So who are the Aero Fanboys ( and girls)

[Plumbline]

It seems to be an open secret , or even a secret society ( with top secret communication, pre-warnings about dealing with certain individuals etc. etc. ) .... And those who are tend to post their affiliation openly ( Sloanie, HD, WDW etc. etc. )

In the interests of fair and reasoned responses to jacket questions it would be good to know .... I have a number of Aeros but am by no means a fanboy. They're just a jacket maker to me, no affiliation or loyalty ... They have some nice jackets and I pay them what I think they're worth. This goes exactly the same for Lost Worlds, Eastman, Bill Kelso, Alexanders, Johnsons, Buzz Rickson, Goodwear, Pegasus, Noble House, US Authentic, Schott and anyone else.

So why not declare affiliation and loyalty ???

In the same way I believe manufacturers should have to declare their affiliation e.g. "Buzz the tower" is John Chapman the owner of Goodwear, Cloudy lemonade is Holly Calder at Aero, Andy Fazlon is Andy Fazlon of Bill Kelso ( loving the mom de plume Andy and the honesty) and Hide-nSeek is Denny Calder ( perhaps even occasionally Ken Calder) of Aero. There may be more ... I think Carrie at Insurrection does it best ( no ambiguity, no pretence .. Simple and clear "Carrie @ Insurrection" ... Well done Carrie. )

I have none ( I'm just a canny Scot who likes jackets and the bigger the bargain the better ) ... So what do you say chaps??!!

I don't think loyalty to one brand is a good thing or a bad thing ... But it is a bias that should be declared IMHO ... Just a thought !

 

[aswatland]

This is an interesting thread! I also believe members should declare their affiliation. Like Plumbline I too have none.

 

[cordwangler]

It seems to be an open secret ... And those who are tend to post their affiliation openly

I think a lot of this is down to personal investment. Like with Apple products. Even down to the digging in and even firmer adherence of consumers whose once glistering products have been superseded by sleeker new designs.

And some contributors' reaction to perceived bias and unfairness, however understandable to the non-aligned reader, just seems to turn the big money investors into FL hawks.

The differences between being a knowledgeable consumer and a collector can often be non-existent, especially with readily available products. And ditto with the often only slight differences between knowledgeable consumer and dealer. This leads to dead boring discussions.

The many historians and experts on FL - especially those with expertise on actual ancient garments, as opposed to readily available products - are refreshing.

It doesn't help that internet forums are not really places for nuanced discussions

Me, I'm cussedly independent, I've owned and sold on relined anon UK and US 50s and 60s jackets, Aero, 80s US flight jackets. Currently in the minus earnings zone, but still looking at old jackets and various manufacturers of new products for when I've a spare few £££s/$$$s

 

[wdw]

Ok, I'll bite. As PL says, and I've said myself many times, I'm happy to use Aero as my manufacturer du choix for a number of reasons:

1. I got caught up in the storse fiasco and the new management did everything possible to sort things out to my satisfaction.

2. Whenever I visit the factory, Ken, Denny, Holly, Julie, Murray, Christine and any staff I meet are unfailingly friendly, helpful, take pride in their work and are happy to spend longer than they really should talking about their products.

3. I've seen nice personal touches like the staff talking about the jackets they're making by their buyers' names, some of which I recognised from this forum.

4. Aero have a wide enough range of styles to satisfy my relatively casual interest in leather jackets.

5. They're only a 40 minute drive from home, so it's only natural that I use them if I'm happy with their work. If I wasn't happy, I wouldn't use them even if I lived next door.

6. I don't believe that money or maximising profit is an over-riding factor in their business plan. They seem to do more rebuilds for nothing than might reasonably be expected, particularly for issues that might be seen as a quirk of the purchaser rather than being a fault in the product.

7. A little thing, but for one of the rebuilds I had during storsegate, Julie accidentally made a 1" scratch in my rebuild, so she made a second identical rebuild and gave me the choice of either one. I took the scratched one as I know that scratches come quickly and easily, but mainly because the buttons seemed easier to use. To me that showed real customer care and commitment.

8. I have confidence that if there is ever an issue, they will do their best to sort it out to my satisfaction.

I have no doubt that a lot of the above applies to any well-respected manufacturer who makes an effort regarding customer service, and that people who live near other similar makers will probably (hopefully) have similar experiences with them, so I certainly don't believe Aero are unique, but they've proved themselves to me time and again, which is all I need to keep me happy spending money with them.

 

[Monitor]

Aero4life

 

[Plumbline]

Thanks WDW .. No baiting intended, I just think biases should be open, as oftentimes they actually hinder rather than help discussion and if the bias is known then it helps individuals balance opinions rather than assuming that all opinions are independent.

