zanesvilleil
New in Town
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I have a worn Eastman RAF Battle of Britain and an Aero RAF Pre-War in pebbled grain merino. Since I've read through this forum, I've learned a lot, so I thought I'd throw my own 2 cents in now that I have some first hand opinions.
Now, is this a fair comparison? Probably not. One is new, one isn't, one is thinner on purpose (I think?), one is not. Should I compare the Aero pebbled grain merino to the Eastman flyweight? Probably, but I don't have that one.
I will either sell or gift one of them in the fall/winter, as I feel a little stupid owning two jackets that are so similar.
As far as my experience, I've only had 3 sheepskins total, so this is my limited experience. Some background on my experience so far: I am a 6ft 2-3in man weighing 215lbs of mostly muscle. My first shearling was an older Eastman AN-J-4 which I was over the moon with. It fit great, was extremely soft and comfortable, the shearling is the softest I've felt, it looked great, the leather was the softest and smoothest, it had no faults. Since I had such a great experience, I bought a used Eastman BoB RAF in decent condition with some of the shearling worn off the cuffs. I bought it in January and wore it for the remaining winter. When I got it, I wasn't immediately satisfied as I was with the AN-J-4, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway. With the passing of spring and beginning of summer, I knew elements of it still bugged me, so I figured I'd try Aero when one came up in my size. I bought the Aero new from their sale page with no custom sizing. Both were similarly priced, both are size 46. I've never held or even seen an original RAF jacket so I can't speak to the authenticity of either in that capacity. Given that, Here are my thoughts:
The Fit
Both fit great. Obviously there is no historical fit and there was much variation. That being said, I like the length of the body and sleeves on both, no complaints, not too long, not too short. The shoulder width is similarly well fit. I would say the Eastman is a roomier fit, looking more puffy in the arms, body, etc., while the Aero looks slightly more trim and suit-like. The Eastman makes you look massive.
Hide
Very, very different hides. The Eastman is very thick and sturdy feeling, almost like a football. A duller finish, doesn't seem to brighten up even after conditioning the leather. It also seems somewhat pre-distressed, some areas look brand new, others feel thin and worn. I'm fairly sure this is how it was from the factory, but I think it could also be from the previous owner's wear. The Aero feels closer to the sheep part of the AN-J-4, but still its own thing. It also seems to have a pre-distressed look, not the same as the Eastman. Immediately taking it out new, it felt almost plastic-like, but felt more normal after a few wears. It is very soft to the touch now. It is substantially less stiff. The Eastman can feel somewhat restrictive when wearing, putting in some effort to move around, this has no such restrictions. The Aero is a much shinier finish at first, but this also dulls with a little wear. I think both look good in their own way, but the Aero definitely feels better to the touch.
Shearling
Also Very different. The Eastman is much thicker in comparison, with very fine fur, not much curling. It could almost be described as carpet-like. Not very soft, much coarser than the AN-J-4. The Aero is much thinner, even thinner than my AN-J-4, seems much curlier than both. I imagine this would be closer to a B-6 or D-1 length of fleece. I like the color on the Aero slightly more, it seems a bit brighter gold, the Eastman a bit dull. Although definitely not as soft as my AN-J-4, it is rather soft compared to the Eastman. My only complaint is one side of the torso is slightly thinner/shorter feeling shearling than the other. I want to say it doesn't bother me, but I think it triggers some kind of OCD in me. I'd like if it was the thicker of the two on each side. Is this just variation in sheep or actually a mistake? I'm not sure.
Belt, Collar, and Zipper
I definitely prefer the Aero belt. It feels much sturdier, thick, and long. Eastman was a little stubby and thin.
Aero has a slightly more rounded and smaller collar, Eastman more pointed at the edges and larger overall. The horsehide on the back seems thinner on the Aero, maybe not as sturdy, I'm not sure. This isn't an issue whatsoever, just a note. The elastic band is shorter on the Aero. The collar strap on the Aero is much longer. Not that I think I'll ever be using the straps honestly, but I think I may be able to manage with the Aero, not sure on the Eastman.
The zipper on the Aero is better. The Eastman's is larger, which I like, and it zips up as expected. It has the strange plastic bit at the bottom, doesn't bother me, but also don't understand the purpose. However, the Aero's zippers are so smooth. I've never felt such a smooth zipper. This applies to the arms as well. Although they're smaller than the Eastman, it isn't difficult to find and work at all.
Weight
The Eastman is much heavier than the Aero. The Aero is even lighter than the AN-J-4.
After spending a short time seeing this Aero in person and wearing it, it has grown on me immensely. The shiny-plastic feel of the hide also had me worried at first, but it wears rather quick and looks and feels great in just a week. The ease of wear compared to the Eastman is unbelievable. Although the Eastman is no doubt a great jacket, it very tough and restrictive to move around in, very heavy, and not super soft on the inside, as well as looking a bit like a big puffball. Although I like the Aero, some things are missed, mainly the thicker shearling, but I think generally the Aero meets more of my wants. If I were to be forced to wear one in harsh winter or the cockpit of a plane, I'd pick the Eastman. If I was to wear it everyday, indoors, outdoors, or wherever? I'd pick the Aero. My only complaint about the Aero is the shearling length/thickness disparity, but I don't honestly know enough to say if that's normal variation or not, but both Eastmans I've had have no noticeable disparity.
If I were to advise new buyers, I would say go with Aero, merino or not. Both the Eastman and the Aero were comparable in price despite the Aero being new, but the Eastman was well used. So if you could get a used Aero with minimal wear for even less money, that would be ideal in terms of quality/price in my personal opinion. Or you could just wait until one comes up on their site like I did and get it brand new, and still have a less expensive jacket than a new Eastman.
