Unmatched hides, grainy vs. smooth

[Burnsie]

ELC used to offer consistently smooth hides believing that's what most people wanted, Aero introduced unmatched jerky hide in the name of authenticity and cost cutting, JC now offers "what the animal provides" and ELC has shifted gears with War Horse (which is "worked on" to "achieve" this look...still not sure what that means). Any way here's a new Aero 1756 with unmatched hides - what's your preference?!?

 

[Anonymous]

"what the animal provides" is as good a description of my requirement as I've ever heard.

 

[CBI]

looking at original photos - we see both - I like both

 

[Vcruiser]

Unmatched ...or the more jerky the better does it for me.
My only original...A russet Aero...is of unmatched thick..and thinner hides..but quite jerky all over.
Van

 

[gomez]

Unmatched looks the part IMO. At some point, I think it would be cool to select a favorite hide from a pile and have a jacket made from it. In this way you could have some real input on what the jacket will be made of and where concentration of grain goes.

 

[Chandler]

If you look at my ELC 1401 posted in the Photo Gallery Forum, this jacket started out smooth as silk out of the box. Now it looks to have been made from mismatched hides. This is how I like my jackets to break in.

Whether or not originals did is hard to say, but I'd bet the pre-war pieces were made a little more carefully with better matched hides and over time they started to show their wear.

Chandler

 

[blethook]

That is a nice 1756, Burnsie!

I've just got mine as well, but in goat (seal brown). How is the Conmar zipper btw? For some reason Amanda advised me to go with the Talon zipper, instead of the Conmar. She claims it's a better zipper than the Conmar. So, I ended up with a deadstock Talon on my goat 1756.

Regarding the hides texture, I never specify anything in particular, but I notice that the leather texture is never uniform, anyhow. The only A-2 jacket I have that's smooth all over is the 1938 Aero (requested a smooth HH in seal brown). The other A-2 jackets I have (Aero Bronco & 1756) are more or less unmatched (they come that way, not requested).

Blethook

 

[Burnsie]

That is a nice 1756, Burnsie!

I've just got mine as well, but in goat (seal brown). How is the Conmar zipper btw? For some reason Amanda advised me to go with the Talon zipper, instead of the Conmar. She claims it's a better zipper than the Conmar. So, I ended up with a deadstock Talon on my goat 1756.

Blethook

So far so good, but it's new - still time to crap out I guess! Mark at Aero USA also suggested the Talon but I got the Conmar for two reasons - the academic being that pics I've seen of the 1756 had brass conmars, the personal being my real deal's got the Talon and I wanted something different. First impression is the Conmar seems solid enough and locks nicely.

 

[blethook]

Burnsie, I've seen your post & pics on the FL, so I know that you're a lot taller & bigger than I am (5'7", 150 lbs).

However, surprisingly, we wear the same Aero size: 42. Sometimes, I wonder if I can get away with a size 40 A-2 from Aero...I know I can with ELC's...

Again, it's on Amanda's advice that I go with the size 42 (& personal experience with the AN-6552, whereby I had to upsize to size 42). Plus, I like my A-2 a bit long...

One of these days I am going to post pics of my Aero A-2s...

 

[Anonymous]

Don't mean to be mean here but as far as being a copy the Aero 1756 has some problems- the 1756s I've seen in photos have very squat Perryish pockets and different epaulets- a bit fatter with more "field" in between the stitch lines. It looks like Aero made a half-hearted attempt to copy the collar...

Original 1756 size 38:

Original 1756 size 36:

The pockets are the main problem but I do understand that Aero will provide scalloped pockets on any jacket so that may be the story. The epaulets look to be the standard Aero Aero epaulets. I saw a photo of the Aero 1756 worn on the Hat Forum and it actually looks nice!! Please don't take my criticism the wrong way.

 

[Burnsie]

Please don't take my criticism the wrong way.

Not a chance! And thanks for posting the pics of the originals

 

[Robman]

I have one too. It's a great A2! Has mis matched hides and the repro Conmar....couple of years old, no zip issues.

Also the pockets of mine are more Perry-like, I really enjoy it.

There is a fit difference with it from my real deals for sure! Very trim shoulder fit but not so prohibitive that it can not be worn. Just different than the real deal/anniversary.

Really no shoulder overhang that gets people so hung up.

Mine is a 46 but feels like a "more comfortable" 44 which is my real deal size. It's actually really like an "in betweener" for a lack of a better term...not as full cut as the real deal 46 and a tad roomier across the chest and mid back than the 44 real deal.

Certainly looks the part for sure!

Like that straw thread color you have on yours!

 

[rich]

Here's my ELC house, from around 1990. I don't think it was anything like this grainy when new, but as Chandler said, this has only developed over time. I have another, maybe from 1995 which is nowhere near as textured so I think it's just luck of the draw as to the hide your jacket was originally made from. What interests me is seeing photos of the originals in wartime use, which look as if they have been constantly worn for 20 years, even though they've been issued perhaps 4 years at the most. I know my Dad rubbed cigarette ash into his RAF badges so as not to look the raw recruit, and there are many stories of airmen aging their service caps so as to appear more experienced - would aircrew have weathered their own A2's, or is this an absurd notion?

 

[Chandler]

Here's my ELC house, from around 1990.

That's a pretty outstanding looking piece.

Chandler

 

[C.J.]

Here's my ELC house, from around 1990.

That's probably the nicest looking repro I've ever seen!

 

[blethook]

Hi Burnsie,

Here are some pics of my seal brown goatskin 1756. Same tag size as yours: 42. The true colour shows best on the middle picture. Mine is only about a month old, so hardly any scratches. Grainings have developed here & there, but nothing major. Plus this being goat will probably take longer to show signs of wear. Like any other Aero jackets I own, the fit was horrible when it was brand new & stiff. Now after a month it's starting to shape & drape nicely...

 

[Burnsie]

Very nice! I haven't had a chance to wear mine out in the rain or much at all to really break it in yet so it hasn't fit to me yet. Thanks for the pics - the goat will last forever I'm sure.
And those are Sugar Cane jeans?

 

[blethook]

You've got good eyes spotting the SC jeans!!

And yes, the goat is going to be tough to break in. I used to own a ELC G-1 and it took me 4 years to break it in completely (including one accidental soak in the rain) along with doses of pecard applications. Even though the leather became soft & supple after four years there were still hardly any signs of wear/rubbing, even on the elbows. The thing I like about the goat is the pebbley grainings it develop with wear.

I'll post my Aero Bronco (in seal jerky HH) one of these days just to show you the difference. The Bronco is only about a year old, but already showing signs of wear & rubbing in the normal areas (elbows, etc.)