Sheepskin or Shearling lined , Seeking advice

[KissMyMuscle]

Any advice will be helpful, thanks guys.

 

[Harris HTM]

the coat will not make you look shorter, I am shorter than you and I own a Mariner (similar style).
I also own both a B-3 and a shearling lined Long Falf Belt. The B-3 is definitely warmer, but believe me, you don't want to wear it in rain.
A shearling lined coat will not have the sleeves lined also in sheepskin. Usually the body is 3/4 lined with sheepskin. And my strong advice is to get a lightweight leather, my LHB is made out of heavy FQHH and the thickest shearling available, it weighs and feels like steel armour.

 

[Monitor]

Go sheepskin.

Shearling lined jackets tend not to be very comfortable and might appear very bulky. I wanted one for a long time but after seeing enough fit pics, I decided I'm not really after that George Costanza's Gore-Tex jacket look.

Plus, as @Harris HTM stated, the sleeves won't be shearling lined thus not nearly as warm. Might end up being a huge waste of $.

If you like the B-3 and if it does the job, you can't go wrong with sheepskin. Having tried a proper B-3 recently, one by Toy's McCoy, honestly, it's the only sheepskin jacket I'd want even if I already had one. I'm sure Aero's is just as nice so why not get the proper one with horsehide sleeve protective panels, etc.?

 

[Sloan1874]

I would go with the Irvin. It's the most flexible of the three. I've owned an ANJ-4 and had to trade it in as I just didn't get enough wear out of it. I live in Glasgow, in the Scottish Central Belt, and our winter temperatures are roughly the same as yours. The sheepskin on the ANJ is so deep and the construction so heavy that after three years it was hardly broken in. It looked great but was just too warm. The sheep-lined Barnstormer, again, will be a bulletproof piece of kit, but I fear too much for your needs. I do, however, have a heavy wool-lined Barnstormer which is plenty warm enough, generally, but maybe not into the minuses.
The Irvin, however, is just the ticket. I wear it in temperatures from around 8C and well into the minuses - I've worn in -15C Chicago with a jumper under it and didn't feel a thing! The trick with an Irvin is to go up a size, don't wear it fitted. If the lack of pockets is a factor, I would look towards a D-1 or B6, which are equally good.

 

[KissMyMuscle]

the coat will not make you look shorter, I am shorter than you and I own a Mariner (similar style).
I also own both a B-3 and a shearling lined Long Falf Belt. The B-3 is definitely warmer, but believe me, you don't want to wear it in rain.
A shearling lined coat will not have the sleeves lined also in sheepskin. Usually the body is 3/4 lined with sheepskin. And my strong advice is to get a lightweight leather, my LHB is made out of heavy FQHH and the thickest shearling available, it weighs and feels like steel armour.

Hi Harris, I have seen your LHB post, that makes me want one too. Do you know the weight of your LHB? I recently got a heavy motorcycle jacket that kills my neck and shoulder after hours of wearing, I am pretty sure I don't want another extremely heavy jacket.

 

[Sloan1874]

The ANJ-4 is considerably thicker, it was meant for high altitude US bomber crews. The Irvin is still substantial, but it's definitely not as thick - it's lighter and much more flexible in terms of the amount of wear you'd get. You can unzip it down to the belt, play around with the sleeve zips if it gets a bit warm, or buckle the thing up, pop the collar, and you're protected from the elements.
The Strom-weight lining is a great choice for winter/autumn jacket. I've found it a great addition to the collection - it's been belting down all day, so I pulled it on to collect my car from it's MOT, and twinned with a woolly pullover it was warm and rainproof.

 

[roadking04]

I recently got a heavy motorcycle jacket

What jacket did you get?

 

[Goel]

Goatskin plus shearling with a quilted liner and storm cuffs in the arms is my ideal combo. As light as you can reasonably expect, weather resistant and warm, although my cowhide jacket isn't too heavy.

 

[Harris HTM]

Do you know the weight of your LHB?

just measured it. It weighs 3,75kg, size 38 with shortened sleeves and back.

I recently got a heavy motorcycle jacket

MC jackets usually carry heavy hardware as well (belts, bigger zippers, etc).

 

[KissMyMuscle]

just measured it. It weighs 3,75kg, size 38 with shortened sleeves and back.

MC jackets usually carry heavy hardware as well (belts, bigger zippers, etc).

I can't imagine how heavy the Shawl Collar Barnstormer gonna be.. I am leaning towards to a mid weight Barnstormer with wool lining since our winter isn't that rough.

 

[Harris HTM]

I can't imagine how heavy the Shawl Collar Barnstormer gonna be.. I am leaning towards to a mid weight Barnstormer with wool lining since our winter isn't that rough.

If you get a lightweight leather (battered steer, badalassi, etc) and you specify a thin shearling (I think that the guys ate Aero can trim it), then maybe it won't be that heavy.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

As others have said, I would go sheepskin because of the sleeves.

Out of these, I like the look of the ANJ4 best and do think that the coat would make you look shorter.

 

[KissMyMuscle]

If you get a lightweight leather (battered steer, badalassi, etc) and you specify a thin shearling (I think that the guys ate Aero can trim it), then maybe it won't be that heavy.

Thanks Harris, I am going to give them a call Monday morning to see if that will be allowed. How's aero's battered leather, that seems pretty as nice as their tumbled brown CXLFQHH.

 

[Harris HTM]

Thanks Harris, I am going to give them a call Monday morning to see if that will be allowed. How's aero's battered leather, that seems pretty as nice as their tumbled brown CXLFQHH.

I own a waistcoat made of the battered steer, it is a lightweight, supple leather that will age beautifully. I also like the battered horse in tan, some members have posted photo's of their longer jackets (Teamster) in that hide and it looks amazing.

 

[Edward]

I would also suggest it depends what you want to wear it with. An Irvin / B3 or even ANJ4 is a short jacket; a Barnstormer should be long enough to wear over a suit jacket. You could wear one of the others over one too, but it would be shorter and look odd.

 

[dubpynchon]

I have a Thunderbay in goatskin with black shearling liner, it's a great jacket, not as warm as a B-3 or the other military jackets because it doesn't have shearling in the sleeves but still plenty warm with a sweater underneath. I got mine with moleskin in the sleeves which is still warm and I don't find it particularly clingy, but maybe it depends on the batch of moleskin. I don't have one of those hanging scales but I'd guess it's around the 2 kg mark. Also I asked Aero to make the corduroy strip at the hem as narrow as possible to maximise the shearling coverage.

 

[Harris HTM]

Also I asked Aero to make the corduroy strip at the hem as narrow as possible to maximise the shearling coverage.

I wish I had done the same!

 

[powersci]

I wish I had done the same!

This may be a dumb question: why does the design have corduroy strip at the base of the jacket? Why not shearling all the way?

 

[dubpynchon]

This may be a dumb question: why does the design have corduroy strip at the base of the jacket? Why not shearling all the way?

It’s to stop wear on the shearling from a belt as far as I know, it’s a bit pointless, I’ve never had damage on any of my military jackets. Maybe if it was the 20 year jacket though...

 

[powersci]

It’s to stop wear on the shearling from a belt as far as I know, it’s a bit pointless, I’ve never had damage on any of my military jackets. Maybe if it was the 20 year jacket though...

That's what I assumed. And I had the same thinking you did: military jackets are fully lined in shearling, although they originally served a very different purpose. I know the old Chicago leather police jackets had a faux fur lining only at the base of the jacket...I think they were called kidney warmers. Probably made it harder for wind to go up the jacket.