A-2 Advice needed. Please don't hate me if this has been covered.

[GWD]

I'm looking for a decent A-2 in the $350 to $400 range. Horse hide being preferred but not necessary. I'm a fairly large guy. I wear a "46 long" suit so I'm thinking a "48 long" jacket would be best considering undergarments and such which does add extra cost to the picture.

Have any of you had any experience with a jacket in this price range? If so, which makers should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance,

Gary

 

[Atticus Finch]

Gary, many people on the Vintage Leather Jackets forum say that this is perhaps the best A-2 repro you can get for the money. It is a tad over the amount you want to spend, but I understand it is a great jacket. I also understand that Flightsuits A-2s run large.

http://www.flightsuits.com/leather_a2_hist_horse.html


BTW, I would suggest joining this forum before you buy a jacket. The guys over there know quite a bit about flight jackets and between them they have owned just about every brand of original and repro A-2 ever produced.

http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/index.php?sid=750afbf99e77c9030671127d51ea06f2

AF

 

[Senicko_Spain]

I'm looking for a decent A-2 in the $350 to $400 range. Horse hide being preferred but not necessary. I'm a fairly large guy. I wear a "46 long" suit so I'm thinking a "48 long" jacket would be best considering undergarments and such which does add extra cost to the picture.

Have any of you had any experience with a jacket in this price range? If so, which makers should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance,

Gary

Gary, you are limiting your choices with the price range, but if you must stick to a strict budget then I must agree with AF, FlightSuits is about your only decent choice. They do have sale items from time to time, but if you're in a rush then that might not be the way to go. Better repros Eastman/Real McCoys etc. can be had on eBay for between 400 - 600 USD but once again the larger size might be a problem and then you run the risk on not being able to return it if it doesn't fit well. ....Now, being that you are a larger guy then a repro would just about be the only way you could go. My suggestion, is that if you can afford more then go with a better repro mfgr. John Chapman makes some very authentic jackets as well, but I hear the waiting list is very long and the price is quite a bit higher as well. He (JC) does offer some of his "test" jackets for sale at discounted prices. Good luck with your quest.

Steve

 

[Doctor Strange]

Also look at US Authentic - their sizing is generally trim but longish, and if you're not hung up on the "accurate" details, their jackets are darn nice for their price range. I have one of their horsehide A-2s, and it's an extremely solid, tough piece of apparel that really feels like an old-time handmade garment.

I also have two Flight Suits goatskin jackets (a "Civil A-2" and a Historical M-422A). They are very nice, undeniably well-made jackets, but they somehow feel like undistinguished assembly line products compared to the US A.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Also look at US Authentic - their sizing is generally trim but longish, and if you're not hung up on the "accurate" details, their jackets are darn nice for their price range. I have one of their horsehide A-2s, and it's an extremely solid, tough piece of apparel that really feels like an old-time handmade garment.

I also have two Flight Suits goatskin jackets (a "Civil A-2" and a Historical M-422A). They are very nice, undeniably well-made jackets, but they somehow feel like undistinguished assembly line products compared to the US A.

I'm with the good doctor on U.S. Authentic, they make a great jacket for the price. The jackets really do have an old fashioned vintage feel about them. The horse hide has a very robust heavy feel to it, and the grain comes out nicely. Also, they run a bit longer in size, which was a another deciding factor for me. Seems in their zeal to make period accurate jackets, most manufacturer's don't take into consideration that we are perhaps a bit taller today on average than we were 60 years ago? Most A-2s as a result look short on me, and I am not overly tall at 5'10'. The U.S.A. jacket had just the right length so that I could wear a sweater under it in the winter if I wanted and not have it poking out of the waist band. Here's a detail pic of mine,...painted and sold it on ebay so I don't have it any more,..but I most certainly will get another one day.

[/IMG]

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Zemke Fan here at the Lounge had an article in the current issue (#5) of Classic Style.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

$$$$$$$$$

i have to agree with the folks here who suggest buying premium from the start...

i didn't...and i found myself rebuying and rebuying jackets, not quite satisfied with what i had gotten each time...

i personally like modern yet true milspec jackets (no sidepocket, a throat hook, trim fit), so i have found the best value to be uswings milspec a-2 and goatskin g-1...their sizes are, however, one size larger on the a-2s even tho they are milspec...the same size in a milspec g-1 is a full size smaller than their a-2...so you may find the uswings a-2 working at 46 even in milspec...and their regular size length would be about 27 or 27 1/2", with the 'long' 1 1/2" longer, so a 'long' might even be too long depending on your taste

but their's is totally modern, tho milspec and trim...so if i was bent on getting an 'authentic' ww2 a-2 i'd have to listen to everything i've read on this forum, as well as pay attention to the photos i've seen...aero and john chapman at goodwearleather look to me to be worth the $700 or $800 you might spend...if you get a lower price jacket looking for ww2 authentic i think you will just be unsatisfied and have to rebuy...flightsuits is definitely a 'modern' cut, and they use that same cut on all of their jackets, ww2 horsehide or modern civilian

