Current Alpha Industries MA-1 "Classic" Review

[Edgar Laurel]

You might try for a vintage model made in the 60s. The two I have are quality jackets. Well, one is a N2-B but the same specs and quality control.

It's good advice, but in fact I'm looking for a new one to replace one from the early/mid 90's I own.

 

[Edgar Laurel]

Just thought I'd throw this out there for anybody considering one of these jackets, as we've ended up chatting about MA-1s quite a bit recently, even in threads that have nothing to do with them!

I took a shot on this Alpha MA-1 from a UK clothing store where it was on sale for £85-ish. Usually these retail for the £130 mark as far as I can see, although I'm aware they're substantially cheaper than this in the USA.

The Fit

This is not the slim fitting MA-1 (also known as the VF59). That one has strange, inaccurate interior pockets and chunky ribbed knits on the collar and cuffs. This is the original/classic MA-1 that's part of Alpha's core line.

I ordered a size XL. I'm 6 foot 3 and have a 45 inch chest approximately. This thing is HUGE. I almost never wear a large in any jacket, but I would definitely go a size down in this.

Unfortunately, the cut of this jacket in general just feels poor, and the Alpha fares poorly in this category. You can usually tell a well cut item even if it's a size too big - not in this case. The armholes are huge and very low, there's a ton of bunching of the nylon fabric near the waist and the sleeves are gigantic. I know originals didn't exactly have the slimmest sleeves, but these are more akin to two medium sized sleeping bags!

Measurements on this XL are here for reference:

Pit to pit: 28.5 inches
Base of collar to hem: 26.25 inches
Across shoulders: 21 inches
Sleeves from shoulder: 27 inches
Front zipper length: 23.5 inches




Quality

On a positive note, everything is very well stitched together, and feels solid. There are no loose threads anywhere I can see. The knits are an acrylic blend (I'm pretty sure), and they feel quite nice and stretchy. Two plastic pencil puncture protectors are included on the sleeve pockets too, which is a nice touch. The zips are Alpha's own, but they don't have the smoothest action in the world and do feel a little cheap.

Unfortunately I'm not too impressed by the nylon they've used. I was somehow expecting that it would be great quality considering it's what makes up 95% of Alpha's range, but I am a little underwhelmed, even at this price. It feels surprisingly lightweight and, dare I say, a little cheap. They've used a poly batting on the interior, so overall the jacket feels very lightweight as a result - although I'm not sure this is in a good way. The orange liner in particular is clearly a cheaper grade of nylon too.

Verdict

I know people often say that paying top dollar for a McCoy's/Buzz nylon seems absurd, but on this evidence their stuff is on another planet entirely - whether that premium is justified is up to you. Whilst I don't feel this is a bad jacket for the price I paid, you certainly get what you pay for, and I wouldn't place this above any other mall brand jacket I've tried before. I've probably had better from high street brands. Considering Alpha's history, that feels very disappointing to say.

Absolutely dreadful fit.
I could fit my thighs through those sleeves and it would still be and feel baggy.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I need a MA-1 jacket ASAP but have completely excluded any chance of it being an Alpha. Thin, poorly constructed and with strange "spots" of a different colour/shade. I've checked them in a store here that carry a big number of their products and in fact comparing to some "mall" MA-1 clones the "mall" clones seem even better but still of a sub par quality.
Any kind of advice?
What/where should I bee looking for?

As I said above - Gibson and Barnes make their own version. As well as stocking Alpha. Their own is a very thick nylon and well made but not accurate. You can get a thinsulate lining. I got one and liked it but gave it to a friend who needed a jacket. I would order one size down for a trim fit.

 

[Edward]

As I said above - Gibson and Barnes make their own version. As well as stocking Alpha. Their own is a very thick nylon and well made but not accurate. You can get a thinsulate lining. I got one and liked it but gave it to a friend who needed a jacket. I would order one size down for a trim fit.

THe G&B one looks nice. might be an option if/when the pound recovers.

 

[Marv]

I bought an Alpha back in 2016 from Soldier of Fortune and I have been very impressed with the fit and the quality....

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/alpha-industries-ma1-flight-jacket-2015-green-product,16334

 

[MeachamLake]

I bought an Alpha back in 2016 from Soldier of Fortune and I have been very impressed with the fit and the quality....

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/alpha-industries-ma1-flight-jacket-2015-green-product,16334

I notice that the SOF MA-1 seems to have the correct grey knits, not the sage green ones like mine. Interesting.

Perhaps these ones with grey knits are the ones to go for?

 

[Edgar Laurel]

As I said above - Gibson and Barnes make their own version. As well as stocking Alpha. Their own is a very thick nylon and well made but not accurate. You can get a thinsulate lining. I got one and liked it but gave it to a friend who needed a jacket. I would order one size down for a trim fit.

G&B have some interesting stuff. The MA-1 on their web page seems good.
I'll have to check them.

 

[GregGale]

I bought an Alpha back in 2016 from Soldier of Fortune and I have been very impressed with the fit and the quality....

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/alpha-industries-ma1-flight-jacket-2015-green-product,16334

So is it really different from the ones on the alpha website? I don't understand why. Can you perhaps post some fit pics?

