Best Leather For Aero Barnstormer?

[Bmiller01]

so i’ve been lookin in getting a b-10 or b-11 as my next jacket, however i have recently discovered the Aero Barnstormer and it has found its place at the top of the list on the next jacket in line!

with that said i was wondering for all those who have them or have had them, what is a good leather for them? who all has experience with the pinnacle hide in general? or if the cxl would be a better option?

i know i want the Shawl collar with the shearling and i know i want a aniline finish leather, just not sure if there’s such thing as a too think of hide for it.

i want a warm, deep winter jacket for the midwest U.S. so any lining recommendations would be welcomed as well. i’m thinking shearling, but if it’s gonna be toooo warm. A tartan or a tweed would be a mighty fine choice as well.

-B

 

[zebedee]

I'd go with Vicenza and get a Troy blanket lining.

Too thick a leather on a Barnstormer might make it hard to wear.

 

[Bennarion]

I'd go with Vicenza and get a Troy blanket lining.

Too thick a leather on a Barnstormer might make it hard to wear.

I totally agree with you.

 

[RDS]

If you’re intending on having a shearling lining I’d probably avoid CXL and go for a thinner, more pliable hide; otherwise you could end up with a jacket which has all the flexibility of a suit of armour.

Also, if you’re wanting a warm, deep winter jacket the lining will be more important than the leather outer. There won’t be much thermal difference between thick or thin hides but there will be between shearling and tartan wool.

 

[Bmiller01]

If you’re intending on having a shearling lining I’d probably avoid CXL and go for a thinner, more pliable hide; otherwise you could end up with a jacket which has all the flexibility of a suit of armour.

Also, if you’re wanting a warm, deep winter jacket the lining will be more important than the leather outer. There won’t be much thermal difference between thick or thin hides but there will be between shearling and tartan wool.

that’s what ive heard, that CXL is such a stiff leather. ive never wore it or even handled it but it looks so good!! i want to actually be able to move in it.

ive read people saying that even just a simple wool lining was a lot of times warm enough without needing to layer underneath.

i feel like shearling lined is probably overkill and would make a coat that is far too warm for most of what i would need. it looks so awesome but probably impractical. i’m not actually going to be flying at 5,000m in an open cockpit lol.

 

[zebedee]

I totally agree with you.

I also think that Vicenza would drape far better than a thicker hide. Heretically, as a Barnstormer or Mariner is definitely a coat, a roomier fit is also a good plan.

 

[Bfd70]

https://wardrobe19.com/products/aero-leather-clothing-barnstormer-natural-chromexcel-horsehide-mto

 

[marker2037]

The Barnstormer in chromexcel is definitely amazing looking. If you go that route, I would definitely do a lighter and flexible lining as opposed to something thick and heavy.

 

[Guppy]

Shearling backed with goat.

 

[Harris HTM]

Shearling backed with goat.

For a barnstormer is goat probably not an optiom due to the small hide sizes. At least this is what I was told some years ago and I finally ordered my 2nd barnstormer in vicenza

 

[3.14nche]

Tumbled CXL is also an option.
It's still heavy and will probably never be as easy wearing as Vicenza but most of the breaking in is done out of the box.
Alpaca is warm enough for me but we rarely drop below freezing over here and there's still enough room to layer if need be.

 

[marker2037]

Tumbled CXL is also an option.
It's still heavy and will probably never be as easy wearing as Vicenza but most of the breaking in is done out of the box.
Alpaca is warm enough for me but we rarely drop below freezing over here and there's still enough room to layer if need be.
View attachment 768715

Really nice!! Good choice with tumbled, I always prefer that myself.

 

[Edward]

I also think that Vicenza would drape far better than a thicker hide. Heretically, as a Barnstormer or Mariner is definitely a coat, a roomier fit is also a good plan.

As ever, it's all about patching the right pattern to the right purpose. I agree that this is an overcoat, and should be thought of as such. If a warm jacket is what is desired, the Hudson would be an obvious option for something longer.

