£100 gamble on J.A Dubow N230-415 A-2

[FlyingPoncho]

Hi all

I posted a WTB thread the other day, and I am not exactly known for my patience. Enter, what I think to be a fairly early Lost World Dubow that I have picked up on Yahoo JP auctions for £100.

There was not much information from the seller other than it is horsehide, and "the size feels the same as other USA-made jackets of size 42 (Schott, Avirex, etc.)". There is some damage to the knits and lining, and I am slightly concerned about the wear of the left sleeve as I can't tell if that is rot which has been polished over.

In any case, I don't expect this to be my last A-2 but more of a project piece which I will try to clean up, swap out the knits, and add some insignia. I am aware that for that price I may as well have purchased a jacket in better condition, but as they say, it's all about the journey.

Pics below, I will post an update once it arrives.

 

[Herrvallmo]

For 100£ it looks like a great deal some battle scars but overall the condition looks great.
Would love some pictures when it lands!

Cheers!

 

[The Lost Cowboy]

Hi all

I posted a WTB thread the other day, and I am not exactly known for my patience. Enter, what I think to be a fairly early Lost World Dubow that I have picked up on Yahoo JP auctions for £100.

There was not much information from the seller other than it is horsehide, and "the size feels the same as other USA-made jackets of size 42 (Schott, Avirex, etc.)". There is some damage to the knits and lining, and I am slightly concerned about the wear of the left sleeve as I can't tell if that is rot which has been polished over.

In any case, I don't expect this to be my last A-2 but more of a project piece which I will try to clean up, swap out the knits, and add some insignia. I am aware that for that price I may as well have purchased a jacket in better condition, but as they say, it's all about the journey.

Pics below, I will post an update once it arrives.

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I recently purchased one just like yours for a bit than twice as much as you paid. Similar knit condition. I'm traveling internationally and haven't even seen it yet but it's waiting for me at home.

What I like about mine and yours is these LW A2s seem to take forever to break in (literally decades). Mine and yours both look well-worn, which is a plus on my book. I think the new LW horsehide generally looks a bit flat and lifeless until it breaks in. The A-2s really suffer from this effect, I feel.

I also purchased a used LW A-2 in goat. It is in really good shape though and hardly worn. My family member who received both jackets said the goat A-2 looks really terrific. I might actually be more excited about that one.

 

[FlyingPoncho]

I recently purchased one just like yours for a bit than twice as much as you paid. Similar knit condition. I'm traveling internationally and haven't even seen it yet but it's waiting for me.

What I like about mine and yours is these LW A2s seem to take forever to break in (literally decades). Mine and yours both look well-worn, which is a plus on my book. I think the new LW horsehide generally looks a bit flat and lifeless until it breaks in. The A-2s really suffer from this effect, I feel.

I also purchased a used LW A-2 in goat. It is in really good shape though and hardly worn. My family member who received both jackets said the goat A-2 looks really terrific. I might actually be more excited about that one.

I find it's hard to gauge the color of the leather when the photos are taken indoors with a flash, but it looks to have some really nice character, though it’s hard to tell around the hem / bottom sleeve if it is broken in or creased from storage.

There's part of me that would love to do the break-in myself, but reading about decades, I'll admit that may be more in theory than practice.

I'll look out for the photos of yours later down the line.