POST 1 of 2
This is written for everyone and not just the knowledgeable VLJ members polled.
A poll was taken on which Good Wear A-2 jacket VLJ members own or have owned over the years. Why Good Wear and why poll VLJ members instead of others? Good Wear (GW) was chosen because John Chapman has an incredible eye for accurate details and the highest standards for quality, with each contract reproduction he makes being spot on to the original, warts and all. VLJ members were polled because they're probably the most knowledgeable group one can find on military jackets, so letting us know what contracts the experts purchase with their own money is a great guide. Before getting into it forum member YoungMedic posted an interview with John Chapman on "Denimbro" and if you want to get into the weeds on John's attention to detail it's a good read.
www.vintageleatherjackets.org
Why the A-2? Of all the flying military jackets this is the most popular. Why? First, it's possible to select a "custom" order just by selecting the appropriate contract. Want a horsehide jacket in light russet with details like a collar stand, sewn-in collar hooks, Talon zipper, snug fit, snap pockets, tapered sleeves, wide shoulders, and light colored knits? There's a contract for you (order 33-1729). Want one owned by someone famous? Lots to choose from Jimmy Stewart's Rough Wear 42-1401P to Pharrell Williams Bronco 29191. Second, the chase. There are so many contracts and so many possible combinations there are books on the subject. (I would recommend purchasing Mr Eastman's excellent book "Type A-2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual" available on the Eastman Leather site and/or John Chapman's CD titled "US Flight Jacket" available on the Good Wear site. They are the premier experts on this subject.) When things get a bit crazy the quest is about as sane as one can be. Third, the fit. Modern jackets may be 6-8" larger than the listed size, but an A-2 will be more like 0-4" larger, making it more like a security blanket than a jacket one just throws on. For those used to modern jackets it's quite a switch, but it also explains why those that enjoy A-2's never want to take them off.
The poll results appear to be bucketed with only one contract standing out and a few other groups having contracts with around the same popularity. For this reason the poll results will be separated into buckets by relative popularity and a bit of information provided on the individual contract maker traits that may help draw conclusions why they were chosen. There are so many contracts and so many unique details only the highlights are listed and know that there are some generalizations which may not be applicible to all the respective contracts by one maker.
Bucket 1: Rough Wear (RW)
Rough Wear Clothing Co. of Middletown, PA is definitely the most popular contract and stood out in the poll results from the rest. John considers RW the best pattern makers too. RW used collar stand construction, giving it a bit more of a formal appearance (and easier to make too) and used horsehide, cowhide and goatskin across various contracts with the comfortable fit having a roomy torso. A roomy torso can help when more than a shirt is desired to be worn under the jacket while many contracts limit it to a shirt at most (it may still be necessary to size-up). Horsehide and cowhide are difficult to discern from one another (Mr Eastman used DNA testing in his excellent book to be certain which was which) and gains a nice patina over time. Goatskin is great at keeping the same appearance over time. RW pretty much covers all bases, so it makes sense to be the most popular. Trivia? Rough Wear 42-1671-P is the rarest war-time contract with one estimate, based upon the contract value, of three hundred made with one known survivor.
Bucket 2: Aero Leather (Acme for GW), Dubow, and Werber
Aero Leather, Debow, and Werber all had around the same number of votes so naturally one can assume they shared a common theme like similar color or fit, but that is wrong. The makers are separated out below to make it easier to see their unique aspects.
Aero Leather of Beacon, NY (Acme for GW) has three notable divisions. Aero Leather Clothing Co., Inc. ceased business on April 1, 1941 and was replaced by a three-way partnership called Aero Leather Clothing Company (note the dropped incorporated designation). After A-2 production ceased, on March 31, 1946 the partnership was dissolved in order to reincorporate on April 1, 1946. The first time it was incorporated was to create a new company, with the dissolution and subsequent reincorporation for financial reasons (and perhaps some tax fraud). The first company (with the Inc.) used collar stands on A-2 jackets, while the second did not. As with all A-2's their production started with horsehide and used cowhide later. No Aero's have been found in goatskin. Aero's are known for having a comfortable fit with contract 21996 noted for rusty-red knits, a shade unique to Aero, a very wide back and short body.
J.A. Dubow Mfg. Co. of Chicago, IL was the first maker to transition from a collar stand to a simpler version during contract 20960 in 1941. They used horsehide, cowhide, and goatskin, so a contract can be found in any leather you'd prefer. Being war-time they have a more relaxed fit than the pre-war contracts, but well proportioned. The last Dubow contract, 1755(11631), can be found with the only black-anodised zipper on any contract along with a gilt-plated version.
