USAF-issue Saddlery A-2 vs Cooper orange-tag A-2

[riffraff]

Got into a discussion with a gent about his claimed "USAF-issue", orange tag Cooper A-2 flight jacket. This inevitably led to disagreement re: his position that his jacket was a USAF issued item -- by virtue of it saying so on the orange tag/label.

So, thought I'd revisit the topic and walk through my recollections/experiences with both the issue and commercial versions.

Most here are probably familiar with the fact that, in 1988, USAF began to reissue the A-2 to mission-qualified aircrew. Saddlery (a division of Cooper Sportswear) was awarded the initial contract. What most folks don't realize is that the orange-tag Cooper A-2 predated the 1988 reissue by several years.

Pre-1988 Cooper A-2.
I don't know exactly when Cooper started producing the A-2 but I purchased my jacket ~1984 at the BX at Castle AFB in CA. My recollection is that the jacket could be purchased with a removable velcro nametag or without (Mine had the velcro attached and I still have the original, blank tag somewhere at my house).

These early orange tag jackets were a russet-colored goatskin and had brownish-purple knits (cuffs and waistband). The zipper was brass with a chrome Ideal-brand puller. Interior was lined with a tannish cloth with an olive hue.

The label was an orange rectangle with "Cooper" in a blue arc sitting atop a silver embroidered USAF pilot wing. Just above the wing was "Type A-2". Immediately below the orange tag was a white spec tag reading:
Type A-2
Size (size shown here: 42R, 42L, etc)
GAC-201-01-8101M
Cooper Sportswear Mfg Co, Inc
CSN 8719-01-8243400

Enter the USAF-issue Saddlery jacket:
As mentioned, Saddlery (a division of Cooper Sportswear) was the awarded the initial contract for reissue of the USAF A-2. My 1990-issued jacket is, for all intents and purposes, identical to the pre-1988 orange tag with the following exceptions:
- velcro for a command patch present, in addition to the nametag velcro
- supposedly a flame retardent coating on the leather (I have two 1988 contract jackets. The one I received in 1990 has near-identical leather to my 1985 orange tag. My second jacket (also a 1988 contract) has a wetter/shinier finish -- more on this later
- Saddlery label which was a white tag with stylized "Saddlery" text with "Made in USA" and size underneath. It had a similar white spec tag to the above but it is a true
mil-spec tag:
Type A-2
Size (size shown here: 42R, 42L, etc)
DLA 100 88 C0420
Cooper Sportswear Mfg Co, Inc
NSN 8415-01-258-6401 (last digits will vary by jacket size)

The post-1988 orange tag Cooper.
After the USAF reissue, the orange tag on the jackets received the following addition below the embroidered wing on the label: "under exclusive manufacturing by the Cooper Defense Contract Division USAF".

Some of the early post-1988 jackets appear to retain the same knits and zipper as the early jackets but soon had the robust purplish knits replaced with less-robust brown knits. The zipper lost it's chrome puller -- replaced with a brass version. The lining material also became thinner.

The CSN number on the white label also changes slightly -- becoming 8718-01-824-3400 (sometimes the last series is combined as 8243400). I've never determined what these numbers mean.

None of the orange-tag Cooper A-2 jackets were ever USAF-issue items.

Saddlery USAF contracts:
In addition to the original 1988 contract, Saddlery also had three additional contracts for USAF A-2 jackets (1992, 1995, and 1996):
1988 DLA 100 88 C0420
1992 DLA 100 92-M-0061
1995 SPO 100-95-C-4030
1996 SPO 100-96-D-4020

Saddlery finish:
I've seen some variation with the USAF-issue jackets. On my two issue jackets, one was received pretty early after these were approved, the finish is nearly identical to the Cooper jacket -- ie it has a mostly matte finish to it although just a hint shinier. My second jacket, received a few years later, but still a 1988-contract, is both darker and shinier. So, either production variation or the result of the oft-quoted flame retardent finish.

