It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s time to play ?¢‚Ǩ?ìName That Leather!?¢‚Ǩ?

[Havana]

Hello Everyone,
I need some expert help identifying the leather used in a jacket I recently picked up. I stumbled upon this jacket and bought it even though it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s about 1 size too large for me. Please follow the links to see pics. This is an Avirex made A-2 that appears to be pretty close to mil spec. It is not oversized or blousy and has the classic A-2 features like the collar stand and hook closure. There are no hand warmer or interior pockets. The lining is all cotton. The only tag is a white Avirex tag at the neck. Of all the Avirex jackets I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve seen, I think this is the first one I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve seen with a white tag. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m not totally ignorant of leathers but this one has me perplexed. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s certainly not lambskin so forget that. I don?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t think it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s goat because it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s thicker than any goat I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve personally handled. It also doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t have that typical goat grain adn doesn't make much noise like goat. It?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s also quite stiff in the places that aren?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t normally flexed like the upper breast area and upper arms. Bear in mind, this is a used jacket. Sometimes when you sit down the collar and upper part of the jacket rise up to meet your face. Wherever the jacket has been wrinkled a lot, like in the lower arms, it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s quite supple. Even thought the upper arm on the same piece of leather is relatively stiff. This jacket seems to have a memory for every time it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s been folded. There are fine lines in the leather from sitting down and around the elbow bends. It doesn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t seem to wrinkle like the cowhide jackets I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve owned. Also, it seems a bit lighter than cowhide but very tough. There are no signs of wear beyond the creases and wrinkles and no breaks in the surface even where it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s very wrinkled or along the edges. The color is a very medium brown even with a hint of red in certain light. It is much lighter than in the photos. It just feels different to the touch from anything I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve had before. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m baffled and curious. Thanks in advance for your time and opinions.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/100_0222.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/A2front2.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/100_0224.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/100_0225.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/100_0226.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-12/911070/A2back2.jpg

 

[BellyTank]

Looks like a lighter weight chrome-tanned cow hide to me- don't think it'd be horse- never seen an Avirex in horse. Although it could be... Definitely not Goat- goat has a pebbly grain to it.
The over all shape is not too bad...

B
T

 

[JWG]

Avirex does make horsehide A2's. That's my guess.

 

[Havana]

Thanks for the reply. Avirex has marketed a horsehide A-2 on an on-and-off basis for a number of years. I have an old 1987 catalog with that features one and there's one listed on their current website. This one could be some kind of cowhide but it feels differently from other cow hides I've owned.

 

[BellyTank]

I've seen horse and cow like this- some horsehide is quite characterless, as cowhide can be.

Nice jacket anyhoo-
B
T

 

[green papaya]

your right, it doesnt look like goatskin

maybe it's one of the government contract A2's made for the USAF?

since it only has the white tag? sounds like a military type

does the tag have contract numbers?

 

[BellyTank]

Avirex and Govt. contracts...?

B
T

 

[Havana]

I don't know any history of govt. contracts but I can say with 100% certainty that my commanding colonel in the Air Force wore an issued jacket made by Avirex. He was an F117 pilot and this was in 1991. I can say with 100% certainty because he graciously let me examine and even try on the jacket. The label clearly read Avirex but not on the collar label. It was only on a folded label along an inside seam. Curiously, we had a major and with an issued jacket and his had no label indicating the maker. Both jackets had a dark brown lining and not rust colored like the jacket I am asking about today.