MA-1 Flight jacket

[bn1966]

An 'in-between' MA1, that would be very pleasing...like the old Alpha USA Replica Series

 

[Doctor Damage]

Alpha just updated their website and they have a new size guide which at first glance, at least, seems to make more sense than what they had before.

 

[Cocker]

That's great! Sleeve length was really lacking before. Hopefully, I bought my L2 from a nice vendor on eBay who took time to measure the sleeve from an xl and an xxl one.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Even with that new size chart they still recommend sizing up with their flight jackets, which, as our members have found, is not a good idea! (unless you're planning to gain 50 lbs)

 

[bn1966]

I sized up on their advice having given my measurements, Alpha put me at a 3XL in their Chinese made L2Bs but didn't have any in that size so said to try the 2XL. This duly arrived & fitted me and the entire family with room to spare (talk about a TENT); sold the jacket & purchased the XL which is OK but a bit bigger than I'd like.

 

[Doctor Damage]

new "history" section from their website, improved and now no longer says they invented the jackets, lol

 

[Doctor Damage]

here's some old summerweight jackets, either L2A or L2B (I think)

 

[theundeadkennedy]

My dad's apartment was recently robbed. Th only thing they took besides guns was the Alpha MA-1 I bought him earlier this year. It's strange, but I guess it's just the universal appeal of this jacket.

On a brighter note, I recently took delivery of a Buzz Rickson X William Gibson Slender Fit from History Preservation Associates. I'm very happy I went with Chaz's sizing advice, he talked me out of sizing down and that was a very good call. I love this jacket. Details are so impressive that I sometimes just pull it out of the closet and look at it.

 

[nick123]

My dad's apartment was recently robbed. Th only thing they took besides guns was the Alpha MA-1 I bought him earlier this year. It's strange, but I guess it's just the universal appeal of this jacket.

On a brighter note, I recently took delivery of a Buzz Rickson X William Gibson Slender Fit from History Preservation Associates. I'm very happy I went with Chaz's sizing advice, he talked me out of sizing down and that was a very good call. I love this jacket. Details are so impressive that I sometimes just pull it out of the closet and look at it.

The William Gibson collection is cool indeed. It's too bad the jackets don't come in a color other than black, but it's really the only option for tall guys as the jackets run a little longer. The black isn't all that bad though, and the collection being based around a work of fiction is a neat thing of itself. Kind of brilliant.
I'm trying to write a book of my own. I think I've decided the main character is going to wear a Lee Storm Rider jacket. If the book makes it big, maybe I'll get Iron Heart or someone to do a repro in tall sizes.

 

[Edward]

The William Gibson collection is cool indeed. It's too bad the jackets don't come in a color other than black, but it's really the only option for tall guys as the jackets run a little longer. The black isn't all that bad though, and the collection being based around a work of fiction is a neat thing of itself. Kind of brilliant.
I'm trying to write a book of my own. I think I've decided the main character is going to wear a Lee Storm Rider jacket. If the book makes it big, maybe I'll get Iron Heart or someone to do a repro in tall sizes.

I've only ever read the bare facts - that Gibson wrote about his character wearing ablack Buzz MA1 without knowing such a garment didn't exist, and then Buzz got wind of this and thought - hey! It should! (I'm sure it helped enormously that Gibson obviously has a big fanbase who might well want to buy the jacket mentioned in the books... actually, I wonder is this how it came to Buzz's attention....). Funnily enough, the old Aero Reproduction series used to include a black B15 too, not sure about the knit collar spec. Toyed with the idea of buying one for a friend, once, but that was a few years ago and it turned out that the bigger sizes in the Alphas were no longer in circulation... I'd love to know more about how exactly this all came about. Some cracking looking stuff in that range. Quite fancied the look of the L2 in black, actually, though it's a bit beyond my spend....

 

[theundeadkennedy]

The William Gibson collection is cool indeed. It's too bad the jackets don't come in a color other than black, but it's really the only option for tall guys as the jackets run a little longer. The black isn't all that bad though, and the collection being based around a work of fiction is a neat thing of itself. Kind of brilliant.
I'm trying to write a book of my own. I think I've decided the main character is going to wear a Lee Storm Rider jacket. If the book makes it big, maybe I'll get Iron Heart or someone to do a repro in tall sizes.

It's a great book. The first time I read it was back in 2005ish and that was the first time I had ever heard about Buzz Rickson and I've wanted one ever since. I hadn't been able to justify the price before and I still didn't think it was justified until I held it in my hands. Love it. Love the cut as well and it's cool having that connection to the book I've read numerous times. I love the black, but I can understand some might not. I would check out the Real McCoy's MA-1 that Blue in Green SoHo carries. It is supposedly of even higher quality than a Rickson's and I think it has a longer body length as well. I'm thinking it may be my next MA-1 purchase.