I always questioned the flame-retardant thing. The A-2 was not originally approved for wear while flying. Whether it just hadn't made it thru the approval process yet or was only intended for non-flying use, I don't know. If these were intended only as a morale item, then it seems a waste of money for adding a flame retardant coating. Possibly the explanation for the matte finish on some early jackets is that they never received this flame retardant coating? The other option is just production variation.

I don't own any examples of the later jackets, either Saddlery or Cooper, so can only comment on what I see in photos. The later (definitely the 95/96 contracts) appear to be a darker brown color compared to the original russet hue. I don't know if the later version incorporate any design changes (handwarmer pockets, etc). Perhaps someone who has an example can comment?

 

[Tom Zeller]

I found this post in trying to research a Cooper A2 jacket I recently purchased on ebay. I'm trying to find out what the embroidery on the front of the jacket stands for. I have included a couple of photos. I hope you can assist or point me in a direction where I can get some information. In reading your post I can see you are very knowledgeable about the A2 jacket and Cooper Sportwear as well.
Thank you again for nay information you can provide. 

Tom

 

[Bfd70]

Slight digression but I just picked up a Cooper from ebay for a paint project. I’m very satisfied with the quality for the price.

 

[riffraff]

Not sure what "Breaking the Barriers" is but it's almost assuredly something added, post-purchase. The jacket itself is one of the later-production Cooper jackets. The label and brown knits distinguish these from the earlier models.

 

[Tom Zeller]

Thank you for your response. I've been unable to definitely find out anything about "Breaking the Barriers." The logo underneath, has some printing inside the triangle. It almost looks like a Frito Lay logo. See image. I reached out to Frito Lay but never heard back. Anyway thank you so much for your input and your original post of A2 jacket information. It sounds as though you spent sometime in the AF. I spent 21 years in the AF/CANG and retired in the 1992. I spent my entire carrier as a S.P.
Take care,
Tom

 

[MGfan]

In about 1991 or 92 I picked up this A2. Bought it in of all places a Dollar General store. They had about 3 or 4 of the Coopers & another style of flight jacket on the rack. Can’t remember what brand the other was but none were in my size anyway. I’d wanted a leather flight jacket for sometime so at the price these were at, $50.00, I couldn’t pass on one. It was new with tags, Velcro TAC command patch & name tag. After a few years of wear low and behold the Cooper tag which turned out to be glued in fell off and revealed the Saddlery tag underneath. This was all pre internet, I was familiar with Cooper but not Saddlery. I thought at the time I must have bought a fake Cooper, now I know the difference.
How do you think a Saddlery with the DLA tag ended up with a Cooper tag and CSN tag glued over it end up in a Dollar General?

 

[riffraff]

Interesting jacket. Hard to tell from the photos but my gut reaction is a production line mistake. It looks like a military lining was accidently put into the civilian jacket or someone grabbed the wrong labels. Pure speculation, of course.

The jacket appears to be a later production Cooper but nothing for certain, going by internet photos. Is the zipper puller brass or chrome? The knits look brown rather than purplish. Both indicators of the civilian jackets. .

The glued on stuff is pretty bizarre

In about 1991 or 92 I picked up this A2. Bought it in of all places a Dollar General store. They had about 3 or 4 of the Coopers & another style of flight jacket on the rack. Can’t remember what brand the other was but none were in my size anyway. I’d wanted a leather flight jacket for sometime so at the price these were at, $50.00, I couldn’t pass on one. It was new with tags, Velcro TAC command patch & name tag. After a few years of wear low and behold the Cooper tag which turned out to be glued in fell off and revealed the Saddlery tag underneath. This was all pre internet, I was familiar with Cooper but not Saddlery. I thought at the time I must have bought a fake Cooper, now I know the difference.
How do you think a Saddlery with the DLA tag ended up with a Cooper tag and CSN tag glued over it end up in a Dollar General? View attachment 397745 View attachment 397746 View attachment 397747 View attachment 397748 View attachment 397745

 

[MGfan]

The zipper pull has a gold tint to it but I believe it’s probably chrome. The knits are brown. I like you figure it was a screw up at the factory. You can tell where the made in USA tag was cut off by the Saddlery tag. Over the years I’ve lost the made in USA tag that was under the Cooper tag, the Velcro patches and new garment tags.
Any idea how to remove the glue residue without doing any damage to the garment? It looks a lot like the glue used in a hot glue gun.