... Oh and thanks for the one star .... Whomever you are

Anyone else ???

 

[wdw]

PL, any bias I have is purely down to a good product and good customer service, as it should be. If I wasn't happy with them I certainly wouldn't be writing positive things here about them, nor would I waste my hard-earned money on them. I'm also positive about Gustin, Lawless, Lennon and other brands here and on another forum.

 

[nick123]

I've always liked Aero. Chris from Aerial Star asked me what I thought on a few of his models when I purchased mine and I gave him some honest feedback (without any kind of kickback mind you), and Johnson Leathers is a forty minute drive from the house.
My favorite all-around maker is probably Johnson, but each one brings something good to the table IMO.

 

[nick123]

And one time Holly linked me one of her 60s psychedelic music playlists...

 

[Worf]

I think you're trolling for a fight. I've GoodWears, Aeros, Vansons, Langlitz, U.S. Authentics, US Wings and various and sundries. I like what I like and don't think outerwear can be reduced to "Ford vs. Chevy" or "Liverpool vs. Man U". One shouldn't confuse "preference" with loyalty. There are things about Goodwear I like... there are things about Aero I like... there are somethings about both I don't like. However I feel there is no "perfect" jacket or perfect company just folks hopefully striving towards an ideal. I personally feel that "Fanboy" is a derrogatory term, to me it equals "shill" and as such it invites conflict. Just my 2 cents.

Worf

 

[Sloan1874]

Ok, I'll bite. As PL says, and I've said myself many times, I'm happy to use Aero as my manufacturer du choix for a number of reasons:

1. I got caught up in the storse fiasco and the new management did everything possible to sort things out to my satisfaction.

2. Whenever I visit the factory, Ken, Denny, Holly, Julie, Murray, Christine and any staff I meet are unfailingly friendly, helpful, take pride in their work and are happy to spend longer than they really should talking about their products.

3. I've seen nice personal touches like the staff talking about the jackets they're making by their buyers' names, some of which I recognised from this forum.

4. Aero have a wide enough range of styles to satisfy my relatively casual interest in leather jackets.

5. They're only a 40 minute drive from home, so it's only natural that I use them if I'm happy with their work. If I wasn't happy, I wouldn't use them even if I lived next door.

6. I don't believe that money or maximising profit is an over-riding factor in their business plan. They seem to do more rebuilds for nothing than might reasonably be expected, particularly for issues that might be seen as a quirk of the purchaser rather than being a fault in the product.

7. A little thing, but for one of the rebuilds I had during storsegate, Julie accidentally made a 1" scratch in my rebuild, so she made a second identical rebuild and gave me the choice of either one. I took the scratched one as I know that scratches come quickly and easily, but mainly because the buttons seemed easier to use. To me that showed real customer care and commitment.

8. I have confidence that if there is ever an issue, they will do their best to sort it out to my satisfaction.

I have no doubt that a lot of the above applies to any well-respected manufacturer who makes an effort regarding customer service, and that people who live near other similar makers will probably (hopefully) have similar experiences with them, so I certainly don't believe Aero are unique, but they've proved themselves to me time and again, which is all I need to keep me happy spending money with them.

Nutshelled beautifully.

 

[watch.collector]

Hi all, I had Schott and Chevignon leather jackets, but Aeros are my preferred.

 

[Superfluous]

PL,

I'm not sure why you cited me in your original post. I own only one Aero jacket and, having openly addressed irregularities with that jacket, I am far from an Aero fanboy. To the contrary, I patronize many different manufacturers and I have no loyalty to any (I do not own more than two jackets from any individual manufacturer, although that could change down the line).

Aero is clearly a TFL favorite and, even in the absence of any formalized relationship or affiliation, several TFL members are openly and stridently loyal to Aero. Some are fortunate enough to live near Aero and have developed personal relationships with the owners and employees (e.g., WDW and Sloan). Others have accumulated a large number of Aero jackets and/or focused their collection on Aero. These informal bonds are fairly evident.

Aero offers far more jacket styles/variation, and have far greater production output, than any other similarly situated manufacturer. Therefore, it is not surprising that, over time, people might accumulate more jackets from Aero than the smaller shops.

 

[handymike]

Currently, my only modern leather jacket is from Goodwear. I like the jacket, and my experience with John was great. Only downside was the wait.
I once had a FQHH Aero and found the hide too heavy for my taste and wear. The jacket was well made though.