Now, is this a fair comparison? Probably not. One is new, one isn't, one is thinner on purpose (I think?), one is not. Should I compare the Aero pebbled grain merino to the Eastman flyweight? Probably, but I don't have that one.
I will either sell or gift one of them in the fall/winter, as I feel a little stupid owning two jackets that are so similar.
As far as my experience, I've only had 3 sheepskins total, so this is my limited experience. Some background on my experience so far: I am a 6ft 2-3in man weighing 215lbs of mostly muscle. My first shearling was an older Eastman AN-J-4 which I was over the moon with. It fit great, was extremely soft and comfortable, the shearling is the softest I've felt, it looked great, the leather was the softest and smoothest, it had no faults. Since I had such a great experience, I bought a used Eastman BoB RAF in decent condition with some of the shearling worn off the cuffs. I bought it in January and wore it for the remaining winter. When I got it, I wasn't immediately satisfied as I was with the AN-J-4, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway. With the passing of spring and beginning of summer, I knew elements of it still bugged me, so I figured I'd try Aero when one came up in my size. I bought the Aero new from their sale page with no custom sizing. Both were similarly priced, both are size 46. I've never held or even seen an original RAF jacket so I can't speak to the authenticity of either in that capacity. Given that, Here are my thoughts:
The Fit
Both fit great. Obviously there is no historical fit and there was much variation. That being said, I like the length of the body and sleeves on both, no complaints, not too long, not too short. The shoulder width is similarly well fit. I would say the Eastman is a roomier fit, looking more puffy in the arms, body, etc., while the Aero looks slightly more trim and suit-like. The Eastman makes you look massive.
Hide
Very, very different hides. The Eastman is very thick and sturdy feeling, almost like a football. A duller finish, doesn't seem to brighten up even after conditioning the leather. It also seems somewhat pre-distressed, some areas look brand new, others feel thin and worn. I'm fairly sure this is how it was from the factory, but I think it could also be from the previous owner's wear. The Aero feels closer to the sheep part of the AN-J-4, but still its own thing. It also seems to have a pre-distressed look, not the same as the Eastman. Immediately taking it out new, it felt almost plastic-like, but felt more normal after a few wears. It is very soft to the touch now. It is substantially less stiff. The Eastman can feel somewhat restrictive when wearing, putting in some effort to move around, this has no such restrictions. The Aero is a much shinier finish at first, but this also dulls with a little wear. I think both look good in their own way, but the Aero definitely feels better to the touch.
Shearling
Also Very different. The Eastman is much thicker in comparison, with very fine fur, not much curling. It could almost be described as carpet-like. Not very soft, much coarser than the AN-J-4. The Aero is much thinner, even thinner than my AN-J-4, seems much curlier than both. I imagine this would be closer to a B-6 or D-1 length of fleece. I like the color on the Aero slightly more, it seems a bit brighter gold, the Eastman a bit dull. Although definitely not as soft as my AN-J-4, it is rather soft compared to the Eastman. My only complaint is one side of the torso is slightly thinner/shorter feeling shearling than the other. I want to say it doesn't bother me, but I think it triggers some kind of OCD in me. I'd like if it was the thicker of the two on each side. Is this just variation in sheep or actually a mistake? I'm not sure.
Belt, Collar, and Zipper
I definitely prefer the Aero belt. It feels much sturdier, thick, and long. Eastman was a little stubby and thin.
Aero has a slightly more rounded and smaller collar, Eastman more pointed at the edges and larger overall. The horsehide on the back seems thinner on the Aero, maybe not as sturdy, I'm not sure. This isn't an issue whatsoever, just a note. The elastic band is shorter on the Aero. The collar strap on the Aero is much longer. Not that I think I'll ever be using the straps honestly, but I think I may be able to manage with the Aero, not sure on the Eastman.
The zipper on the Aero is better. The Eastman's is larger, which I like, and it zips up as expected. It has the strange plastic bit at the bottom, doesn't bother me, but also don't understand the purpose. However, the Aero's zippers are so smooth. I've never felt such a smooth zipper. This applies to the arms as well. Although they're smaller than the Eastman, it isn't difficult to find and work at all.
Weight
The Eastman is much heavier than the Aero. The Aero is even lighter than the AN-J-4.
After spending a short time seeing this Aero in person and wearing it, it has grown on me immensely. The shiny-plastic feel of the hide also had me worried at first, but it wears rather quick and looks and feels great in just a week. The ease of wear compared to the Eastman is unbelievable. Although the Eastman is no doubt a great jacket, it very tough and restrictive to move around in, very heavy, and not super soft on the inside, as well as looking a bit like a big puffball. Although I like the Aero, some things are missed, mainly the thicker shearling, but I think generally the Aero meets more of my wants. If I were to be forced to wear one in harsh winter or the cockpit of a plane, I'd pick the Eastman. If I was to wear it everyday, indoors, outdoors, or wherever? I'd pick the Aero. My only complaint about the Aero is the shearling length/thickness disparity, but I don't honestly know enough to say if that's normal variation or not, but both Eastmans I've had have no noticeable disparity.
If I were to advise new buyers, I would say go with Aero, merino or not. Both the Eastman and the Aero were comparable in price despite the Aero being new, but the Eastman was well used. So if you could get a used Aero with minimal wear for even less money, that would be ideal in terms of quality/price in my personal opinion. Or you could just wait until one comes up on their site like I did and get it brand new, and still have a less expensive jacket than a new Eastman.
