Zipper Replacement Already?

[torfjord]

If it is generally accepted that the leather in new Aero jackets is significantly heavier than vintage jackets, historical accuracy does not seem to be of paramount importance to Aero. It might be sensible to offer lighter zips with lighter leathers to create a jacket indistinguishable from an original, but if the heavier leather is already anachronistic, why not have the option of an anachronistic heavier zip as well.
Personally, I have no problem with the aesthetics of a heavy YKK, and if it cannot last at least 15 years of hard daily use, I would be unhappy.

Your first paragraph is exactly the point I wanted to make, but you beat me to it.

I do agree with Sloan though that bigger zippers aren’t as pretty as the more elegant zippers that aero uses. I think a jacket looks better with the small talon zip as opposed to a chunky YKK. But they’re obviously not as sturdy, especially when paired with heavy CXL. Maybe there’s a middle ground option? Something that’s a bit sturdier while still being somewhat historically accurate?

 

[Peter Bowden]

I would have thought 4 years was pretty good going for a jacket in regular use.Something I realised recently was how much strain the bottom of the zip sustains when the body is bent forward and is now something I try to avoid.Some Langlitz/motorcycle jackets have a stud fitting at the front to strengthen the overall fastening.It's a swine to have a jacket that you cant use though.......

 

[Peacoat]

As Sloan says the trick is to pull the male part (insertion pin) hard into the female part (slider) and hold it tight before zipping up. And that is what I have always have had trouble with. In the pics below you will see the extra piece of hide at the belt of my ThunderBay. Instead of a double thickness, it is now a triple thickness. Plus, and perhaps more importantly, there is a rivet right next to the insertion pin. This makes it difficult to get the slider on the insertion pin and have them mate tightly. The first two pictures show the extra piece of material and the rivet, neither of which is present on my Sheene, my Highwayman or any of my other 12 leather jackets, some of which are also heavy leather.

The third picture shows the damaged insertion pin and the missing tooth, which finally gave up and jumped off the tape this morning. It also shows the amount of material around the insertion pin which must somehow be spread apart to allow the slider to mate with the insertion pin. Doesn't easily happen. With the amount of leather and the rivet blocking access to the insertion pin it is difficult to pull the tiny pieces together tight enough to allow the teeth on the chain to properly seat. This particular jacket needed a robust zipper to begin with.

Shown in the last picture is my Sheene with a good view of the insertion pin. Notice how the leather is gaped open at the insertion pin. This allows easy
access to the insertion pin and the slider to obtain a tight mating before zipping up. It isn't hidden like the insertion pin on the ThunderBay.

So in the next day or so, I will call Alan and see what he says about replacing the zipper.

 

[Worf]

Hey Peacoat! I took out my T.B. and took some photos... Your problem is that they put the male side of the zip TOO CLOSE to the rivet and too far down in the fold. Here's what mine looks like.

Hopefully you can see that the male of mine is well visible from the fold and well out for seating.

Also the male part is above the "bunch up" at the bottom of the belt area. If you sent it back along with pics of mine perhaps they can do you right and fix this. I hope this helps.

Worf

 

[Peacoat]

Yep, that's why you haven't had trouble with yours and I have with mine.

Thanks for the pictures.

 

[scottyrocks]

On anything heavier than a dress-weight leather jacket, I would go (and have gone) with a #10 zipper for replacement, as I did when an original #8 gave up the ghost.

 

[Guppy]

As Sloan says the trick is to pull the male part (insertion pin) hard into the female part (slider) and hold it tight before zipping up.

Harder! Harder! That's it, hold it right there! Yes! Yes!

Zzzzzzzzipp!!!

 

[scottyrocks]

Harder! Harder! That's it, hold it right there! Yes! Yes!

Zzzzzzzzipp!!!

Someone had to go there. haha

 

[Peacoat]

On anything heavier than a dress-weight leather jacket, I would go (and have gone) with a #10 zipper for replacement, as I did when an original #8 gave up the ghost.

Alan said the ThunderBay needs a #10. Evidently he is not a fan of the #5 Hookless. Both of the M.C. jackets I got from him have the YKK #10. Never had even a slight glitch with them.

@Guppy, I was hoping that would go over everyones' head. Why would I have thought that?