1931 GOLDSMITH A-2 Limited Edition of 25

[Ken at Aero Leather]

The key item to note is that the timing and company of Lt Col Arnold strongly suggest an issued A-2 Goldsmith while the other recently shown photograph is an unknown, especially given the various A-1/2-ish jacket jackets shown thus far from early 30's photographs on this site (prototypes and/or private purchase). Given you see a flat sleeve fitting on the clear Lt Col Arnold photograph (and know worlds more than I do about pattern construction), I'd discount the other recently shown photograph suggesting a rotated sleeve given the questionable provenance.

I, along with Technonut2112, do like the idea of a wide (or double) stitch side seam and recall the 1756 is a favorite of yours.

If it wasn't for what clearly appears to be a double stitched pocket on the latest pic I'd dismiss it too but we've got plenty of time, well a month anyway, to be as precise as possible. Quite a few of the orders received are from folk apparently investing in the Limited Edition appeal, we owe it to them to avoid setting anything in stone until the last possible minute.

What's more of a worry is it looks like these will be sold out long before the first of the 25 are even cut.
What do we do if someone's jacket doesn't fit and he/she needs a different size?
Maybe we'll have to stop confirming orders once we reach 20 and put the last five on hold and take "reserve" orders until we are sure that we have allowed time for any exchanges?
At the current rate that orders are coming in we'll have to decide this week
Dilemma?

 

[Technonut2112]

Holding the last 5 in reserve until any sizing concerns are sorted-out seems to make sense (although some of the remaining 5 may not be too wild about it)... I've purchased quite a few LE collectibles, but didn't have to worry about that part of it. I suppose another plus would be that the last 5 folks will get to see how the jacket looks in all of the previous hide choices ordered..

 

[33-1729]

If it wasn't for what clearly appears to be a double stitched pocket on the latest pic I'd dismiss it too but we've got plenty of time, well a month anyway, to be as precise as possible. Quite a few of the orders received are from folk apparently investing in the Limited Edition appeal, we owe it to them to avoid setting anything in stone until the last possible minute.

What's more of a worry is it looks like these will be sold out long before the first of the 25 are even cut.
What do we do if someone's jacket doesn't fit and he/she needs a different size?
Maybe we'll have to stop confirming orders once we reach 20 and put the last five on hold and take "reserve" orders until we are sure that we have allowed time for any exchanges?
At the current rate that orders are coming in we'll have to decide this week
Dilemma?

I agree about waiting to the last minute to decide, especially given what the eagle eyed observers on this site have found. Who knows what's next?

Good point about the sizing. I suspect the people on this site pretty much know their idea sizing/contract. Worth asking them to see how that fits with your Goldsmith dimensions.

On another note Hap's Goldsmith appears longer than most contracts, but other than that are the general relative dimensions based upon a known contract, say a 1756, or culled from the photographs?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I agree about waiting to the last minute to decide, especially given what the eagle eyed observers on this site have found. Who knows what's next?

Good point about the sizing. I suspect the people on this site pretty much know their idea sizing/contract. Worth asking them to see how that fits with your Goldsmith dimensions.

Most of the orders are from previous Aero A-2 customers so we don't expect too much error

On another note Hap's Goldsmith appears longer than most contracts, but other than that are the general relative dimensions based upon a known contract, say a 1756, or culled from the photographs?

A bit of both :>) but closer to a pre war Aero than anything else

I've just finished a rotated sleeve pattern adaption from the flat sleeve, I've had to give the front seam a wee a bit of a curve as there's no point in making something that could be improved upon without anyone even noticing the minor tweak and if we do use a rotated sleeve this light curve will make it hang a lot better...........and a straight seam grates to my eye

 

[johnwayne]

Got to say Ken, I'm really enjoying this thread and applaud your sharing your jacket making experience with us, just sorry I'm not in the market for another A2 and probably something I'll regret later!! Looking forward to seeing the final incarnation too.

 

[33-1729]

Got to say Ken, I'm really enjoying this thread and applaud your sharing your jacket making experience with us, just sorry I'm not in the market for another A2 and probably something I'll regret later!! Looking forward to seeing the final incarnation too.

I'm in the same boat, but think Ken's marketing of the Aero Goldsmith as a Limited Edition is quite clever. Most of the new Goldies will be posted on this site in a couple of months with only a scant few left. I think the few on the fence, or not even on the fence, will see those and that collector gene will express itself just in time for Christmas.

