Original Cooper A-2 from 1941

[aswatland]

The W535 ac-23381 contract dates to late 1941. It is one of the rarest of A-2s from the small contract awarded to Cooper Sportswear, of Newark, New Jersey. This A-2 has a number of interesting details, such as the label, which is largely identical in shape and typeface to those from Rough Wear's 23380 contract, and also the use of a style of Conmar zipper, often found on Tanker jackets. The thread, also like many Rough Wear jackets, is a light green and tan in colour.

I bought this jacket for display rather than to wear and although I can get it on it is trim and I prefer a more generous fit in an A-2. Everything is original on the jacket apart from the wristlets. The hh exhibits areas of significant grain and overall has developed a great vintage patina. Here are a few pics.

 

[aswatland]

 

[Grayland]

Wow! The patina and graining of the HH is beautiful.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Andrew, you look cool in that jacket. Suck it your stomach and wear it.

 

[aswatland]

Joel, this jacket is not for wearing, but display. Original Cooper A2s are extremely rare and the lining is not robust. I have plenty of size 44 originals to wear!

 

[johnnyjohnny]

wow

a real cooper. i've seen knowledgable (or apparently so) say cooper as a ww2 maker was apocryphal, mythical, and there was no proof of cooper actually making these.

i think that was said in absolute fashion, meaning whether THiS cooper was made by a company relatable to the erstwhile 70s/80s cooper, or not. know if this has any relation to the post war cooper?

by the way, very nice!

 

[bretron]

Andrew this is in amazing condition. Cost ya a kidney and first born?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

That's a nice one Andrew. it fits exactly as I like A2s to fit. On the whole i'm not a great fan, but that's how I like them to fit …

a real cooper. i've seen knowledgable (or apparently so) say cooper as a ww2 maker was apocryphal, mythical, and there was no proof of cooper actually making these.

That's strange. There have been reliable pictures of verifiable wartime Coopers around the internet for as long as I've been looking. I mean, there's one on Acme Depot! (label below)

But, that's internet "experts" for you. Same folks that can tell the difference between horsehide from goatskin from a grainy 1942 crew photo. :eusa_doh:

 

[gruvi]

Joel, this jacket is not for wearing, but display. Original Cooper A2s are extremely rare and the lining is not robust. I have plenty of size 44 originals to wear!

Do you own a museum or a retail store? If not, I'm not getting the point of home displays...sort of odd. I would wear it or sell it on otherwise.

 

[Peacoat]

Do you own a museum or a retail store? If not, I'm not getting the point of home displays...sort of odd. I would wear it or sell it on otherwise.

He is a collector; a very knowledgeable collector. One of the advantages of collecting leather jackets over pea coats is the much smaller closet space required.

 

[ButteMT61]

He is a collector; a very knowledgeable collector. One of the advantages of collecting leather jackets over pea coats is the much smaller closet space required.

Not if you have 2x as many leather jackets!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

WAY nicer than any of the contemporary Coopers I've seen or owned. I'm not a big fan of those generic seal brown goat skins they've made. Too bad they never produced a sort of "legacy" edition jacket like yours. If they were really the same company that produced WW2 jackets like that one, then surely they would have I think. Or maybe they did and I missed them?

 

[ButteMT61]

I agree. When I hear "Cooper A-2" , I move on. The post war jackets to me look awful. Or, like what I'd expect our government to issue these days. In fact, when I see them, I think crappy mall jacket. Not trying to insult anyone here. Just think they're awful in comparison to almost everything else. Even LL Bean and Polo make better looking A-2's. Let me be clear. These thoughts don't apply to the jacket here!!! It's typically lovely WWII vintange.

 

[mrc]

Very cool!

 

[aswatland]

Do you own a museum or a retail store? If not, I'm not getting the point of home displays...sort of odd. I would wear it or sell it on otherwise.

I realise you are relative new to collecting vintage jackets. When I first started buying original A2s they were for wearing, but now I wear repros on a regular basis and originals only occasionally to the odd air show for example. I do not have a museum, just a collection of War time jackets which has grown over the years.