Unknown A2 jacket

[rshamblin]

Hey folks,

First time posting here.. I've been a long time lurker and finally have made an account. I have to give all the contributors to this amazing forum a :eusa_clap Thanks for entertaining and educating.


I recently bought this A2 pretty cheap and have done my research on it and I can't figure out what the deal is with this jacket. So any information helps. It's not WWII and probably an 80s repo, but I'm unsure. "antiqued" YKK zip, fleece zip in liner, hand warmer pockets, what appears to be goatskin and crusty superglue stuff on leather

Tag reads TYPE A-2 DRAWING NO.30-1415 A.A.F CONTRACT NO.W535-AC-27753 PROPERTY AIR FORCES .U.S ARMY

here is a link to photos

http://imgur.com/a/anAE3

Thanks

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Hi
its a goatskin kind or civilian A-2 , based on an USAF Cooper or Saaddlery A2 issued flight jacket.
Hope it helps.

 

[aswatland]

It's a goatskin A2 style jacket made by a maker who has used Cable Raincoat's 1942 AC 27753 contract number!

 

[kojax]

looks like a ll bean goatskin a-2 jacket

 

[rshamblin]

Thanks for the responses guys. I'm probably going to sell it as it turned out to be a little too big.. Any idea how much it's worth?

 

[robrinay]

Do a quick search on eBay for goatskin A2 jacket or LL Bean A2 leather jacket and then check out sold and completed items and you should find the price of a similar jacket that's sold recently.

 

[bentusian]

I'm 95% sure that the jacket was locally made in Korea for USAF pilots stationed there. The name of the tailor shop is 'Oxford Leather' located near Osan Air Base.
All details match, like inner pocket, detachable liner, name embroidery and the snap button at the end of wind flap, etc.

Given the condition of the jacket it should be worth about $60-70.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

If USAF or military personel, why going to a tailor?
Osan Airbase provides you with the regulation Cooper A-2 ( Px or O club or) almost for free and it looks much beter than the " Oxford Leather" tailor can do and you are permited to wear the issued regulation one at base, but not the tailored one...regulation...

 

[Seb Lucas]

Luft, sometimes people just want to put their own stamp on things and go custom, even if it's bad by our eyes.

 

[thor]

Pop's Leather (located in Turkey but has an on-line shop) does a lot of custom leather jackets based on Military issue garments (A-2, MA-1, G-1, etc). He will even add an internal pistol holster for flyers that are required to carry a firearm while in their flight togs.
I bet he's done many for active duty pilots and aircrew who went full-custom instead of government issue for their jackets.

 

[Edward]

If USAF or military personel, why going to a tailor?
Osan Airbase provides you with the regulation Cooper A-2 ( Px or O club or) almost for free and it looks much beter than the " Oxford Leather" tailor can do and you are permited to wear the issued regulation one at base, but not the tailored one...regulation...

Depends when it was made. The USAAF stopped production of the A2 in 1942, and while existing stocks continue to be used and already-issued jackets were still in the field in Korea from 1950-53, the A2 was out of production until 1988. Preseumably any pilot in that period who wanted one ould have had to have had a custom job. Ditto anyone who did not qualify to have an A2 issued to them (groundcrew and such). Then there are stories of guys who were issued with one that really didn't fit or that got lost/stolen having one run up as a private purchase....

In recent decades, of course, they've been much tighter about wearing pp gear than was the case during WW2, though equally they might still want something to wear off-base or when they were discharged and got back home, depending on how well the local area took to an individual displaying the fact that they were / had been in the military.

 

[bentusian]

If USAF or military personel, why going to a tailor?
Osan Airbase provides you with the regulation Cooper A-2 ( Px or O club or) almost for free and it looks much beter than the " Oxford Leather" tailor can do and you are permited to wear the issued regulation one at base, but not the tailored one...regulation...

I think the answer lies in those features that an issue A-2 doesn't have - like the extra liner (needed for cold Korean winter), inner and handwarmer pockets, leather choices, and tailored fit.

I once briefly owned their A-2 made of deerskin, which was very lightweight and supple.


The AAF decal on the sleeve was hand-painted, and I remember the shop owner even used to do back paintings. But I heard he retired a few years ago..

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Got a superb Cooper A-2 on Suwon Air Base (in South Korea- approx.40km from Seoul downtown ) back in 1993 (NATO-Cargo- and AWACS Training-Exchange Program ), still have it, it´s nicely broken in. 100% USAF Regulation A-2. No extra liner, no Holster and nothing at all of this added " invention". Absolutely no comparison to the Commercial look-alikes shown here. Sure any USAF pilots from this period can jump in and confirm.
In that time I could select the fit and leather grain amongst approx. a full room of them, hanging on at least 2 Levels all arround.
Will be back in Germany on 22nd of Feb.
Happy to post scans of it...USAF even issued me a "guest" leather nametag (my GAF Name and ex- rank).

 

[Seb Lucas]

I think bentusian's point is key. A pilot may not care about how "accurate" a jacket looks but wants features in a custom jacket relevant to their work. Function over form.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Sure! point accepted.
thx for your inpuut.