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AERO Halfbelt

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
well after some considerations, contact with Ken and some other guys from AERO, checking pics on the net i finally pulled the Trigger for a 1930ies Halfbelt in CORDOVAN horsehide ...

i picked the jacket outta the "sales" page and already got a note hte jacket will arrive tomorrow

actually i do not like all the Details of the halfbelt (like the cuffs) i will see how everything turns out

just on the pics the jacket Looks splendid

ArvIOIh.jpg

U0RIWTZ.jpg


now i need to see whether the layout matches my bodyshape

will Keep ya posted
 

Earloffunk

Well-Known Member
Nice jacket! Looking forward to see some elevator/restroom pics... The only thing I do not like is that it has only one chest pocket - I am a symmetry type of guy.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
i have one of those aero hbs in black dyed over seal brown [my work]. i believe it was originally offered by thurston [i purchased it second hand],, thus, it has a little added length on the body and arms....which is something i like. if the hides used for your jacket are the same hh used for mine, you will find that the jacket "breaks in" easily, and gets comfy fast. they are nice no frills, straight forward every day wearers. btw, i swapped out the buttons for vintage colt buttons, replaced the side belts with "vintage" type tongue buckles and popped holes in the straps,, and popped rivets into the bottom front, as well as replacing the zipper puller with a m-41 talon puller. why all the to do? just to give the jacket a 30s kinda one off look.
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
well after some considerations, contact with Ken and some other guys from AERO, checking pics on the net i finally pulled the Trigger for a 1930ies Halfbelt in CORDOVAN horsehide ...

i picked the jacket outta the "sales" page and already got a note hte jacket will arrive tomorrow

actually i do not like all the Details of the halfbelt (like the cuffs) i will see how everything turns out

just on the pics the jacket Looks splendid

ArvIOIh.jpg

U0RIWTZ.jpg


now i need to see whether the layout matches my bodyshape

will Keep ya posted
Man love the color on that . What size are you getting? Fit pics please!
Good luck with it .
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Is that CXL FQHH Thomas? It looks like it.

Not a HB but I have an Aero Barnstormer in brown CXL FQHH and it is some of the best looking leather I've seen, it wears beautifully too and develops stunning patina. It's one of my most favourite jackets.

That looks great, post some pics when it arrives tomorrow!
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Looks really nice to me, nice Dubow style pointy collar shape! I bet it'll be comfortable to wear too.
 

Southoftheborder

Well-Known Member
Is that CXL FQHH Thomas? It looks like it.

Not a HB but I have an Aero Barnstormer in brown CXL FQHH and it is some of the best looking leather I've seen, it wears beautifully too and develops stunning patina. It's one of my most favourite jackets.

That looks great, post some pics when it arrives tomorrow!

Lovely to look at but very often a pain to wear. I've had numerous CXL coats and jackets over the years bought new and used but I'm down to one now. I do like to keep one brown CXL jacket because it does look so nice when it's broken in and has developed that patinated marbled effect. It can make the wearer look like a well polished mahogany wardrobe walking down the street gleaming in the sun...

But I wish Aero would not fit those silly little zips to the CXL jackets. They might have been the size fitted on originals the jackets are based on but those originals were not made in thick hide like CXL. They were mostly made in HH similar in thickness to the hide Aero sell as jerky.

Trying to do up a new jacket made in CXL with a piddly little zip sandwiched and hidden between two layers of leather and anyway not man enough to deal with such thick hide - being more likely to bend rather than slide easily into place is really no fun. As to button versions - don't get me started. You can break your fingers trying to do those up when they're new.
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Lovely to look at but very often a pain to wear.

I've only had experience with the one, my Barnstormer and although it was very substantial when I got it (it had had two previous owners who hadn't worn it so effectively new) it has softened and moulded beautifully. It's a heavy jacket but I love wearing it and it's not annoying in the slightest, in fact it's very comfy now. I love the thing and wouldn't part with it.

One thing I do notice here is if I wear it in close to freezing or freezing conditions, it can be initially quite stiff (I imagine that's all the waxes that Horween use in the leather) and takes about 5 minutes to "loosen" up.

