Simmons Bilt

[Spiney]

I’m just trying to get some feedback on this brand. Really like a few of their designs and they seem to be a fair bit cheaper than Aero and a lot cheaper than anyone else.

 

[Mark]

On par with any of the top makers. I have two of their jackets and they are great. You may not get many replies to your question here, they have history!!

 

[Pandemic]

My experience wasn’t great, but I ended up getting a full refund so I won’t complain too much.

 

[Spiney]

On par with any of the top makers. I have two of their jackets and they are great. You may not get many replies to your question here, they have history!!

That doesn’t sound good. What happened?

 

[Tom71]

The jackets are fine, and customer service very good. You may want to do some reading on TFL on the history between SB (formerly Alexander Leathers) and Aero. For some this categorically rules out buying from them.

 

[Mark]

That doesn’t sound good. What happened?

Best have read here some where. Regardless of their past they do make nice jackets and customer service is very good. I just picked up a lovely steer hide G1 on their Outlet page at a great price.

 

[Spiney]

The jackets are fine, and customer service very good. You may want to do some reading on TFL on the history between SB (formerly Alexander Leathers) and Aero. For some this categorically rules out buying from them.

Not sure I agree on the customer service part. I emailed them on 22nd Jan and got a reply today , 5th Feb. That’s just crap.

Menu

 

[handymike]

The history of the brand is shady, and threads have never gone too far or lasted too long before they get locked.
If you search for Aero Trial posted by @Sloan1874 you will find 3 narrative threads.
Time having passed...they do seem to have quality builds and some of their hide options look really good. You can’t deny the Aero “influence” though, and they never really created different designs to call their own.

 

[Spiney]

The history of the brand is shady, and threads have never gone too far or lasted too long before they get locked.
If you search for Aero Trial posted by @Sloan1874 you will find 3 narrative threads.
Time having passed...they do seem to have quality builds and some of their hide options look really good. You can’t deny the Aero “influence” though, and they never really created different designs to call their own.

Fair enough. I think we’ll leave it there.

 

[Hh121]

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/custom-simmons-bilt-cross-zip-fit-seeking-opinions.102341/
Better read this before purchasing from them.

 

[Jin431]

I'm sure they make great jackets with high end leather selection. Looks like they also have a great social media advertising strategy and makes frequent collaborations with your smaller niche heritage based stores. The SB of today definitely knows how to work the market/crowd but having read up on them and their history it is hard for me to support them.

 

[Harris HTM]

I’m just trying to get some feedback on this brand

Quality wise not that different than Aero, they seem to offer a wider choice of quality hides. As for the rest, do read the above links the lads posted and you can decide.

Looks like they also have a great social media advertising strategy

Hmmm, I think I'd disagree here, I follow them on Instagram and they haven't posted anything since October. Most of the other leather jacket brands are far more active there.

 

[Marc mndt]

On par with any of the top makers.

In what regard are they on par with which top makers? I thought SB was midtier.

I guess their patterns are on par with Aero's. (sorry, too easy )

 

[Jin431]

Quality wise not that different than Aero, they seem to offer a wider choice of quality hides. As for the rest, do read the above links the lads posted and you can decide.


Hmmm, I think I'd disagree here, I follow them on Instagram and they haven't posted anything since October. Most of the other leather jacket brands are far more active there.

Oops just goes to show how much interested I am into their makes lol
but I do see a lot of their collaboration i.e. Standard and strange/fjorde

 

[jpk_NJ]

All drama aside and whether that concerns you or not is up to each person. As for the jackets, I've owned 4 various SB models. All excellent materials and construction. My only gripe is with some of the finer details / nuances such as cuff / collar / pocket flap shape, side belt directions etc. IMO, these areas could use some sharpening. However, if youre sticking with a fairly basic style then it shouldnt be an issue. They will also do much more customizing than any other maker.

 

[Harris HTM]

In what regard are they on par with which top makers? I thought SB was midtier.

I guess their patterns are on par with Aero's. (sorry, too easy )

I guess it depends on what an individual means when he refers to "top tier".
For me a Mercedes Benz is a top car, however an owner of a Bugatti would probably laugh at my A-class!

 

[Marc mndt]

I guess it depends on what an individual means when he refers to "top tier".
For me a Mercedes Benz is a top car, however an owner of a Bugatti would probably laugh at my A-class!

With cars there's (European) classes. These are based on price and size. A Mercedes A-class is C-segment. A Bugatti would be S-segment.

I don't believe there's such a classification for leather jackets. Maybe we should invent one . But when thinking of top tier jackets, I'm thinking of neat and flawless construction, well thought out patterns and luxury materials. Maybe SB ticks one of those boxes but certainly not all.

 

[red devil]

From what I have seen, they were on par with Aero originally. Only cheaper and more open to customisation, no problems getting decent zippers with them for example.

They have also been more active in developing unique models and having a wider variety of leathers. I have personally been tempted to get something in Blattwerk from them.

A court judgement was made and the previous manager was sentenced. There has been a lot of drama here regarding this here, but things seem to have settled now.

 

[Peacoat]

A bunch of threads pop up when typing "Simmons Bilt" in the search bar. Probably learn all you want from those threads.

The search feature is accessed by clicking on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner of the page.

 

[JMax]

With cars there's (European) classes. These are based on price and size. A Mercedes A-class is C-segment. A Bugatti would be S-segment.

I don't believe there's such a classification for leather jackets. Maybe we should invent one . But when thinking of top tier jackets, I'm thinking of neat and flawless construction, well thought out patterns and luxury materials. Maybe SB ticks one of those boxes but certainly not all.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that leaves LW, Thedi, Jonesywear and some of the Japanese makers at Freewheelers level. Everything/one else (Himel, Vanson, Cal, Bates, Aero, SB, Pegasus, Langlitz, JL and so on) would be mid tier. I guess I would add functionality and maybe history to your equation and thus bump a few up.

OP, it seems to me that SB (history aside, understandably a big ask for many) is in good company being mid-tier. My SB 4-pocket CR in Shinki is awesome. I love it. Would I buy a new SB? No. I would put my money down on my preferred makers, SB isn’t one of them. It is for others. Do you bud.