Small scratch/chip on new Aero jacket

[Big J]

@Morrowless, I would strongly urge you to contact Aero immediately with photos for resolution of this issue.

Just my opinion, but if you went to a Schott store and picked up a jacket off the rack, and on the way to the register saw this kind of damage, however small, you would take the jacket back to the rack and select another before paying.

This is a quality control issue IMHO, and 'artisans' don't get a free pass to label 'damage' as 'character'. It's up to me to put character into my jacket, I don't expect the manufacturer to start the process for me. Yes, jackets look better when they are broken in, used, scuffed, whatever, but all of that is the result of me living with the jacket- it's very personal. At this price point, Aero (and any other maker) shouldn't be sending out jackets that look like this.

 

[El Marro]

I own two Aero jackets and I clearly remember the moment I put the first real scratch/gouge into each of them, those were not happy moments to say the least! I agree with what others have said on one hand, because by now both jackets have a number of scratches and dings and they show much more character and history than when they were brand new. On the other hand, these are all marks I made in the course of wearing the jacket and enjoying them, as opposed to a scratch I discovered when admiring my brand new jacket.
I agree with Big J that you should reach out to Aero and see what they say. I know that they have excellent customer service and I'm sure they will take care of you.

 

[Hammerklavier]

That's a leather defection, considering how much you paid, they should inspect the jacket before we shipped to you, you should mail it back and asking the refund of your shipping.

 

[Morrowless]

I've contacted the seller at Aero Leather Japan (authorized distributor) where I bought it from, asking for "advice" on the scratch. He basically said all leather jackets are different and that he doesn't stock jackets he didn't consider acceptable; in 3 years I won't notice the scratch. He also told me to apply some of that Aero Leather Conditioner on it. To be clear I didn't ask for a refund/replacement, like I said I'm inclined to keep it, and the store has no clear stated policy regarding returns/replacements. He does seem kind of unprofessional. Not just from this exchange but from what I read on his Twitter account/blogs.

I've also contacted Aero Leather directly, just to hear what they say.

 

[Peacoat]

With a little scratch like that, I would put a bit of conditioner on it, and move on. Assuming of course the fit was correct. That scratch is not to be worried about if the rest of the jacket is to your satisfaction.

 

[zebedee]

I've had a mark in the first Aero I bought in a front panel which at first I thought was a knife-slip. I didn't send it back and it didn't get any worse over seven years. The second one I bought had a flake of the outer colouring fall off; I didn't send it back and I now don't notice it. The third one had gouges where the edges close to the zip had been hammered and I was irritated, but ignored it- the zipper itself was far more of a problem, but I'm used to it now. The cafe racer I ordered next had no observable blemishes. The SB I ordered was free of sin apart from what looked like a scar in the back of the shoulder. I wear it anyway.

Keep the jacket.

 

[Big J]

@Morrowless,

Whoah! Hold up there a minute!
I thought you ordered this jacket from Aero, but now are you saying that you got it from an authorized Aero stockist?

I would just return it and ask for a straight up refund, and keep a note of the size and order a new jacket from Aero directly.

You paid full list price for this right? I reckon this Japanese guy has sold you a jacket he damaged in his store, or one of his customers damaged. And now he's going to try to use Japan's notorious lack of consumer protection laws to off load this on you.

If I bought a brand new Ferrari, and when the truck came to deliver it to my house, there was a 'ding' in it, I would definitely not be satisfied if they told me 'But hey, you're going to put some dings on it yourself, eh?'.

 

[Morrowless]

@Morrowless,

Whoah! Hold up there a minute!
I thought you ordered this jacket from Aero, but now are you saying that you got it from an authorized Aero stockist?

I would just return it and ask for a straight up refund, and keep a note of the size and order a new jacket from Aero directly.

You paid full list price for this right? I reckon this Japanese guy has sold you a jacket he damaged in his store, or one of his customers damaged. And now he's going to try to use Japan's notorious lack of consumer protection laws to off load this on you.

If I bought a brand new Ferrari, and when the truck came to deliver it to my house, there was a 'ding' in it, I would definitely not be satisfied if they told me 'But hey, you're going to put some dings on it yourself, eh?'.

Yeah I bought it from http://aeroleather.theshop.jp/. Payed USD $1516 for the STF Half Belt.
I do get the feeling returns/refunds are not a given here in Japan. I probably should have asked first.