 

[Plumbline]

Perhaps a mistake Superfluous, and if so I apologise .... it's very difficult to identify those with a bias and those not ... without the clarity of openness. There are some which are openly gushing ( like Sloanie) who has written numerous articles related directly or indirectly to Aero and Ken Calder and who's interest and bias has been clear from day 1 BUT this has proven valuable for other FLrs and has on many occasions been very informative re. access to new products etc. . Others are more difficult to place, which is an issue as I can't tell if the view is based on objective independence or if there is some conscious bias at play ( e.g. the Andy Fazlon top grain vs full grain discussion and it's resulting many guises ).

This isn't about how many jackets are owned from a particular manufacturer ( otherwise I'd be an Aero and Alexanders Fanboy in equal measure currently) ... but more people being open re. their particular alegiances and biases. To be clear bias is not a BAD thing, we all have them, it's just unhelpful when they are unknown.

I see posts on jackets and these can either be downright drogatory and venemous based on nothing ( that I can see) other than a particular OP's view on a particular manufacturer ( or perhaps a particular OP) ..... equally I get a bit tired of trying to work out if posters are affiliated to a particular manufacturer or not !


Worf

no fight looked for ( but i've never backed away from one ) and the term "fanboy" was not quoted originally by me but by a number of other FL'rs ..... just trying to get to the nub of why I see time and time again the same old respondants with the same old views re. anything non-Aero or anything that remotely calls in to question Aero ...... so lets be open and honest re. bias and affiliation. Equally IMHO there is a silent majority view here which is dumbed down by a vocal minority ( almost verging on bullying) and I HATE BULLIES and deal with that particular persona in the only way I now how ... head on and full throttle !

Either way I thought I'd ask the question ........ and it is a valid question ........ which I had seen intimated but never openly asked.

 

[zhz]

I own both Aero, BK, ELC, fairly speaking, they are equally good. But my favorite jacket is BK Westfall. Why? Aero is too heavy for me, ELC doesn't fit me well since you can't customise it. Speaking of customer service, Aero and BK are very good. Never speak to ELC so can't say anything about them. And I don't consider myself loyal to any brand, if there is one, maybe LVC jeans.

Aero has a long history of making repro leather jacket, and they have a wide product range, so, not surprise they have a large customer base and many loyal customers. But the point is, can we tread every brands equally here?

 

[handymike]

Should we also call out "Haters" too?

 

[Plumbline]

All bias should be called out ...... but I'll start with the positive bias for a start

 

[devilish]

Even though I have at times had a slight issue with how prevalent Aero can be on here. I honestly think this is a virtually pointless thread. The only actual manufacturer who I have ever felt stepped over the bias line was Bill Kelso and their representatives. Even that I think was, in some part, a lost in translation problem.

Anybody else who actually works for or owns any of the other most common top tier companies has always seemed to me to be pretty open, fair and tolerant.

As for individuals with personal preferences, so what? It's not that hard to figure out and on a public forum, perfectly acceptable. Most of those seem pretty fair people too and when someone gets a bit too boisterous then others will call them on it.

Me personally, I am a Good Wear 'fan boy' but I own Aero, Eastman and Buzz Rickson.

 

[Monitor]

To clarify my earlier response, now that things have gotten so seriously serious - I don't consider myself a fanboy but I do have an extremely positive experience with Aero Leathers. And it's not just about the cash; after all they've done for me, I feel like I've robbed them a jacket but that is beside the point. Like I said before, perhaps that's a perfectly normal thing but it's the kind of CS I haven't really experienced before.

Right now they've dug up an old patterns for the jacket that I saw on some youtube video for me, one that hasn't been made for 20 years, and are perfectly willing to do it. None of that no longer in production crap. So, what can I say?
It has nothing to do with whether I like the guys or not - and I do - but again, from my experience, Aero's the only company that I know will do 100 per cent right by me, whatever happens. Call it loyalty if you will, but I simply don't feel like risking it elsewhere - not the kind of money these puppies cost. I'm not saying they're the only such company in the world, but hey, it's the only one I know - and I like to believe that I do have some experience. So it's only natural that if someone asks, I'd point them toward Aero. I'm sure Langlitz is awesomely awesome but I won't be going around, telling people Langlitz is the best, because I don't know. Same as how I will always tell you that Schott 618/118 is a better riding jacket than Aero MC jacket.

Whether all this makes me biased or not... Well, I'm leaving that one to you. So there, make of it what you will.

Re. quality, I have never said Aero is superior to any other top manufacturer, nor I ever will. Vanson, Schott, ELC, Aero, GW all do a terrific jacket and to say one is better than the other would be lying.