ELC Great Escape A-2

[aswatland]

Thanks for the up-date Charles on the situation facing Gary. Let's hope he recruits and trains replacement sewers asap.

 

[rocketeer]

Who knows

Mr HPA, that's who knows

I think these specialist styles do appeal to those who certainly won't or can't wear the vintage equivalent for any number of reasons. A genuine "Hell's Angel's" A-2 done up as the ELC A-2 in near-new condition would be double or more the cost and lose value with each chip of paint lost from wear. Additionally, there are those, and more than I once thought, who collect repros, especially really good examples of items they likely wouldn't get to own.

To me a plain jacket would always be preferable to a replica but I guess I am biased as I am never likely to own a genuine Picasso.
I did once visit a house where there was a Venus de Milo in the garden of a British council estate

We've sold most of these styles, and, once again, more than I would have thought, though nothing like plain jackets. I've found that the more spectacular the item, the more glitzy or celebrity-driven (Patton B-3), the more it appeals to the casual buyer (especially those in Asia), and Gary confirms this by his experience, as do my friends making similar jackets at Buzz Rickson's in Japan.

Hmmmm....especially those in Asia

 

[HPA Rep]

maybe Charles could re-dye it for me

You are the funny one, pal! Nope, not a masochistic bone in my body, but you wouldn't know it by what I do for a living. ;-)

 

[HPA Rep]

Mr HPA, that's who knows

To me a plain jacket would always be preferable to a replica but I guess I am biased as I am never likely to own a genuine Picasso.
I did once visit a house where there was a Venus de Milo in the garden of a British council estate


Hmmmm....especially those in Asia

But of course, dear man! Different perspectives on America and the world, and different values on many things.

I somewhat liken this to an interest by most anyone from elsewhere in things they find exotic in a good way. When I was studying Russian during the '80's in the midst of Glasnost, Perestroika, etc., it was rather high vogue to have a tee shirt or the like emblazoned with something printed in Cyrillic typeface, which many of us Russian majors hated. The shirts could have said "Глупый Mальчик" (stupid boy) on them and Americans wouldn't have known, for the most part. It was perceived as cool in a punkish or artsy way, that's all that mattered, just as our stuff was wayyyy more cool outside of the USA, and it still is. So we ended up selling stupid American tees to Soviet teens and they loved them, and for big money. Thus it is in most cultures very much removed from point of origin.

Americans nowadays don't know beans about painted A-2's, for the most part (not that they new very much more in the '80's), nor would they much care, and this is mostly because it's "our" stuff and not as exotic as a tee emblazoned with "Глупый Mальчик," though Perestroika and Gorby aren't generating much revenue these days. This is a big part of why any of the ELC "Elite" jackets aren't so popular here (price would be another). But the more outside the norm of the point of origin, and 75 years is getting pretty outside the norm, then the greater chance some amount of a perceived cool exoticism may be associated to something from a distant era where, and maybe only in a very small way, it becomes another "Глупый Mальчик".

The passage of time on its own isn't of value in this regard or we'd been cashing in on Colonial-American garb, but there is an inextinguishable coolness about leather jackets bearing semi-pornographic paintings of girls as worn by young men fueled by raging hormones and patriotism going off to vanquish enemies who were unquestionably evil in a very black-and-white way. This still holds appeal at the right price to guys and even girls, so I don't question the perennial coolness of such painted leather, just the ability to wear it without being labeled sexist or some other form of "ist".

 

[Marv]

Couldn't see myself with a 'Great Escape', 'Hells Angels' (big balls to wear that one) or the 'Umbriago'. Re-dye, re-issue without the 'Hilts' tag does appeal though. My ELC RW looks like a 1000 Mission jacket now...maybe Charles could re-dye it for me

I'd wear the Hells Angels RW A2 (the only A2 of the elite range that I would) as I really like it but unfortuately / luckly can't afford the price tag.

 

[nick123]

But of course, dear man! Different perspectives on America and the world, and different values on many things.

I somewhat liken this to an interest by most anyone from elsewhere in things they find exotic in a good way. When I was studying Russian during the '80's in the midst of Glasnost, Perestroika, etc., it was rather high vogue to have a tee shirt or the like emblazoned with something printed in Cyrillic typeface, which many of us Russian majors hated. The shirts could have said "Глупый Mальчик" (stupid boy) on them and Americans wouldn't have known, for the most part. It was perceived as cool in a punkish or artsy way, that's all that mattered, just as our stuff was wayyyy more cool outside of the USA, and it still is. So we ended up selling stupid American tees to Soviet teens and they loved them, and for big money. Thus it is in most cultures very much removed from point of origin.

Americans nowadays don't know beans about painted A-2's, for the most part (not that they new very much more in the '80's), nor would they much care, and this is mostly because it's "our" stuff and not as exotic as a tee that reads "Глупый Mальчик," though Perestroika and Gorby aren't generating much revenue these days. This is a big part of why any of the ELC "Elite" jackets aren't so popular here (price would be another). But the more outside the norm of the point of origin, and 75 years is getting pretty outside the norm, then the greater chance some amount of a perceived cool exoticism may be associated to something from a distant era where, and maybe only in a very small way, it becomes another "Глупый Mальчик".

The expiry of time on its own isn't of value in this regard or we'd been cashing in on Colonial-American garb, but there is an inextinguishable coolness about leather jackets with semi-pornographic girls painted on them worn by young men fueled by raging hormones and patriotism who are going off to vanquish enemies who were unquestionably evil in a very black-and-white way. This still holds appeal at the right price to guys and even girls, so I don't question the perennial coolness of such painted leather, just the ability to wear it without being labeled sexist or some other form of "ist".

Brilliant.

 

[Sloan1874]

Looks great. Why did the UAAF carry out re-dyes? Was it simply a way of refreshing jackets or an attempt at getting some sort colour conformity? Are there particular contracts that were re-dyed.

 

[aswatland]

You are correct Craig. Jackets from all contracts were re-dyed either in the War or post war. Gary Eastman gives a good explanation on page 98 of his A-2 Fight Jacket book.

 

[HPA Rep]

Brilliant.

There have been rumors dating back to childhood. ;-)

 

[HPA Rep]

Looks great. Why did the UAAF carry out re-dyes? Was it simply a way of refreshing jackets or an attempt at getting some sort colour conformity? Are there particular contracts that were re-dyed.

The refurbishing process wasn't contract specific and was applied to everything you can think of: parachutes, life vests, flying helmets, jackets & trousers, flying boots, goggles, field shoes, steel helmets, etc.

I do not know the date when re-dyeing first took place, but there are examples of A-2's re-dyed in the lighter browns (russet et al), so it could be earlier than some may think because the dark dye we typically think of was indeed something that came about late in the game. The A-2 and other pieces of flying gear were never the property of the individual aviator, thus making something such as the A-2 more serviceable in both appearance and function to gain further usefulness and stretch dollars spent could well be an earlier practice.

 

[Sloan1874]

V helpful, Charles. Thanks for the info.