US Wings selling A-2s with 1940s vintage goatskin & "G-8" jackets from 1958

[Nighthawk]

A-2:
http://www.uswings.com/usaaf.asp#LEVGA2

G-8 (scroll down to the Excelled version):
http://www.uswings.com/g-8.asp

I'd like to get everyone's thought on this. Are these legit? Can one really tell if goatskin is from the 40s? (Tanning and dyeing techniques, I presume.) You can click on the images for better detail. Also, I thought that the G-8 was a made-up designation in the 80s. If you look closely their version from 1958 has a tag that says G-8. I'm not necessarily planning on ordering any of these. I do own a U.S. Wings standard USAF A-2 and it is fine for the money. I should add that USW has other vintage items for sale that I don't question. I guess I'm not really questioning but wondering aloud.

NH

 

[crismans]

I know someone who picked up the A2. Don't know as to how you can date a skin, but he said that it was absolutely beautiful.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

so they say

according to another seller, flightjacket.com:

The G-8 (the stock jacket in the image is made of Medium brown Goatskin) jacket was introduced into the service in the late 1920's as the official flight jacket of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp flyers. The details on this jacket were an inspiration for many famous designs introduced through the movie industries.
But only one jacket is true to the original with all its fine details

gee, i wonder which one they say is 'true to the original'...could it be theirs?

the g-8 is a real design from the past, but all these jacket makers are just claiming theirs is better than the other guys...you really have to look up actual photos and then figure out for yourself which of the current day makers does a credible job...like in the case of luftwaffe jackets and eastman, i think it's understood after viewing historical photos that those guys put out a credible product...you'd just have to conduct the same kind of research with the g-8

as for uswings claim of 40s leather...who knows what they're talking about...it's mostly double speak...they say a recent stash of 40s leather was found...wooopee, old leather...talk about putting spin on something...and then they come up with the meaningless phrase that it is of the 'same type' as that used in the 40s in u.s. a-2s...yeah...it came from a goat

i rarely if ever believe ambiguous ad garbage like this...but of course, that is my OwN personal opinion...and you did ask for opinions ;D

 

[kampkatz]

All companies want to sell their merchandise. US Wings is no different in wanting their product chosen from the others that a potential customer may research. If their price and quality are competitive, what does it really matter about how old the goatskin might be as long as it is decent?

 

[Seb Lucas]

The G8 was surely never issued anywhere. As far as I can tell, it is based on a genertic utility jacket - Indy design which were available from the late 1930's.

Is there a single photo of a G8 from the 1920's anywhere?

By the way, IMO teh sleeve design is terrible and patchy.

 

[Nighthawk]

If it is indeed 1940s leather in good condition, it of course doesn't mean it was used for military jackets. You could have had civilian jackets made from the leather. Still, if John Chapman or Gary Eastman could have gotten ahold of this leather (if it is indeed genuine), they could have charged a very high premium for repros made from it.

For example, the W535-ac-27753 no name contract was made in both russet horsehide and goatskin. Here is Goodwear's repro of it in goat:

http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/a2_27753.html

Were there any other contracts made in russet goat?

Edit: Looking back the USW site the color is what they call a "medium brown" which isn't quite seal. My bad.

NH

 

[FLATHEAD]

I have to laugh at the Excelled Vintage G-8.

While it is indeed a nice looking jacket, it states on the Wings site that these jackets are
from 1958, and that they are over 50 years old.

The Excelled Leather and Sheepskin Coat Company was started in January 1960, TWO YEARS
after the supposed date of these jackets.

How is it possible that these jackets came from a company that did not even exsist yet?

Flathead

 

[STW]

I've had one of these "G-8" jackets from USWings for 20 years. (Not the vintage Excelled one they're listing now, just the seal brown one above it). It's a fine jacket and has broken in beautifully with a very pronounced pebbly goatskin texture. Very comfortable. Zippers are solid, every stitch has held. Lining has held up very well. Only problem with it is the dumb 80s style 2" collar; I see from the link they are still using it.

 

[Fletch]

[...] the W535-ac-27753 no name contract was made in both russet horsehide and goatskin. Here is Goodwear's repro of it in goat:

http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/a2_27753.html

Were there any other contracts made in russet goat?

Per www.acmedepot.com:

Doniger 42-21539 (all)
Rough Wear AC-18091 (all)
Cable 42-10008 (most or all)
Spiewak 42-18776 (most or all)
Bronco AC-29191 (some)
Perry (some)

Acme also states that seal brown mostly had to do with the later runs of A-2, rather than with the type of skin.

Today, of course, I imagine most goatskin is seal or chocolate brown because the demand for goat is overwhelmingly for the Top Gun-patched G-1, and tanneries produce accordingly.