion.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Personally I love these but I hate the look of those pocket flaps as they, in my view, destroy the clean look of the garment.

 

[tropicalbob]

Personally, I love the way the outside pockets look and find them the ideal place to carry the flat cigarette cases that I use. The handwarmers are also ideally located for a slacker like me to keep his hands. I get about four months or more of wear out of it here, and it's perfect for travelling. It's a really distinctive-looking jacket and gets a lot of compliments.

 

[Don Tomaso]

The LHB was my first real good leather-jacket and my first Aero. I seriously love the thing, have it with no mods, only an inch longer in the torso. The fit is roomy, shoulders are sagging, the flap-pockets are bulky and the action-back too busy, but as it is, it works. It's my grab-to-go-jacket, getting better with every day of wear. I have it with a mid-weight tartan, making it very versatile. Color is the normal brown, FQHH.
A guy from Germany named "Harry" showed pics of a LHB without the flap-pockets recently, very nice indeed.

 

[Worf]

My first Aero was a LHB in tumbled FQHH. Wore her yesterday. Good Jacket for temps ABOVE freezing. Love the storm cuffs, still stiff as a board but driving around town is breaking her in nicely. Cadillac of a coat if you ask me. I WISH it'd came without the cargo pockets as well, but it was a "sale" item so... I live with it. Like the cotton drill liner though.

Worf

 

[zebedee]

What is it about the cargo pockets that people dislike? The pockets are a combination of hand warmer and cargo- is it that they're too bulky?

 

[morrison2951]

I think so- I have a one of a kind Gibson Barnes deerskin A2 with cargo and hand warmer pockets and it does tend to make it a tad bulky looking in the torso area.

Still wouldn't trade it for anything though!

 

[Seb Lucas]

What is it about the cargo pockets that people dislike? The pockets are a combination of hand warmer and cargo- is it that they're too bulky?

It's personal taste - I think they look very ugly. Every LHB that doesn't have them looks so much better to my eye. But this may well be a minority view.

 

[Grayland]

What is it about the cargo pockets that people dislike? The pockets are a combination of hand warmer and cargo- is it that they're too bulky?

Are those pockets really considered cargo pockets?

 

[Sloan1874]

What is it about the cargo pockets that people dislike? The pockets are a combination of hand warmer and cargo- is it that they're too bulky?

It took a while to get used to them, but they're damn handy now. Personally, I've always liked them. I think they lend interest to the jacket.

 

[zebedee]

I'll ask if it's possible to get the pockets slightly thinner- I have flap pockets on a Stockman which are great but huge. I am not sure there'd be much point to eliminating them as then I'd just have a really long Highwayman, no? As I already have one of these, etc.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'll ask if it's possible to get the pockets slightly thinner- I have flap pockets on a Stockman which are great but huge. I am not sure there'd be much point to eliminating them as then I'd just have a really long Highwayman, no? As I already have one of these, etc.

No..you'd have a long HalfBelt. Why not HB hand warmers..??
HD

 

[Sloan1874]

LHB has handwarmers behind the cargoes. Here's the pre-prod:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

'Just' the handwarmers like on the regular HB.
HD

 

[zebedee]

I've had jackets with hand warmer pockets behind cargoes before, and they are useful. Question is bulkiness and perhaps reduction thereof. I'd probably have the snaps omitted from the pockets, and might go without the inner pockets or the outer chest pocket- I've found that these things either show through the leather or cause 'lining' (I'm not bothered about it once a jacket's worn in, but as the only comment I've had on the hwymn is 'Christ! What have you done to the chest?' due to the gun pockets' hang- I now forgo inner pockets on Aero jackets).

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The longer length looks better with the cargos doesn't it...??
HD

 

[pauleway]

The longer length looks better with the cargos doesn't it...??
HD

Yes, it does!!

 

[Bunyip]

I quite like it. There's enough other designs to choose from if this design doesn't feed your bulldog. I have the Schott"a2" with the double use pockets, and I just see it as part of the design, and they come in quite handy in my opinion.