Buzz Rickson's A-2 repro. of the Aero 21996

[3onaMatch]

There aren't a lot of posts with good Buzz Rickson's A-2 info. so I thought I'd share some details and fit pics of my recent purchase: A BR A-2 repro. of the Aero 21996 contract. This is their Bronco hide with the "rub-off process." Nice thick horsehide with a beautiful grain. With the rub-process it was initially dyed a russet color, then came a dark seal over-spray, which was quickly wiped off, leaving the dark brown in the deeper creases. The end result is a color somewhere in between a russet and seal shade. Perfect color for my needs. I love this to pieces. It looks darn near identical to my original A-2 of the same contract.

There are a few details which differ from the original in terms of exact authenticity; to wit, the knits are about half an inch longer, as is the body of the jacket, and the torso fits much nicer and trimmer as compared to the original. I'm big on details, but this comes close enough for me and looks marvelous.

Let me know what you guys think.

Please excuse the poor quality of the pics. It's summer and too hot to wear this outside, so indoor lighting will have to suffice for now. Will post better pics in the fall.

--Damien

 

[Windward]

Welcome damienweaver - you look great in your A-2 and fits you very well. Amazing colour and great combination with rust knits. :eusa_clap
Do I see Mr. Steve McQueen ?? - I am sure you will win the casting if someone starts a remake of "The Great Escape" !
Windward

 

[JanSolo]

Great jacket and superb fit. In fact the fit couldn't be better! The jacket is slender and trim fitting but also quite long which is something I really like. Many high quality repros are too short for my taste with too much leather "dangling " around the waist. But BR never fail to amaze in terms of fit...

I also like the rest of your clothing....good boots, denim, belt, cap and chambray shirt. Well done!

 

[Justhandguns]

It is one cool looking A-2. Well, this is what they call the Japanese cutting. That is why a lot of people say that Buzz, the Japanese Mccoys have better fit than the like of ELC, Goodwear and Aero. They are probably cut for the Asian kind of slim fit, which, for younger lads without the tummy, looks much better without the baggie kind of feel.

 

[ButteMT61]

Concur with the others - WELL DONE~
Excellent jacket. Fits just right.
WInning!

 

[Dave E]

The fit of that looks absolutely spot on.

I've tried a few A-2s, but could never get comfy with the fit of them, in particular as I have a long body and they tended to come up on the short side. Having said that, I was trying lower end stuff like Coopers and LL Bean models, rather than the higher end repros. Didn't like them enough to risk my money in a higher end model that I still wouldn't get on with. Seeing how you've got the fit on that, though, makes me think again.

 

[ButteMT61]

The fit of that looks absolutely spot on.

I've tried a few A-2s, but could never get comfy with the fit of them, in particular as I have a long body and they tended to come up on the short side. Having said that, I was trying lower end stuff like Coopers and LL Bean models, rather than the higher end repros. Didn't like them enough to risk my money in a higher end model that I still wouldn't get on with. Seeing how you've got the fit on that, though, makes me think again.

That's where a custom comes in! You can get it a bit longer to match your body. A2's are about the most comfortable for me. The only thing that I hate is worrying about knits and moths. PITA! But we've got it pretty well covered now. Just a bit of work.

 

[3onaMatch]

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback and the kind words. I forgot to mention that I purchased this jacket at Historypreservation.com, the only place you can get BR stateside, to my knowledge. For those who are wondering about sizing, I'm a 38 in a suit jacket, 38 in an original A-2, and a 38 in Buzz Rickson's. Runs true to size. I also ordered the original spec. chinos. Will post pics with them later on down the road.

Here're some links to more pics and info on the jacket.

http://historypreservation.com/hpassociates/images/br80103_a2_mont.jpg

http://historypreservation.com/hpassociates/detailpop.php?uniqnum=345

 

[53Effie]

Great jacket and perfect fit. We don't see too many BR's on here so I'm glad you posted it. Enjoy!

 

[ButteMT61]

Great jacket and perfect fit. We don't see too many BR's on here so I'm glad you posted it. Enjoy!

Amazing that it's "sold out" - esp at $1500! That's some clams for a repro A2. It's beautiful, and seems true to history, but yikes

 

[Cooperson]

Superb looking A2! Perfect fit and great color.

 

[2jakes]

Damien,
Which pics comes closest the actual color ?
Nice jacket !

 

[3onaMatch]

Damien,
Which pics comes closest the actual color ?
Nice jacket !

Hard to say.... The pics from the website are a good representation of the color in the brightest light, but walking around in and out of uneven natural lighting, the color appears darker, as in the photos of myself wearing it. I have leather samples from Goodwear, and this Buzz A-2 is definitely darker than a traditional russet, but somewhat lighter than the seal. It really is an in-between. I wore it outside one cool evening, and it did not appear black in the low light like a seal would, just a really dark brown.

 

[3onaMatch]

To give a better feel for the color, here are some comparison photos of the Buzz Rickson's next to an original Aero A-2 of the same contract. The Buzz is on the left in the side-by-side pic, and underneath in the stacked photo. They appear quite similar. In the last photo, you'll see color samples from Goodwear. Note how the Buzz is in between the seal and the light russet shades. Goodwear makes the most accurate A-2's. What you get from John Chapman is how an A-2 would've looked when it was issued in 1942. What you get from Buzz--with this particular model at least--is closer to how an A-2 looks after 70 years of wear to an original seal finish.

You can also see in the stacked photos how much longer the torso length is on the Buzz. This doesn't bother me, since Aeros were originally among the shorter A-2's in terms of body length. So the Buzz is accurate in length when compared to some other original makers, just not Aero. I like that they took liberties with the fit and made it a more flattering cut (also characteristic of other non-Aero originals). I also like the reproduction Crown zipper. My biggest gripe would be the extra length in the knits. But then again, knits are relatively temporary. Someday, when they need to be replaced, I'll get some original spec. put on.

I hope these posts have been informative. Keep the comments/questions coming; I'll try to answer them. Incidentally, I'll be selling the original Aero at some point later this year. Anyone interested should PM me.

 

[ButteMT61]

Those hides make me drool! I just hope I live long enough to get my FQHH jackets to look that good!!!

 

[EmergencyIan]

Awesome looking A-2's!


- Ian

 

[bentusian]

Very nice jacket and perfect fit on you. Thanks for the extra info as well.

 

[Jorgeaguilera]

Wow, nice jacket, looks pretty awesome, I hope to find some A-2 like yours, thumbs up Damien!!!

 

[ButteMT61]

Just a general "forum etiquette" tip.
No need to quote a post with tons of pix just to make a comment. It makes the thread less fun to navigate

 

[3onaMatch]

Why not, more fit pics. My lady snapped these of me the other day, and it shows how the jacket creases and lays when sitting. Leather is just barely starting to break in. Looks damn near like my original.