Dr H
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,006
- Location
- Somerset, UK
NOW SOLD
I'm using my Good Wear Leather and ELC repros for daily wear and I've decided to offer for sale my McGregor/Doniger A-2 in a larger size 44. Although it is the most comfortable jacket that I’ve ever worn, it's simply too rare an example and too good for my needs.
This is a light russet jacket in thick (2-3 mm), but lightweight capeskin or cabretta with areas of pronounced grain. This is a reasonably wide (comparatively round-) shouldered pattern, with wide armholes, rotated/inset sleeves and a roomy, longer torso (see http://www.acmedepot.com/a2jacket/a2detail2.html for more detailed information) which resembles the no name W535ac29971 that is believed to have been produced by Doniger in 1942.
The jacket has many typical wartime Doniger features:
- pointed collar ends,
- sharply angular pocket flaps,
- rounded pocket edges,
- no collar stand,
- Dot nipple snaps at both the collar and pockets (with uncovered snaps to the rear),
- hanger attached with an open box stitch.
- epaulettes of moderate width with box stitching at the shoulder following the curvature of the collar,
- top shoulder seam placed centrally under the epaulette,
- inset, rotated sleeves,
- double marked, rectangular ‘Hershey bar’ Talon zipper with a light tape.
The knits are very unusual: a period two-tone olive/brown wool. The cutter’s label – still retaining traces of a varnish/shiny surface has survived in very good condition.
The statistics of the jacket (that is a larger modern size 44):
Weight = 1.2 kg
Windflap length = 59 cm
Front zipper length = 55 cm
Rear length (base of collar to base of waist knit) = 65 cm
Width of shoulders = 48 cm
Armpit-to-armpit (front) = 59 cm
Armpit-to-armpit (back) = 59 cm
Unstretched waistknit = 47 cm
Sleeve length
- shoulder to end of leather cuff (along sleeve profile) = 62 cm
- shoulder to end of leather cuff (straight) = 60 cm
- armpit to end of leather cuff = 47 cm
Depth of waist knit = 7 cm
Length of knitted cuff = 7 cm
Epaulettes = 17 cm
Condition:
The jacket is in excellent condition with no stains and no smells. The shell is a rare survivor - there were several very small nicks (these have been repaired cleanly to leave no holes) and a couple of moth holes to the cuffs that were darned carefully. The zipper is untarnished and works very smoothly and the lining is in practically mint condition with no stains or holes. At present it bears a repro Doniger/44 label from Good Wear, in lieu of the missing original white manufacturer’s label – McGregor Sportswear – with a red/green script and border. McGregor Sportswear was a commercial trading name for David D Doniger ‘The US trademark database has the McGregor name as being first registered in 1938 with Doniger reporting on the application its first use in commerce as February, 1923. (That ought to be definitive, but other sources say it was used even earlier.)’ I have removed but retained the name tag but the stitch holes are very small, very neat and barely discernible.
A private purchase/wartime example of this jacket (bearing pilot’s wings and rank stripes on the epaulettes) is shown in ‘Full Gear’ and, according to the author, the jacket was made in 1942. The illustrated example is much paler/faded tan/brown, showing evidence of wear.
The photographs were taken under cloudy skies.
I have some additional images that I can supply on request.
It's a hard jacket to value given its rarity and I've taken a lot of advice and consulted a number of established collectors on the VLJF (thanks to those who helped). I am asking $1500 including tracked shipping worldwide. If payment is by PayPal then fees will be charged.
Please PM me if you feel that it's for you or if you have questions and if there's no interest then I'll put it on EBay.
Thanks for looking!
I'm using my Good Wear Leather and ELC repros for daily wear and I've decided to offer for sale my McGregor/Doniger A-2 in a larger size 44. Although it is the most comfortable jacket that I’ve ever worn, it's simply too rare an example and too good for my needs.
This is a light russet jacket in thick (2-3 mm), but lightweight capeskin or cabretta with areas of pronounced grain. This is a reasonably wide (comparatively round-) shouldered pattern, with wide armholes, rotated/inset sleeves and a roomy, longer torso (see http://www.acmedepot.com/a2jacket/a2detail2.html for more detailed information) which resembles the no name W535ac29971 that is believed to have been produced by Doniger in 1942.
The jacket has many typical wartime Doniger features:
- pointed collar ends,
- sharply angular pocket flaps,
- rounded pocket edges,
- no collar stand,
- Dot nipple snaps at both the collar and pockets (with uncovered snaps to the rear),
- hanger attached with an open box stitch.
- epaulettes of moderate width with box stitching at the shoulder following the curvature of the collar,
- top shoulder seam placed centrally under the epaulette,
- inset, rotated sleeves,
- double marked, rectangular ‘Hershey bar’ Talon zipper with a light tape.
The knits are very unusual: a period two-tone olive/brown wool. The cutter’s label – still retaining traces of a varnish/shiny surface has survived in very good condition.
The statistics of the jacket (that is a larger modern size 44):
Weight = 1.2 kg
Windflap length = 59 cm
Front zipper length = 55 cm
Rear length (base of collar to base of waist knit) = 65 cm
Width of shoulders = 48 cm
Armpit-to-armpit (front) = 59 cm
Armpit-to-armpit (back) = 59 cm
Unstretched waistknit = 47 cm
Sleeve length
- shoulder to end of leather cuff (along sleeve profile) = 62 cm
- shoulder to end of leather cuff (straight) = 60 cm
- armpit to end of leather cuff = 47 cm
Depth of waist knit = 7 cm
Length of knitted cuff = 7 cm
Epaulettes = 17 cm
Condition:
The jacket is in excellent condition with no stains and no smells. The shell is a rare survivor - there were several very small nicks (these have been repaired cleanly to leave no holes) and a couple of moth holes to the cuffs that were darned carefully. The zipper is untarnished and works very smoothly and the lining is in practically mint condition with no stains or holes. At present it bears a repro Doniger/44 label from Good Wear, in lieu of the missing original white manufacturer’s label – McGregor Sportswear – with a red/green script and border. McGregor Sportswear was a commercial trading name for David D Doniger ‘The US trademark database has the McGregor name as being first registered in 1938 with Doniger reporting on the application its first use in commerce as February, 1923. (That ought to be definitive, but other sources say it was used even earlier.)’ I have removed but retained the name tag but the stitch holes are very small, very neat and barely discernible.
A private purchase/wartime example of this jacket (bearing pilot’s wings and rank stripes on the epaulettes) is shown in ‘Full Gear’ and, according to the author, the jacket was made in 1942. The illustrated example is much paler/faded tan/brown, showing evidence of wear.
The photographs were taken under cloudy skies.
I have some additional images that I can supply on request.
It's a hard jacket to value given its rarity and I've taken a lot of advice and consulted a number of established collectors on the VLJF (thanks to those who helped). I am asking $1500 including tracked shipping worldwide. If payment is by PayPal then fees will be charged.
Please PM me if you feel that it's for you or if you have questions and if there's no interest then I'll put it on EBay.
Thanks for looking!
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