One of my favourite jackets, if not my favourite.
 

D97x7

Well-Known Member
Looking forward to some fit pics, I'm seriously considering something in cordovan myself, steer though. I also don't find the heavy horse or steer difficult to wear, it's lovely stuff.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Lovely to look at but very often a pain to wear. I've had numerous CXL coats and jackets over the years bought new and used but I'm down to one now. I do like to keep one brown CXL jacket because it does look so nice when it's broken in and has developed that patinated marbled effect. It can make the wearer look like a well polished mahogany wardrobe walking down the street gleaming in the sun...

But I wish Aero would not fit those silly little zips to the CXL jackets. They might have been the size fitted on originals the jackets are based on but those originals were not made in thick hide like CXL. They were mostly made in HH similar in thickness to the hide Aero sell as jerky.

Trying to do up a new jacket made in CXL with a piddly little zip sandwiched and hidden between two layers of leather and anyway not man enough to deal with such thick hide - being more likely to bend rather than slide easily into place is really no fun. As to button versions - don't get me started. You can break your fingers trying to do those up when they're new.

May I suggest one of our Hookless Grommet Zippers?
 

Southoftheborder

Well-Known Member
May I suggest one of our Hookless Grommet Zippers?

I've only had experience with the one, my Barnstormer and although it was very substantial when I got it (it had had two previous owners who hadn't worn it so effectively new) it has softened and moulded beautifully. It's a heavy jacket but I love wearing it and it's not annoying in the slightest, in fact it's very comfy now. I love the thing and wouldn't part with it.

One thing I do notice here is if I wear it in close to freezing or freezing conditions, it can be initially quite stiff (I imagine that's all the waxes that Horween use in the leather) and takes about 5 minutes to "loosen" up.

One of my favourite jackets, if not my favourite.

Yes the waxes and oils do make it particularly stiff in the cold. Though I have an Eastman in smooth veg tanned HH that's almost as stiff in the cold too...

I'm probably a bit jaundiced at the moment having just bought a new and unworn Aero Bootlegger from someone who clearly found it too unforgiving for him. Unlike some I'm not the sort of masochist who enjoys breaking in heavy Horween hide so I'll probably take a shortcut via the shower and that will make it a lot easier to do up.

Some people buy jackets in CXL without realising just how heavy it is and quite a few move them on PDQ. I've bought more than a couple from the unwary like that myself.


May I suggest one of our Hookless Grommet Zippers?

Careful, or the irony may enter your soul.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
The best way to ensure comfort in Chromexcel Horsehide jacket is to make sure it's left somewhere warm overnight
This will soften the waxes and make it far more comfy in the morning, it'll also feel a lot warmer all day

Even my Battered Horsehide Work Coat is a tad stiff and awkward to put on first thing if I leave it in the car or in the porch overnight
Before you ask, it won't get nicked, we live in the middle of nowhere
 

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
Well received the jacket on Thursday (within 2 days after ordering and must say i‘m overwhelmed. Yeah the CXL HH is heavy and first half hour in the morning it feels kinda stiff but as soon as is warmed up it feels fine for me.

I weared it all day long yesterday and it already started to slightly break in.

The design is splendid (although i was more after different cuffs) and if i would have ordered a custom-made one i would have changed them but i took the jacket off the „sales page“ so i decided for the advantage in price and left everything „as is“.

The support i got from Aero either via email or phone was flawless.

Bottom line: splendid jacket - splendid Service!

Will post some fitpics asap.
 

jeremiah

Well-Known Member
I now am very familiar with all the nooks and crannies of the aero half-belt. I like that jacket style.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
I now am very familiar with all the nooks and crannies of the aero half-belt. I like that jacket style.

Jeremiah
Maybe you should post pics of the jacket you worked on for Aero?
We had an Olive Vicenza damaged/marked in transit to USA, rather than get the customer to return it to the UK we had him send to Jeremiah to see what could be done
I should have posted pics at the time...the job was way beyond our expectations
 
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