eastman a-2 advice

[s4rmark]

Hi everyone,
just joined the forum and i am after a bit of advice on an eastman a-2 purchase. Can anybody give me their thoughts on the warhorse roughwear 27752 and the star sportswear a-2s. my main concern is with the leather thickness .

 

[thor]

Welcome to the Lounge!

I have owned afew Eastman jackets (an older A-2, an M-422a, an ANJ-4 sheepskin and just ordered a Hartmann Luftwaffe jacket). The warhorse is their newer grainier leather that looks amazing on the website photos. The older Eastman A-2 I owned was their "house" brand (not a specific contract) and was made of a smooth seal brown horsehide without alot of grain to it. Their hides are soft and supple and come in at about a 3 ounce weight. As comparison, a Lost Worlds A-2 is a much heavier 4 oz. weight and built like a tank!

IMHO, you can't go wrong with an Eastman, especially in that new warhorse hide! Good luck!

 

[Persimmon]

Hi and welcome to the Lounge.
The warhorse leather has many fans and you will probably be very happy.
The Eastman brand is strong.

The RW has the crazy clown collar in my mind. See the reviews in the website I mention below.
The Star is a better fit and looks better in my opinion but we are crazy here so go with what you feel right with.

Still after a while this crazy jacket sickness bites hard and you will look at "improving".
Then you may be driven mad by the superior Good Wear Brand and the wonderful Mr John Chapman.
Although the waiting time might drive you to despair !!

Are you a member of vintageleatherjackets.org ?
Type in warhorse and ELC and you will see the many reviews, pictures of the jackets being worn and thoughts of the guys including myself.
It should answer all your queries
Best of luck
Alan

 

[majormajor]

Hi everyone,
just joined the forum and i am after a bit of advice on an eastman a-2 purchase. Can anybody give me their thoughts on the warhorse roughwear 27752 and the star sportswear a-2s. my main concern is with the leather thickness .

Here is couple of pics of my Eastman Monarch A2 in warhorse hide. I've had it for just 6 weeks, and as you can (hopefully) see, it is wearing in VERY nicely. The hide can only be described as first class, in terms of quality and thickness. If you were in the US, I could see why Goodwear would be an option - but for the UK, Eastman has to be the one. My jacket took TWO DAYS to arrive! :clap2:

 

[Justhandguns]

Here is couple of pics of my Eastman Monarch A2 in warhorse hide. I've had it for just 6 weeks, and as you can (hopefully) see, it is wearing in VERY nicely. The hide can only be described as first class, in terms of quality and thickness. If you were in the US, I could see why Goodwear would be an option - but for the UK, Eastman has to be the one. My jacket took TWO DAYS to arrive! :clap2:

Is this the time worn one or just the standard?

 

[majormajor]

Is this the time worn one or just the standard?

Standard finish, plus a little hot water treatment from me.

 

[PADDY]

I've had a Star Sportswear ELC A-2. Loved it! Do they make the Sportswear in the Warhorse? if so...go with that IMHO. Check the sizing though (Give Gary/Alan a call).
As it 'used to be' you had to get a size smaller than your usual (ie: if you usually took a 42, then you ordered a 40), but I know that the body cuts have changed, so it's worth just running it past them.
Good Luck!

 

[nicholasb]

Check the sizing though (Give Gary/Alan a call).
As it 'used to be' you had to get a size smaller than your usual (ie: if you usually took a 42, then you ordered a 40), but I know that the body cuts have changed, so it's worth just running it past them.

I had a Pearl Harbor A2 time-worn. Very nice hide but I agree on size issue. My 42 seemed a bit large on me - would have a 40 if I tried another Eastman.

 

[Edward]

FWIW... I have two A2s, one an Aero in goat, the other an Eastman in horse. Both made during the past ten years. I bought them both used, but if memory serves, my ELC was made no more than five years ago. Both jacket are a 42R, very similar fit on me: neat, but still a jacket not a shirt. Both jackets measure an actual 46" around the chest, which is about equivalent to a good-fitting suit jacket on me. As I wear them with much the same underneath as I do a suit jacket / blazer, this is ideal for my purposes. Certainly ask Eastman's advice (they are also really good about returns for sizing - I had to do that with a B2 cap a year or two ago), but I would suggest starting with your regular suit jacket size as a default position. (In wartime sizing, as used by Goodwear, I would go one up - a 44R on me). As to quality, both my A2s are lovely jackets. Eastman are widely considered to be a notch up in the accuracy department, if that is important to you. Goodwear are the best of the best in terms of accurate repros, but alas the weak pound has pushed them well out of my reach for the foreseeable future.

