Survey: Your Favorite A-2 Jacket (Original or Repro, Expensive or Cheap as Hell!)

[Atticus Finch]

Atticus great fitting jacket. I like the new issue A-2s. Agree also that Orchard makes a good jacket. Their goatskin is usually very thick. I really like your jeep and bumper sticker! BTW what patch is that?

That's a 6th Weather Wing patch that I put on the jacket. Actually, the patch is modern and has a velcro back, so I just stuck it onto the jacket's velcro receiver. Someone gave me that patch because I'm a weather nerd...especially tropical weather. I like to track hurricanes and tropical storms and such.

AF

Post edit: Oh, I forgot to mention...and maybe I shouldn't...but that is an old photo. It was taken sometime near the end of George Bush's first term.

 

[too much coffee]

That's a 6th Weather Wing patch that I put on the jacket. Actually, the patch is modern and has a velcro back, so I just stuck it onto the jacket's velcro receiver. Someone gave me that patch because I'm a weather nerd...especially tropical weather. I like to track hurricanes and tropical storms and such.

AF








Post edit: Oh, I forgot to mention...and maybe I shouldn't...but that is an old photo. It was taken sometime near the end of George Bush's first term.

Hello Atticus;

That's what I like about your bumper sticker............timeless!

Regards, coffee

 

[Atticus Finch]

Hello Atticus;

That's what I like about your bumper sticker............timeless!

Regards, coffee

Indeed it is! I started to mention something about not feeling terribly different now, but didn't want to open a can of stink.

AF

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

What everyone think of the this Eastman '33 Weber? It has the "time worn" treatment. The extra leather aging cheesy?

I have to say that this "time worn" treatment looks nothing like my Eastman '33 Werber "4-year actual worn." The way the leather on these jackets is finished it doesn't take very long to make one look lived-in; the "time worn" treatment seems unnecessary on these type of jackets.

In the spirit of this thread, it is also my favorite A-2!

Noel

 

[bretron]

^^^ Show us your tits... I mean, pics!!!!

 

[1958 trebor]

I bought an Eastman A2 from ebay recently, size 44 aged etc, couldn't wait! when it turned up I was so disappointed. It was tight as in 'really tight' and just a bit uncomfortable. Now, I know I am going to have the true believers descend on me for this, but I have an Aviation Leathercraft A2 which fits me fine. Clearly, our body shapes have changed over 70 years and I wonder if 52 year old 44" lardies like myself would ever be able to get into a genuine ww2 sized jacket without looking, well, wrong?

 

[Edward]

I bought an Eastman A2 from ebay recently, size 44 aged etc, couldn't wait! when it turned up I was so disappointed. It was tight as in 'really tight' and just a bit uncomfortable. Now, I know I am going to have the true believers descend on me for this, but I have an Aviation Leathercraft A2 which fits me fine. Clearly, our body shapes have changed over 70 years and I wonder if 52 year old 44" lardies like myself would ever be able to get into a genuine ww2 sized jacket without looking, well, wrong?

And there's the rub. While I like accuracy in an A2 (especially if I'm thinking of paying premium prices!), it is important to keep things in proportion. The very most accurate WW2 era A2 is never gonig to make me look like one of the kids who originally wore 'em. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, just .... see the wood as well as the trees, ya know?

I have two A2s. One is an ELC (a Roughwear, I think, from memory - they're on the other side of the world from me as I type this), in seal, with reddish knits. If I remember correctly the rust knits were a custom addition ordered by the original owner, and not correct to the contract. This is a 1942 spec contract, and has the Army Air Forces decal on the shoulder. It was supposedly worn lightly for about a year; if correct, by the look of it (no pictures, alas), I should think it may have been timeworn finished. I keep meaning to give it a bit of treatment to darken down the worn areas, when I find the time... My other A2 is an Aero goat model, seal finish, AAF decal, and 77th Fighter Group leather patch. This I do have a photo of:

This jacket has the red lining too. Very nice jacket. Both were bought second hand on eBay for about half the new price at the respective times - I've had them for a couple of years now. I'd very much like to have a russet A2. Most likely if I do buy new I'll end up with an Aero Real Deal, as ELC have gone out of my price range in the last couple of years. I'm also tempted by a Bill Kelso if the exchange rate swings significantly in the pound's favour; as it sits currently, they work out at about the same price as a Real Deal by the time I would ship it to the UK. For now, though, I'm content to keep an eye on eBay and see what pops up used. Of the jackets I have already, on balance my favourite of the two is probably the Aero.

 

[pjstrass]

Jaguar : the Monarch A2 ...which leather is it ? Great looking jacket . Thanks.

 

[ButteMT61]

I am so bummed. Yesterday on Ebay, there was a NEW sized 52 (US) Aero A2 in medium horsehide with a "Buy It Now" for $375. I missed it by about two minutes.
I could just go flog myself with a brick

 

[aswatland]

I am so bummed. Yesterday on Ebay, there was a NEW sized 52 (US) Aero A2 in medium horsehide with a "Buy It Now" for $375. I missed it by about two minutes.
I could just go flog myself with a brick

How unlucky! But would it fit you as a size 52 is massive?

 

[ButteMT61]

How unlucky! But would it fit you as a size 52 is massive?

I'm normally a 52 Long! I only didn't pull the trigger quickly because I thought it was too SMALL! That's why I was stunned to see it, and more bummed to miss out.
I'm 6'-4", 230 lbs. Not fat, just big.

 

[bretron]

I missed out on this one cause I was not sure of fit. But $321 USD for a Good Wear? C'mon!

GLC "house" A2

 

[feltfan]

I missed out on this one cause I was not sure of fit. But $321 USD for a Good Wear? C'mon!

GLC "house" A2

Odd. What exactly *is* that? It's not a WWII original and it's not a Chapman. Unless I'm mistaken, Chapman
doesn't have labels with his company name on them (and anyway he's not in NJ). Did he get new labels or is
he going to get a lawyer?

 

[aswatland]

It's an early GW test jacket when John was experimenting with design and leather.

 

[767fo]

This is my new favorite the 1938 Aero from Good Wear Leather. John is a true artist

 

[ButteMT61]

This is my new favorite the 1938 Aero from Good Wear Leather. John is a true artist

Brilliant. That's what I'd call a good fit. Jacket is superb.

 

[767fo]

Thank you

 

[Philalethes]

Brilliant. That's what I'd call a good fit. Jacket is superb.

I agree. What kind of leather is it?

 

[767fo]

The hide is John's Japanese red russet aniline HH

 

[Corky]

Feltfan:

The photo I posted was from a link to the G&B website.

My G&B A-2 is about two years old and, despite frequent use, it shows few if any signs of wear.

If I were to post a recent photo, the G&B A-2 would look very similar to what I posted, but with a bit more grain which would be hard to see on a digital photo.

I have an older cowhide ANJ-3 of lesser quality from the San Diego Leather Jacket Company (circa 1989) which is beat-up and almost worn out, but this A-2 still looks much like it did when it came out of the box. I have a few other distressed leather jackets, so I see no need to accelerate the aging process on this example of fine horsehide.

I enjoy the way this G&B A-2 retains its elegant, sharp look.

And on those rare occasions when I want to appear battle-tested and time-worn, I just reach in the back of my closet for the venerable ANJ-3.