• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

ELC Werber's arrival April 2007

better duck

Well-Known Member
Just came home from a meeting in Coevorden, in order to exchange the (motor)bike and riding gear for the office clothing and the bicycle, to ride the last 1500 meters to town hall, and to my surprise found a big package from ELC - delivered to the neighbours!!
I picked it up and .... I am strong! I will go to the office to do what must be done by a civil servant! I will wait till about 1700 hours, and then open it - and ask my daughter to take pictures: those I will post for you.

I'm strong, I'm going to work, I'm strong, I'm going to work I'm .... :lol:

OK: some hours later:

here it is, situated on and near a couple of things that are dear to me: My BMW K1200RS, my Cannondale racing bike, and in front, my rowing machine, a Concept-2. And - in the middle on the bike: THE BOX.

IMG_2435.jpg


Some more photo's later on, am having some difficulty uploading them to Photobucket, as it seams to be rushhour on the internet freeway...

Then: me and my unpacking crew: Tamara (left) and Jiska:
IMG_2438.jpg


The ladies start to work on the box:
IMG_2443.jpg


Here it is:
IMG_2449.jpg


Yep, this is it!
IMG_2450.jpg


"Sniffing the smell" is part of the symptoms of this particular deviation:
IMG_2451.jpg


Glorious moment:
IMG_2452.jpg

And now to work, i.e. serious business, for me forumbuddies:
IMG_2460.jpg

IMG_2464.jpg

IMG_2468.jpg

And that was one beautiful late afternoon in April '07!!
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
# tight fit, much more so than my ELC RW 1401. The Werber will be my summer wearer, no layering possible;
# Tighter sleeves than on the ELC RW 1401;
# Longer sleeves than on the ELC RW 1401 (did order just regular);
# But you need the sleeve lenght, as there is no "slack" in the backpanel: as soon as you bend your arms, the length appears just right, and the cuffs strech;
# Fit is tight, but not uncomfortably so: feels pleasantly "enclosed"
# Leather is beautiful: grainy in (lots of) places, smooth in others
# Leather has a shinier finish than my RW
# Leather is pretty stiff
# Cuffs and waistband feel solid, more so then on my RW
 

gomez

New Member
Peter,

Thanks for the review and sharing the pics. Its been difficult for me to locate a 44 with a 19 inch shoulder span to avoid 'the droop' and not otherwise be too tight or short in the arms as 42's tend to be on me. From your pics it looks to have just the right color [not tan like the website pics] I'm expecting a size 44 from HPA this Wednesday as they had one in stock, ready to go. Jeez, did I just spend close to grand on a jacket, yep I guess I did! So I was wondering, how do you like it after a year?

Mike
 

better duck

Well-Known Member
gomez said:
how do you like it after a year?
It is by far my favourite repro. It is aging beautifully. I'll try to post some pics that do it justice in the next few days. But for now let me say, just having seen the pictures of it from a year ago, it has aged a lot and gracefully so.
 

better duck

Well-Known Member
gomez said:
Good to hear - looking forward to pics.
Here they are:
One with the owner in it:
IMG_2295A.jpg


And a couple of closeups:

The sleeves: the left one very grainy and wrinkled, the right very smooth, so mismatched. Didn't like it at first, now I find it gives individuality to my jacket:
IMG_3059.jpg

Also notice in this picture how the colour on the left sleeve changes from darkish on the upper part, to light caramel near the cuffs. Very beautiful.

The wear on the left sleeve: the top layer wears of on the higher parts of the leather, giving it a weathered lookl:
IMG_3053.jpg


The way the colour fades on the right sleeve: much more even than on the right one:
IMG_3054.jpg


I love this jacket!!
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
Peter your Werber looks 100% authentic now. It's very nicely aged and could easily be mistaken for an original.
 

T-Bolt

New Member
Very nice look to your Werber, Peter. There is something really special about a worn and creased A-2......your jacket has "the look". Congrats!


Ted
 

gomez

New Member
Great pics, it's easy to see how much you like it. I just recieved my 'trial jacket', a 44 Werber from HPA yesterday. It's lighter in weight than I expected but just right for summer. Fits great except HPA told me the shoulders were 19" across and it measures 20". !9" would have put the shoulder seam square on me which is what I was shooting for. I'll have to wait till Monday to call them and take issue with that. Otherwise it fits spot on. It sure is pretty too.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Did the sleeves shrink? They look shorter in the later pictures. (Not in a bad way)
 

better duck

Well-Known Member
rotenhahn said:
Did the sleeves shrink? They look shorter in the later pictures. (Not in a bad way)

Side by side: brand new and after one year:
IMG_2460A.jpg
IMG_2295A.jpg


The sleeves haven't shrunk, I just think they got wrinkled a bit more over time, which takes up some of the length, and the cuffs relaxed a bit, staying long, instead of 'tunneling'.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
better duck said:
rotenhahn said:
Did the sleeves shrink? They look shorter in the later pictures. (Not in a bad way)

Side by side: brand new and after one year:
IMG_2460A.jpg
IMG_2295A.jpg


The sleeves haven't shrunk, I just think they got wrinkled a bit more over time, which takes up some of the length, and the cuffs relaxed a bit, staying long, instead of 'tunneling'.
Thanks for posting that- the reason I ask is that I've noticed that many of my jackets seem to get shorter after a year- I think the wrinkling is what does it (so they're not actually shorter) but sometimes I'm paranoid of getting the sleeves wet for fear the knits and leather might shrink- often after a rain I actually pull them out. The way I'm built means any jacket cut to an accurate WW2 46 pattern is going to have sleeves bordering on short because of my ape-like arms. My jackets right now all fit pretty much like the sleeves in your second picture- they look OK but ride way up when driving...
 

better duck

Well-Known Member
rotenhahn said:
(...) but sometimes I'm paranoid of getting the sleeves wet for fear the knits and leather might shrink- often after a rain I actually pull them out.

I wear my jackets rain or shine, and this one has been rained on quite a few times over the past year. Couple of times totally soaked through. I just keep wearing it (rather uncomfortable) or throw it over a chair to let it dry.
My ELC RW 1401 I threw in a rather hot bath and let it soak for a couple of minutes, then took it out, wrung it hard, turning the sleeves and the collar this way and that: it dried up and no adverse effects (no added grain either, I'm sorry to say ...)
 

Andrew

Well-Known Member
They really do look like totally different jackets- and so much better in the second shot. My jackets also respond well to a good soaking and wearing.
 

Curahee

New Member
Got mine 2 months before Peter and it looks almost exactly like mine looks right now, Peter's got some more mileage on it
though ;) goes to show what it does to real nice shiny repro
 

Chris217

Member
Peter, that jacket fits you like a glove! I think thats ELC's best A-2 to date.

Just out of curiousity, have you had any issues with the zipper?

Chris
 

blethook

New Member
Very nice indeed!!

I've got a Werber coming from ELC for next week.

A bit worried about the lighter colour as I tend to like the darker (seal) brown. However, I love the top stitchings on the sleeves and body - just like the 1938 Aero!! Another thing I like is the hardware (zipper) which is different from the other repros I have to date.
 
Top