Opinions wanted - LW G1

[Earloffunk]

My father is thinking about getting himself his first flight jacket. He seems to like Navy jackets. So I pointed him towards Lost Worlds G1 which he likes.

Any opinions?

 

[jeremiah]

Can’t speak to the G1 but a friend of mine owns a Lost Worlds made jacket he has owned for years. His is horse. It’s very stiff but built like a tank. From what I saw the workmanship was good.
That said, isn’t there a better “bang for your buck” going by LWs current prices?

 

[Falcon_52]

I have never handled a Lost Worlds G-1 but I have some of their other jackets. The construction is excellent - very high quality. Their jackets will last at least a lifetime.

Noel

 

[Silver Surfer]

some may like the lw straight jacket look and feel, some may not. imo, they are over engineered,, over dense, over dyed, and never break in. stu does a sales rap on his site that essentially tells ya to "man up" to own a lw jacket....and lotsa guys fall for it. the lw line has gotten up there in pricing, so ya might want to consider other options for contract accuracy, fit, comfort, price. headwinds, bk, even some of the lower end jackets may appeal to ya.

 

[s4rmark]

Why not go for an original G-1, loads out there for sale and very affordable.

 

[Earloffunk]

Because my old man is not going to wear used clothing.

 

[Grant]

I second S4mark's comment. Unless you need an unusual size, original G-1's are still less expensive than most decent reproductions!

 

[Earloffunk]

Ah, my mistake. I thought he was talking about used ones - maybe we’ll have a look at some new original ones and spend the used money on something else.

 

[B-Man2]

Because my old man is not going to wear used clothing.

I would agree that an original would be the way to go but I understand your situation. A couple of the guys here have G-1s from AVI leather and they seem to like those. They are real goatskin and nicely made. Head Winds also makes a decent one for a good price. If you re just looking for a generic g-1 and period accuracy isn’t an issue, There are several companies here in the US making them. You shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding a new one for reasonable money.

 

[johnwayne]

Budget is king really and, any 'original' would be used but as others are saying, good ones are still available. If you go down the new repro route then at least you'll have some comeback if the fit isn't quite right which to most is very important. G1's for instance should be a snug fit and not a baggy 'mall jacket' fit but again it depends on the wearer owners preference, a proper fit certainly the cooler more stylish option. Whatever, check the returns policy if new and despite whatever size the jackets is deemed to be, check measurements as there can be numerous variations, maybe go by a jacket he already has that fits well!

 

[Earloffunk]

Good thing is - my dad and I have the same size (which I think is amazing as he just turned 66 and usually people get to "grow" horizontally with age...). He tried on most all of my jackets so we have a pretty good overview. So we just have to find "the maker". He likes the LW one and also BK (but they tend to have short sleeves and are not returnable).

Any opinions on the Gibson&Barnes G1?

 

[Brettafett]

Bare in mind with an original, depending on what you are able to find, and where you or your old man is situated.... If any cleaning or refurbishment needs doing; knit, zipper, lining, mouton collar etc... This can be a costly and expensive exercise... I have also had the issue with original's, of short sleeves, or should I more accurate;y say... my long arms.
Headwind's M422as are stunning and ooze quality...
Cockpit's 100 Missions and Mil-spec (these come in long sizes also) G-1s are pretty decent repros... Comfortable and well-made. Plus sleeves are a good length for a given size.
AVI LTHR (yes...) has a 55J14 repro which is not bad bang-for-the-buck. They run trim, and besides the knit, they are nice. Easy returns.

 

[zoomer]

Any opinions on the Gibson&Barnes G1?

I have two, an older "Flight Suits, El Cajon" G-1 with a plain A-2 snap collar, and a G&B M-422A which is not quite so old. Both are comfortable and sturdily built with good materials. The '422 is oversized, as G&B labeled jackets generally are - no other size 42 jacket even comes close to fitting my size 46 carcass.

They now advertise Navy and "civil" G-1s, the latter with extra gusseting and handwarmer slots. You might have to special order the '422 as it's no longer on their jacket page. (Main differences: medium seal brown instead of dark seal, brick red rayon liner, tobacco brown mouton and asymmetrical pockets.)

If quality is as good as a decade plus ago, $438-458 is a very decent price indeed. (G&B offers A-2s that cost quite a bit more than their G-1s, which is unusual.)
http://www.gibson-barnes.com/prod-293978/Navy-G1.html

 

[zoomer]

The US-Authentic G-1 (labeled an M-422!) doesn't look too bad for $524, either. US-A uses good goatskin and rayon (not poly-satin) liners, and again, the product is sturdily built - I have handled a few of their A-2s over the years and own 2 of their Navy shearlings.
https://www.flightjacket.com/g1-jacket.html

 

[Thomas Koehle]

I‘d consider AVI ...

If you‘re outta Europe you can even deduct 20% off their listed price and shipping is for free.

Returns gi easy as well.

They improved the knitting of the G1 as well they told me they use a more sturdy zipper.

Maybe at the lower end of pricing but not at the low end in terms of quality ...

 

[Brettafett]

I'd like to see more pics of the US-Authentic G-1 (labeled an M-422!) It looks like it could be copied of an M422.... Anyone got one, seen one, have pics of one?
As for AVI, have a look at my review and Greg's recently patched up version...

 

[raulm1961]

Go for a real Navy issued G1 jacket from ebay. Some of them have good deals. I got me a Ralph Edwards and that thing is made like a tank. It's heavy and it will outlast me. I know that.

 

[zoomer]

Look out for G-1s from the budget cut years. They may be press-grained cow, not goat, or even have faux mouton.

 

[SuinBruin]

I‘d consider AVI ...

If you‘re outta Europe you can even deduct 20% off their listed price

Good for them. Now, if only Eastman, Aero, and BK would do the same.... imagine how much more attractive their offerings would be to non-EU buyers.

 

[zoomer]

Their reputations mean they get the biz anyway.