Aero Zippers, Antique or Not?

FlameoftheWest · Jun 11, 2010

I'm about to order an Aero Half Belt in Brown FQHH and I was wanting everyone's opinion on whether to get an antique brass zipper or just get the normal brass zipper and age it the natural way?

Mr. 'H' · Jun 11, 2010

Personally, I'd go with the bright brass and let it age with the jacket as the jacket will look new anyway.

Brown FQHH in a HB is a fantastic choice.

JanSolo · Jun 11, 2010

Although Aero's own branded zipper is an excellent choice in terms of quality and durability, I am not too convinced by their antique finish. It looks cheap to my eye. If it has to be brass go with the shiny finish....but don't expect it to get really dull. It more or less stays that way. My Aero jackets are all fitted with their dull nickel finish zipper which looks excellent even on all sorts of brown leather. If it has to be a brass zipper you should ask what kind of vintage zippers they have available in raw uncoated brass. I am pretty sure that they can offer you a brass Talon or Conmar which will age nicely.

Navin323i · Jun 11, 2010

I don't think I've ever seen the Aero zippers with antique finish... could someone here post a picture of it?

I agree with Mr. H... since the jacket is going to look new then go with a normal brass zipper.

GriffDeLaGriff · Jun 11, 2010

I like the antique brass. Or more precise - I dont like the shiny ones.

They do look made antique, and not really aged, but I like them anyway.

Dudleydoright · Jun 11, 2010

I've got jackets with each and i have to say that I prefer the shiny - once it gets dulled. The 'antique' ones look very phony. If that's your taste then go with it.

I'm waiting on a russett brown goatskin Half belt long with A-2 collar and snaps and internal windflap and I'm getting that with the shiny zipper.

Horses for courses really but dulling a shiny brass zipper is quick and easy if you run your thumb and forefinger over your greasy face and then rub your fingers on the shiny brass.

Dave

Navin323i · Jun 11, 2010

Thanks for the picture, Griff.

While we're on the subject of Aero zippers, has anyone here ever considered removing the leather pull tab that's attached to the main zipper? I'm considering doing that for aesthetic reasons.

FlameoftheWest · Jun 12, 2010

Thanks guys, Jan when you say asked for raw and unfinished does that mean that the Aero zips have a coating on them?

JanSolo · Jun 13, 2010

The Aero branded zipper is really of excellent overall quality and was basically introduced as an option to the sometimes failing Talon zipper. The teeth appear to made from raw or galvanized brass whereas the slider and the pull tab are die cast parts and therefore likely to be made from solid zinc. I am pretty sure that those parts are also galvanized i. e. nickel/brass plated and oxidized for the antique finish. The shiny brass zipper stays quite shiny and bright and the surface doesn't really get dull so it's likely that it is somehow protected against corrosion....probably a clear powder coating?

Navin, if you don't like the tab just cut it off. But it is there for a reason. Try to close your jacket with half frozen or really wet fingers. Then you'll appreciate the leather pull tab.

With every Aero jacket I've ordered so far I've also ordered a piece of the same leather it's made from to cut my own pull tabs which are styled after Eastman's M422a tab. It's longer with a bell shaped bottom.

Navin323i · Jun 16, 2010

JanSolo said:
The Aero branded zipper is really of excellent overall quality and was basically introduced as an option to the sometimes failing Talon zipper. The teeth appear to made from raw or galvanized brass whereas the slider and the pull tab are die cast parts and therefore likely to be made from solid zinc. I am pretty sure that those parts are also galvanized i. e. nickel/brass plated and oxidized for the antique finish. The shiny brass zipper stays quite shiny and bright and the surface doesn't really get dull so it's likely that it is somehow protected against corrosion....probably a clear powder coating?

Navin, if you don't like the tab just cut it off. But it is there for a reason. Try to close your jacket with half frozen or really wet fingers. Then you'll appreciate the leather pull tab.

With every Aero jacket I've ordered so far I've also ordered a piece of the same leather it's made from to cut my own pull tabs which are styled after Eastman's M422a tab. It's longer with a bell shaped bottom.

That's a great point about the pull tab. Do you have pics of the custom pull tabs on your Aero jackets that you can share? That's a fantastic idea by the way, Jan... sehr gut!

ofelas · Dec 5, 2015

I removed the pull tab and tossed it in a drawer. I found it a bit effete. No issues with the zipper tab in below freezing.
Though I wish Aero would have used a larger, heftier Talon like the ones Schott uses.

Bunyip · Dec 5, 2015

Shiny brass.

Ralph_Phillips · Dec 6, 2015

Brass ages quickly enough that there is no need for a store bought antique finish.

AdeeC · Dec 6, 2015

Antique brass finish reminds me of those dreadful faux antique finishes on cheap light fittings and general 70's and 80's kitsch. Yuk.

Sloan1874 · Dec 6, 2015

"Effete"? Jings, I've never looked at any puller and thought 'that's manly enough for me', but maybe I'm not looking at them properly. I've got one jacket without a puller, my Dust Bowl, but that's just to keep the overall look as minimal as possible.

Edward · Dec 7, 2015

Mn. Aesthetically, I go backwards and forwards on the zip-puller thin,g but to be honest I'm not sured I can recall ever deciding whether or not to wear something on the basis of whether I (or anyone else, for that matter) considered it "manly".

ofelas said:
Though I wish Aero would have used a larger, heftier Talon like the ones Schott uses.

There was a thread discussing that issue a couple of years ago.... not sure where it's gone now. Aero do tend to stick to a smaller zip gauge, as is more in keeping with the vontage originals on which these jackets are based. I'm not a fan of the chunky zips myself - they look fine (if very modern) on a bike jacket, but somethingl ike a halfbelt, yeesh. I remember before Ken came back to Aero, they had a brief run of Aero making jackets for IronHeart, which were co-branded as Aero/IH. Those had really chunky, seventies-biker style zips on them; they looked ridiculous. Like the little flying jackets Action Man used to have back in the day, with a zip big enough for human fingers to operate.... all out of proportion.

Sloan1874 · Dec 7, 2015

I have the antique brass on my brown long half-belt, and it fits the overall look of the jacket. For a start, the FQHH leather will develop a patina far quicker than the zip, so it won't look out of place for very long (if at all). I also feel that antique tends to tone in with the overall colour scheme of the jacket, which is muted and earthy, keeping it 'as a piece', so to speak. The bright brass is nice, though, so I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Edward · Dec 7, 2015

I've had the antique on a few jackets, always liked it. Very fond of the shiny brass against a black hide, though.

gtdean48 · Dec 7, 2015

Got shiny brass on Vanson Octagon which looks good but on my Aero FQHH I like the antique brass zipper & front chest pocket. The buckles are shiny brass though on the pull tabs.

Stand By · Dec 8, 2015

I had an Aero zip in the antique brass finish and liked it as it is a really great design/shape that totally looks the part.
But if I had another Aero zip (and I would as it's the most functional zip I've ever come across - ran smooth-as-butter and never even tried to fail me once), I'd opt for natural brass finish and let it age by itself like an original. Not that there's anything wrong with the antique finish - it's good - but when set against the brown hide of my Aero ANJ-3, IMO, it disappeared a little more than I preferred and became slightly less of a feature, if you know what I mean.

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