 

[Edward]

The SoF one may be a different model, as they note the lighter colour in particular. The one on the website has a more authentic overall look to it, which is promising. Can't tell from that alone what the quality of the nylon is, of course. Would be worth making enquiries if it's a better model to their spec.

REalMcCoy's currently on eBay... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Real-Mccoys-Ma1/173143349960?hash=item285025dac8:g:MrIAAOSwE7JaeNnW

 

[MeachamLake]

The SoF one may be a different model, as they note the lighter colour in particular. The one on the website has a more authentic overall look to it, which is promising. Can't tell from that alone what the quality of the nylon is, of course. Would be worth making enquiries if it's a better model to their spec.

REalMcCoy's currently on eBay... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Real-Mccoys-Ma1/173143349960?hash=item285025dac8:g:MrIAAOSwE7JaeNnW

Interesting, I will enquire about that with them. Definitely looks more authentic.

That McCoys one is very nice - odd though how they don’t seem to include the roundel on the shoulder though. It’s an early MA-1 repro - I thought they all had the insignia on the shoulder? I’ve only ever seen the later orange lined versions without it.

 

[MeachamLake]

Has anybody bought one of these Greenbrier jackets? Looks like it has all the correct details and is made in the USA.

Suspiciously cheap though?

http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/vintage-ma1-flying-jacket-by-greenbrier-ind-product,20131

 

[Harris HTM]

Interesting, I will enquire about that with them. Definitely looks more authentic.

Probably a bit older version? Mine (2012) looks exactly like that.

 

[bn1966]

Those Greenbrier's look the same as the old Alpha 'Vintage' Series MA-1.

SOF Alpha MA-1 looks potentially interesting I'm loath to pay+++++£ for nylon flight jackets (but probably would if I could get a good fit).

 

[Big J]

Two thoughts;
It seems that the quality of Alpha MA-1s has continued to drop over the years. Is it not possible that SOF bought a lot of Alpha jackets wholesale way back, and is still working it way through them? That could explain why the Alphas on their site look 'better'.

Also, that Greenbrier is interesting. Greenbrier, like Alpha, were original USAF MA-1 contract holders. They should also know how to make a good jacket.

 

[MeachamLake]

Two thoughts;
It seems that the quality of Alpha MA-1s has continued to drop over the years. Is it not possible that SOF bought a lot of Alpha jackets wholesale way back, and is still working it way through them? That could explain why the Alphas on their site look 'better'.

Also, that Greenbrier is interesting. Greenbrier, like Alpha, were original USAF MA-1 contract holders. They should also know how to make a good jacket.

I think so. I've emailed SOF to see if the jacket shown is actually the jacket you'd receive - I'm more hopeful than not, as they actually list the sage green/sage knits model that I received as a separate item altogether. We shall see.

Part of me is heading towards splurging on a Buzz, though. The quality and finishing on my N3B is so top notch that, to me at least, it's worth the premium. If Alphas retail for £130 ish, paying £399 for a Buzz in my mind doesn't seem too bad as it's a vastly superior product in every department. If Alpha's were £60, then it might be a different story...

The only trouble might be fit though. I did try on a Buzz MA1 slender at the ELC shop in London last year, and it was too small for me. I think it was an XL or XXL, can't remember - but I do recall them telling me the slender MA-1s were pretty snug even by "slender" standards. Luckily, Eastman's Buzz site has a few jackets left that are of interest - I'm leaning towards a Lion Uniform MA-1 or an L-2 in an XXL. Can always return it if it doesn't work out...

 

[Edward]

The Lion Uniform Buzz is very nice indeed - and has the proper wool/cotton batting inside.

The Greenbriar would be interesting to see in person; there, it does very much remind med of one of the old Alpha Vintage Series. Would definitely be interesting to know if it was to milspec (it's rare enough to see a non-Japanese one with the green liner). The other company I've often seen touted online as an original military supplier are Rothco. The Rothco MA1 looks nice (though clearly they size BIG going by the website). They have some great reviews on a number of online sites (some say they are thicker, warmer, and better made than the Alphas), but much like the Greenbriar they're an unknown quantity to me. I'd like to have the chance to handle one and see what it's like. It would be great to be able to compare these directly to the Bronson and Jianshi jackets.

 

[MeachamLake]

Here is the size large Alpha - I exchanged it just to see what the smaller size was like. As expected, the fit is a lot better but it's not perfect. Quality of materials is still not good enough to me, so this is going back too.

Strangely, it's much smaller than the XL - particularly on the length. The XL has a 26.25 inch back, this large a 24.5! Other measurements are wildly different too - the XL had 21 inch shoulders, this has just under 19. Eh?! Something is either up with their pattern grading or quality control, because those seem like wildly varying measurements. I do wonder if this is actually an incorrectly tagged size medium...

Anyway, considering it measures so short, I don't think it actually looked too bad. Allegedly the Buzz has a back measurement in my size of around 25/25.5 inches, so that might look okay, particularly with a little extra room in the shoulders and chest.

 

[bn1966]

Someone buy one of those SOF Alpha jackets in XL & post fit pics & numbers

 

[MeachamLake]

Someone buy one of those SOF Alpha jackets in XL & post fit pics & numbers

You'll have to do it, I've already been told off for having too many packages coming and going these past few days!

 

[bn1966]

Tempted!!! But I don't want to get into trouble either (with she who must be obeyed).

Mind you...no Council Tax this month