FWIW, unless you're desperately keen to pick up a new jacket, or are in a rush for a specific model, I would also consider keeping an eye on eBay. I regularly see A2s from all the major producers on there. Both of mine cost me around the GBP200 mark, and were in close to 'as new' condition. Since the prices on the website increased a little more recently, the eBay price of larger sized ELC A2s seems to have crept up a bit, but if you find the one you want and you're happy to buy used, you can still make a substantial saving against buying new.

 

[majormajor]

Check the sizing though (Give Gary/Alan a call).
As it 'used to be' you had to get a size smaller than your usual (ie: if you usually took a 42, then you ordered a 40), but I know that the body cuts have changed, so it's worth just running it past them.
Good Luck!

Yup, some of my old Eastmans were pretty big. Gotta say, though, that my new one is spot on sizing. I am 40" chest, and the size 40 fits me like a glove. I sure wouldn't get a 38 on!

 

[bburtner@moran]

Welcome Thor,are you a Captain on the NY Ferries? tugboat company? Circle Line?

 

[s4rmark]

Thankyou all for your replies, the advice was very helpful. I Would love a goodwear a-2 but what with import duty and vat it makes them too expensive . I already have 2 eastman jackets , a luftwaffe in black and a b-10 . They are great jackets and the leather on the luftwaffe is quite thick imo , i tried a house eastman on at american classics and thought the hide was thin and the jacket reasonably weightless.

 

[blethook]

Hi,

So when you say you're concerned about the thickness of the hide, you meant you found it too thin? I think as far as thickness, ELC's A-2s have the correct weight.

Once I thought the capeskin they use on their A-1s was too thin (it is thin) but it's because they're trying to replicate the original jackets.

I now think the ELC A-1 is the best ELC jacket I've owned to date. I simply love it!

In my opinion, ELC has come a long way in improving their military jackets (not just the A-2s), more so recently.

I currently have the following ELC jackets:

1. 352nd Fighter Group Monarch A-2 from 2010, with internal pockets - just prior to the introduction of their new Warhorse.
2. Cable Raincoat Co. A-2 (goatskin) from 2009 - beautiful russet brown colour & graining.
3. A-1 jacket (capeskin) from 2010 - more like a shirt than a jacket!

I don't think I'll be buying any more soon, however. Their prices have gone up quite a bit recently...just too much, I think.

Thankyou all for your replies, the advice was very helpful. I Would love a goodwear a-2 but what with import duty and vat it makes them too expensive . I already have 2 eastman jackets , a luftwaffe in black and a b-10 . They are great jackets and the leather on the luftwaffe is quite thick imo , i tried a house eastman on at american classics and thought the hide was thin and the jacket reasonably weightless.

 

[s4rmark]

Yes , eastmans are getting expensive so i have been looking at other suppliers and noticed aero leather in scotland. would i be right in thinking that their a-2s are made of thicker hide.

 

[kojax]

check out www.flightjacket.com

 

[blethook]

My Aero Anniversary A-2

Hi, here's some pics of my Aero Anniversary A-2.

The hide thickness is the same as Eastman's. You can ask both Aero & Eastman for hide samples.

In my opinion Aero's midweight jerky horsehide in seal is the best.

 

[blethook]

My Aero Anniversary A-2

Hi, here's some pics of my Aero Anniversary A-2.

The hide thickness is the same as Eastman's. You can ask both Aero & Eastman for hide samples.

In my opinion Aero's midweight jerky horsehide in seal is the best.

 

[kojax]

wow nice jacket i like it very much. i just got a-2 jacket from real mccoy nice brown horsehide one thing about this company there jackets run small i take a 38 but there 40 was good for me. now the break in time

 

[s4rmark]

Nice jacket blethook, emailed aero and they sent me some samples. Got to say i was impressed with the leather , their bronco in jerky seal may be the way to go for me. Emailed eastman 3 weeks ago but have not had a reply.