Cockpit horsehide color

[SPAD]

Anyone have any pictures or experience with the Cockpit/Avirex horsehide Russet color jacket, compared to Flight Suits color etc.? I'm looking at the WWII replica they are selling. Thanks Spad

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've never seen the Cockpit horsehide model in person, but you'll almost certainly be much happier in the long run with the Flight Suits Historical horsehide. It's widely considered the best of the repro A-2s in the price range below the more expensive products from Eastman, Real McCoys, Aero, Lost Worlds, Rickson, etc.

I'm also a fan of US Authentic, and would suggest that they're a better choice than the Cockpit too. But as you'll see, not everybody agrees about this...

 

[MudInYerEye]

The cut is all wrong on the the Cockpit A-2 but believe it or not the horsehide they use is closer in color and hand to originals than the current offerings from Aero and Eastman. It's weird, but their horsehide
(both russet and seal) is awesome, thin (about 2.5 oz) and with patches of convincing grain. The colors are absolutely period perfect. The manager at their store on Broadway says the leather comes from Stateside which probably means Horween in Chicago, as opposed to the gentlemanly Italian horse used by most of the other companies. Too bad the rest of the jacket sucks.

 

[SPAD]

Mud, there are two different Cockpit horsehide A-2's, at least that's what I've been seeing lately. One is fairly modern and the other is a WW2. I wonder which one you saw. Doc Strangelove, I've got a Barnes catalog, but I don't want to spend a small fortune for a wear the heck out of it jacket. I like that russet color, but not the $500 price. They do have a neat goatskin in the Civil model. Thanks for the info, sure wish I could see some in person. Spad [huh]

 

[ShanghaiJack]

As A Friend

As A Friend
The Cockpit is not the place
to purchase a quality leather jacket.

IMHO

[huh]

 

[greyhound68]

Spad,
Check out FS clearance sale items on the web. You might find one that will fit and it is usually much lower than the retail price. You can also call them. I did and found out they had many jackets not listed on their clearance page.

 

[SPAD]

Thanks for the info guys, I'll check with FS. I also saw an add for "Barnstormers Leathers" that show a Russet A-2 in horsehide, but I know nothing about them. Spad

 

[Doctor Strange]

Also worth noting: Last I heard, FS/G&B were also still honoring the prices on their website, which are $100 less than their catalog. Just tell you them are ordering from the site and haven't seen the catalog, and use the right terminology (e.g., Historical Horsehide A-2 vs. Mark 31) - and be sure to ask about the price (be ready to pretend to get annoyed if they try and convince you that the site price is wrong).

 

[SPAD]

Thanks for that Doc Strange. I e-mailed FS and asked for a coupla different swatches. Also noticed "Barnstormersleathers" has some horse hide stuff too. Spad

 

[Mike K.]

For what it's worth, my very first A-2 jacket was purchased from The Cockpit almost 20 years ago. I liked the leather and it aged beautifully. However, the arms were sewn on with about a 60 degree down-angle. In other words, the jacket looked great as long it stayed on the hanger or I kept my arms at my sides. Try to raise the arms for the smallest task and the entire jacket rode up past my ribs...no joke! You can find plenty of Avirex brand A-2s on the auction site we do not talk about, but I'd recommend following the advice of others and go with a better brand. Don't be afraid of paying a bit more. The A-2 is definitely a "knock around" jacket...the more you knock it, the better it looks.