Problems with Aero Jacket and Talon Zipper

[nick123]

Probably not even worth mentioning, as it fixed itself, but tody the Waldes zipper puller on my Aero found itself stranded on one track. I'm careful, but I think I'll have to really be sure the thing is secured before pulling.

 

[ButteMT61]

Done that with my GW Waldes. It happens. I too have to be careful. Have done it on every #5 zip

 

[Feliksas]

So as some of you know, I'm putting together an order for a J-106. A Talon #10 was recommended, but Holly said that the shop doesn't stock them, and that maybe it was the "old" administration that offered them.

Should I buy a ykk #10 in antique brass and send it to them? I like a tight fitting jacket which will no doubt add stress to the zipper. Help me Fedora Lounge--you're my only hope!

 

[sweetfights]

So as some of you know, I'm putting together an order for a J-106. A Talon #10 was recommended, but Holly said that the shop doesn't stock them, and that maybe it was the "old" administration that offered them.

Should I buy a ykk #10 in antique brass and send it to them? I like a tight fitting jacket which will no doubt add stress to the zipper. Help me Fedora Lounge--you're my only hope!

I have replaced an Aero jacket hookless with a brass #10 ykk. Looked great and was bullet proof- seemingly. Sold that jacket. For heavy leather I like the assurance of a #10.

 

[Sloan1874]

You could ask them, but chunky zips are a-historical for the period that Aero's jackets cover. You don't get the larger size until you're into the late 60s onward. I've wear a couple of my Aeros close-fitting and never had problem - I've always felt that the big zip thing is overplayed, tbh.

 

[regius]

Nick, I need to remind myself that the garments here are largely for fashion more so than function. In this case the zip's function is probably trumped by fashion. Conversely, on a jacket worn riding at highway/track speeds the function should trump the fashion. Personally, I prefer a zip that doesn't require a special technique to couple and maintain.

Part of the mystique in playing with these vintage repro jackets is the re-enactment of the way people wore them, & I mean the act of putting them on. Maybe back in the day, it was a thing to carefully match & operate the zipper, like how you had to tube a TV vs now just click a button. therefore, to own a jacket equipped with these period zippers means you’d need to also operate them the way golden era people did. Just a thought.


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[handymike]

I feel a #10 is overkill. #8 RiRi is just fine unless it is a heavy Lost Worlds hide.

 

[ton312]

So as some of you know, I'm putting together an order for a J-106. A Talon #10 was recommended, but Holly said that the shop doesn't stock them, and that maybe it was the "old" administration that offered them.

Should I buy a ykk #10 in antique brass and send it to them? I like a tight fitting jacket which will no doubt add stress to the zipper. Help me Fedora Lounge--you're my only hope!

If they will install a zip you provide then do it. Especially if it’s a cxl hide. Historical accuracy is left at the door with cxl. Nothing from the “period”even comes close. Only maker putting out anything similar in weight (cxl) was Cal leathers. They used 10’s.

 

[El Marro]

I highly recommend riri zippers. I had one of them installed on my Bootlegger when the zipper broke less than one month after receiving the jacket. Mine is a #8 and it works fine on the heavy CXL horsehide.

 

[Feliksas]

My jacket will be a ba***rd J-106 front with a King of the Road back in natural cxl horsehide, so it will be pretty heavy. I like the riri zippers, but I need an antique brass finish to complete the look i'm going for.

UK folk, who can recommend me a shop that ships, in case Holly says yes, where I could get antique brass YKK zippers? My google-fu is good, but maybe someone already has experience buying such accessories.

I'm going to live for days at a time in the woods with this jacket, so zipper failure isn't an option, as there is no "putting it away to get fixed later" when I'm out there

Cheers,

-F

 

[handymike]

I would look into Ykk's Old American line. They come in #10 and gold / nickel finish.

https://www.ykkfastening.com/products/search/detail.html?pdid1=OLD+AMERICAN(R)

 

[Feliksas]

Wow, i'm surprised...Holly/Aero *will not* use a bigger zipper even if I provide it, because it's not authentic. I quote,

"I’m afraid we don’t fit heavy duty zips as they don’t fit in with what we do, we only fit period correct zips and we wouldn’t want to fit one with our label."

I'm a little frustrated by this so I'm not going to write back right away, but I'm frustrated enough to maybe go with another company :/ Going to cool my jets though, long day at work, and I'm probably less patient than I should be.

@AeroFan_07 @Monitor what do you guys think? As a business, I'm a dude that's buying what will probably be close to a 1000 pound leather jacket, and they refuse to put a slightly bigger zipper on it.

Is it a crazy idea to ask them to make it without the zippers then, and have someone put them in locally?

Wow, not sure how to feel right now.

 

[jacketjunkie]

You want to receive exactly what you ask for, whatever jacket in whatever style with whatever leather, liner and pocket set-up? Johnson Leather, is all I'm saying.

 

[Carlos840]

Wow, i'm surprised...Holly/Aero *will not* use a bigger zipper even if I provide it, because it's not authentic. I quote,

"I’m afraid we don’t fit heavy duty zips as they don’t fit in with what we do, we only fit period correct zips and we wouldn’t want to fit one with our label."

I'm a little frustrated by this so I'm not going to write back right away, but I'm frustrated enough to maybe go with another company :/ Going to cool my jets though, long day at work, and I'm probably less patient than I should be.

