A-2 Choices, Flightsuits vs. Flightjacket.com

[SamReu]

Spokes man

Kevin:

I add my vote for U.S. Authentic, whose cut is sort of long and thin. I ordered a 40 regular, and it fits me well. I normally wear a 41 or 42 long suit, by way of comparison. I ordered the russet horsehide, and dealt with Shaul directly. The jacket arrived within a week, give or take a day, and it wears like iron -- almost too much like iron. The leather has taken a pounding, and will need more of a beating before it drapes the way well-used horsehide should.

If you want to break it in more quickly, try wearing it while carrying split firewood into the house. That worked for me.

 

[kojax]

a2 horsehide jacket

i bought a 38r horsehide from u.s. mfg was to big for me the leather seem real heavy i sent it back. i went with the 36r a2 horsehide the jacket fit well this horsehide the leather feels lighter not that stiff..

 

[Swoosed]

well heres the deal with US authentic. I got my horsehide A2 last week, and the zipper was broken out of the box. I am not having an easy ride finding a HH a2 thats worth the money. Had to send it back and it will be another week befor I get the replacement. I still haven't got my refund from G&B for the one I sent back to them weeks ago. As for a comparrison, the G&B is more refined and the hardware is much better. The leather is softer and wears nice, bu t the pigment flaked easily and the dye was too dark. It's all about the leatherm not the hardware. The US authentic leather is stiff, but that's the deal with a new HH jacket. Break in time should take a while. The leather weight is about the same and both are crafted well. The US authentic has a better fit for me, it's not as baggy in the sleeves as the G&B was.

 

[kojax]

a2 horsehide

i bought a A2 horsehide jacket from flight suties size 38 the jacket was way to big i sent it back. my 36r horsehide u.s. mfg fits very well i got the dark seal leather i love the darl colors. good luck with u.s. mfg. you will get a new jacket fast.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Just to chime in again on the FS/G&B vs. US A A-2 topic:

US A's A-2 is cut quite trim in the shoulders/chest/arms, though the body length and sleeves are longer than average for the marked size. (Mine's a 44 - I typically wear a 46.)

FS/G&B's A-2 is apparently cut for folks with Schwarteneggarian chest/arms/shoulders, but the body length (though not the sleeves) is shorter than you'd expect for that upper body. (Mine's a 46 - a 44 might be better for me in most ways, but I'm a widebody and I really need the larger waist of the 46.)

The epaulettes on both jackets ride a bit below the shoulder, more to the front. (At least, they do on me - but I'm chunky with lousy posture.)

The zippers and other hardware on both jackets don't aspire to the accuracy of the premium repros, but they are just fine for ordinary use.

US A's wrist knits tend to be too long - mine are 3-1/2 inches. (Frankly, though it's not authentic, I like them that way - they are very solid and comfortable.)

US A's horsehide is mega-tough, requiring substantial break-in. Despite their claims to the contrary, the surface coat doesn't wear off quickly - mine is four years old and hasn't faded anywhere, not even at stress points like the edge of the windflap.

I only have a modern-spec goatskin Civil A-2 from FS/G&B, so I can't comment on the quality of their horsehide, wool knits, or cotton lining. (However, the crappy synthetic knits and lining on my A-2 are awful, and they really drag down the overall quality of the jacket.) I'm sure the Historical models are excellent.

Both companies are great to deal with, but they are very different: FS/G&B is a good-sized factory with a whole staff of sales/customer service folks; US A is about four people in a garage and you usually talk directly to the owner when you call. Not to say that one is better than the other, but they're different. (I also think that US A's jackets feel a lot more handmade and rough-hewn than the gorgeous, stitch-perfect, assembly line products from FS/G&B. Again, this is just a difference, not that one's "better" than the other.)

Both their A-2s are good choices if you're on a budget and can't consider the $500+ selections from Aero, Eastman, McCoy's, etc... I think US A's $270 goatskin model is a helluva bargain - the only sort-of accurate A-2 repro out there for under $300.

 

[kojax]

really a nice post......i got my A2 goatskin back from u.s. mfg had new waisteband and cuffs put on wool what a nice job...my jacket was a2 goatskin from flight suites they were fuzzy lol...........u.s. mfg does good work.

 

[Swoosed]

It's too bad the dollar is so weak, I'd love to get an Aero. I've been checking them out alot. Maybe when the currency is better. G&B is getting real close in price to those other "premium" outfits for the "historical" pieces. It looks to me that the Aero is the best bet for the money, but it's still too high for my tastes.

 

[SamReu]

Spokes Man

Doctor Strange, do you have a goat US Authentic? I went back and forth before buying the HH A-2 from Shaul et.al. and I have wondered if the goat was a better buy. I understand that "better" is about as subjective a term as you can find, but I'm curious about your assessment. Clearly, you've thought about this.
With winds whipping out of the north this evening, I'm grateful I've got the heavy A-2 hanging off the back of my chair.

 

[Kt Templar]

Aero have a £200 steerhide in the sale, what do you think Doc?

