Help Me Find a Modern A2 That Fits

[Lebowski]

Everything you have posted in this thread has been somewhat challenging and confrontational. There is no need for this negative energy.

Not at all El Marro, peace)

 

[Deacon211]

My interests lie more along the G-1 line, but wasn’t one of the “features” of the A-2 redesign of the ‘80s the addition of hand warmer pockets?

Looking up the tag from at least the Saddlery issue, the white label does still say “A-2” so, as the OP stated at the outset that he was looking for a “modern A-2” I don’t think that he’s incorrect in his expectation of hand warmer pockets; horrific as this might seem to us curmudgeons. [emoji16]

Didn’t AVI Leather or 5 Star make a slim fitting A-2? Not too sure about the hand warmers though. G+B got pretty tenty in their later years.

One other avenue you might try is contacting The Cockpit directly. When I purchased my 50 mission G-1 I followed the advice of another Lounger about swapping out the collar for something less vintaged. My email was answered by none other than Jacky Clyman herself, and she was surprisingly accommodating.

Worth a shot.


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[Kowaco]

Look for an original, the smaller jackets are more available


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[Seb Lucas]

My interests lie more along the G-1 line, but wasn’t one of the “features” of the A-2 redesign of the ‘80s the addition of hand warmer pockets?

Looking up the tag from at least the Saddlery issue, the white label does still say “A-2” so, as the OP stated at the outset that he was looking for a “modern A-2” I don’t think that he’s incorrect in his expectation of hand warmer pockets; horrific as this might seem to us curmudgeons. [emoji16]

Didn’t AVI Leather or 5 Star make a slim fitting A-2? Not too sure about the hand warmers though. G+B got pretty tenty in their later years.

One other avenue you might try is contacting The Cockpit directly. When I purchased my 50 mission G-1 I followed the advice of another Lounger about swapping out the collar for something less vintaged. My email was answered by none other than Jacky Clyman herself, and she was surprisingly accommodating.

Worth a shot.


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Yes, the military re-issued modern A2's some years back with hand warmers. But I'm with you - I prefer the look of G1's, although I would never need that fur collar, so I'd have to get the removable mouton version which Cockpit USA does.

 

[Brettafett]

Jared, drop 5 Star Leathers an email -www.fivestarleather.us
They make a couple of different A-2 type jackets. The goatskin looks the best. They have a Doniger type A-2 version, looks nice. Not top-tier accurate, but very wearable.
Send them pics or links of what you want...
They will customise fit and details for sure, and very affordable.

 

[Peacoat]

There has been mention of Aero being one the manufacturers of the original A-2 flight jacket. Lest there be any confusion, that was not the Aero Leather Company of Scotland that we all know so well. Aero Leather Clothing Co. Inc. in Beacon, NY was one of the wartime and pre war manufacturers of the A-2. This is the company mentioned in one of the posts above.

 

[Deacon211]

Jared, drop 5 Star Leathers an email -www.fivestarleather.us
They make a couple of different A-2 type jackets. The goatskin looks the best. They have a Doniger type A-2 version, looks nice. Not top-tier accurate, but very wearable.
Send them pics or links of what you want...
They will customise fit and details for sure, and very affordable.

Their prices are Looney Tunes! I might try one just to see how they are.

I see that they have larger sizes than previously as well.


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[Bfd70]

Here ya go

https://www.grailed.com/listings/7732708-golden-bear-golden-bear-made-in-usa-a-2-leather-bomber

 

[Seb Lucas]

Here ya go

https://www.grailed.com/listings/7732708-golden-bear-golden-bear-made-in-usa-a-2-leather-bomber

Hmmm, probably too big.

 

[Bfd70]

Yeah, sized small but pretty generous measurements.

 

[Edward]

Sorry for going off topic but for the sake of an ignoramus. I was under the impression that A2 was the intellectual copyright of Aero. I know that there's various versions like Aero 2 Type 38, I thought that was simply a variation on the original A2, much like Porsche cars 993 model is still the 911, just a different variant. If A2 is the intellectual property of Aero, how come the term A2 is used by others? Surely that should be A2 clone or something similar.