EDIT: fixed price

 

[Big J]

@Morrowless, ok. I hear you.

Japan is definitely the land of 'buyer beware'. Look in the news this week. Kobe Steel just been caught falsifying quality of its products for use in bullet trains, Toyota and Nissan cars, Boeing aircraft, and spent nuclear fuel containers over a period of YEARS, and yet not one arrest, no open police investigation. Lying to customers and ripping them off isn't a crime in Japan, it seems. Just give a nice deep bow and say sorry.

If it were me, I'd ask directly for a refund. If I didn't get it, I'd expect Aero themselves to jump in on my behalf. After all, Aero has built it's reputation on its customer service, and if one of it's authorized outlets is ripping customers off, I reckon Aero would look pretty dimly on that.

 

[BobJ]

Good grief, to remake a whole jacket for a little ding like that - what a waste. Just take a pair of little scissors, or a fingernail clipper, and snip off the little bits of curled up leather. And then rub in a little conditioner or shoe polish. If you are careful and aware, you will hardly be able to tell where this little gouge was.

And, like others have said, you will have more and worse dings than that in no time.

When my jacket was new, and started showing wear and tear, I used to use a little shoe polish here and there, trying to keep that new look. I finally gave up and let the jacket age with patina, character, and scars - like me.

We grow old together.

 

[Carlos840]

Like others have said, this is nothing. The first time you scrape a brick wall will look the same.

Be very careful with polish and conditioner, i have had some remove the top coat.
All i would do is as BobJ said, snip of the curled up leather, and then rub the area with your finger to blend it in.

Most scratches on brown CXL can be removed by licking your finger and rubbing it in!

 

[Blackadder]

I've contacted the seller at Aero Leather Japan (authorized distributor) where I bought it from, asking for "advice" on the scratch. He basically said all leather jackets are different and that he doesn't stock jackets he didn't consider acceptable; in 3 years I won't notice the scratch. He also told me to apply some of that Aero Leather Conditioner on it. To be clear I didn't ask for a refund/replacement, like I said I'm inclined to keep it, and the store has no clear stated policy regarding returns/replacements. He does seem kind of unprofessional. Not just from this exchange but from what I read on his Twitter account/blogs.

I've also contacted Aero Leather directly, just to hear what they say.

"all leather jackets are different and that's acceptable in handmade goods" That seems to be resellerr's first line of defence, saw on another thread a couple of days earlier a member bought a Real McCoy's leather jacket presumably from an overseas dealer and the resellers said almost the same thing when the buyer noticed some irregularities on the shoulder seam. Strangely though unable to find that thread now. The local reseller of White's and Wesco said the same thing to me when I received my first pair of White's through them and found the heels to be "uneven" one visibly bigger than the other. Well, that's my first and last pair of White's. My Wesco have wobble and clearly mismatched stitching but I bought them at a steep discount and at least the heels seem to match.

 

[Blackadder]

Found it
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/loose-thread-loop-leather-jacket.91635/
Turns out to be more than a couple of days old. Don't mean to raise the issue as to what is acceptable flaw etc. Just to illustrate the striking similarities of what those resellers said in response.

 

[The dogs bollocks]

I just got my first FQHH brown Aero jacket, bought new. Quite happy overall. Nice fit and everything.

However I could't help but notice this little imperfection: A 0.4 inch mark on the left sleeve. It looks like a deep scratch, taking with it some of the surface leather. I worry that the area around it is gradually going to peel away at some point. Is this thing sort of common for new leather jackets? If so, I don't want to be overly nit-picky. Would you return it or keep it?

Thanks for your input.

EDIT: 2 more photos showing the whole thing.

Well , it's probably going to be fine. However , I just couldn't live with it and my compulsive disorders would mean I'd have to send it back. Don't mind my own battle scars but a new jacket...should not come like that. I'm sure you'll be good either way but ...I'd have to ship it back I'm afraid.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[GregGale]

If it was lambskin I would we worried it would peel off, but as it's horsehide...no sweat.
It will eventually gather more dings and "weathering", and that's what will make this jacket unique, YOUR jacket, not like the rest of them.

This being said you would be absolutely right to return it and ask for a refund. It's not a cheap item.