For a barnstormer is goat probably not an optiom due to the small hide sizes. At least this is what I was told some years ago and I finally ordered my 2nd barnstormer in vicenza

Yeah, goat would most likely compromise the pattern, requiring a fair few more panels.

Tumbled CXL is also an option.
It's still heavy and will probably never be as easy wearing as Vicenza but most of the breaking in is done out of the box.
Alpaca is warm enough for me but we rarely drop below freezing over here and there's still enough room to layer if need be.
View attachment 768715

Hide-wise, the tumbled CXL would definitely be an pre-broken in option, and I've heard it recommended by others who in retrospect wished they'd gone that route instead of full on standard CXL. CXL will make for a somewhat heavy jacket, of course - that wouldn't bother me (I have a few fairly hefty wool overcoats, and I only really notice the weight if I take them off and carry over my arm, not when wearing), but YMMV. My FQHH CXL jackets took maybe a month before I felt they were "broken in", after that they were as soft as pretty much any other jacket I've owned. Some folks will tell you that they find a FQHH jacket a bit stiff in the cold; not my experience, but then I've also never worn one down to freezing point, so again - personal experience and expectation.

Otherwise, of course, always worth talking to Aero. IME they're very good at taking personal preference into account while also having a very strong knowledge of what just won't work for particular patterns.

I have owned a vintage coat relatively similar to the barnstormer (but longer, knee length. I wish the Barnstormer was that bit longer!), which was lined in moleskin, which was surprisingly warm. Next level down, I would think, from a blanket wool. As noted by others, the warmth really comes from the liner. Shearling will indeed be the warmest. If you're out all day in the real cold, perfect; if you're wearing it over a suit on a crowded train to work, it might be a bit much. Another option might be Aero's quilt lining. I've not tried it, but I think it would for me be similar in warmth to the blanket lining, and possibly less prone to mothing if that's something you need to consider. Not seen it in a Barnstormer; I think that style of quilted liner came in somewhat later than this design originates, though I have seen post-war civilian jacket of this style (45-59) with that sort of lining, so I wouldn't consider it a particular faux pas if it works for the pattern.

 

[SilverEye1508]

Im also thinking about a barnstormer, im thinking a alpaca wool lining with corduroy or quilted sleeve lining for slide ability. I like the idea of chromexcel for being wet weather proof, but worry about drape. As this is more like an overcoat, maybe steer chromexcel would drape better, but its also heavier. Was also thinking about pinnacle, but that doesn't seem to be an option for this style.

 

[itsme]

In my experience, horsehide is far too heavy and stiff for such a large coat like the Barnstormer. Also, fastening the buttons becomes a real pain.

The reason is mainly the weight and rigidity of horsehide. A Barnstormer is a long coat with a lot of leather surface area. If that leather is very dense and stiff—like horsehide often is—the total weight of the coat increases significantly. Instead of draping naturally, the coat can feel bulky and restrictive, especially when sitting down or moving your arms.

Because the leather is also quite firm and resistant to bending, closing the front can be awkward. When you try to push the buttons through the buttonholes, the thick, stiff leather around them doesn’t flex much. That means you often have to use more force, which makes buttoning the coat slower and a bit uncomfortable.

Softer leathers, like certain cowhides or steerhide, tend to drape better and flex more easily, which usually makes a long coat like the Barnstormer more comfortable to wear and easier to handle.

Because of that, I would especially recommend asking Aero about a soft steerhide option — I own one myself.

I also wouldn’t recommend a sheepskin lining for this jacket, as I imagine it would make the coat too heavy. My Aero Barnstormer has an alpaca lining, which Aero sews in loosely on this model, so you can still see the backside of the leather on the inside.

 

[Roberto Pacheco]

so i’ve been lookin in getting a b-10 or b-11 as my next jacket, however i have recently discovered the Aero Barnstormer and it has found its place at the top of the list on the next jacket in line!

with that said i was wondering for all those who have them or have had them, what is a good leather for them? who all has experience with the pinnacle hide in general? or if the cxl would be a better option?

i know i want the Shawl collar with the shearling and i know i want a aniline finish leather, just not sure if there’s such thing as a too think of hide for it.

i want a warm, deep winter jacket for the midwest U.S. so any lining recommendations would be welcomed as well. i’m thinking shearling, but if it’s gonna be toooo warm. A tartan or a tweed would be a mighty fine choice as well.