Werber actually includes two companies, the pre-war Werber Leather Coat Co., Inc. in Beacon, NY and the war-time Werber Sportswear Co. in Newburgh, NY. The same people ran both, so they're usually bucketed together, though there are some differences between the two. Briefly, the first Werber company went belly up and sold everything off and the second was created anew, likely to minimize further liabilities (no successful company in their right mind wants to change their brand name). Pre-war jackets (the first Werber) all use horsehide, are trim fitting and Werber is no exception, making them ideal for one wanting a more athletic fit. The war-time jackets (the second company) are also snug in the waist, but are a bit more relaxed in the chest and shoulders. Order 33-1729 is the first contract to have snap pockets and 39-2951P was the first contract noted to use cowhide and the only pre-war jacket to do so. All Werbers used a collar stand.
In the remaining buckets more discerning buyers appear to really be getting into the finer details. Certainly some pick angled versus rounded pocket corners or square or pointed collars or Crown versus Talon zippers or goatskin versus cowhide or square versus relaxed shoulders or dark seal versus light seal versus dark russet versus light russet or .... you get the idea.
Bucket 3: Doniger, Monarch, Perry, and Star
David D. Doniger & Co. of New York, NY had one contract with signed and unsigned labels, the only maker contract that did, and is noted for having very pointed collar tips, angular pocket flaps, and being somewhat trim. As with the others in this bucket it is popular.
Monarch Mfg. Co. of Milwaukee, WI has a slender fit with square shoulders and long collar tips. Found in a russet color, though not as light as the pre-war russet, with originals located in seal likely re-dyed.
Perry Sportswear Inc. of Newburgh, NY is consider by John to be the second best pattern maker and predominately made in goatskin, but also found in horsehide. It is a bit more roomy than most, so a bit more like a modern jacket. Many of the details are rounded to simplify assembly during manufacture. Some comment about a longer body than some, but that is a relative term for an A-2 versus a modern jacket. The A-2 was designed for pilots to move around in the cockpit, so they're short by design. Not Matador short, but certainly designed to not be sat upon while wearing. Also, the originals were made for average 5'8" 1930-40 males and pretty much everyone accounts for that when making a reproduction jacket today.
Star Sportswear Mfg. Co. of Lynn, MA made only one contract and is noted for having a trim waist, dark seal color, and lower collar in front. For those that don't like a collar stand this might be a good choice to help provide a bit more head movement.
Continued in next post . . .
This is written for everyone and not just the knowledgeable VLJ members polled.
A poll was taken on which Good Wear A-2 jacket VLJ members own or have owned over the years. Why Good Wear and why poll VLJ members instead of others? Good Wear (GW) was chosen because John Chapman has an incredible eye for accurate details and the highest standards for quality, with each contract reproduction he makes being spot on to the original, warts and all. VLJ members were polled because they're probably the most knowledgeable group one can find on military jackets, so letting us know what contracts the experts purchase with their own money is a great guide. Before getting into it forum member YoungMedic posted an interview with John Chapman on "Denimbro" and if you want to get into the weeds on John's attention to detail it's a good read.
interview with our own John Chapman
Look at Dubow, who had a very pointed collar- that's really hard to take from an inside-out assembly of two pieces and flip it to right side out and poke out the point. You'll not get the point out all the way if you don't press hard enough, and if you do press hard enough there's a good chance...
www.vintageleatherjackets.org
Why the A-2? Of all the flying military jackets this is the most popular. Why? First, it's possible to select a "custom" order just by selecting the appropriate contract. Want a horsehide jacket in light russet with details like a collar stand, sewn-in collar hooks, Talon zipper, snug fit, snap pockets, tapered sleeves, wide shoulders, and light colored knits? There's a contract for you (order 33-1729). Want one owned by someone famous? Lots to choose from Jimmy Stewart's Rough Wear 42-1401P to Pharrell Williams Bronco 29191. Second, the chase. There are so many contracts and so many possible combinations there are books on the subject. (I would recommend purchasing Mr Eastman's excellent book "Type A-2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual" available on the Eastman Leather site and/or John Chapman's CD titled "US Flight Jacket" available on the Good Wear site. They are the premier experts on this subject.) When things get a bit crazy the quest is about as sane as one can be. Third, the fit. Modern jackets may be 6-8" larger than the listed size, but an A-2 will be more like 0-4" larger, making it more like a security blanket than a jacket one just throws on. For those used to modern jackets it's quite a switch, but it also explains why those that enjoy A-2's never want to take them off.
The poll results appear to be bucketed with only one contract standing out and a few other groups having contracts with around the same popularity. For this reason the poll results will be separated into buckets by relative popularity and a bit of information provided on the individual contract maker traits that may help draw conclusions why they were chosen. There are so many contracts and so many unique details only the highlights are listed and know that there are some generalizations which may not be applicible to all the respective contracts by one maker.