one last thing i could mention is the cockpitusa flying tiger horsehide...it's very authentic in style and cut, and in the leather patches it has on it, however it doesn't pretend to be from ww2 by having approval stamps and repro tags and such, but the styling, pattern and cut is very authentic...and, per sizing of the day, you need to buy uP one size, so you probably would need a 48...and i don't think they make longs, but the jacket looks sweet even though a 48 might only be 25 1/2" to 26" long...best prices for those are on flyingtigerssurplus.com at $399 plus $40 for a larger size...no longs made...most other sites are $100 higher on these

good luck, and be sure and let this thread know what you deciDe!

best,
johnnyjohnny

 

[Eyemo]

Eastman do a re-issue section (second hand Eastman jackets) on his website, stock is always changing, may be worth checking out?

 

[Edward]

Aero too. A couple of options I'd look at on the Aero range if you can raise a little extra cash are:

- Aero 'Real Deal' Horse A2 - GBP300 (around USD 600)

- Aero CBI Field Modified A2 - couple of moderations typically made in the CBI theatre by pilots - the main obvious alteration here is the addition of a mouton collar. Las I looked, these were coming in at GBP255, which is just over USD500 at present.

 

[Burnsie]

I agree with both Doctor Strange and Edward - Doctor Strange because US Authentic makes a great A-2 that's definitely in your price range, Edward because if you're going to spend $400 anyway why not bite the bullet, go the extra $200 and get an Aero "Real Deal"...I'm speaking from experience in that I bought a US Authentic and turned around and got an Aero real deal 6 months later. I was so happy with the Aero I've got another one on the way!

 

[MudInYerEye]

Haha. Are you confused yet?
Just remember: you get what you pay for.

 

[GWD]

I'm not confused at all, I'll just ignore everyone that ignored my monetary restrictions.

In all seriousness though, thanks for you're input all of you. I'm not interested in this jacket as a military reproduction. I just like the style for casual winter wear. I'll more than likely make the drive to San Diego and pick up a jacket from Gibson & Barnes'.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I'm not confused at all, I'll just ignore everyone that ignored my monetary restrictions.

In all seriousness though, thanks for you're input all of you. I'm not interested in this jacket as a military reproduction. I just like the style for casual winter wear. I'll more than likely make the drive to San Diego and pick up a jacket from Gibson & Barnes'.

.....and more than likely you'll be very pleased with that decision....
HD

 

[jonbuilder]

think resale

Gary
If you have the patience, look at the resale market. I purchased the first prototype Bronco from Goodwear for $400 and an Aero Aniversity in unworn condition with war period zipper from a German collector shipped for just under $400. If you buy in the resale market and have size issues, or decide A2s are your jacke, you can resell with minimal capital lost. Just think you can skip the hot water treatment and just might flash forward to a broken in jacket

 

[GWD]

Gary
If you have the patience, look at the resale market. I purchased the first prototype Bronco from Goodwear for $400 and an Aero Aniversity in unworn condition with war period zipper from a German collector shipped for just under $400. If you buy in the resale market and have size issues, or decide A2s are your jacke, you can resell with minimal capital lost. Just think you can skip the hot water treatment and just might flash forward to a broken in jacket

Thanks for the advice, but honestly, I don't know where to look other than ebay.

And another issue I have is size. I'm 6'1" 225 lbs I have a 46" to 48" chest and a 34" waist and ape like arms. I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing a leather jacket online without trying it on first.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

SiZe is a SiZaBLe probLemo

aside from puns, size is a sizable issue...they all seem to have different ideas of what this or that size is...and i mean every a-2 manufacturer from 1945 on that i've tried

i'm getting my second uswings g-1 milspec and uswings a-2 milspec because i loved the look, cut and quality, but the first one of each was simply noT the size i thought it was by the numerical size, even (especially) when factoring in milspec sizing...

so i'd say if you are getting a jacket you can try on before buying you are one smarT cookie

 

[Senicko_Spain]

Gary
If you have the patience, look at the resale market. I purchased the first prototype Bronco from Goodwear for $400 and an Aero Aniversity in unworn condition with war period zipper from a German collector shipped for just under $400. If you buy in the resale market and have size issues, or decide A2s are your jacke, you can resell with minimal capital lost. Just think you can skip the hot water treatment and just might flash forward to a broken in jacket

Here's a good example how sometimes a little digging goes a long way. I just picked this one up for about 200 USD from a UK seller. It's an earlier ELC Rough Wear contract, needs some knit repair and a little shoulder work, but for 200 bucks?! Can't beat it. Granted it's a small size, but I'm sure you can find the same deals if you just spend a little time.