ELC re-lining & knits

[Officer Dibley]

I recently bought a beautiful old seal ELC A-2 that had been re-lined in black nylon (yuk!). It was very cheap and is wearable as is but i thought i'd look at getting it re-lined, which also means all new knits.

I sent it off to get a quote: £300 !
Now there's an ELC Monarch on ebay right now that the seller has the bill for a re-lining and knits done in 2016 that cost £137. A significant increase.

There is a lot of work involved in carefully unpicking and re-doing the lining, no doubt. However, the massive increase in new jacket prices means that if the re-lining takes a day, that is a day the craftsperson is not making a new £1300 jacket. I appreciate more than most on here that ELC are in the business of making money but also that they repair their jackets - although what nut would buy a jacket at current prices knowing eventually the lining will wear and not be repairable ?

My point is that when there is a money making machine in operation, any activity that stops that needs to be accounted for. The increase in prices has a huge knock-on effect.

In the meantime i'll wear that goat as is and start saving !

Dave

 

[s4rmark]

Maybe try byson leathers, their website suggests they reline jackets. They are in Hertfordshire.

 

[Officer Dibley]

Thanks Mark. I'll give them a look. Though it would have to be 100% knits and cotton lining.
Have you any experience yourself or a mate ?
Cheers, Dave

 

[s4rmark]

Not personally, I found them on the net. I think they’ve been around for a while .

 

[Southoftheborder]

I had an old Aero HWM relined by Aero including the pockets for under £100 including postage back two years ago.

 

[Officer Dibley]

You are quoting a price from the time i said Eastman were charging £137. And your jacket didn't require knit cuffs & waistband did it ? I doubt that is the current price.

However, i have an ELC jacket......

 

[Southoftheborder]

You could try Aero, they reline other makers jackets. Simmons Bilt will too - except aero. They won't touch them... I don't think Aero have put up their reline prices as much as Eastman.

 

[ausreenactor]

You could have had a brand new Platon Dubow A-2 for less than that lining job...

 

[Officer Dibley]

You could have had a brand new Platon Dubow A-2 for less than that lining job...

Maybe but it would look shite against the old goat which has oodles of grain & character & wear. The re-lining will give it another 10-15 years. Will a Platon last that long...

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

You could try Aero, they reline other makers jackets. Simmons Bilt will too - except aero. They won't touch them... I don't think Aero have put up their reline prices as much as Eastman.

Now THAT is hilarious considering they've been using patterns stolen from Aero since 2012...........we have proof too!

 

[Tommy]

Maybe try byson leathers, their website suggests they reline jackets. They are in Hertfordshire.

I used them to repair some of my g1. They replaced the collar with beautiful moulton, but the first time they didn't do some of the agreed work. When I got it back and told them, they couldn't of been more apologetic. They sent me return courier labels and everything was done to a very high standards. They clearly know what they are doing but even told me they had a huge volume of work and it took a while to get it back both times. I think that's why it was initially returned half done.

It does need the knits redone, but the leather around the waist is rather thin, compared to the rest of it, which is very sturdy still. They actually suggested patching the weak spots with some goatskin offcuts? Would be a shame to stop using the jacket since its an early model.

Might consider someone else next time?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

£300 isn't that bad especially considering the current lining in the jacket isn't original....that could cause unseen problems in the restoration. Sometimes it can take almost as long to do a full restoration as it does to make a jacket from scratch
We don't repair other makers A-2s any longer, too busy in the case of Eastman or Goodwear who's jackets we have repaired in the past, and we stopped repairing Japanese made A-2s many years ago due to the excess glue used inside the jackets, this make repairs a total nightmare
Our price for our own A-2s for a full lining & knit is £225 but due to go up soon due as much as anything to lack of spare time

 

[Southoftheborder]

Now THAT is hilarious considering they've been using patterns stolen from Aero since 2012...........we have proof too!

I think it's because of all that that they won't touch them...

 

[Brettafett]

Dibley, I am London-based and had a Cockpit A-2 relined by Byson, and a G-1 re-knitted and re-zipped by Donna at www.horizondesigns.co.uk recently...
Donna's work was pretty well done, very neat. Byson did an ok job, but the lining stitching was not very neat and the waistband turned out 'rolled'...
Recommend you contact Donna.
Perhaps you could get the ELC bits and have Donna install them...

 

[Officer Dibley]

Thanks for that. I'll definitely look into it.

Generally i wasn't complaining at the cost, in fact i went to great pains to justify why the cost is high: both the amount of work plus more profitable work that craftsman could be doing. And with a bit of saving i'll get it done in the New Year.

I just wanted to put the word out there for others: if you buy a second hand jacket with worn lining, know you'll either have to wear it sparingly or pay good money to get it made back to new.

It's all good.
Dave

 

[A2 B3au]

£300 isn't that bad especially considering the current lining in the jacket isn't original....that could cause unseen problems in the restoration. Sometimes it can take almost as long to do a full restoration as it does to make a jacket from scratch
We don't repair other makers A-2s any longer, too busy in the case of Eastman or Goodwear who's jackets we have repaired in the past, and we stopped repairing Japanese made A-2s many years ago due to the excess glue used inside the jackets, this make repairs a total nightmare
Our price for our own A-2s for a full lining & knit is £225 but due to go up soon due as much as anything to lack of spare time

Tell me it’s none of my business and no offence taken but are aero planning a price increase on their new jackets in the next 6 months ...nice one Art

 

[Pilot]

My 1 dime opinion....take only the best and no risk never...a bad relining or knit change ruins it all....but one saved ( ???) Euro/$/£

 

[johnwayne]

I had the same £300 quoted by Eastman but they also recommended Bryson! Their website looks like they know what they're doing but from the above feedback it's sounds a little disappointing. ELC much like Ken says, said that re-lining and new knits is like making a new jacket but for £300 there's a chance of picking up something on the dreaded eBay!!

 

[Pilot]

Hmmm... for a plus plus 1000 Euro jacket... giving it to a generic Co.? ....Hmmm
not my favored choice...
Again... with all due respect to the unknown...
once its ruined.. its ruined...
Up to the risk-lovers...

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Tell me it’s none of my business and no offence taken but are aero planning a price increase on their new jackets in the next 6 months ...nice one Art

Not if we can help it but some of the cheaper styles may have to go up. It's more likely to be the modifications that go up, that's what slows production more than anything and slow production costs more than the exchange rates

IMO There are three ways to price a product

1. As cheap as possible to try to damage the opposition and make up the shortfall later.
2. What the company needs to charge to make it worth opening up in the morning
3. As much as the company thinks they can get away with

Aero has always gone for option 2