AVI Leather seal A-2 Jacket Review (pic heavy)

[lodewijk]

I just ordered the Bronco A2 this week. Great communication! Very excited about the pictures. Looking forward to having it in hand! Will comment as soon as I receive it.

 

[Flightengineer]

I think you will not be disappointed.

 

[lodewijk]

I received my Bronco/AVI leather A2 and it is a great jacket, fits like a glove as they should, nice soft pebbled leather in chocolate color, great details, well made and it weighs the same as my original A2. Terrific price/quality wise if you want a great replica but are not willing to spend 5x as much as the renown A2 makers do! I want to wear this jacket every day!
Very happy customer.
( BTW: my 5th A2 of several brands and this is for sure the keeper)

 

[Flightengineer]

It is very interesting to hear the comparison of this jacket from the owner of the original A2.

The leather is really very soft and pleasant.
I wore it on several times and the more I wear it, the better it fits.

 

[lodewijk]

My AVI A2 Bronco

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G920F met Tapatalk

 

[lodewijk]

AVI A2

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G920F met Tapatalk

 

[Brettafett]

Very nice... I think we should compare photos of all these jackets in 6 months time to see how they have worn in... would be interesting.
I had an original Aero A-2 that was thicker, but then, that was for sure Horsehide and anyway, its an impossible comparison. WW2 jackets varied all over the place. Wear it in good health.

 

[senjorlossi]

Hi Guys,
that´s a very interesting thread indeed. After reading, I am really temted to go for a russet A2 from AVI.

After I have given away both my ELC A2s, my Basic intentions are to get me a new A2 from Aero Leathers in Cordovan FQHH / red knitting some time over the year. I have seen such a jacket for sale on the net a while ago, and while it was not my size, I really liked the look. Obviously more a "Fashion Approach" and quite extravagant, but I instantly fell in love with it. Unfortunately Aero told me they can only make a wider, 42-contract type jacket in FQHH. So while this is ok for fall and winter with some clothing underneath, I would still like to have a trim jacket for summer, to wear it with just a shirt.

Therefore I was already looking at the Bronco, because of it´s more trim and longer cut. Unfortunately, two premium maker jackets are definately above my budget for this "hobby". But with this jacket here I don´t think there is much that can be done wrong, regarding it´s price. What do you think?

Actually I must admit that I really like the jacket they have on their website, even it is not 100% original with it´s cuffs and 3-piece sleeve. Being not a reenactor or total hardcore fan, I am first of all looking for a nice piece of clothing. But reading here, I see that they changed the cut to be more accurate, s

o the jacket you get will be cut like the seal version​

, right? Can anyone say a bit more on the look of the leather. I think the somewhat "used" look of the jacket on the Website looks great. Are the actually delivered jackets like this, or is the leather looking brandnew?


Best regards,
Stefan.

P.S.:
Please ignore any typos, fighting hard against the german autocorrection on the PC where I am writing right now.

 

[Brettafett]

Hi Stefan,

I may have misunderstood your post above, but the Russet A-2 is not the BRONCO... They are two very different jackets. The russet A-2 was their first 'generic' pattern, and the new Bronco A-2 is a relatively accurate reproduction, which was copied directly from an original WW2 Bronco A-2 that they acquired and studied. I do believe they have a russet version of their Bronco in the pipe-line. I would contact them for more info.
I think the standard russet generic A-2 has a more waxy, mottled Finnish. The Bronco is more of a medium brown/ light seal, but it does have some slight variations in the hue... I recon it will look nice after some wear and weather.

Best,
Brettafett

 

[senjorlossi]

Hi Brettafett!

Thanks for the information regarding the different jackets. Actually another user gave me the same hint almost parallel via PM. So thanks a lot to both of you.

Well, I will see. As I said before, I actually quite like the current russet model, even though it is not an exact replica. So I´ll see what I will do. First of all I will contact AVI for some more details. This also gives an impression of their customer service.

Thank you, and best regards,
Stefan.

