1938 Dubow A-2 (repro) after a decade of wear.

[PADDY]

Just thought some of you might be interested to see an upper end repro from RMNZ after a decade of wear. This is a Size 40, pre-war 1938 model Dubow in russet horsehide. No HWT on this baby, just pure wear-and-tear. The Hookless Zip is now minus its' puller, sadly it broke off (so I've stuck a small ring pull onto it, and it works fine as the rest of the zip is in excellent order).

The knits are getting somewhat tatty/ratty as is the lining around the inside collar area, and even the name tag is looking worn, but I feel it all adds to it looking pretty WWII authentic!

This baby was made 'before' RMNZ stuck their own name label in the pocket, so there's no evidence as such to show that this one is a repro (scary huh!!). A nice mix of smooth and jerky hide make this a pretty convincing looking A-2!! see what you think...

 

[Speedbird]

Paddy, you do have a fine selection of choice clothing! :eusa_clap That's a beauty.

It is scary just how 'real' this looks. I am thinking in another 10 years it would be quite difficult to identify this as a repro. Actually, I think someone lacking morals could try to pass one like this off as original now.

 

[aswatland]

The jacket looks superb Paddy, just like a well worn original.

I'm a little puzzled why you say it's 1938 as this is a copy of Dubow's 1942 penultimate contract. The first Dubow contract dates from 1941 (W535ac20960) and had a collar stand which this one doesn't have.

 

[Papa M]

The jacket looks superb Paddy, just like a well worn original.

I'm a little puzzled ......

And I'm a little puzzled Paddy how you manage to get the collar so scuffed-up-manky - bearing in mind the number of different jackets you must be rotating.

Do you ever wash your neck?

 

[Stearmen]

Perry Sportswear

Wow, it is amazing how the wear pattern on your replica duplicates the wear on my organelle Perry Sportswear! You could pass it off as organelle, glad you have scruples!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Paddy, you do have a fine selection of choice clothing! :eusa_clap That's a beauty.

It is scary just how 'real' this looks. I am thinking in another 10 years it would be quite difficult to identify this as a repro. Actually, I think someone lacking morals could try to pass one like this off as original now.

Actually, I think it's been done. A few years ago there was a seller on ebay that had just far too many large sized A2s to be true. Just way too many 44s and 46s,..all suspiciously the "same" somehow. They all had holes left over from patches removed in the right spots, and had a sort of artificial wear look to them. Nothing like the tue signs of a well worn A2 like Paddy's fine example here.
This person sold quite a few that I saw, maybe at least 20 I think, for about 800 to 1,000 dollars or so each.
I think they got too greedy and were found out, then banned from ebay as befits a crook.

 

[Papa M]

Presumably, providing all the detail is correct, it gets to the point where carbon dating is required in order to ascertain a jacket's authenticity?

 

[Speedbird]

That crossed my mind too Papa...

I am fairly certain that someone like Aswatland could probably sniff out a fake instantly - I suspect there will always be clues I guess - even with Paddy's Dubow above. But to an enthusiast with just enough knowledge to be dangerous like myself, it would be easy to be fooled.

The terrible thing is, given Maj Nick's example above, there must be people who genuinely bought what they believed to be an original and will have genuinely sold them as such.... I hope the crooks didnt sell too many before they were busted!

There's two or three originals on the 'bay at the moment but I suppose it is no different to any 'antique' - caveat emptor and all that!

 

[Speedbird]

Actually, I think it's been done. A few years ago there was a seller on ebay that had just far too many large sized A2s to be true. Just way too many 44s and 46s,..all suspiciously the "same" somehow. They all had holes left over from patches removed in the right spots, and had a sort of artificial wear look to them. Nothing like the tue signs of a well worn A2 like Paddy's fine example here.
This person sold quite a few that I saw, maybe at least 20 I think, for about 800 to 1,000 dollars or so each.
I think they got too greedy and were found out, then banned from ebay as befits a crook.

Actually, thinking about it, there is some hope here because if they were faking the jackets to sell around $800 - $1000 - for it to be worthwhile it would have to start life as a $400 - $500 (or even less) jacket max - and at that price it isn't going to be accurate enough to fool many people. I think it would be too expensive to make really good copies and make enough profit - they might as well sell them as a $800 repro - pushing up the price to make a profit isn't going to work at the moment because there are still enough originals around. At least for now anyway, not sure about in another ten years time....

 

[PADDY]

Photo of the jacket from about 4 years ago.

 

[scotrace]

Paddy, can you fill us in a little on the conditions this jacket has endured? I know you're an active fellow, and your jackets get a good workout. But that kind of sleeve creasing and proper wear must come from some pretty rugged use. Hill climbing through the brambles? Rolling on the rocks on the undercliff?
Storing on the Havana Patio floor?

 

[PADDY]

Well Scott...

Stowaway on Cuban gun boats, sprints down Egyptian passageways, midnight saunters across middle eastern borders...etc (in my dreams!!)


Common items around the house, such as walking the dogs, working in the garden, tinkering with the car and just giving it lots of wear. To give you an idea , this is now (after many, many repros going through my hands) the 'only' repro A-2 I have currently (I off-loaded all of them). And I've also got rid of all of my original A-2's as well (the last one went to the USA a month or so ago - you know, the one with the angry bumble-bee squadron patch). So this will now be getting further beasting with it being the LAST one around my place.
Even my Irvins have been farmed out, and the one I'm left with (the full Irvin suit) is the one I'll keep - as it's perfect.