Aero wear question

[Swedish_Pilot]

I'm lifting this question from another thread about Aero jackets.

I bought an Aero "Real Deal" in seal horsehide back in 2008.
I'm really satisfied with the jacket and I've worn it a lot while flying etc. The jacket is fantastic and I really like how it has developed its character.

As it's possible to see in the picture below, my jacket has got a lot of high point wear. The picture isn't really capturing all the colour nuances correctly, but the jacket has definitely not the same dark seal brown colour as it had when it was delivered.
I haven't done anything in particular to age the jacket, I've just worn it.

My question is if Aero back then deliberately dyed their jackets in such a way that they quickly would loose their colour and get a lot of high point wear?
If I remember correctly, back then in 2008 in the old flight jacket forum, a lot of guys were discussing how to age and break-in their jackets the fastest way possible, so I thought maybe it was fashion at that time?

The first 2-3 months, my jacket had a very dark brown seal colour, but quite soon the brown colour became lighter and the reddish primary colour became clearly visible in many areas.
All seams, pocket edges and other protruding parts almost immediatly lost the colour due to chafe from safety belts etc.

My jacket's current colour and level of high point wear came after about 2 years of seasonal use.
I've seen original A-2s with less high point wear, hence my question.

 

[269sqnhudson]

..and originals with a hell of a lot more, right?

Back in c.2002/3 they advertised a 50-mission steerhide that wore quickly. Other than that I imagine it's an attempt to replicate the originals (which wore in a multitude of different ways of course). I would say yours seems to be within the wide category of normal if it were original.

 

[Enigma1938]

At the risk of make some people upset but I personally don't like how the Aeros age / their Patina. I looks nothing like originals did. It always reminds me on a cheaply sanded down mall jacket from the appearance (not from the quality, I'm aware of that). Well, like Cesar said: "suum cuique" - to each their own.

 

[B-Man2]

Hi
Your A2 seems to have a great deal of “high point wear”. It seems like all the seams, pocket edges, and collar edges have it. If you hadn’t told us you wore those areas down in normal use , I would guess that it was done intentionally . It’s not often that you see a worn jacket with 80 - 90 % of all the edges on the jacket with wear like that . Just my opinion , others may disagree .

 

[Swedish_Pilot]

..and originals with a hell of a lot more, right?

Back in c.2002/3 they advertised a 50-mission steerhide that wore quickly. Other than that I imagine it's an attempt to replicate the originals (which wore in a multitude of different ways of course). I would say yours seems to be within the wide category of normal if it were original.

I hope it's in the normal category, although I must admit that most originals I've seen so far haven't had that much high point wear. They've had a lot of character and patina and the hides often look "crumpled", but I understand that there must be a lot of variation between originals too.

At the risk of make some people upset but I personally don't like how the Aeros age / their Patina. I looks nothing like originals did. It always reminds me on a cheaply sanded down mall jacket from the appearance (not from the quality, I'm aware of that). Well, like Cesar said: "suum cuique" - to each their own.

We have a less elegant proverb and saying in Swedish, which directly translated to English is: "Taste is like the buttocks, divided"

Hi
Your A2 seems to have a great deal of “high point wear”. It seems like all the seams, pocket edges, and collar edges have it. If you hadn’t told us you wore those areas down in normal use , I would guess that it was done intentionally . It’s not often that you see a worn jacket with 80 - 90 % of all the edges on the jacket with wear like that . Just my opinion , others may disagree .

Exactly, as I haven't done anything intentionally to the jacket, I also wonder why it has such a great deal of high point wear. Maybe @Ken at Aero Leather can shed some light on this...?

 

[269sqnhudson]

I don't know, it just varies so much I personally can't be persuaded by one type of wear or another. here's a good one:

And another:

 

[Swedish_Pilot]

I don't know, it just varies so much I personally can't be persuaded by one type of wear or another. here's a good one:

View attachment 46570View attachment 46571View attachment 46572View attachment 46573

And another:

View attachment 46574

Those are well worn examples with even more high point wear than my jacket. Interesting is how long time it could have taken from when they were issued to their users before they got the same level of high point wear as my jacket currently has got?

 

[Micawber]

Goodness more angst. Ground hog day?

Some people purposefully strive to gain that been there and done it look. A russet base colour leather over dyed in seal is going to get high point wear depending on the environment and type of use it gets.

Your jacket is 12 years old - 12 years - and is showing 12 years of wear. Wartime issue jackets generally endured a short period of intense wear - if the owner and any subsequent owners survived. Your jacket has endured 12 years of use - wear it with pride and worry about something worth worrying about.

 

[Swedish_Pilot]

Some people purposefully strive to gain that been there and done it look. A russet base colour leather over dyed in seal is going to get high point wear depending on the environment and type of use it gets.

Ok, if that's the way Aero has dyed my jacket.

Your jacket is 12 years old - 12 years - and is showing 12 years of wear.

As I wrote previously, my jacket got its current appearance already after 2 years of seasonal use. Not after 12 years of wear. It really hasn't changed much the last 10 years.

Goodness more angst. Ground hog day?

...worry about something worth worrying about.

