Made in China - Monarch A-2 repros

[Speedbird]

Comparing this jacket with my original Monarch I would say its a cheapish Monarch spin off and in no way an accurate copy. The sleeves are not inset, it has ring snaps, not ball snaps, the pockets are too large and wide, the horsehide has a plastic finish and is somewhat too dark on the Ebay jacket. Many Monarchs were russet, but I have seen a few darker ones, but not this seal colour. The collar does not look correct, lacking the longish, slightly curved points.

As has been said already a member needs to buy one it can be properly evaluated.

Thank you Andrew, a more succinct and to the point version of my earlier conclusion in which I said they would have been better off not calling it a Monarch at all.

 

[captaincaveman1]

Hi Sarge,

Taobao.com isn't the manufacturer - it is really a distributor. It is a massive e-commerce network in Asia selling anything and everything online.

I can't read mandarin characters; I've searched through for something looking like the actual manufacturer of this jackets but no luck & no idea. Perhaps emailing the ebay seller will turn up something.

As it turns out, it may not even be made in China - it could be somewhere else in Asia, but that doesn't change anything really.

OK folks my gf is fluent in the language. I'll ask her to translate or at least have her translate to me and I can post the more relevant passages.

I'd be especially interested if they do custom jobs. For the mid ~350 price point I can get a US-A in goat or a Cockpit. But, I think the value proposition goes way up if they can do custom sizing.

I'm off to AC tonight, so might not be able to get a translation for several days.

 

[PADDY]

The A-1 is worth a lok too

Yes it needs tweaking but still worth consideration .

 

[442RCT]

thank you Speedbird,
i've visited the chinese link that you posted in the first page but i don't know how to move in it...can you post a link where i can see all their jackets please?a home page of this site ?

thanks

I dunno how to get to the homepage, but I can give you links for three of their A-2 jackets using google translator.

http://translate.google.com/transla...ail-0db2-756bf3ab19c4ef59d0c0c6d7be321adf.htm

http://translate.google.com/transla...300c7c5.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com

http://translate.google.com/transla...1d605f6.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com

Maybe one of those listings will give you a homepage.

 

[442RCT]

Comparing this jacket with my original Monarch I would say its a cheapish Monarch spin off and in no way an accurate copy. The sleeves are not inset, it has ring snaps, not ball snaps, the pockets are too large and wide, the horsehide has a plastic finish and is somewhat too dark on the Ebay jacket. Many Monarchs were russet, but I have seen a few darker ones, but not this seal colour. The collar does not look correct, lacking the longish, slightly curved points.

As has been said already a member needs to buy one it can be properly evaluated.

Thanks Andrew, I admittedly don't know jack about A-2 contracts and what they're supposed to look like. I just know what features I do like in an A-2 and what I don't. [huh]

Here's their photo of the jacket I'm guessing they claimed to have copied. What'd really be funny is if they copied a knock off of a Monarch :eusa_doh:

I might be interested in one of these later, but right now I have bids on three used jackets, an as new RMJ Dubow, an Aero, and an Avirex. If I lose all three, then I may take a shot at one of these.

 

[Phantomfixer]

politics aside

The first link 442 posted looks alot like my Eastman Star contract that I had a few years ago. The stitching on all of the jackets looks very nice with good choice of thread color. The leather colors look good as do the knits. I wouldn't worry too much about the shine. My FS jacket had the same smooth look. It developed really excellent graining patterns. Communication is the only serious downfall that I see with this company. I think if this jacket popped up in a US or English based cataloge the response might be different..no? Just my input. Not affiliated with this company.

 

[Speedbird]

very well put Phantom. There is potentially something worth looking at in this jacket, if as Captain Caveman (who asked the question) stated originally we can get beyond the "China" thing. As for communication, two FL members who I consider knowledgable have both said they have dealt with this seller without issue previously.

It is clearly not a good copy of a Monarch, confirmed by Aswatland (who clearly knows his A-2's inside out) but there are features that make it interesting like, for example, the sewn through hanger loop.

In true Dragon's Den style; here is where I am at: if it was my first repro, for $400 delivered I would buy the Cockpit USA jacket. If I already had one of those and wanted something 'different' this is perhaps worth a punt, but it isn't spare change money, which is why we are trying to work out where in the heirarchy of A-2's this might fit. All I want to know is, is it any good and is it reasonable value?

If I had more cash, an Eastman or Aero comes into the running. If money is no object, a Good Wear.

For this kind of money (maybe a little bit more) some originals can be had. But you can't wear, decorate or paint them. Which is why this one might be a winner.

 

[Speedbird]

http://translate.google.com/transla...ail-0db2-756bf3ab19c4ef59d0c0c6d7be321adf.htm

http://translate.google.com/transla...300c7c5.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com

http://translate.google.com/transla...1d605f6.htm&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com

Maybe one of those listings will give you a homepage.

