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Buck Starr Legend A2

JumpBoot

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
Alaska
I wrote a post recently about looking for an A2 for my brother's birthday. After much debate and web-searching, I found a company called "Buck Starr" and ended up ordering their 'Legend' jacket. It arrived in 3 days (I live in Alaska, or I assume it would have been here a day sooner) and came in at $349, plus $17 shipping. On to the review.

When I opened the box, I was immediately struck by how nice the jacket looked. It was pleasantly heavy, but not overly so. The color is a very nice, rich seal, and it has a wonderful 'leathery' smell. The stitching is a dark brown and doesn't stand out as does the more orange thread on my Eastman (I like the ELC thread color, actually), which could be a matter of personal preference. The knits are thick and feel more substantial than those on my US Authentic; slightly thicker than my Eastman, actually.

The pockets are lined with a nice material, and I can store my wallet in one and my Iphone in the other, which I found excellent. The collar sits a bit high on me when I'm driving, but it could be that my brother is a bit bigger than I am or that I just have no neck to speak of. It's not troublesome, but it is noticeable. My ELC is a 42, and this is a 44, so it might be because of that.

The zipper is a YKK, incidentally.

The lining was my only little gripe initially. Rather than a soft cotton, it's a heavy twill and I initially didn't care for it, but upon consideration I think it will hold up really nicely. Time will tell.

I definitely feel as though I got my money worth, and it was a pleasure to deal with someone who is not only passionate about his work, but was able to put out a quality product very quickly. All in all, it's a solid value for the money. I'm interested to see how it looks after some wear and breaking in. Regrettably, it's raining here and I was only able to take pictures indoors under lights.

IMG_9248.JPG IMG_9249.JPG IMG_9250.JPG IMG_9252.jpg IMG_9253.jpg Closeups of the leather and lining.



IMG_9246.JPG IMG_9247.jpg From L-R: Buck Starr, Eastman, US Authentic.
 
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Seb Lucas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,562
Location
Australia
Interesting. Thanks for the info. Apart from what's on the website, what do you know about the maker? I'm wondering in terms of fit; it looks roomy are they a bit blousy?
 
Last edited:

JumpBoot

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
Alaska
Seb & Hoosier: I don't know too much about the maker (Charles), other than the discussion we had when sorting out this jacket. He seems to be a nice fellow, though. I've been wearing it all morning and the fit is just a tiny bit tighter across the back than my Eastman, but not restrictive in any way. While the sleeves are just a touch longer than normal, when I extend my arm completely they don't pull back and expose my wrists. As far as the jacket being blousy, it doesn't feel that way when it's zipped up. I'll get a picture of it zipped up and show you the fit. All in all, I'm really pleased with it. Though I ordered it for my brother, I'm strongly considering keeping it and giving him my US Authentic.

Nick: Thanks for saying so. He's down in your neck of the woods.
 

nick123

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,371
Location
California
Cool website too. I appreciate his passion for history. I reenrolled in college (third time's the charm) and went through the whole "hurry up and choose a major" dilemna...my thought process in the decision consisted of

"so what are you passionate about?"

"Hmmm, leather jackets?"

"Ok, history major it is" :) lol

Sorry, off topic, but I'm digging this guy's attitude.
 

JumpBoot

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
Alaska
Nick,

I liked that interest in history also; it reminds me of my own. I was raised by my great-grandparents and grew up on their stories about the depression and the war years. You know, there's no reason you couldn't do some of your school work on the uniforms of the time. It's actually really an interesting topic, considering the availability of materials and the importance to the war effort.
Charles has some great pictures around some old vintage aircraft; he seems like a great fellow.
 

Stand By

One Too Many
Messages
1,741
Location
Canada
If it makes you feel any better about the lining, I opted for a heavier twill (in a beautiful chestnut brown) for my Aero ANJ-3 as I fully expected to keep it for many years and I didn't want the lining to thin on the usual wear areas, namely the shoulders and neck. It's a great material and your lining will outlast lighter cotton linings if you wear the jacket long enough! I also think that up in Alaska, a lining that errs on the side of a degree of extra warmth would be no bad thing too!
Looks to me like you got a decent jacket at a great price to me - and as such, I would't be afraid of adding patches or jacket art to it either if you felt like it.
Wear it in good health, JumpBoot.
Thanks for posting!
 

JumpBoot

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
Alaska
Stand By: I came to the same conclusion, actually. I think that the twill should be warmer than the liner in my others and it feels really tough. You're right, I think, about adding patches. I'm thinking of doing just that.

Navetsea: You're correct, it's goat. Feels rather thick, too.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,074
Location
London, UK
I thought it looked like goat. Great hide. Did I miss a link to the website? That twill lining looks nice, actually. My one complaint about the accurate A2 spec has always been flimisiness of the lining (but then I guess the original wearers didn't exaclty have the life expectancy that the average jacket buyer does in 2015...). This seems a reasonable compromise if you're not looking for a full-on recreation What are the knits like - do they have a seam? Overall, looks like a great jacket for the money.
 

JumpBoot

One of the Regulars
Messages
140
Location
Alaska
Edward: No, I just neglected to post the link. Sorry about that. It's here: http://www.buckstarrlegends.com/
The knits do have a seam, and it's directly in line with the seam of the sleeve, which I think has a nice, symmetrical look. The knits are very solid, actually. They don't feel flimsy when I remove the jacket, and the knit at the waist pulls the jacket snugly against my body, rather than just hanging there as I have seen some do.
You're right about the lining. This twill is tough, and my overall impression of the jacket is that it's built darn well. Certainly worth a look, I think.
 

kasa7

Familiar Face
Messages
56
Location
Azores
I wrote a post recently about looking for an A2 for my brother's birthday. After much debate and web-searching, I found a company called "Buck Starr" and ended up ordering their 'Legend' jacket. It arrived in 3 days (I live in Alaska, or I assume it would have been here a day sooner) and came in at $349, plus $17 shipping. On to the review.

When I opened the box, I was immediately struck by how nice the jacket looked. It was pleasantly heavy, but not overly so. The color is a very nice, rich seal, and it has a wonderful 'leathery' smell. The stitching is a dark brown and doesn't stand out as does the more orange thread on my Eastman (I like the ELC thread color, actually), which could be a matter of personal preference. The knits are thick and feel more substantial than those on my US Authentic; slightly thicker than my Eastman, actually.

The pockets are lined with a nice material, and I can store my wallet in one and my Iphone in the other, which I found excellent. The collar sits a bit high on me when I'm driving, but it could be that my brother is a bit bigger than I am or that I just have no neck to speak of. It's not troublesome, but it is noticeable. My ELC is a 42, and this is a 44, so it might be because of that.

The zipper is a YKK, incidentally.

The lining was my only little gripe initially. Rather than a soft cotton, it's a heavy twill and I initially didn't care for it, but upon consideration I think it will hold up really nicely. Time will tell.

I definitely feel as though I got my money worth, and it was a pleasure to deal with someone who is not only passionate about his work, but was able to put out a quality product very quickly. All in all, it's a solid value for the money. I'm interested to see how it looks after some wear and breaking in. Regrettably, it's raining here and I was only able to take pictures indoors under lights.

View attachment 31816 View attachment 31817 View attachment 31818 View attachment 31819 View attachment 31820 Closeups of the leather and lining.



View attachment 31823 View attachment 31824 From L-R: Buck Starr, Eastman, US Authentic.
Looks beautiful
 

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