 

[Flightengineer]

The Bronco is more of a medium brown/ light seal, but it does have some slight variations in the hue... I recon it will look nice after some wear and weather.

Best,
Brettafett

Yes, Brett. And there is )))) http://www.thefedoralounge.com/thre...-jacket-review-pics.92117/page-2#post-2354800

From thread about AVI Bronco

 

[Richedm]

Hello everybody,
A while back, while in Denmark, I contacted Morten at AVI Leathers (www.avilthr.com) and we talked ‘A-2’s. So, keen on a seal version, I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these jackets.
Thought I’d post some info.
First impressions... not bad at all. Well presented and a well-made jacket.
View attachment 62564
The quality is great, one can feel it right out the box. Its well put together, feels durable and the stitching is pretty neat. This is a jacket that will certainly last a life time.
View attachment 62569
Its based on the Bronco contract, but not from original patterns. Rather, this is their take on the classic WW2 A-2 jacket… it has scalloped pockets and a sharp profile with square shoulders… does not feel restrictive at all.
View attachment 62571
The jacket has a collar stand and sports an inside leather facing along the zipper, which although not necessarily ‘authentic’, arguably adds a bit of extra quality… I also really like the collar profile.
View attachment 62572
The leather is quite interesting. I believe its goat. I really like the colour, not too dark, not too light, and the mottling gives a good ‘vintagey’ effect. There appears to be an even mix of smooth and grainy areas - overall, the jacket certainly has character and will look pretty good in a short time of wearing without any artificial weathering. View attachment 62573
Also, the leather is buttery soft (as advertised) and it wont take long to mould to the wearer.
Weight-wise its right in the sweet spot. Medium weight, not heavy or bulky nor thin or flimsy.
View attachment 62575
All the correct details are there; collar snaps, studs, throat hooks, etc… The Talon zipper is a nice touch. Standard brown Cotton liner and stitching, and a leather hanging loop.
I understand that the components, zippers, snaps etc… are generic, to keep costs down and thats fine for a jacket in this range.
View attachment 62577
At the price they are asking, I may even have the knits replaced with something a little more authentic, but as they are, they do the job. I feel that upgrading the knits will bump this jacket up a level… That said, this is a pretty decent version of the classic A-2.
View attachment 62576
Fit-wise, and this is just personal… this particular jacket fits ok, but I feel its a touch roomy on me, esp in the body/waist area. I could possibly go one size down, but would then need lengthening on the sleeves. But I always have this issue.
View attachment 62574
That said, its a comfy jacket and not restrictive in any sense, the leather ‘gives’ enough to be able to maneuver without needing to be broken in.
This would be great for guys who are a bit broader in the mid section, but still want square shoulders and the classic WW2 aviator look.

SIZE 40 Measurements (approx) - for ref I am 5’10 and weigh 72kgs, trim to thin build
SHOULDER SEAM TO SEAM: 18.75”
ARMPIT TO ARMPIT: 23,5” front and 23,5”+ back
BACK LENGTH FROM COLLAR STAND TO BOTTOM OF WAISTBAND: 26”
SLEEVE LENGTH FROM SHOULDER SEAM TO END OF CUFF: 26”
Zipper: 23”

An ELC or GW it is not, but its not meant to be. (Bare in mind, at the time of this post, it was a 1/4 of the price of a GW!!!!!)
For the budget conscious, who want a classically detailed A-2, with square shoulders and all the correct bits in all the correct places, its a serious contender.
Patch it, paint it, kick it around, no worries...
Honestly, for what they are asking, I think its a bargain! Hope you found this interesting.
View attachment 62563

I just got a D-1 by Avi. Honestly the quality and accuracy far surpasses my expectations especially for the price point. I’ve had ELC and Real McCoys in the shearling and this is just an excellent jacket. Worked with Avi to get my right size. I was going to go a size up but they suggested I go with a larger rather than extra large based on my dimensions. I just love it. It’s very accurate to the real thing. Impressive