The first one, with the stand collar and red lining, is the most expensive but it works out at £218/$322 in current exchange rates. That seems reasonable. Lose the dodgy Monarch label, add a few patches and it looks a lot like something costing double.

 

[442RCT]

The first one, with the stand collar and red lining, is the most expensive but it works out at £218/$322 in current exchange rates. That seems reasonable. Lose the dodgy Monarch label, add a few patches and it looks a lot like something costing double.

Unless you have your own China connection who knows the rules of the game, you'd have the 10% Singaphore buyers fees, customs, shipping etc.. The US ebay price with shipping would be about the same as Taobo...BUT, the ebay seller gives a one time size exchange if you need it and being an ebay seller, he probably wants to maintain his feedback. The Taobo buyer, if you get it, you got it, and it's yours.

PS- I actually prefer the seal brown model with that red liner...but... the pics they posted do it no favors by making it look so smooth and grainless, without that hint of the ability to develop future "character".

I purchased a jacket where a jacket 'artist' took sandpaper to the finish (OUCH !) to give the brand new and really expensive RMJ ($ 1200 US) jacket that desired 50 mission distressed look. It's a good thing I liked the artwork enough to buy the jacket. I would have preferred he not had taken so much liberty with his artistic interpretation. [huh] Artists...damned eccentric bunch.

This jacket would be in the price range where one could distress it without too much regret if a person were so inclined.

 

[aswatland]

The original jacket which it has been said they used as a model for their "Monarch" is not even an original Monarch, an Aero more likely! Here's a link to an original. http://www.acmedepot.com/a2jacket/a2detail2a.html

 

[Creeping Past]

So, please, can we lay off the animals, the children, the pollution and the economics.

I see your main point, but the context of clothing, including matters humane and environmental, as at least as important to me and many other FL members as the cut and fit.

I don't think anyone's trying to derail this thread. The current state of play shows only a couple of contextual comments, with the interest firmly on quality, authenticity, construction and fit.

Whether any comments veer into politics is surely a matter for the bartenders.

Edit: As I mentioned earlier, I've had other items from the Ebay seller we're talking about.

 

[PADDY]

Is somebody going to buy one of these things then?

And put us ALL out of our misery!! It's the 'only' way to get a full critique of the cut, styling, materials, quality of the product (and 'yes' a risky way to do it, but..the only way).

NOTE: Please *try* to judge *the jacket* just 'as that,' a JACKET. Irrespective of *where* it originates from (So whether from Scotland, Devon, NYC, China, New Zealand, Japan..etc, etc).

Thanks Gents

 

[Speedbird]

Thank you, Paddy.

Here's their photo of the jacket I'm guessing they claimed to have copied. What'd really be funny is if they copied a knock off of a Monarch :eusa_doh:

It's not quite as bad as that ... thankfully!

"The original jacket which it has been said they used as a model for their "Monarch" is not even an original Monarch, an Aero more likely! Here's a link to an original. http://www.acmedepot.com/a2jacket/a2detail2a.html"

With thanks to Aswatland, which at least confirms what I said earlier using the same source material that they would have been better off not calling it a Monarch at all. I wonder why they did that?

It really is an orphan ....

 

[Speedbird]

I see your main point, but the context of clothing, including matters humane and environmental, as at least as important to me and many other FL members as the cut and fit.

CP, I agree with you totally and respect your view. I am not saying anything other than that. When you quoted me above, you cut out the part where I said "those concerns are noted". The humane, political, social and environmental concerns are fully noted and will be weighed in the balance.

 

[Sgt.MikeHorvath]

thank you 442RCT,

i'm interested in their A-1 leather jacket,so can you provide me a link about it please?

 

[Speedbird]

A-1

Sgt Mike,

The A-1 is listed in the Spearhead Militaria Ebay store, the original link in the first post.

As I think 442 has demonstrated, buying direct from Taobao is a much harder prospect unless you read Chinese perfectly and no cheaper by the time buyers' fees, taxes and shipping are added. Let us know how you get on.

 

[aswatland]

Here are the pictures of my original size 44 Monarch so you can compare the real thing with the "repro".

 

[aswatland]

 

[Speedbird]

Thanks Andrew.

 

[442RCT]

thank you 442RCT,

i'm interested in their A-1 leather jacket,so can you provide me a link about it please?

Here's the link to the Chinese website. You can put it through google or yahoo babelfish translator to see it in English.

http://item.taobao.com/auction/item_detail-0db2-27b872ab14bd7c279363282c9a2c6123.htm

The rules prohibit me from posting an ongoing ebay auction, but If you go to ebay and use these words in the search:
Pre WW2 US Army AirCorps Horsehide A-1 Flight Jacket

It should pop up.

Here's what looks like the "Homepage" with a selection of the different jackets.

http://store.taobao.com/shop/view_shop-951a5ecdcfb59a2c1d295c53eb7d528d.htm