MeachamLake
A-List Customer
- Messages
- 363
- Location
- North West, UK
Hi all,
May I present to you all my latest acquisition - the Pike Brothers B-15 via Aero.
After taking delivery of my absolutely awesome B6, I was keen add another jacket to my collection that I could wear on a more daily basis. I tried the Avi Lthr G1, but sadly it didn't work out and I will be returning that soon.
On then to the other jacket I had my eye on - the B-15. I have always liked this style, mostly because it is a versatile, practical design that still looks "modern" to most eyes. Eastman do some terrific versions, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to spend nearly £700 on a cloth jacket and wait 12 weeks for the privilege. Instead, the Pike Bros B-15 sold at Aero Leathers (and other stockists) looked like a better choice at a very reasonable £240. So I thought I would give it a shot...and I'm glad I did!
The jacket is VERY well made for the money. Tag says it's made in Turkey. The mouton collar is genuine and feels lovely and soft and looks to be in the correct colour. The lining is in grey wool (rather than alpaca used on the real thing) and it feels pretty sturdy, perhaps slightly itchy if I'm honest! The exterior is made from 100% cotton with a slight satin finish, and it feels very hard wearing yet relatively light weight. The colour is classed as Olive, but depending on the light looks more green - Eastman's jackets on their website show the correct colour, and this looks the same. The details are all pretty accurate too - sure, the Eastman versions have the correct popper snaps and minutiae details, but they cost more than double the price of this. In short, it's more than accurate enough.
Sizing was a bit of a concern, given that others on this forum had had trouble with Pike Bros products in the past. This fits me pretty much perfectly, surprisingly so - I am around 220 lbs, 6"3 and I went for a large (usually I would be a 46 or an XL, so these run big?). The jacket fits trim and looks great, whilst being very comfortable. No room for a sweater under here, but since it's lined in wool you're basically wearing one all the time!
The only minor gripe for me is that the sleeves are perhaps 0.25/0.5 inches too short upon reflection - however, they feel fine to me and the rest of it fits well, so I'm not going to bother sizing up to an XL just to rectify this. The knits will probably stretch a little over time anyway...and at 6"3, I can't really complain!
In short, I HIGHLY recommend this jacket. I had no real expectations of it, but it has turned out to be a real winner. If you're after a B-15 or just a warm, hard wearing jacket then definitely give this a look!
May I present to you all my latest acquisition - the Pike Brothers B-15 via Aero.
After taking delivery of my absolutely awesome B6, I was keen add another jacket to my collection that I could wear on a more daily basis. I tried the Avi Lthr G1, but sadly it didn't work out and I will be returning that soon.
On then to the other jacket I had my eye on - the B-15. I have always liked this style, mostly because it is a versatile, practical design that still looks "modern" to most eyes. Eastman do some terrific versions, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to spend nearly £700 on a cloth jacket and wait 12 weeks for the privilege. Instead, the Pike Bros B-15 sold at Aero Leathers (and other stockists) looked like a better choice at a very reasonable £240. So I thought I would give it a shot...and I'm glad I did!
The jacket is VERY well made for the money. Tag says it's made in Turkey. The mouton collar is genuine and feels lovely and soft and looks to be in the correct colour. The lining is in grey wool (rather than alpaca used on the real thing) and it feels pretty sturdy, perhaps slightly itchy if I'm honest! The exterior is made from 100% cotton with a slight satin finish, and it feels very hard wearing yet relatively light weight. The colour is classed as Olive, but depending on the light looks more green - Eastman's jackets on their website show the correct colour, and this looks the same. The details are all pretty accurate too - sure, the Eastman versions have the correct popper snaps and minutiae details, but they cost more than double the price of this. In short, it's more than accurate enough.
Sizing was a bit of a concern, given that others on this forum had had trouble with Pike Bros products in the past. This fits me pretty much perfectly, surprisingly so - I am around 220 lbs, 6"3 and I went for a large (usually I would be a 46 or an XL, so these run big?). The jacket fits trim and looks great, whilst being very comfortable. No room for a sweater under here, but since it's lined in wool you're basically wearing one all the time!
The only minor gripe for me is that the sleeves are perhaps 0.25/0.5 inches too short upon reflection - however, they feel fine to me and the rest of it fits well, so I'm not going to bother sizing up to an XL just to rectify this. The knits will probably stretch a little over time anyway...and at 6"3, I can't really complain!
In short, I HIGHLY recommend this jacket. I had no real expectations of it, but it has turned out to be a real winner. If you're after a B-15 or just a warm, hard wearing jacket then definitely give this a look!
It's a cracking jacket, I'm really pleased with it. Sadly it hasn't exactly won favour with both my girlfriend ("That jacket is horrible. What's with the offset zip and those weird triangles?") and my mother, who thought the mouton collar was "hilariously wimpy looking". Imagine if I tried lobbing that criticism at things they wore...! 
