Any opinions on "Excelled" as a knock around A2?

[Worf]

I got one used off the bay, it fits, but I'm not impressed. Probably keep it till I get me a custom black A2. Any one have any opinons on these or the Alpha A2's for a knock around?

Worf

 

[johnnyjohnny]

excelled a-2?

hi...i don't know when it happened, but excelled became an actual contracted maker of both A-2 and G-1 jackets to the military. tho they've been around quite a while, i only know that they've been contracted makers in the last 5 years. of course the current A-2s are made to current relaxed standards, so will not be classic ww2 in style. however, the best deal around is the G-1 of theirs, one of which i have. it's a classic standard G-1 with the actual contract label in it. it's not some ultra high quality gibson or eastman G-1...it's made to good but normal quality standards, pretty much like a uswings (which is not an actual contracted maker)...but if you're looking for authentic, a new excelled is the way to go in the G-1. as said, the A-2 is contracted, but bigger blousey, and i think no neck hook, tho i think the pockets are still top entry only. as for older ones, probably pretenders.

 

[Fifty150]

I own both Excelled and Alpha Industries jackets. I don't see a problem with either. Both companies make a decent product that will hold up to years of wear and tear. Excelled manufactures to current contract specs. Current contract is not vintage replicate. Alpha even offers a horsehide that they claim is a replica of a "wartime original"....whatever that means. But if you're not so much concerned with having an exact copy of something from 60 years ago, then these are good jackets. They will hold up for years. And for me, they're comfortable. I haven't had any technical difficulties like stitches unraveling or fasteners breaking. The leather is good quality, and I haven't had any issues with it in the wind, rain, or snow.

 

[Fifty150]

Alpha’s Horsehide A-2 is a classic replica of the wartime original. Constructed using premium tanned horsehide leather, snap down collar with collar clip and snap-patch front pockets. The Alpha A-2 pays homage to this timeless aviation style.

THE JACKET THAT WENT TO WAR AND SURVIVED!
Now you can wear the flight jacket that proud American pilots wore throughout the great conflicts of the past century: The A-2 Flight Jacket. Not only was this famous genuine leather jacket worn
by the heroes of WW2, Korea and the Gulf War, its still issued to our current air warriors. Now this premium leather, military issue flight jacket can be yours. WORN BY REAL PILOTS AVAILABLE TO YOU!
Made to current U.S. Military specs. in the same U.S. factory that made the G-1 leather flight jacket for todays Navy and Marine pilots. This American made classic is hand-crafted in rugged premium leather with many new features. For
example, dual inside chest pockets, dual side-entry pockets, an interior pen pocket, underarm gussets, and side panels that reduce hiking up￾. The current USAF specifications for the A-2 still feature the original epaulettes, snap-down collar and
hidden zipper from the classic WWII design.
The timeless design of the A-2 not only made military history; it made Hollywood history too; this is the jacket John Wayne wore in Flying Tigers¿￾, Gregory Pecks second skin in Twelve
O'clock High￾, and the jacket Clark Gable wouldn't fly without in Test Pilot. No flying jacket is more famous than the A-2. And now you can wear it proudly too!

 

[Worf]

Thanks for the responses guys. Not a lot of interest here on low level jackets. I can understand that I suppose, believe me, if I were a size 48 or below I'd be buying, swapping and trading the higher priced spread as well. Be that as it may. I've picked up an Excelled A2 civilian model in black. It's alright but I'll be selling it as soon as I get something better in black.

On a side note. I never was one much believe in the whole "smoke free home" business, well let me tell you, I've changed my mind now. I don't smoke cigs, I do smoke the occaisional cigar, but that's on the porch, outside in the Spring and Summer. Soon as I started wearing this Excelled I began getting whiffs, some subtle some not, of cigarette smoke, and I'd be damned if I could figure out where it was coming from. Finally I had a friend take a whiff of the jacket and lo and behold this is where the smell was coming from. I know some folks are more sensitive than others but I never thought I was one of these folks. Interesting...

Worf

 

[Edward]

It's funny how it clings. For all the benefits of the smoking ban, the one that I love most is not coming home reeking of smoke! A friend had a similar experience once with a leather jacket bought at a market here in London. We eventually traced the, eh...... smoking-related but not exactly tobacco smell to a small stash sewn inside the lining of the jacket!

