ELC Pearl Harbor A2 hide question

[Marv]

Over the weekend I was playing around with my ELC PH A2 giving it couple of hot water misting/soaking sessions to see what I could get out of the steerhide grain wise.

The hide seemed to be reasonably grainy when I got the jacket new back in Nov 2009 and I hadn't bothered attempting any ageing methods on it as I bought it as a "wear the sh*t out of it " jacket not bothered about any damage, scuffs, scatches etc.

After approx 7 months the jacket has developed some nice creasing and grainy areas but there are some areas of the jacket where the grain just doesn't look authentic, which brings me to my question....

Does anybody know or suspect, is the grain used on the ELC PH jackets genuine or pressed into the hide on production....not trying to cause a stink or have a go at ELC, it's just a enquiry for my own personal curiosity.

 

[Persimmon]

Paul.
What about a picture or two to show what your jacket looks like at the moment after your "Treatment"

 

[Anonymous]

I know some of the tacky looking issue G-1's that were made in steer where pressed to give the effect of being goat but it was pretty obvious.

I don't believe that ELC do anything like that though.

Photos would help greatly.

Dave

 

[Marv]

I'll try and take some photos as soon as.....just to be clear, I am not having a go at ELC and I really love my PH A2 it's a great jacket.
The reason I asked is that had read some where in previous posts that there was a possibility that this may happened in the past and was just curious hence the question.

 

[Marv]

Here are the pics I promised......

The first few are of the areas of grain around the jacket...

These are just a few general pics of the jacket...

The pics aren't the best (using my iphone) but I hope you can see what I mean from them.

 

[Anonymous]

Those are real creases and very nice they look too. That's a cracking jacket. Give it lots of wear.

I think Paulhavoc has one similarly good looking.

Enjoy it in good health Paul !

Dave

 

[havocpaul]

I had one with amazing hide and patina that was an impulse buy at their Duxford stand in 2007, as with many of my jackets it was eventually sold on to fund another one! It was the one I regret selling the most though as it really did look like an original wartime jacket. There are so many variations in the creasing, wear etc to their PH jackets I would always recommend seeing them in the flesh if possible so as to pick out the best for what you are looking for. I am confident they are not 'pressed' but the PH jackets are the forerunner of what are now referred to as 'time-worn' finish. Yours has excellent natural creasing developing and can only improve with time! Nice one!

 

[269sqnhudson]

I don't think it's an embossed grain. Embossed grain is often used in upholstery (and 70s G-1s :roll: ) and looks like this

 

[Falcon_52]

If I recall correctly, there was some speculation early on when Eastman debuted the "warhorse" hide that they were embossing the grain on the horsehide to make the hide have more texture. I personally don't think that they do and my ELC Werber doesn't appear to have embossed leather.

From your pictures, I don't think their steerhide is either. In fact, the jacket looks killer. That's a keeper!

Noel

 

[High Iron]

Nice jacket! Great graining to the leather and that leather/knit/thread color combo is my all time favorite.

 

[smoos]

Nice jacket! Great graining to the leather and that leather/knit/thread color combo is my all time favorite.

I'll second that. I've never seen a Pearl Harbor in person, but that one looks darker than all those I've seen in photos.

 

[Marv]

Nice jacket! Great graining to the leather and that leather/knit/thread color combo is my all time favorite.

I'll second that. I've never seen a Pearl Harbor in person, but that one looks darker than all those I've seen in photos.

The photos don't really show the true colour as the camera used didn't have a flash, the jacket is lighter in reality.......if you look at the colour on the ELC website http://www.eastmanleather.com/A-2PH.htm that's pretty much how it looks colour wise.

 

[Marv]

Don't know what's happened to my pics but they seem to have rotated some what from my original post

 

[deeb7]

... they appear alright for me.

viewtopic.php?p=70036#p70036

 

[Tim P]

Its a nice looking jacket. as an aside, do we think PH jackets look quite roughwear?
curved pocket flaps, collar stand...

 

[Marv]

thanks Tim, we do....apart from the pocket flaps being a little too curved and a little too large, it does look very much like a Roughwear 27752 IMO.
Hopefully my next A2 will be a GW Roughwear 27752 as the jacket is fantastic and I am loving the collar stand thing at the mo as well but will need to sell on a few of my older A2s to fiund it though

 

[Marv]

Thanks for all the responses chaps, so it seems that the general concensus is that the grain is not pressed into the hide and is genuine.
The ELC PH A2 is a pretty impressive , comfortable jacket, the timeworn feature is subtle and authentic looking so all in all a really good all round A2 (plus I bought just before the ELC price hike so bonus).

 

[Mundele]

The photos don't really show the true colour as the camera used didn't have a flash, the jacket is lighter in reality.......if you look at the colour on the ELC website http://www.eastmanleather.com/A-2PH.htm that's pretty much how it looks colour wise.

Interesting because I have the Pearl Harbour and in the flesh it looks dark and glossy like yours appears in the photos. In fact I could see no resemblance between the colour of mine and the two colour variations advertised on the Eastman site. In some light mine appears to be almost black. And it has very similar creasing and grain to yours. .........And I too got mine at a great price.

 

[smoos]

Can we talk you into posting a photo of yours, Mundele?

Also, how old is it?

 

[Mundele]

Indeed Smoos. I will knock up some photos very soon. I've only owned this particular jacket for a couple of years.