CoopDog
Active Member
Okay, so as you know, I am a newbie here. Still experimenting with sizes and fit and color, and leather types before I take the big plunge for a quality repro. I picked up this Avirex on Ebay in size 46 for $60 delivered! I bought it for two reasons. First, I have another cheap Avirex in size 44 that is a tight fit. I wanted to see what the next size up fits like. When I find what is the perfect fit, I will measure the jacket and know what are my personal requirements for: pit to pit, shoulder to cuff, back length, shoulder to shoulder. Then, I should be ready to buy a quality repro. without getting burned with a wrong size. I have learned that the marked size means nothing.
The other reason I bought this jacket is that it did not look like goatskin in the photos on Ebay and I wanted to try another kind of leather. So, it has arrived and has no "Genuine Goatskin" or ""Genuine Horsehide" label. It has what I think is the older Avirex style hanger loop. From the way it looks to me (and I am certainly no expert on leathers) it appears to be cowhide. It's definitely not lambskin and I don't think it is goatskin because I have another jacket that is definitely goatskin and this one is different. So, I think it is cowhide. I must say, I rather like this leather, and prefer it to goatskin. Also, I like the way the jacket fits. It is well broken-in, but not overly worn, and the color is nice and dark and uniform, not faded in spots like my previous goatskin purchase.
I haven't tried out a horsehide jacket yet to experience that type of leather, but I have to say cowhide is not a bad leather, just not what was supposed to be used in original A-2's. I have seen Horween's discussion of the comparison between horsehide and cowhide and they don't seem to prefer one over the other. If anything, they think cowhide is more uniform and sometimes easier to work with.
The other reason I bought this jacket is that it did not look like goatskin in the photos on Ebay and I wanted to try another kind of leather. So, it has arrived and has no "Genuine Goatskin" or ""Genuine Horsehide" label. It has what I think is the older Avirex style hanger loop. From the way it looks to me (and I am certainly no expert on leathers) it appears to be cowhide. It's definitely not lambskin and I don't think it is goatskin because I have another jacket that is definitely goatskin and this one is different. So, I think it is cowhide. I must say, I rather like this leather, and prefer it to goatskin. Also, I like the way the jacket fits. It is well broken-in, but not overly worn, and the color is nice and dark and uniform, not faded in spots like my previous goatskin purchase.
I haven't tried out a horsehide jacket yet to experience that type of leather, but I have to say cowhide is not a bad leather, just not what was supposed to be used in original A-2's. I have seen Horween's discussion of the comparison between horsehide and cowhide and they don't seem to prefer one over the other. If anything, they think cowhide is more uniform and sometimes easier to work with.
