I didn't know you were famous Paddy!

[Matt Deckard]

How would you compare Aero jackets to other reproductions?

 

[STHill]

Matt, I'll certainly defer to Paddy--he's much more of an expert than I am--but I have an Aero repro A-2, and I think it's top notch. One of these days, I'll post some pictures.

I also have an Eastman. It's great, too, but the cut of the Aero fits me better. Of the top repros, I think Aero, Eastman, Rickson and McCoy are all extremely accurate. The big difference, to me at least, is that Aero is very flexible about alterations and detail changes. Also, their "jerky" horsehide (a grainy hide with a very lightly sprayed finish) gives a really vintage, broken-in look to the jacket fairly quickly.

Paddy, what do you think?

 

[PADDY]

Originally posted by Matt Deckard
How would you compare Aero jackets to other reproductions?

Two main things for me lift Aero slightly above the other premium flight jacket manufacturers Matt.

Their range and quality of leather is second to none.
They are very economically priced for what you are getting and they have a huge source 'on site' of original WW2 flight jackets (which are also for sale btw!) and this is important if you are doing a stitch-4-stitch jacket, say a 1938 Aero A-2 (which is getting rave reviews and looks lovely), as you need all the original sized jackets to make your cuts for the repros out of, and they do that!.
Also, if you have a repro and you want an original NOS (New Old Stock) WW2 zipper put on, they'll do that, no probs.

But they will do a jacket in different types of horse hide, smooth and jerky, veg tanned, chrome tanned, oil pull, front quarter...etc. Then there's the steer, the goat, the buffallo (which looks like 60-year-old vintage leather!).

In fact, I reckon if you had an Indiana Jones jacket and sent it to them, they would make one up exactly, in one of their heavier duty horse hide leathers (lambskin doesn't do it for me! somehow!).

If you do email or phone them, mention that you know me, as I am a friend up there in Scotland!

Have a wee look at the Barnstormer I nearly bought from them (someone else got it before me). They made this in the 80's and it was traded in. It looks like a WW1 pilots' or 20's Barnstormer jacket, and is made from bullet proof front quarter horse, the patina is amazing on this!!

 

[Matt Deckard]

Too bad you missed it. That jacket paired with goggles would look awsome.

I've heard a mixed bag of things over Eastman, though have not seen one of their jackets up close. I know their Golden Book catalog is a must have for any jacket wearer to see color photos of what the originals looked like in the original settings. If I go for a spec repro In the future I am leaning toward Aero, though I am curious about eastman's product.

Alot of the guys on the lounge own Flight suit jackets, though I am not sold on them yet I like the fact that they are close enough that I can get a fitting.

I've been wearing My Sefton all over (which looks like it's cut like an original) and I love it.

 

[FRASER_NASH]

Matt, the photos of you in your A2 look great. Gives you a very casual, but still vintage look and goes amazingly well with a Newsboy, though would equally look at home "like Bogart's Tokyo Joe" with a Fedora!! Keep it Up!!

 

[Seb Lucas]

In fact, I reckon if you had an Indiana Jones jacket and sent it to them, they would make one up exactly, in one of their heavier duty horse hide leathers (lambskin doesn't do it for me! somehow!).

Of course "Patterson" from COW worked for a while with Aero to make an Indy jacket almost 10 years ago. The project didn't work out. I think Aero is the wrong company for this jacket. The film jacket is pretty much a denim jacket made of leather - a light, silly 1980's design, pretending to be retro. Goat would be perfect and for that G&B do pretty much the best Indy you could imagine. But if the character Indiana Jones were real in 1936, he'd probably be wearing an A1 - and they were ususally capeskin (lamb again). Not a fan of lamb either.

 

[Bonneville]

But they will do a jacket in different types of horse hide, smooth and jerky, veg tanned, chrome tanned, oil pull, front quarter...etc. Then there's the steer, the goat, the buffallo (which looks like 60-year-old vintage leather!).

That's interesting news, I didn't realize Aero offered chrome vs. veg tan. I thought all of their hides were chrome tanned.
I don't think I spotted that chrome vs. veg tan info or the Buffalo on their website (though a member featured his Aero Buf. jacket here recently, ...got the impression that it was a "special edition" rather than an actual hide option).

 

[mimesis2nemesis]

I believe Buffalo hida was once available but was discontinued some time ago... In the Picture Trail gallery of Aero says so. http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/aeroleatherusa