 

[ShrunkinCowboy]

Funny, but the one 'upside' with an inexpensive A-2 jacket, is that one is NOT afraid to wear them out on an almost everyday basis?
I have an old-n'-cheap Split-S Aviation A-2 jacket (out of California), that sees as much Sun as my ancient Wrangler jean jacket.

Steve

 

[guygardner]

It's funny how it clings. For all the benefits of the smoking ban, the one that I love most is not coming home reeking of smoke! A friend had a similar experience once with a leather jacket bought at a market here in London. We eventually traced the, eh...... smoking-related but not exactly tobacco smell to a small stash sewn inside the lining of the jacket!

Haha. I guess the owner forgot about that or maybe it was thrown in out of generosity?

 

[Dr H]

Funny, but the one 'upside' with an inexpensive A-2 jacket, is that one is NOT afraid to wear them out on an almost everyday basis?

While I'd baulk at wearing my 70 year old A-2 on a daily basis, Good Wear and Eastman jackets can't be cossetted IMHO. You just have to wear them in all weathers and regularly to develop the wear and character. My ELC A-1 is breaking in really quickly exposed to wind, rain, snow and sun.

 

[ButteMT61]

While I'd baulk at wearing my 70 year old A-2 on a daily basis, Good Wear and Eastman jackets can't be cossetted IMHO. You just have to wear them in all weathers and regularly to develop the wear and character. My ELC A-1 is breaking in really quickly exposed to wind, rain, snow and sun.

Well, that's for sure. Guys in the service 70 years ago didn't have the luxury of a closet full of jackets - they wore what they were issued, rain, snow, shine, oil, bullets. These jackets can take a beating - give it to them! lol

 

[Fifty150]

These jackets can take a beating - give it to them! lol

I agree. That's what they're made for.

 

[Fifty150]

a small stash sewn inside the lining of the jacket!

I wonder what that was for. Who would go through the trouble of sewing it into the lining of the jacket? Perhaps tobacco was used for trading? As some sort of currency perhaps? ...........IN PRISON!!

 

[Dr H]

Sounds like an escape jacket to me - wasn't that the technique used in Oflag VIIB?!

 

[johnnyjohnny]

Funny, but the one 'upside' with an inexpensive A-2 jacket, is that one is NOT afraid to wear them out on an almost everyday basis?

i agree with all of you. i've got quite a nice collection of eastman/hein gericke/vanson/schott/etc jackets i bought new, but i found myself wearing an old B-15 alpha i threw in the back of my car. i was blown away how rugged the nylon was, each time i scraped something that would have torn a 'northface' parka, or gutted open a leather jacket, there was virtually no trace of mark.

i've now bought an alpha N-2B and find myself dragging this everywhere and wearing it happily...i love my expensive leathers, but feel so much freer bouncing around in a jacket that is high grade at $130, and surprisingly, these nylons flight jackets look better, like my leathers, the more worn they get.

one of these days i'll throw on one of my $500 jackets to buy milk at the store. i think.

 

[Rogera]

I was at an antique store earlier and saw an Excelled A2 that looked pretty good but I know nothing about them. Are they all pretty much modern production? It has a YKK zipper on it.

 

[Worf]

I was at an antique store earlier and saw an Excelled A2 that looked pretty good but I know nothing about them. Are they all pretty much modern production? It has a YKK zipper on it.

As the OP of the thread I will tell you that I moved on the Excelled rather quickly as I lost a ton of weight and I got spoiled by other makes and marks. The older Excelled offerings, the older the better, hold up well. The A2 I'd gotten was mall jacket rubbish. If you can get it cheap... it'll be something to knock around in.

Worf

 

[Rogera]

As the OP of the thread I will tell you that I moved on the Excelled rather quickly as I lost a ton of weight and I got spoiled by other makes and marks. The older Excelled offerings, the older the better, hold up well. The A2 I'd gotten was mall jacket rubbish. If you can get it cheap... it'll be something to knock around in.



Worf

Thanks Worf. They want $125 for it. It's in pretty good shape

 

[Fanch]

If I were looking for a "knock around" A-2, I would look for a G&B A-2 in eBay, keeping in mind the G&B A-2's seem to run at least one size big, at least for me. My experience with G&B is that they are all so well made they can take a beating without coming apart.

 

[morrison2951]

Agreed- I love my G&B deerskin A-2. It really is a great jacket!