Eastman Hilt's RW A2

[Roughwear]

For sometime now I have been keen to see what the ELC Hilts A2 looks like in the flesh. Recently I managed to obtain a very reasonably priced example in a size 44. The jacket has been hand re-dyed like a depot re-issued jacket and of course like the original RW worn in the Great Escape. On the basis of decent scans of the film jacket Eastman reproduced the RW 16159 contract. There is still debate on which RW contract was used in the film and there even may have been two film jackets.

I own an original from this first RW contract from November 1940 and the ELC jacket is a very accurate reproduction. I have replaced the zip puller with an original M-39 Talon as this was fitted to originals from this contract even though the film jacket(s) had a bell Talon puller.

The re-dye work has been nicely done, although the inside of the windflap was not re-dyed unlike the film jacket. The TW treatment was somewhat harsh and I have toned it down a little. The dye appears to be solid and does not leave marks on your fingers!

It is a lovely jacket, extremely well made and as a size 44, a perfect fit.

 

[Marv]

very nice indeed, does it have the metal Captain bars under the collar also

 

[Steve27752]

A good fit, are you going to dye the inside of the wind flap?

 

[Roughwear]

Yes it does have original captain's bars under the collar. I replaced the repro ones with Wartime ones.

 

[Roughwear]

No Steve, I'll leave the windflap as it is at present.

 

[Smithy]

Absolutely love it. The overdye looks great, and as you say Andrew, a perfect fit. Two thumbs up!

 

[Roughwear]

Thanks Tim. It fits like a Wartime size 44 RW. I feel the TW treatment did not reflect normal service wear to an A2 and therefore I toned it down a little.

 

[fleet16b]

Great Jacket Andrew

Definitely one of the best looking A2's I have ever seen
Would not mind a hilts myself one day

 

[CBI]

Andrew:

Thanks for sharing this. I REALLY like the worn depot redye look. It’s my favorite A-2 look. I have noticed that the premium folks don’t seem to be offering the super dark seal hides as much. It’s my favorite color. Some offer a hand applied dark finish that is supposed to fade over time to give that great worn look however that top dark layer tends to come off really easily sometimes. Glad this ELC finish does not!!! The weathering might be a bit severe but it still looks pretty cool. Enjoy!

 

[ausreenactor]

Nice.. I thought ELC only did the 1410-P and the 27752?

 

[Roughwear]

That is correct Trev. The RW 16159 contract is only offered as the Hilts jacket. It is currently unavailable from Eastman.

 

[zhz44]

From what I've learned from Toys McCoy, the jacket used in the film is not original contract. They made three jackets for McQueen when shooting the film. I don't know if these are based on any particular contract. And the only accurate repro of this film jacket is from Toys Mccoy, because the owner of Toys McCoy has one of these.

But ELC one is really nice, I tried a size 36 in their pop up shop in London, really nice and fits me perfect, too bad I can not afford it. Hope I can get one in a reasonable price someday.

 

[Roughwear]

Thanks Zhz44. Who made three jackets for McQueen in The Great Escape? I understood he wore an original RW, not a repro or a costume department jacket. It has been suggested there was a second jacket, which makes sense but has not been conclusively proved.

I fail to see why the only accurate repro is a Toys McCoy repro just because the owner has what may be a film jacket, but not proved beyond doubt. Gary Eastman based his Hilts A2 on an original first contract RW, which is in his opinion the jacket used in the film. All I can say is that the ELC jacket is a very accurate repro of a RW 16159.

 

[zhz44]

Hi Andrew, I have no idea who made those jackets for McQueen in The Great Escape. But I've been told he didnt wear an original RW. I agree ELC's RW 16159 is a very accurate repro, but may not be a accurate repro of the original film jacket if the jacket used in the film is not a RW 16159 or even not a RW.

 

[Roughwear]

The high resolution scans of McQueen show him wearing an original redyed Rough wear, not a repro.

 

[Roughwear]

Check out this long thread on the jacket and you will see he is wearing an original RW A2.

http://vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/elc-hilts-a-2.18953/

 

[zhz44]

That is also what I believed for many years, an original RW either 27752 or 16159. Then I learned from Hiroshi Okamoto (owner of TM) that he owns one jacket from the film and that it is a repro. But I have no knowledge about this second jacket thing. Putting all these together, I think it is very possible that the second jacket do exist, and that is what Hiroshi owned.

 

[Roughwear]

He does not own the main jacket worn in the film, perhaps a second jacket. This one is not a repro, but an original RW. No one was making RW repros in 1963. No one seems to know for definite where McQueen's film jacket is now, although it has been suggested McQueen's son Chad has the film jacket.

 

[zhz44]

I would like to believe he does not own the main jacket. That makes more sense to me.

 

[Roughwear]

My near mint original RW 16159 in a size 44.