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Avirex question

Whatsit

Active Member
i was wondering if there’s a difference in a brown lining Avirex and an Orange lining Avirex?
 
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Tom Bowers

Active Member
Avirex changed quite a lot in the decades they've been in business

I always say you can draw a line right where the movie top gun happened and Avirex went after the mass market ( I was in the Army Navy store business back then and sold Avirex until they went bad)

The orange liner is similar to the early 80s A-2 I have and still wear

Once they went mass market they entirely lost focus on trying to make jackets look correct and went with whatever pieces and parts they could find, they cheapened the jackets and had some made offshore

I think your brown lining is an example of that time.

I haven't had the opportunity to handle any of their current offerings so I can't comment on what they're doing today and if they're getting back to their roots

I've always loved my Avirex jackets and consider them under-rated in today's "hyper-realistic' and " hyper-priced" world and think it's because they cheapened out and sold out in the late 80s and 90s.

Still many of those Avirex jackets are "vintage" in the truest sense of the word with classic style and honest age.

Good luck with your jackets

Tom Bowers
 

silvio76

Well-Known Member
Avirex changed quite a lot in the decades they've been in business

I always say you can draw a line right where the movie top gun happened and Avirex went after the mass market ( I was in the Army Navy store business back then and sold Avirex until they went bad)

The orange liner is similar to the early 80s A-2 I have and still wear

Once they went mass market they entirely lost focus on trying to make jackets look correct and went with whatever pieces and parts they could find, they cheapened the jackets and had some made offshore

I think your brown lining is an example of that time.

I haven't had the opportunity to handle any of their current offerings so I can't comment on what they're doing today and if they're getting back to their roots

I've always loved my Avirex jackets and consider them under-rated in today's "hyper-realistic' and " hyper-priced" world and think it's because they cheapened out and sold out in the late 80s and 90s.

Still many of those Avirex jackets are "vintage" in the truest sense of the word with classic style and honest age.

Good luck with your jackets

Tom Bowers
most of their A-2 and G-1 jacket made of lambskin are made in Korea and China. today they sell jackets under the name Cockpit, and those jackets are made in USA, but the quality is the same as Avirex.
 

Whatsit

Active Member
So are Avirex jackets just very cheap knock offs like the cooper orange labels were? Same quality etc.?
 

Whatsit

Active Member
Black Avirex label and white made in America label
 

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silvio76

Well-Known Member
So are Avirex jackets just very cheap knock offs like the cooper orange labels were? Same quality etc.?
cooper orange label was exact copy of their jacket made for usaf. only difference is that orange lbel jacket is not treated with fire retardant. does your jacket has label made of goatakin or horsehide?
 

Whatsit

Active Member
He’s a few pictures
 

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Whatsit

Active Member
The guy I bought it from said he thought it was goat.
He said his dad bought it around 82 while in the navy
 

silvio76

Well-Known Member
The guy I bought it from said he thought it was goat.
He said his dad bought it around 82 while in the navy
Their goatakin jacket has this label (pic. 2), and their horsehide jackets has this label (pic. 4).
 

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Whatsit

Active Member
This is a Horse skin Avirex jacket
 

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