 

[MGfan]

Pictures of zipper front & back plus knots.

 

[riffraff]

That's the brass zipper that was used on the Cooper jackets. That one was never chrome. Even later versions have a rectangular brass YKK puller.

I would try heating the glue with a hair dryer and see if it loosens at all. You can scrape it away with a small knife.

Is the command patch velcro sewn thru the lining?

Not the greatest photo, but this is the chrome Ideal puller

 

[riffraff]

And no sooner than I start opining on zippers, I start finding oddities . Not sure when this 1988 contract Saddlery was made but certainly the first I've seen with what appears to be a factory Talon zipper.

 

[MGfan]

The stitching for the command or name tag do not go through to the liner. My zipper has a gold tint on the front but when you flip it over it has a shiny chrome look to it.

 

[riffraff]

I really don't know what to make of your jacket. The knits on all the 88-contract jackets (and all the early Coopers) I've seen are all the same purplish-brown color. Yours has what I've always known as the later Cooper knits.

It's literally like someone was making a Saddlery USAF jacket and, for whatever reason, put the non-military knits on it. Maybe a trainee-made jacket? Just odd that someone took the time to put the Cooper tag over the Saddlery. The orange label is also the same style associated with the earlier jackets.

No the stitching for the command or name tag go through to the liner. My zipper has a gold tint on the front but when you flip it over it has a shiny chrome look to it.

 

[MGfan]

Yes it’s an odd duck. I wondered if it wasn’t a Saddlery contract jacket that didn’t pass final inspection. Instead of trashing it they stuck the Cooper and CSN tags in it to sell and make some money off their mistake.
In hindsight I wish I’d have bought more of them at that price. I’d just been laid off however and money was a little tight.

 

[Aloysius]

There was some discussion either here or on VLJ by an airman who had an issue modern A-2 and was considering switching it out for an under-the-radar repro one (kitted out like a modern one). Does anyone know if that ended up happening? I'd be very curious about what he (or anyone else) picked. I imagine any seal/seal version could pass muster, some cuts more than others.

 

[riffraff]

I'd have to defer to someone currently serving. 20+ years ago the jackets coming out of Pop's in Turkey ranged from minor mods to full custom-made jackets.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

I picked one of these Jackets up used downtown back 20 years ago. I hardly wore it, always hated the fit, it drove me nuts, it was all wrong for me...that said it was a good jacket but always tended to ride up and wore like a garbage bag... and really never had the room in the shoulders I needed.

 

[riffraff]

I've said the same about just about every leather jacket I've had -- none of them fit me right. Ditched them all but the Cooper is still with me. It remains the best-fitting of them.

I picked one of these Jackets up used downtown back 20 years ago. I hardly wore it, always hated the fit, it drove me nuts, it was all wrong for me...that said it was a good jacket but always tended to ride up and wore like a garbage bag... and really never had the room in the shoulders I needed.

 

[Jon Crow]

I know it's a old thread but I just bought this in from the UK in a batch of others, cost me the princely sum of £20 I know right it's a cooper saddlery issued 96 jacket, I love it and a wonderful fit

 

[mvilla]

Hey, sorry for resurrecting this topic, but could you help me age a jacket I just picket up? This one is too big on me, so I'll probably part with it. Nevertheless, I'd like to know more about it, as I suspect this one might be almost 50 years old. The label doesn't have anything written below the Cooper sign, but there's also no white panel with the size, but another tag by the main label with the size number (as per picture). The zipper is the chrome Ideal one.

It has the purple-ish knits and the tan-olive-ish lining. The leather, however, doesn't look too russet to me. It has the Velcro name tag on chest.