@AeroFan_07 @Monitor what do you guys think? As a business, I'm a dude that's buying what will probably be close to a 1000 pound leather jacket, and they refuse to put a slightly bigger zipper on it.

Is it a crazy idea to ask them to make it without the zippers then, and have someone put them in locally?

Wow, not sure how to feel right now.

All three of my Aeros have their regular Talon zippers and all have been fine.
I would just get the jacket you want and if it breaks change it with a bigger one.
And yes i think it is a crazy idea to have them make a zipper less jacket.

 

[AeroFan_07]

All three of my Aeros have their regular Talon zippers and all have been fine.
I would just get the jacket you want and if it breaks change it with a bigger one.
And yes i think it is a crazy idea to have them make a zipper less jacket.

^^I would do this.

I suppose, (not to question you too much here) I have a difficult time envisioning "backpacking" in a $1000+ Aero Leather. When I backpacked a few years back, Leather was not even on the shopping list, just a bit on the Gore-Tex boots. Just my $.02

 

[Feliksas]

^^I would do this.

I suppose, (not to question you too much here) I have a difficult time envisioning "backpacking" in a $1000+ Aero Leather. When I backpacked a few years back, Leather was not even on the shopping list, just a bit on the Gore-Tex boots. Just my $.02

I don't like having lots of things, so everything I have is 4 seasons, etc I've put 1500+km on my William Lennon boots in just over 6 months, and by the looks of it, they'll do another 1500-3000--it was actually my William Lennons, which I had made in heavy duty double front horse leather, that sold me on an aero jacket--man, that horse hide can really take a beating. I never let my boots rest and never use a shoe tree, and as a result, most boots don't last more than 6 months of heavy wear, if those six months are fall and winter, but these William Lennon's, and the DHF leather--tank building material. Here's the leather for those who are interested: http://www.aacrack.co.uk/animal/horse/horween-heavy-horse-dhf-tan-20-22.html

Since I only have one of everything (obviously I have more than one pair of underwear, although I am looking into wool underwear options, ha), a 1000 dollar jacket is only kid of expensive--jackets get less beat up than shoes, so even if it only lasts 5 years, 200 pounds per year on outwear isn't that much--and I reckon if I treat it, because I think it will need treating since it will be abused, I can get 10 years out of it. Because it's brown, and because of the lapels, I can pull off a J-106 in most formal settings.

In the summer, I'm a little hot, in the winter, I'm a little cold, but in the spring and autumn, I'm good to go!

So..that's why the zipper thing bugs me. But, I talked to my local seamstress today, she also recommended a #8 YKK, so I guess worse come to worst, i'll do the switch after the zipper breaks the first time.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Carlos840]

I don't like having lots of things, so everything I have is 4 seasons, etc I've put 1500+km on my William Lennon boots in just over 6 months, and by the looks of it, they'll do another 1500-3000--it was actually my William Lennons, which I had made in heavy duty double front horse leather, that sold me on an aero jacket--man, that horse hide can really take a beating. I never let my boots rest and never use a shoe tree, and as a result, most boots don't last more than 6 months of heavy wear, if those six months are fall and winter, but these William Lennon's, and the DHF leather--tank building material. Here's the leather for those who are interested: http://www.aacrack.co.uk/animal/horse/horween-heavy-horse-dhf-tan-20-22.html

Since I only have one of everything (obviously I have more than one pair of underwear, although I am looking into wool underwear options, ha), a 1000 dollar jacket is only kid of expensive--jackets get less beat up than shoes, so even if it only lasts 5 years, 200 pounds per year on outwear isn't that much--and I reckon if I treat it, because I think it will need treating since it will be abused, I can get 10 years out of it. Because it's brown, and because of the lapels, I can pull off a J-106 in most formal settings.

In the summer, I'm a little hot, in the winter, I'm a little cold, but in the spring and autumn, I'm good to go!

So..that's why the zipper thing bugs me. But, I talked to my local seamstress today, she also recommended a #8 YKK, so I guess worse come to worst, i'll do the switch after the zipper breaks the first time.

Thanks for all the advice!

I would go for regular brass rather than antique.
It will be a bit shiny in the beginning, but with what you intend to do with this jacket is should tarnish pretty fast and end up looking nicer in the long run than antique brass.

 

[Feliksas]

I would go for regular brass rather than antique.
It will be a bit shiny in the beginning, but with what you intend to do with this jacket is should tarnish pretty fast and end up looking nicer in the long run than antique brass.

Another great piece of advice! Although I wonder--do you folk reckon that the zippers are *actually* brass, or just brass coloured? Now that Talon is made in China, nothing against China, it just has me wondering...

*EDIT*

I also wonder if the "natural" brass zippers are coated, and much natural brass accessories, apparently, are

 

[Carlos840]

Another great piece of advice! Although I wonder--do you folk reckon that the zippers are *actually* brass, or just brass coloured? Now that Talon is made in China, nothing against China, it just has me wondering...

*EDIT*

I also wonder if the "natural" brass zippers are coated, and much natural brass accessories, apparently, are

The natural brass zippers are solid uncoated brass, they will tarnish with use.

The vintage brass ones are basically painted, or have a bonded finish, and they will never change or look different.
I have them on a jacket and am not a fan.

 

[Feliksas]

The natural brass zippers are solid uncoated brass, they will tarnish with use.

The vintage brass ones are basically painted, or have a bonded finish, and they will never change or look different.
I have them on a jacket and am not a fan.

Man, nobody should buy a jacket without coming here first Going to bug holly again now then