An Idiot's Guide on How To Screw Up a Hookless Zipper

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Used properly Hookless zippers are without a doubt the best zipper on the market
However they treat fools with contempt
Fail to properly engage the pin into the box and the teeth immediately above the pin will get buggered up,
Engage the pin properly and these zippers will last a lifetime, no fraying of cloth, no metal pu;lling away from the cloth

Your choice

Here's how NOT to, one photo to show once and for all how not to do get dressed in the morning (Photo is of a brand new fresh out of the box A-2 Not an Aero BTW)

 

[Shropshire-lad]

Had a similar problem years ago with a motorcycle leather jacket...Belstaf.... didn’t properly engage the zip pin properly and it came open on the motorway! Now I always check....every day is a school day....

 

[MikeyB-17]

It’s a shame manufacturers moved away from this style of encasing the bottom of the zip in metal. Irvins have the same thing. We’ve all had zips of later design knackered because the male side tape wore out-no doubt easier and cheaper to manufacture, but a retrograde step, IMHO.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Good post ken. It would seem that impatience Is the cause for not aligning the male side with the female side properly.......then oops. I have had original hookless zippers in 30s jackets and they were the strongest most durable part of the jacket. the hookless zipper on my 1990s elc Werber has never failed, or given me any problems. All that. Plus I just like the way they look.

 

[Kermit3D]

I had never seen this type of zipper before I had my cyclist jacket.
It's a Waldes zipper

 

[B-Man2]

Ken
Appreciate this type of information. Not something you give much thought to .. until the zip has pulled apart at the bottom end and you’re trying to take your jacket off by pulling it over your head like a t-shirt.
Of course this never happened to me . I’m just telling the story

 

[John Lever]

Sometimes the male side can be hard to see or locate if the zip tape is very close to the leather

 

[ausreenactor]

Have placed the male side in too shallow once with the Talon on my BR Aero.. it zipped up but did not want to unzip at the base. Pulled the jacket over my head with some help from two helpful kids who don't habitually close their bedroom doors. Had to wriggle and jiggle carefully to get it separated. Scary times...

Double check that zipper every time now. Teeth are quite sharp too...

 

[Pilot]

Our Eclair NOS for our Hartmann‘s.
„Smooth as silk“ operation.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Zippers we use for our Soviet jackets, originals fully restored

 

[John Lever]

Soviet jackets ?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Soviet jackets ?

There are a couple of threads on this on VLJ

Two styles are exclusive to our Russian stockist......currently a tad on hold due to Covid and awaiting replica Soviet Zippers from Japan as the restored ones are running out.
The other one is the Lease-Lend jacket made by Aero Beacon for the Soviet Air Force during WW2................they haveTalon Zippers
These will be available direct from Aero very soon

 

[ties70]

Sorry to hi-jack the thread...

... but I would like to know if Hookless zippers were ever used for B-3 jackets?

I might have found a source for them, and would love to use one for a future project...but maybe putting one on an early WWII or sligthly pre-war B-3 jacket is totally off, then I should better reconsider.

I think ELC has used them for their SFAD B-3, but besides that...?

Any ideas?

Thanks, Ties

 

[zoomer]

The early ELC repros used soft metal, and soft tape too. Much could go wrong. One had the slider come apart, the other got a couple of teeth pulled out.

 

[Pilot]

According to the Japanese book.

 

[Kermit3D]

According to the Japanese book.
View attachment 52417View attachment 52418

Pilot, if I may ask, what is this book ?

 

[Pilot]

Pilot, if I may ask, what is this book ?

„Full Gear“

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

The early B-3 jackets all used Grommit zippers
On this subject, anyone know where i can find pics of really early B-3s, the ones with the extra strap on the left chest?
I know there are pics on VLJ somewhere

 

[2BM2K]

These photo's were at one time posted on the forum;

 

[2BM2K]

... but I would like to know if Hookless zippers were ever used for B-3 jackets?

Hookless or Talon?

The riveted zippers on B3's were probably Talon. The name Hookless is used on reproductions due to copy wright.