I wrote a post recently about looking for an A2 for my brother's birthday. After much debate and web-searching, I found a company called "Buck Starr" and ended up ordering their 'Legend' jacket. It arrived in 3 days (I live in Alaska, or I assume it would have been here a day sooner) and came in at $349, plus $17 shipping. On to the review.
When I opened the box, I was immediately struck by how nice the jacket looked. It was pleasantly heavy, but not overly so. The color is a very nice, rich seal, and it has a wonderful 'leathery' smell. The stitching is a dark brown and doesn't stand out as does the more orange thread on my Eastman (I like the ELC thread color, actually), which could be a matter of personal preference. The knits are thick and feel more substantial than those on my US Authentic; slightly thicker than my Eastman, actually.
The pockets are lined with a nice material, and I can store my wallet in one and my Iphone in the other, which I found excellent. The collar sits a bit high on me when I'm driving, but it could be that my brother is a bit bigger than I am or that I just have no neck to speak of. It's not troublesome, but it is noticeable. My ELC is a 42, and this is a 44, so it might be because of that.
The zipper is a YKK, incidentally.
The lining was my only little gripe initially. Rather than a soft cotton, it's a heavy twill and I initially didn't care for it, but upon consideration I think it will hold up really nicely. Time will tell.
I definitely feel as though I got my money worth, and it was a pleasure to deal with someone who is not only passionate about his work, but was able to put out a quality product very quickly. All in all, it's a solid value for the money. I'm interested to see how it looks after some wear and breaking in. Regrettably, it's raining here and I was only able to take pictures indoors under lights.
Closeups of the leather and lining.
From L-R: Buck Starr, Eastman, US Authentic.
When I opened the box, I was immediately struck by how nice the jacket looked. It was pleasantly heavy, but not overly so. The color is a very nice, rich seal, and it has a wonderful 'leathery' smell. The stitching is a dark brown and doesn't stand out as does the more orange thread on my Eastman (I like the ELC thread color, actually), which could be a matter of personal preference. The knits are thick and feel more substantial than those on my US Authentic; slightly thicker than my Eastman, actually.
The pockets are lined with a nice material, and I can store my wallet in one and my Iphone in the other, which I found excellent. The collar sits a bit high on me when I'm driving, but it could be that my brother is a bit bigger than I am or that I just have no neck to speak of. It's not troublesome, but it is noticeable. My ELC is a 42, and this is a 44, so it might be because of that.
The zipper is a YKK, incidentally.
The lining was my only little gripe initially. Rather than a soft cotton, it's a heavy twill and I initially didn't care for it, but upon consideration I think it will hold up really nicely. Time will tell.
I definitely feel as though I got my money worth, and it was a pleasure to deal with someone who is not only passionate about his work, but was able to put out a quality product very quickly. All in all, it's a solid value for the money. I'm interested to see how it looks after some wear and breaking in. Regrettably, it's raining here and I was only able to take pictures indoors under lights.
Closeups of the leather and lining.
From L-R: Buck Starr, Eastman, US Authentic.
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lol 