There has been mention of Aero being one the manufacturers of the original A-2 flight jacket. Lest there be any confusion, that was not the Aero Leather Company of Scotland that we all know so well. Aero Leather Clothing Co. Inc. in Beacon, NY was one of the wartime and pre war manufacturers of the A-2. This is the company mentioned in one of the posts above.

Exactly. The Aero we know and love in these parts was started in 1983, when the Calders' 'Transatlantic Clothing Company' started trading as 'Aero'. The name was chosen in tribute to the original Beaconsfield NYC company, which was no longer in existence and the mark had fallen out of use, so was available for the Aero we know to adopt as their own. What the Calders' Aero own is the 'Aero' trade mark, so other A2 reproducers cannot (except by licence agreement, as with Goodwear) use the 'Aero' name when they make a reproduction. Similarly, you'll see that none of the companies reproducing an RAF jacket are able to call them an "Irvin", because that TM is owned by Aviation Leathercraft.

 

[pjman]

Seb, if anybody wants to name them "A-2" even despite evident facts and all the well known historical public info - it's their own deal. But those jackets with handwarmer pockets aren't A-2. At all)

I could be wrong, but I thought the USAF current issue A-2 does indeed have hand-warmer pockets.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I could be wrong, but I thought the USAF current issue A-2 does indeed have hand-warmer pockets.

Yes, I mentioned that earlier. The issue for some people is that no jacket other than the famous wartime issue jacket can rightly be called an A2.

 

[Deacon211]

Yes, I mentioned that earlier. The issue for some people is that no jacket other than the famous wartime issue jacket can rightly be called an A2.

Interesting. I’d like to hear (perhaps in another thread) the thinking behind this.

Even though the jacket wasn’t made continuously throughout its service history, it’s still designated the “A-2” AFAIK. So, while some may consider it to be the ugly sister of the WWII A-2, it’s still an A-2 as worn by AF pilots.

I don’t think that the modern G-1 holds a candle to its predecessors either FWIW. But it’s what we get issued these days. [emoji846]


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[Seb Lucas]

Interesting. I’d like to hear (perhaps in another thread) the thinking behind this.

Even though the jacket wasn’t made continuously throughout its service history, it’s still designated the “A-2” AFAIK. So, while some may consider it to be the ugly sister of the WWII A-2, it’s still an A-2 as worn by AF pilots.

I don’t think that the modern G-1 holds a candle to its predecessors either FWIW. But it’s what we get issued these days. [emoji846]


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Agree. No doubt there is "thinking" behind it but you know what some enthusiasts can be like? It doesn't take a lot for some people's hobbies to be dialled up a notch into fundamentalist-like positions.

This has come up here quite a bit over the years, but not so much in recent times. I personally think you could also argue that it can't really called an A2 unless it is an actual issued jacket by a contracted mil-spec manufacturer. In other words, all those perfectly executed replicas are not A2's either, they are reproductions. The issued Cockpit USA A2, with hand warmers by this thinking has more right to the title than a John Chapman. It's like theology - you can split hairs and redefine terms for ever. But life is too short.

 

[regius]

Gibson barns civil A2


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[El Marro]

Agree. No doubt there is "thinking" behind it but you know what some enthusiasts can be like? It doesn't take a lot for some people's hobbies to be dialled up a notch into fundamentalist-ike positions.

This has come up here quite a bit over the years, but not so much in recent times. I personally think you could also argue that it can't really called an A2 unless it is an actual issued jacket by a contracted mil-spec manufacturer. In other words, all those perfectly executed replicas are not A2's either, they are reproductions. The issued Cockpit USA A2, with hand warmers has more right to the title than a John Chapman. It's like theology - you can split hairs and redefine terms for ever. But life is too short.

Well said Seb. I read through many of the old A2 threads here when I thought that was the style I was really after. I learned a lot about the jacket, but I also saw a lot of nitpicking and name calling over such minutiae as correct epaulet placement and authentic pocket stitching details. Personally I don’t see any fun in that game and I have come to believe that getting the fit right is far more important than the small details of any jacket one might wear.