Cooper horsehide A2?

[pilot error]

Guys.....When did Cooper make a horesehide A2, and what is the quality and fit?

 

[Atticus Finch]

Guys.....When did Cooper make a horesehide A2, and what is the quality and fit?

Cooper made some A-2s during WWII. I'm not sure if they were goat or horse. I've never seen a modern Cooper A-2 made from horsehide. I'm not saying that they haven't ever made one. But if they did, it would have been a civilian jacket.

AF

 

[pilot error]

It has the modern orange label and another stating horsehide

 

[Atticus Finch]

It has the modern orange label and another stating horsehide

Darn. I've never seen a jacket like that. Current military specifications require the use of goatskin, but I guess Cooper could have made an orange label (civilian) jacket from any type of hide.

AF

 

[Seb Lucas]

Are you're talking about Neil Cooper's jackets from the 1980's-90's? Most coopers were goat or cow but he did some HH in the 1990's. Neil sold to US Wings (they still make his A2 pattern in HH), he retired a decade ago and is currently recovering from a stroke.

 

[53Effie]

I had a modern Cooper with the orange label that was made of horsehide. I believe it was made for the civilian market most likely. The pattern was much like the goatskin ones that you commonly see, except that it had a two piece back. It had a tag inside indicating that it was made of horsehide. I bought it off Ebay and have not seen another one like it. I sold it on about a year ago. I thought that the leather quality was poor. It was not a Neil Cooper.

 

[pilot error]

 

[morrison2951]

Nice! Me likey the HH Cooper A-2! Mine is goat.

 

[Brettafett]

My first A-2 was a Cooper Commemorative Edition in goat. Loved it. It was trim and looked awesome, but the sleeves were too short. Sold on. Shoulda kept it...

 

[Seb Lucas]

I had a modern Cooper with the orange label that was made of horsehide. I believe it was made for the civilian market most likely. The pattern was much like the goatskin ones that you commonly see, except that it had a two piece back. It had a tag inside indicating that it was made of horsehide. I bought it off Ebay and have not seen another one like it. I sold it on about a year ago. I thought that the leather quality was poor. It was not a Neil Cooper.

Was it a US Wings then? Neil Cooper owned the company which made Cooper jackets.

 

[Navin323i]

Great looking jacket! Nice patina too.

 

[53Effie]

Mine had the same label as shown above. Not specifically labeled Neil Cooper as other jackets I have seen and owned.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Mine had the same label as shown above. Not specifically labeled Neil Cooper as other jackets I have seen and owned.

Neil Cooper was the President of Cooper Sportswear from the early 1970's until the late 1990's, he used many labels - he even used to make the Indy Jones jackets under the US Wings label. Now most of these are made by Schott for US WIngs. Go figure...

Cooper's grandfather ran the original Coopers Sportswear that made the WW2 A2's. Neil's company of the same name was a different more recent iteration.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Neil Cooper...even used to make the Indy Jones jackets under the US Wings label.

OK. This makes sense. Years ago, I bought one of those US Wings "Indy" jackets and it is made from horsehide. I almost hate to admit it, but I still wear that jacket and get a fair number of compliments on it.

AF

 

[Gunner Barnes]

I had a Cooper A-2 in horsehide, once. Awful thing. Oversized cut, huge sleeves, and the widest epaulettes I've ever seen. I have no idea what went wrong with the pattern. It's like no Cooper A-2 I've ever seen, before or since. I also had one in goatskin, which was their regular civilian pattern from the mid-90s. That one I liked.

 

[aswatland]

Cooper made some A-2s during WWII. I'm not sure if they were goat or horse. I've never seen a modern Cooper A-2 made from horsehide. I'm not saying that they haven't ever made one. But if they did, it would have been a civilian jacket.

AF

Cooper had one contract in the War from late 1941 with production running through the early months of 1942. 5,000 jackets were made from horsehide. I too have only seen modern Cooper A2s made from goatskin.

 

[morrison2951]

I had a Cooper A-2 in horsehide, once. Awful thing. Oversized cut, huge sleeves, and the widest epaulettes I've ever seen. I have no idea what went wrong with the pattern. It's like no Cooper A-2 I've ever seen, before or since. I also had one in goatskin, which was their regular civilian pattern from the mid-90s. That one I liked.

I also like and still have my goat Cooper A-2. Very comfortable.