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/...ge?page=displayproduct&subcatid=32&prodid=634

Looks like good value to me?

 

[kojax]

A2 HORSEHIDE

i just got the the A2 horsehide from u.s. mfg nice jacket i got a 36r feels nice...nice jacket for the money i got the dark seal brown.

 

[Doctor Strange]

No, my own US Authentic A-2 is seal horsehide. I only mentioned the goatskin in terms of it being a *great buy* - it's essentially in the same price range as those nothing-special, modern-spec A-2 jackets from Cooper and US Wings, but with a far more authentic cut and the vastly better wool knits and cotton lining. It's a great first A-2 repro if you're on a budget. But there's no question that the horse is a much heavier jacket, and probably warmer... but it's $100 more. (Hey, we both got 'em!)

And I can't comment on Aero's steerhide A-2 jackets. I've never personally seen or handled an Aero jacket - but after some years of hanging around the jacket forums, I that know they have a fanatical following, and lots of knowledgeable folks consider their jackets to be outstanding. There are loads of Aero owners here, and I'm sure someone with first-hand experience with their steerhide will comment before long...

 

[kojax]

cooper jacket

my friend wants to buy a cooper a2 jacket. we look on the there website it says the factory is closed....does anybody know if they are going to reopen. thank you kojax.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I haven't heard anything about when (or if) Cooper will be reopening. But there are essentially very comparable current-spec goatskin A-2s available from a bunch of makers/places - US Wings, Legendary USA, The Cockpit...

If you are reasonably certain of your friend's size (since there are no returns/exchanges), you might consider the clearance jackets over at US Wings - imported jackets very similar to their standard US-made ones, available in a full range of sizes and leather types for only $169. Check 'em out:

http://www.uswings.com/clearance.asp

 

[Swoosed]

I have 2 coopers an A-2 and a G-2, both are nice jackets for knock around use. Thier goatskin is very comfortable. There are still coopers out there. Just google "cooper A2" and a bunch of sellers will come up. Try Spinners Pilot shop. Thats where I got one of mine a while ago, and he was best on price.

Just got word my US Authentic HH A-2 is arriving today. That was fast. I sent one back with a bad zipper on Monday, he made me a new one and I will have it by Friday. G&B takes 2 weeks to make it and 4 days to ship to NY.

No comparison on the customer support either. I have first hand experience with both of them and US authentic is better to deal with and MUCH faster with a simmilar quality product.

 

[kojax]

thank you guys on the information i will tell my friend to check out the websites....i have my new a2 horsehide size 36r from u.s. mfg i am likeing that jacket little stiff but nice.i love the dark seal brown leather.....the 38 horsehide i returned had the leather smell my new 36 no leather smell at all...

 

[SamReu]

Spokes Man

Kojax, you now have a jacket that likely would stop a small-caliber bullet (though I wouldn't want to put that to the test). Now, put on your new A-2 and go split some logs, preferably in a driving rain. Then load the firewood in your arms and stumble into the house, making sure you scrub against every tree you see on your way inside. No trees nearby? Brick walls make a fine subsitute. Repeat this procedure about, oh ...
...well, about 20 times. By then, the jacket will have begun to loosen up a little bit. Happy wearing.

 

[fortworthgal]

I agree, the Coopers are nice "around town" jackets, but when you see one up against an Eastman or a US Authentic, or any of the other makers, there is just no comparison!

Regarding the Aero steerhide - back when I bought my US Authentic russet horsehide A-2 earlier this year, I talked extensively to the Aero rep here in the US before I made my decision to go with US Authentic. Anyway, the Aero rep didn't recommend the steerhide. He said the coloring is odd (more reddish with a gray undertone for the russet) and it just isn't as high quality as their others. I think it would probably be an okay jacket, but not comparable to the others mentioned here. Aero does offer a set of leather swatches if you contact their rep here in the US.

 

[OldSkoolFrat]

http://www.uswings.com/womens.asp

Got my wife the wasp. She loves driving the convertible with this one. She even says how warm it is.

Snaged the scarf for myself. It came in a cardboard box, opened it had to stuff it into a gift box wrap it and next thing I know the scarf is sitting there. So put said scarf in my wardrobe.

 

[Swoosed]

Just got my A2 HH back from AS Authentic. They did a nice job with the zipper and I got it back in 2 days. SemRu is right, the only way to get the thing broken in right is to WEAR IT, ALOT. Mine is starting to grain up nice already. It wasn't too stiff, and it smells great. Nothing like that smell. I already had someone ask me where I got it from. Well, looks like we have some nice weather here this week so I'm wearing it as much as I can.

 

[MJCR]

Hi there - I'm coming late to this one, but I got a seal brown hh A2 from US Authentic towards the end of 2004 and it's been great. I went a size up so I could get a thick jumper under it and I must admit it's a bit long in the sleaves because of it. Apart from that it's been great and is just starting to break in properly!

I'd like to try an Aero or Eastman at some point, but for the time being the US Authentic is doing just fine.