Alexander Leather Company

[John Lever]

http://alexanderleathers.com/

 

[Vcruiser]

Interesting!
Curious to his side of the story.

Van

 

[B-Man2]

????????????????????

 

[TankBuster]

That didn't take long.

 

[Peter Graham]

So Amanda went too.

 

[Jeff M]

So Amanda went too.

Looks like it.
Be interesting to see what they are offering when their web site gets up and running.

 

[ausreenactor]

So Amanda went too.

Looks like it.
Be interesting to see what they are offering when their web site gets up and running.

Until then - Alexander the Wait.

Couchy

 

[Steve H]

:lol:

 

[ausreenactor]

http://alexanderleathers.com/

If these guys direct their main effort to more accurate reproductions of WWII leather and shearling
jackets then there could be another player on the scene. No doubting their experience. I suppose it
will all come down to the quality of the hides and consumables. And whether they hit non-UK buyers
with the VAT! Aaaah..sorry..

Couchy

 

[MikeyB-17]

I bet they won't-Aero seemed to lose interest in repro military stuff after Ken retired, when he was in charge first time round they would bring out new military repros on a regular basis-none thereafter. I reckon they'll stick to civilian stuff.

 

[Otter]

I agree with you, Ken seemed much more interested in the Mil Rep side than Will ever did. Ken sold me some lovely patchs that he had made as samples. Georgeous Nationalist Chinese wings in chenile and a very nice un-official AVG patch in layered leather. Will be interesting to see if there is more made of patches and artwork now.

 

[regius]

sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have just become seriously involved in the Aero stuff lately, the only background knowledge I have is about Mark and his ebay site (which was terminated), Ken and Holly, Amanda and the other guys who left.

I guess what I want to know is, who is the bad guy? Did those who left really mess up the company? Or was it actually more messy before 2004?

Does that have anything to do with the change of label, from the white silk label to the more color airplance mountain motorcycle car label?

 

[Persimmon]

sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have just become seriously involved in the Aero stuff lately, the only background knowledge I have is about Mark and his ebay site (which was terminated), Ken and Holly, Amanda and the other guys who left.

I guess what I want to know is, who is the bad guy? Did those who left really mess up the company? Or was it actually more messy before 2004?

Does that have anything to do with the change of label, from the white silk label to the more color airplance mountain motorcycle car label?

Fairly simply put -
Ken runs a company. He retires the best part of a decade ago and lets other folks manage it for him.
The MD (managing director) Will runs the company and extends the range being offered.
Main support contact is Amanda.
Over in the US, a man by the name of Mark runs a operation selling Aero jackets.
He brands it as Aero USA implying its a division of the main company
Aero UK do not actually counter that illusion in all that time
It is not however and he is just a trader buying and selling Aero jackets to US customers
Although they could have just as easily bought them from the Aero UK probably cheaper but certaintly as it turns out quicker.
Mark is not the shinning white knight that he appears and towards the end of his association with Aero seems to have taken money from customers in the States but in many cases never places the orders with Aero in Scotland.
He decides to get out and subsequently the sorry debacle of customers not being supplied with a jacket but having their money taken appears.
He is currently under investigation by the US authorities
Ken and his daughter come back to the company at the beginning of 2012 to save the business and bring back good standards
During the year Ken and team find out that there are other "gems" that have also taken place that are not in keeping with the Aero standards of before by the management team led by Will
Recently one of these appears in selling Steerhide as Horsehide but charging premium prices
Will leaves. Amanda leaves. Certain other employees including machinests leave
Ken and daughter Holly endeavour to warn folks about this misrepresentation in the Hat Forum
Hat Forum folks also start posting about why have they not also put this on their website to attract customers across the world and not just those who read Hat Forum posts.
Eventually they do.
Aero decide to go after Will in a court case -more to follow on that one.
In the meantime Will creates a new company with Amanda in support - we await what this will bring in designs etc
So 2012 becomes for Aero a sort of Annus Horribilis
Hopefully 2013 will be brighter

 

[omarco]

eeeesh, i didn't know Will was being pursued in the courts, it would be good to hear his side of things.

 

[Otter]

Well done Persimmon, summed up sooo many pages in a few lines !

 

[Dr H]

Does anybody remember 'Soap' from the '80s? I just had a flashback from the intro

 

[Persimmon]

Does anybody remember 'Soap' from the '80s? I just had a flashback from the intro

My inspiration indeed.

Confused ?
You won't be, after this week's episode of...Aero

 

[Dr H]

:lol:

 

[les_garten]

On the "Hat Forum", I like that one, they have some pix of one of the New Jackets and it looks most promising.

If I buy one, don't think I'll be "pricing up" for a premium hide though...

 

[John Lever]

Please could you post a link ?
Thanks