 

[johnwayne]

Ah, speculate to accumulate perhaps? Hmm, bit of gamble maybe to go down that route especially with Headwind and now Bill Kelso(?) making theirs! Must admit it does look nice and I'm tempted but I've just got too many jackets ( I keep being reminded!!!).

 

[Technonut2112]

Hmm, bit of gamble maybe to go down that route especially with Headwind and now Bill Kelso(?) making theirs!

Regardless of the others, only 25 (+ 2 samples) are patterned by Ken / Aero, and stitched by a seamstress with well over 2 decades of experience...

 

[Technonut2112]

OT, but since things are a bit slow while we wait for the run to begin.... MAN!! I was browsing through the Aero sale pages, and almost said "to hell with the Goldsmith, I'm getting this instead" when I saw the "Hooch Hauler" (VERY appropriately named for the area I live in ):

http://www.aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=3796

The back is REALLY nicely done on this one IMO.. especially the half belt. Just a sweet jacket all around really.. Unfortunately, I can only pull one rabbit out of my hat for the foreseeable future, and I just need to stay off of Aero's sale pages until the Goldsmith is ready to make it's way to me.

 

[2BM2K]

Australian V505 jacket

Just browsing through some jacket photo's and came across the Aussie jacket. What immediately caught my eye
was the similiarity of it's pocket design to the Goldsmith jacket.

Double seam stitching, shape of the pocket flap, shape of the pocket corners. It also has a wide collar stand.

 

[2BM2K]

In the past there has been speculation that sample jackets were lent to makers to be used as a guide for their jackets.
It could be that a few Goldsmith jackets were used for this purpose which would explain why a jacket made in Australia in 1943
looks so much like a jacket made in the US some 12yrs earlier.

If some Goldsmith jackets made it through to 1943 then they could have survived the war and maybe there is a Goldsmith
jacket still out there somewhere. Australia?

 

[2BM2K]

Comparison image of V505 and Goldsmith jackets.

 

[B-Man2]

There is a close resemblance between the two jackets. However , the pockets on the V505 look a shade larger than the jacket on the right.

 

[2BM2K]

The pockets are larger. The Goldsmith pockets look small.

 

[B-Man2]

It’s seems the V505 is a jacket we don’t discuss much . Does anyone here own one? I’d really like to know more about the history and makers of this variation of A2 jacket.

 

[Technonut2112]

Yes, the Goldsmith has smaller pockets, and the pocket flap scallops are more 'refined' IMO.. The Goldsmith's sleeves taper at the forearms more as well, and the collar is larger.. Personally, I don't see a solid connection between the two jackets other than the pocket shape / stitching, and that could just be a trademark of the unknown Australian V505 maker.

 

[Juanito]

Yes, the Goldsmith has smaller pockets, and the pocket flap scallops are more 'refined' IMO.. The Goldsmith's sleeves taper at the forearms more as well, and the collar is larger.. Personally, I don't see a solid connection between the two jackets other than the pocket shape / stitching, and that could just be a trademark of the unknown Australian V505 maker.

I would agree. While they both have double stitching around the pocket and the larger collar stand, all the photos of the V505 I have seen show it to be a shorter, wider jacket as opposed to the Goldsmith which has been determined to be a somewhat longer jacket.

 

[Technonut2112]

As for the jacket being 'long'... 'Hap' could be wearing higher-waist trousers in the 'hoisted-up' pic, and it does appear to be the case. In this pic, the leather directly above the waistband appears to be where it should IMO.. Right at, or just a bit below the trouser's waistline. The waist knits are not obscuring front pocket entry, nor the back at all from how it looks to me.. The A-2 despite some opinions to the contrary IS a 'blouson', and the amount here in this pic is an amount which looks 'right' to me.. not overly baggy, or long.. Longer than some of the 'John Wayne Flying Tigers' looking jackets of a few later A-2 contracts, but still looks plenty authentic to me.

 

[zoomer]

Hap has it bloused at the sides, but not in front, as he does in the indoor pic. It seems to sit about like the Securitys length-wise.

 

[2BM2K]

Bear in mind that these two jackets are separated by 12 years and +9000 miles.

The important point is that there maybe a Goldsmith languishing in Oz and if one day it is found
it needs to be recognised for what it is.

In a similar vein the Fried Ostermann A2 jacket has some characteristics of the prototype A2 jacket.