Why are original G-1 jackets so cheap compared to A-2s?

[Grayland]

You're both wrong. A-1 for the win.

 

[bn1966]

I love em all in different ways....unfortunately for my bank balance

 

[Atticus Finch]

When I was thinner, younger and could wear any darn jacket I liked, I wore G-1s and MA-1s, almost exclusively. Now, my G-1s hang in the closet because I'm a tad thick in the middle. And I agree with a post above. I like my A-1 better than either of the two "modern" leather flight jackets discussed in this thread.

 

[Doctor Damage]

When I re-sparked this thread I was thinking about some of the earlier posts in which members said they do or don't like G1 jackets. I never did, probably because they always seem too close to being civvy fashion bomber jackets, whereas the A2 is almost never seen as a civvy fashion jacket. But I'm starting to like G1s now and I will probably look for an inexpensive one. However, the A1 will always look silly to me, lol

 

[HoosierDaddy]

...Never thought the A1 looked silly. In fact, just the opposite. Looks pretty stylish to my eye. Atticus has a very nice looking A1, as well as some others on the forum.
HD

 

[AdeeC]

A few points from my experience with both. The A2 looks more attractive than the G1/M422 but the G1 is more comfortable to wear IMO. The bi-swing back allows for freer movement and the fur collar is nice on cold windy days. But the windflap gets annoyingly in the way if one wants to wear the G1 unzipped.
As for the A1, though very stylish the buttons are a pain. I much prefer the A1 style 30's flight jackets with the zipper. NORSHOR make some fine examples. I have two of these, one in goat and one in capeskin.

 

[thor]

In the 1980's, the A-2 was a top "civvy fashion jacket" when everyone was wearing those slouchy, over-sized lamb skin Avirex A-2's. Watch any Hollywood movie or TV show made during that time and someone is usually sporting an Avirex A-2 (sometimes with the sleeves pulled up to the elbows!). "Fashion" in the '80's left much to be desired!

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ I guess you're right, but I had never seen an A2 or anything like it until I became interested in flight jackets about 15 years ago, more or less starting with an Eastman catalog. Around here it was always furry collared bomber jackets, for some reason, so I guess that's why I had a weird feeling about G1s.

 

[thor]

Yeah, leave it to the haute couture fashionista's to bastardize the classic beauty and elegance of an A-2 or G-1. I'm so glad that vintage workwear and military surplus style has been embraced by some small market manufacturers (like Eastman or Pike Bros. for example) and that we have many choices when looking for quality repro's of a mil-spec A-2 or G-1.

 

[bn1966]

Go on Doc...get yourself a lovely G-1 ;-)

 

[aswatland]

It is interesting to see this old thread revived. Since it was started we now know from Gary Eastman's A2 book that approximately three quarters of a million A2s were made from 1932 to 1944. We do not know the number of naval jackets produced in the same period but it would have much smaller and therefore one would have thought M422a jackets would be more expensive due to their scarcity value, but of course they generally are not. It is the iconic appeal of the A2 which has ensured that originals still fetch more than most M422a flight jackets, although there are exceptions.

 

[ButteMT61]

I thought that after "Top Gun", the G-1 killed the A-2 in sales? I know that they are everywhere...

 

[Stearmen]

I thought that after "Top Gun", the G-1 killed the A-2 in sales? I know that they are everywhere...

Maybe for a year, if even that long! The A2 is still the fashion icon of all leather jackets. When I flew air shows in the 80s-90s, I would often be the only one wearing a G1, but there were a sea of A2s. Remember, even Indiana Jones and The Fonz wore modified A2s. Just type in Bomber Jacket on your search engine, for every one G1 picture, there will be hundreds of A2s. Personally, the G1 is a more practical jacket.