Bucket 1: Rough Wear (RW)
Rough Wear Clothing Co. of Middletown, PA is definitely the most popular contract and stood out in the poll results from the rest. John considers RW the best pattern makers too. RW used collar stand construction, giving it a bit more of a formal appearance (and easier to make too) and used horsehide, cowhide and goatskin across various contracts with the comfortable fit having a roomy torso. A roomy torso can help when more than a shirt is desired to be worn under the jacket while many contracts limit it to a shirt at most (it may still be necessary to size-up). Horsehide and cowhide are difficult to discern from one another (Mr Eastman used DNA testing in his excellent book to be certain which was which) and gains a nice patina over time. Goatskin is great at keeping the same appearance over time. RW pretty much covers all bases, so it makes sense to be the most popular. Trivia? Rough Wear 42-1671-P is the rarest war-time contract with one estimate, based upon the contract value, of three hundred made with one known survivor.
Bucket 2: Aero Leather (Acme for GW), Dubow, and Werber
Aero Leather, Debow, and Werber all had around the same number of votes so naturally one can assume they shared a common theme like similar color or fit, but that is wrong. The makers are separated out below to make it easier to see their unique aspects.
Aero Leather of Beacon, NY (Acme for GW) has three notable divisions. Aero Leather Clothing Co., Inc. ceased business on April 1, 1941 and was replaced by a three-way partnership called Aero Leather Clothing Company (note the dropped incorporated designation). After A-2 production ceased, on March 31, 1946 the partnership was dissolved in order to reincorporate on April 1, 1946. The first time it was incorporated was to create a new company, with the dissolution and subsequent reincorporation for financial reasons (and perhaps some tax fraud). The first company (with the Inc.) used collar stands on A-2 jackets, while the second did not. As with all A-2's their production started with horsehide and used cowhide later. No Aero's have been found in goatskin. Aero's are known for having a comfortable fit with contract 21996 noted for rusty-red knits, a shade unique to Aero, a very wide back and short body.
J.A. Dubow Mfg. Co. of Chicago, IL was the first maker to transition from a collar stand to a simpler version during contract 20960 in 1941. They used horsehide, cowhide, and goatskin, so a contract can be found in any leather you'd prefer. Being war-time they have a more relaxed fit than the pre-war contracts, but well proportioned. The last Dubow contract, 1755(11631), can be found with the only black-anodised zipper on any contract along with a gilt-plated version.
Werber actually includes two companies, the pre-war Werber Leather Coat Co., Inc. in Beacon, NY and the war-time Werber Sportswear Co. in Newburgh, NY. The same people ran both, so they're usually bucketed together, though there are some differences between the two. Briefly, the first Werber company went belly up and sold everything off and the second was created anew, likely to minimize further liabilities (no successful company in their right mind wants to change their brand name). Pre-war jackets (the first Werber) all use horsehide, are trim fitting and Werber is no exception, making them ideal for one wanting a more athletic fit. The war-time jackets (the second company) are also snug in the waist, but are a bit more relaxed in the chest and shoulders. Order 33-1729 is the first contract to have snap pockets and 39-2951P was the first contract noted to use cowhide and the only pre-war jacket to do so. All Werbers used a collar stand.
In the remaining buckets more discerning buyers appear to really be getting into the finer details. Certainly some pick angled versus rounded pocket corners or square or pointed collars or Crown versus Talon zippers or goatskin versus cowhide or square versus relaxed shoulders or dark seal versus light seal versus dark russet versus light russet or .... you get the idea.
Bucket 3: Doniger, Monarch, Perry, and Star
David D. Doniger & Co. of New York, NY had one contract with signed and unsigned labels, the only maker contract that did, and is noted for having very pointed collar tips, angular pocket flaps, and being somewhat trim. As with the others in this bucket it is popular.
Monarch Mfg. Co. of Milwaukee, WI has a slender fit with square shoulders and long collar tips. Found in a russet color, though not as light as the pre-war russet, with originals located in seal likely re-dyed.
Perry Sportswear Inc. of Newburgh, NY is consider by John to be the second best pattern maker and predominately made in goatskin, but also found in horsehide. It is a bit more roomy than most, so a bit more like a modern jacket. Many of the details are rounded to simplify assembly during manufacture. Some comment about a longer body than some, but that is a relative term for an A-2 versus a modern jacket. The A-2 was designed for pilots to move around in the cockpit, so they're short by design. Not Matador short, but certainly designed to not be sat upon while wearing. Also, the originals were made for average 5'8" 1930-40 males and pretty much everyone accounts for that when making a reproduction jacket today.
Star Sportswear Mfg. Co. of Lynn, MA made only one contract and is noted for having a trim waist, dark seal color, and lower collar in front. For those that don't like a collar stand this might be a good choice to help provide a bit more head movement.
Continued in next post . . .
