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ELC's Elite Units 95th BG DUBOW 1755

Pilot

Well-Known Member
For the record...a Korean friend ordered (paid) one of those " Specials" in 42" and asked me to handcarry it on my next trip to Seoul...ELC Delivery time: July 2019...so they must be quite busy..despite the costs.
 

MeachamLake

Well-Known Member
For the record...a Korean friend ordered (paid) one of those " Specials" in 42" and asked me to handcarry it on my next trip to Seoul...ELC Delivery time: July 2019...so they must be quite busy..despite the costs.

I think this is to do with the fact that each special needs to be made up and then hand painted afterwards.

I'm in the market for a Rough Wear A2 and according to ELC their current wait time for a custom size is only 2-3 weeks at the moment.
 

colekwok

Active Member
Unlike ELC, Platon don't have the brand name that warrant a higher price tag. For instant one might ask ELC made jackets for such and such a movie, it was great and made millions at the box office and some A-list actor wore it and some hot looking chic actress cried all over their jacket, but Platon they made nice jacket and reenactors and nerds thinks they are good value.

I doubt that if anyone outside our little hobby would know 'Eastman', older generations like us would go straight to 'Kodak' instead of 'Leathers'. I also doubt that there is a huge market in Japan these days, the economy there is no exactly 'healthy' in any ways. When you mentioned ELC movie jackets, that reminds me of their somewhat doggie claim for the 'Red Tails', particularly the A-2s. I suspect Aero is more of a movie go-to maker for leather flight jackets, correct me if I am wrong.
 

Brettafett

Well-Known Member
If ELC provided A-2s for Red tails, they were worn in the background... All the 'Hero' A-2 jackets, were quite obviously GWs.
B-10s likely ELC.
The A-2s for the Hula's Catch-22 series however, are ELC's... and they look pretty good imho. (I may be wrong, but I think BK also tendered for Catch-22...)
IF the new HBO The Mighty Eighth goes forward, which it likely will... then theres a ton of A-2s, B-10s etc that will need to be produced. Seeing as most of it will surely be shot in the UK, my money's on ELC again...
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
My Little experience...
since early 2018, my 4 jackets...originals and high end repros ...out of 6 (offered here but also on ww2 forums) were sold and shipped to Japan...
Not even mentioning A-11 AAF watches...except 3 of them...all to Japan.
 

Dany McDonald

Well-Known Member
I also doubt that there is a huge market in Japan these days, the economy there is no exactly 'healthy' in any ways

If this is true, some makers are in for hard times with their high priced Mil repros...

And why ELC not offering Dobow as a regular A-2 contract?

D
 

taikonaut

Active Member
I doubt that if anyone outside our little hobby would know 'Eastman', older generations like us would go straight to 'Kodak' instead of 'Leathers'. I also doubt that there is a huge market in Japan these days, the economy there is no exactly 'healthy' in any ways. When you mentioned ELC movie jackets, that reminds me of their somewhat doggie claim for the 'Red Tails', particularly the A-2s. I suspect Aero is more of a movie go-to maker for leather flight jackets, correct me if I am wrong.
Eastman is much better known brand than Platon, and I'm sure in the movie industry ELC are immediately on the wardrobe department's radar. It is not as established as like of Ralph Lauren, Levi's, Dolce Gabbana, etc, but for people whose buys leather jacket would far more likely to know ELC without being a too much of a nerd to have heard of Platon. I was surprise my friend knew about ELC even though he wasn't into jacket in a big way but he was into WW2 films.
 

taikonaut

Active Member
If ELC provided A-2s for Red tails, they were worn in the background... All the 'Hero' A-2 jackets, were quite obviously GWs.
B-10s likely ELC.
The A-2s for the Hula's Catch-22 series however, are ELC's... and they look pretty good imho. (I may be wrong, but I think BK also tendered for Catch-22...)
IF the new HBO The Mighty Eighth goes forward, which it likely will... then theres a ton of A-2s, B-10s etc that will need to be produced. Seeing as most of it will surely be shot in the UK, my money's on ELC again...

Eastman got better recently. The TV series they made for the BBC a couple of years ago and in Catch-22 are a up there with GW but I'm not sure if these are "special" they made with better hide and more attention to detail than what customer usually get? Maybe they have upped their game in the last year or two.
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
My thoughts are that ELC and Aero dominate the European A2 repro markets while Good Wear leads the US market . The predominant reason has to do with the extreme import and VAT duties that are placed on everything entering Europe from other countries. It’s just cheaper to buy jackets made in the UK than the US.
 
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blackrat2

Well-Known Member
All I can say is the money they are asking is bat shit crazy
Aero and platoon have kept it sensible with the pricing, so it can be done
 

colekwok

Active Member
I didn't know who they were until recently. Was he a member here?

Indeed he was. He was associated to Bill Kelso in the beginning of their business. Then someone from the UK (London?) kind of acquired BK and I guess Platon since then started up his own little production with some other tailors in Greece? Correct me if I am wrong?
 

Brettafett

Well-Known Member
Yes, I was wondering if the BK guys were moonlighting for him ;) He is a passionate guy and his jacket is literally cloned off an original 27798 they took apart.
 

Micawber

Well-Known Member
My Little experience...
since early 2018, my 4 jackets...originals and high end repros ...out of 6 (offered here but also on ww2 forums) were sold and shipped to Japan...
Not even mentioning A-11 AAF watches...except 3 of them...all to Japan.

High, low or middle for diddle I won't sell to Japan nor will I buy complete WW2 Allied military gear and garments from there - period.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
High, low or middle for diddle I won't sell to Japan nor will I buy complete WW2 Allied military gear and garments from there - period.
Accepted. I only drive German cars ( the winter cars “still” made in UK...), wear Swiss watches... love French reds , wear Italian ( business) clothes, love my USA /Italian made guns ( stored in my US home), love my very relaxing vacations in Ireland and Scottland ( no visa needed so far..) for trout and salmon fishing and the beers going with it...Last but not least my main bank is ( still ) London HQ based...

Exchanges are always working in both ways IMOH... make the happy best for all...
besides, got the nicest best A-2’s and B-10’sWW2 originals, I own ... from Japan...
 
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Micawber

Well-Known Member
Accepted. I only drive German cars ( the winter cars “still” made in UK...), wear Swiss watches... love French reds , wear Italian ( business) clothes, love my USA /Italian made guns ( stored in my US home), love my very relaxing vacations in Ireland and Scottland for trout and salmon fishing and the beers going with it...Last but not least my main bank is ( still ) London HQ based...

Exchanges are always working in both ways IMOH... make the happy best for all...

Aye all good for you and I too have multi national products of all classes around.

However, my personal approach as outlined above is coloured by experiences of family and friends who served and spent time as POW's in the Far East.
 
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