-B

i'd also like to order a Aero Shawl Collar Barnstormer, i was hoping to get it in Goatskin but after reading some comments suggesting that might not be possible, i'm now considering Vicenza Horsehide or Badalassi Steerhide.

The Sheepskin linning is really cool, and i was wondering if it would be possible to have the Sheepskin lining made removable (zip-in or button-in style), does anyone know if this is possible?

I've seen photos of versions of the Aero Blizzard where the liner could be removed, but of course they were made for different materials

 

[Edward]

i'd also like to order a Aero Shawl Collar Barnstormer, i was hoping to get it in Goatskin but after reading some comments suggesting that might not be possible, i'm now considering Vicenza Horsehide or Badalassi Steerhide.

The Sheepskin linning is really cool, and i was wondering if it would be possible to have the Sheepskin lining made removable (zip-in or button-in style), does anyone know if this is possible?

I've seen photos of versions of the Aero Blizzard where the liner could be removed, but of course they were made for different materials

A removable liner is not something I've ever seen Aero do. The only Blizzards I've ever seen didn't have a removable liner. The buttons were for an in-built 'waistcoat' front that could be worn so that it sat closed over the body while the coat was open (giving the look of a waistcoat worn under the coat), or could be buttoned against the front of the jacket itself such that it functioned like an extra liner layer:

I don't believe it could be actually removed entirely from the coat?

TBH, I'm not much of a fan of removable liners. I've had them, but they never worked quite as well as a fixed liner for me, and I, personally, preferred to have separate coats for warmer / colder weather. Possibly an advantage if you were very keen on having just one for a specific reason, but tbh I always found it a bit too much of a compromise either way. If you worry about a coat getting too warm, I'd be inclined to go for one with a lighter lining and room to layer or not underneath rather than trying to add a removable layer to the coat itself. YMMV, of course, but as I said I don't think it's something Aero do. I *think* it's maybe a more modern trend (eighties and later); if so, that would put it into the forbidden post-1959 era for Aero's design preferences.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Shearling is thick enough that if removed.as a liner the jacket would fit oddly.

 

[Edward]

Shearling is thick enough that if removed.as a liner the jacket would fit oddly.

Also true. If you order a shearling liner as an add-on for an Aero jacket, the shell they use will actually be based on a size-up from the size ordered in whichever pattern in order to be able to accommodate the thickness of the lining.

 

[Roberto Pacheco]

A removable liner is not something I've ever seen Aero do. The only Blizzards I've ever seen didn't have a removable liner. The buttons were for an in-built 'waistcoat' front that could be worn so that it sat closed over the body while the coat was open (giving the look of a waistcoat worn under the coat), or could be buttoned against the front of the jacket itself such that it functioned like an extra liner layer:

View attachment 780319

I don't believe it could be actually removed entirely from the coat?

TBH, I'm not much of a fan of removable liners. I've had them, but they never worked quite as well as a fixed liner for me, and I, personally, preferred to have separate coats for warmer / colder weather. Possibly an advantage if you were very keen on having just one for a specific reason, but tbh I always found it a bit too much of a compromise either way. If you worry about a coat getting too warm, I'd be inclined to go for one with a lighter lining and room to layer or not underneath rather than trying to add a removable layer to the coat itself. YMMV, of course, but as I said I don't think it's something Aero do. I *think* it's maybe a more modern trend (eighties and later); if so, that would put it into the forbidden post-1959 era for Aero's design preferences.

Thanks for the information, i asked Aero but haven't heard back from them yet.

Here's an example of a French Barnstormer from the 1950s, it seems this was something they used to do, i've seen several examples :
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/fs-50s-french-barnstormer-size-42-44.105803/