No, no anxiety and I'm not worrying about this, I'm just curious about how jackets from different repro makers age, in this case Aero jackets as my jacket is an Aero. I thought that one purpose of this forum was to be able to discuss and share different experiences concerning vintage leather jackets in an open-minded way, and not getting dismissed because someone thinks a question is irrelevant. Why then even bother to answer it?

 

[Micawber]

No, no anxiety and I'm not worrying about this, I'm just curious about how jackets from different repro makers age, in this case Aero jackets as my jacket is an Aero. I thought that one purpose of this forum was to be able to discuss and share different experiences concerning vintage leather jackets in an open-minded way, and not getting dismissed because someone thinks a question is irrelevant. Why then even bother to answer it?

I responded as you clearly appear to be concerned, Apologies if I am wrong but I believe this is not the first thread regarding your Aero?

I have jackets that have worn like yours, others have not but that is just the nature of the beast and something that means each one gains a unique character over time. So yours has high spot wear and it gained that after 2 years has not changed in the subsequent 10 years but that's fine it is what it is. If it bothers you [if it bothers you] then it is perfectly feasible to have the finish stripped and the jacket re-dyed so that it regains an as new appearance in whatever shade of seal or dark russet you fancy and potentially to have it done with a harder wearing finish.

Just because I do not share your viewpoint does not make my opinion irrelevant or negate my right to respond with my views. One day I might grab a jacket that looks worn, the next one that looks fresh and unworn.

Yours looks fine to me and you ought to appreciate it for what it is or get it re-dyed to suit whatever it is you would be happy with.

PAX

 

[Swedish_Pilot]

I responded as you clearly appear to be concerned, Apologies if I am wrong but I believe this is not the first thread regarding your Aero?

Yes, in a previous thread I wanted to discuss Aero's pricing strategy and I responded to a request from a member and posted some pics of my Aero. But as I wrote in the beginning of this thread, I wanted to lift this question about how Aero jackets wear to a new thread.
As I've written previously I'm curious, not concerned or worried. I haven't been an active forum member for many years, but I do remember that discussions about repros, their pros and cons, hide characteristics, how jackets age naturally or how to break them in deliberately, were very common back in 2008. Therefore I assumed that this topic would be interesting to discuss, and as I know that many forum members are very knowledgeable I was hoping for a factual discussion.

I have jackets that have worn like yours, others have not but that is just the nature of the beast and something that means each one gains a unique character over time. So yours has high spot wear and it gained that after 2 years has not changed in the subsequent 10 years but that's fine it is what it is. If it bothers you [if it bothers you] then it is perfectly feasible to have the finish stripped and the jacket re-dyed so that it regains an as new appearance in whatever shade of seal or dark russet you fancy and potentially to have it done with a harder wearing finish.

Thank you for the advice to re-dye it! Maybe I'll consider that option in the future if the jacket eventually would gain even more high point wear, but at the moment it doesn't bother me. As I've written previously, I'm very satisfied with the jacket. I'm just curious about why it so quickly got such a great deal of high point wear, that's all.

Just because I do not share your viewpoint does not make my opinion irrelevant or negate my right to respond with my views.

I have never questioned your right to respond with your views. That's a fundamental right and principle to me. I started this thread because I wanted to discuss this particular question, how Aeros wear, and I'm very grateful for all comments and replies regarding this matter. I did oppose though to your initial post as I perceived that you were bothered by my question and thread and dismissed it by implying that I should be anxious or worrying about unimportant matters.

Yours looks fine to me and you ought to appreciate it for what it is or get it re-dyed to suit whatever it is you would be happy with.

Thank you! Yes, I do appreciate it very much and at the moment I'm very happy with it. Maybe I'll consider a re-dye in the future if it gains too much high point wear.

PAX

PAX

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I'm lifting this question from another thread about Aero jackets.

I bought an Aero "Real Deal" in seal horsehide back in 2008.
I'm really satisfied with the jacket and I've worn it a lot while flying etc. The jacket is fantastic and I really like how it has developed its character.

As it's possible to see in the picture below, my jacket has got a lot of high point wear. The picture isn't really capturing all the colour nuances correctly, but the jacket has definitely not the same dark seal brown colour as it had when it was delivered.
I haven't done anything in particular to age the jacket, I've just worn it.

View attachment 46482

My question is if Aero back then deliberately dyed their jackets in such a way that they quickly would loose their colour and get a lot of high point wear?

Correct, we first introduced "Jerky" in 1998, it's gone through many changes since, most notably we no longer finish over a beige/pale brown base (like yours) now we only finish over a russet base
Somewhere along the line between then and now the Japanese named this process "Tea Core" Personally I don't get it....Google translaste???

"Jerky" has just gone through another major upgrade, we don't rest on our laurels, as one leather or style gets copied we bring out something new

Latest addition leatherwise is an all new "Tea Core" (Yes I'll borrow that phrase for now) Horsehide
Tanned in The UK by a tannery new to Horsehide, looks incredible but we expect it'll come on even further with a couple more trys

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

An A-2 I owned from the 1980s to around 2012
The inspiration for Jerky

Yes, I "knocked the edges off it" with hard wear, the jacket was fairly mint before I got it......................few folk are as hard on their clothes as I am