HPA Rep
Vendor
- Messages
- 855
- Location
- New Jersey
I've been itching to post about the great new hides and TimeWear ELC has been employing since the sample jacket arrived at our office back in April, but I've been holding back until we had received some of our first shipments from the fall order.
Today, we have commenced uncrating many jackets and we have in stock the beginnings of these A-1's we ordered, with more leaving ELC for us by week's end - just about all sizes will be on hand very, very soon.
The hand-applied TimeWear has been perfected to such a natural-looking process at this point that even a purist such as I must heartily endorse this on these .50 Cal. A-1 jackets. But it takes a special capeskin to really make the TimeWear pop, and it's the new capeskin ELC has been bringing in this year that truly makes these A-1's so special.
This is now the same capeskin ELC uses on their A-1 jackets in the Original-Maker Collection, but the TimeWear of the .50 Cal. just enhances the many nuances found in this leather to great benefit. Nothing else has changed, so you can rely on the fit matching that of the ELC A-1 jackets in recent years.
One other salient point to note for anyone interested in an A-1 of maximum authenticity is that, owing to the supreme rarity of a vintage USAC A-1, Eastman is the only ongoing manufacturer to my knowledge that actually owns a true, vintage A-1 from which their patterns have been meticulously copied. I am aware that Buzz Rickson's, and possibly Real McCoy's, have had access to a vintage A-1 that formed the basis of various permutations of this style in their changing A-1 offerings over the years, but deviations were made and these are not ongoing offerings, while other makers offer A-1's that are copied from photos, which is clearly not the same thing as having hands-on research material.
Having had the privilege to handle and opportunity to buy three vintage A-1's in my lifetime, one of which was what I deem the 1st pattern, and also the supreme stupidity to pass on each due to the poor condition, I can honestly say the Eastman A-1 is the definitive A-1 in production today.
Please see photos below and have a look at our web page that utilizes all-new photos for this style:
https://www.historypreservation.com/products-page/50-cal/eastman-usac-a-1-flying-jacket-50-cal/
Today, we have commenced uncrating many jackets and we have in stock the beginnings of these A-1's we ordered, with more leaving ELC for us by week's end - just about all sizes will be on hand very, very soon.
The hand-applied TimeWear has been perfected to such a natural-looking process at this point that even a purist such as I must heartily endorse this on these .50 Cal. A-1 jackets. But it takes a special capeskin to really make the TimeWear pop, and it's the new capeskin ELC has been bringing in this year that truly makes these A-1's so special.
This is now the same capeskin ELC uses on their A-1 jackets in the Original-Maker Collection, but the TimeWear of the .50 Cal. just enhances the many nuances found in this leather to great benefit. Nothing else has changed, so you can rely on the fit matching that of the ELC A-1 jackets in recent years.
One other salient point to note for anyone interested in an A-1 of maximum authenticity is that, owing to the supreme rarity of a vintage USAC A-1, Eastman is the only ongoing manufacturer to my knowledge that actually owns a true, vintage A-1 from which their patterns have been meticulously copied. I am aware that Buzz Rickson's, and possibly Real McCoy's, have had access to a vintage A-1 that formed the basis of various permutations of this style in their changing A-1 offerings over the years, but deviations were made and these are not ongoing offerings, while other makers offer A-1's that are copied from photos, which is clearly not the same thing as having hands-on research material.
Having had the privilege to handle and opportunity to buy three vintage A-1's in my lifetime, one of which was what I deem the 1st pattern, and also the supreme stupidity to pass on each due to the poor condition, I can honestly say the Eastman A-1 is the definitive A-1 in production today.
Please see photos below and have a look at our web page that utilizes all-new photos for this style:
https://www.historypreservation.com/products-page/50-cal/eastman-usac-a-1-flying-jacket-50-cal/
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