I've only ever read the bare facts - that Gibson wrote about his character wearing ablack Buzz MA1 without knowing such a garment didn't exist, and then Buzz got wind of this and thought - hey! It should! (I'm sure it helped enormously that Gibson obviously has a big fanbase who might well want to buy the jacket mentioned in the books... actually, I wonder is this how it came to Buzz's attention....). Funnily enough, the old Aero Reproduction series used to include a black B15 too, not sure about the knit collar spec. Toyed with the idea of buying one for a friend, once, but that was a few years ago and it turned out that the bigger sizes in the Alphas were no longer in circulation... I'd love to know more about how exactly this all came about. Some cracking looking stuff in that range. Quite fancied the look of the L2 in black, actually, though it's a bit beyond my spend....

Chaz from History Preservation actually would be the man to talk to on this. He has the details on how Buzz Rickson stockists were bombarded with requests for the black Buzz Rickson and how the stockists then brought it to Buzz Rickson's attention.

 

[Blackadder]

It's a great book. The first time I read it was back in 2005ish and that was the first time I had ever heard about Buzz Rickson and I've wanted one ever since. I hadn't been able to justify the price before and I still didn't think it was justified until I held it in my hands. Love it. Love the cut as well and it's cool having that connection to the book I've read numerous times. I love the black, but I can understand some might not. I would check out the Real McCoy's MA-1 that Blue in Green SoHo carries. It is supposedly of even higher quality than a Rickson's and I think it has a longer body length as well. I'm thinking it may be my next MA-1 purchase.

If you want a McCoy's MA-1, you should better hurry. The one Blue in Green carries the MJ13118 has been replaced by a Blue Anchor repro which costs significantly more.
John Ownby MJ13118 which is sold out in Japan
http://www.therealmccoys.nagoya/?pid=1291787
The new Blue Anchor MJ14113
http://www.therealmccoys.nagoya/?pid=1291840
The McCoy's is roughly the same length as the William Gibson MA-1.

 

[theundeadkennedy]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm not sure I'll be able to swing it soon enough, but I may try anyways. My wife is getting hip to my purchase excuses in regards to limited runs and all that.

 

[Big J]

I lost all respect for Gibson after;

1. Started talkng about 'being a hippie in the 60's who just happened to wake up one day in Canada', when he used to at least be honest and admit he went to Canada to dodge the Vietnam draft.
2. Admitted that everything he wrote in his 'Blue Ant' book set in London came from google earth and other peoples magazine articles (search the net and you can find parts he copied word for word from journalists articles).
3. Came to Japan, and started talking about how 'Japan is the future', which is beyond shallow, since every vision of 'Japan as the future' hasn't changed since the 1960's- how 'future' is that? It's like watching someone see Thunderbirds for the first time and proclaiming 'Wow! This is the future!'.

Yes, Gibson admitted that he didn't do the research on the jacket color, but quite frankly, his research is generally pretty poor. Overrated.
And don't even get me started on Bruce Sterling.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I lost all respect for Gibson after;

1. Started talkng about 'being a hippie in the 60's who just happened to wake up one day in Canada', when he used to at least be honest and admit he went to Canada to dodge the Vietnam draft.
2. Admitted that everything he wrote in his 'Blue Ant' book set in London came from google earth and other peoples magazine articles (search the net and you can find parts he copied word for word from journalists articles).
3. Came to Japan, and started talking about how 'Japan is the future', which is beyond shallow, since every vision of 'Japan as the future' hasn't changed since the 1960's- how 'future' is that? It's like watching someone see Thunderbirds for the first time and proclaiming 'Wow! This is the future!'.

Yes, Gibson admitted that he didn't do the research on the jacket color, but quite frankly, his research is generally pretty poor. Overrated.
And don't even get me started on Bruce Sterling.

I don't blame him dodging the draft but being honest about that is important. I don't care for his fiction. Of course Gibson is decidedly low tech and old school. I think he still uses a typewriter. I personally don't read much fiction written after 1950, but that's a personal choice. Nevertheless I do like the idea of a long fitting, well made MA1 and since most items I wear are black I like the idea of a black MA1 made to stringent Japanese specs.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Cockpit has on their website an MA-1 jacket with older style pockets and Made in USA.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Captain Ralph Balcom returning home from Vietnam.

 

[Big J]

Captain Ralph Balcom returning home from Vietnam.

Just looking at the bottom of the jacket, but isn't that an L2?

 

[Edward]

Just looking at the bottom of the jacket, but isn't that an L2?

Likely an L2A given Vietnam; certainly looks like the later, sage green jacket to me. You're right, though, it has the bottom fastening that the L2 types had; also, it seems to have the epaulettes as well (to the best of my knowledge, both features that never appeared on an MA1). Pockets look to be regular slash type as on the MA1, but I've seen variations in the L2 types with and without flaps.

ETA: Excuse my typo, please... that should read L2B. The L2A was, of course, midnight blue.

 

[Doctor Damage]

It's not an MA-1 jacket but we've talked about the winter and summer nylon jackets in this thread so I posted that photo here. I think this thread could actually be renamed.