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elc hilts a-2

colekwok

Active Member
Silver Surfer said:
elc is coming out with a v. hilts "redye" rw a-2. whats the point?

I seriously don't know. I guess if anyone who really want(ed) this jacket have already got it from Real McCoy's.

I also think that Bill Kelso also offer it as an option some time ago?
 

Falcon_52

Active Member
Excellent question, Vic. Is there really that much of a market for it? I guess there must be. I wish they would unveil that M-444 that they said was imminent about 3 years ago instead.

Noel
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
a good point,, john. the economies of all countries in the east are under duress. japanese buyers used to scoop up anything that wasnt nailed down, but now they are nowhere to be found. as noted, there are already two [that i know of] repro makers making hilts a-2s, and there are guys making hilts name tags. i just dont get it about v. hilts anything. perhaps its about addressing the wants of younger guys who are channeling steve mcqueen....or some such.
 

colekwok

Active Member
Silver Surfer said:
a good point,, john. the economies of all countries in the east are under duress. japanese buyers used to scoop up anything that wasnt nailed down, but now they are nowhere to be found. as noted, there are already two [that i know of] repro makers making hilts a-2s, and there are guys making hilts name tags. i just dont get it about v. hilts anything. perhaps its about addressing the wants of younger guys who are channeling steve mcqueen....or some such.

China's buying power is certainly down by quite a large margin. I was travelling in Hong Kong last October, all the shopping malls with designers brands were extremely quiet when compared to previous years. As for Japan, the JPY has dropped so much that I don't think normal Japanese buyers are interested in getting overseas imports at all. On the other hand, the weakened JPY facilitates export which means we can get all the McCoys, Rainbow Country etc etc for more reasonable price.
 

TOMG1401

Member
The fascination is with McQueen and the film, the jacket is irrelevant, if he was wearing a plaid vest it would be being reproduced
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
TOMG1401 said:
The fascination is with McQueen and the film, the jacket is irrelevant, if he was wearing a plaid vest it would be being reproduced

I'm sure this is true for 99% of people, but for at least 1% the jacket is relevant even judging by the interest in the jacket on forums over the years. It is interesting to know that a first contract re-dyed RW was used in the film rather than the 27752 contract jacket. I presume ELC must have proof that this was the case?
 

269sqnhudson

Active Member
I'd buy one (although I'm sure it will be a bit out of my price range). I have very happy memories of watching The Great Escape with my Dad when it was seemingly on about twice a year!
Also the idea of a redye, well executed, sounds appealing to me.

T
 

Marv

Well-Known Member
I think ELC will be producing the jacket as is but minus the Hilts adornment also at some point too from what I've heard.
 

2BM2K

Well-Known Member
Interesting news.

I have always had an interest in the Hilts jacket and do like the Rough Wear 27752 contract.

I am surprised to see that the Eastman jacket is being made as an 16159 contract. Apparantly this being identified
as such from pocket/pocket-flap/collar details. So far I have not found any clear studio photos or screen-captures
to get a good look at such details.

The one detail that can be seen clearly is the bell-shaped Talon zipper, the type of zipper commonly fitted to the 27752 contract
and only rarely (if at all) to the other contracts.
Of course the zipper could have been changed at some point.


Studying photos of the various Rough Wear contracts gives me the impression that the design remained the same throughout
the whole production time. Any differences being explained by production quirks.

The pockets and pocket-flaps (size, shape, positioning) are all over the place.

Below, in no particular order, are photos of each Rough Wear contract. These are photos mostly copied from Ebay.

Jacket #1
jacket_1.jpg


Jacket #2
jacket_2.jpg


Jacket #3
jacket_3.jpg


Jacket #4
jacket_4.jpg


Jacket #5
jacket_5.jpg
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
I agree this analysis. I currently own four of the RW contracts, including the 16159 and the 27752. There was variation within and across the contracts. Until more "proof" is provided about Hilt's jacket the jury is out on which of these two RW contracts was re-dyed and used in The Great Escape.
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
TOMG1401 said:
I was under the impression the 16159 was known and accepted as the film jacket for quite some time ???

This interesting. The 16159 jacket may well have been the jacket used in the film but I would like conclusive proof of this.
 

Robman

Member
Don't remember where I read it, but the owner of Real Mccoys Japan owned the original jacket from the movie and it was in fact a 16159 redye. Obviously this would necessitate more research.
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
2BM2K said:
Interesting news.

I have always had an interest in the Hilts jacket and do like the Rough Wear 27752 contract.

I am surprised to see that the Eastman jacket is being made as an 16159 contract. Apparantly this being identified
as such from pocket/pocket-flap/collar details. So far I have not found any clear studio photos or screen-captures
to get a good look at such details.

The one detail that can be seen clearly is the bell-shaped Talon zipper, the type of zipper commonly fitted to the 27752 contract
and only rarely (if at all) to the other contracts.
Of course the zipper could have been changed at some point.


Studying photos of the various Rough Wear contracts gives me the impression that the design remained the same throughout
the whole production time. Any differences being explained by production quirks.

The pockets and pocket-flaps (size, shape, positioning) are all over the place.

Below, in no particular order, are photos of each Rough Wear contract. These are photos mostly copied from Ebay.

Jacket #1
jacket_1.jpg


Jacket #2
jacket_2.jpg


Jacket #3
jacket_3.jpg


Jacket #4
jacket_4.jpg


Jacket #5
jacket_5.jpg

The first four jackets all belonged to Vic at one time or another.
 
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