Vintage A1. Help identifying maker. Opinions

[Robbo]

Hi Everyone
I'm new to the forum although I've been a keen collector / enthusiast of flying jackets for many years.
I've recently acquired an A1 style jacket and wondered if it's possible to identify the original manufacturer.
The jacket came from a house clearance approximately 15 years ago since which time it's been stored in a cupboard.
There's a few obvious differences from an original design such as the leather tab on the collar instead of the leather loops and the pockets are larger. It also has a vertical central seam on the back. The lining appears to be a blue silk.
However, apart from the obvious, the Jacket is made to a very high quality and is quite old. Just how old I'm not sure. The biggest problem is that the label has been removed at some time. There's also evidence of a smaller label on the inside front that's been removed.
The elasticated collar and the cuffs have begun to harden slightly although the elastic is still good.
The shell has the appearance of Goat Skin.
My questions are would it be possible to find out the manufacturer and just how old it is ? I know it's a shot in the dark but I thought it worth asking.
Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Skyhawk]

Very cool jacket you have there! I believe it is a civie jacket emulating the A-1. As far as dating it goes, there are a few ways. Is the liner cotton sateen or rayon? Rayon came out in the forties so cotton sateen would give it the possibility of being a 1930's civie repro. Also the buttons. I believe that the only plastic used in the 1930's was casein (Milk Plastic). If those buttons are original and made of casein, it gives it an excellent chance of being from the 1930's. If you can have someone who knows vintage buttons take a close look at it, they may be able to tell you.

 

[Robbo]

Hi
Thank you for your comments. I'm not an expert on materials so I wouldn't know how to tell if it was Sateen or Rayon. It has a silk like feel to it.
What I can say is that the whole feel and smell say's old.
It's obvious that it hasn't had a great deal of wear but it has aged. This is apparent from the surface of the hide.
It's a good point about the buttons and perhaps I should seek some expert advice on these.
Once again, thanks for your thoughts
Robbo

 

[John Lever]

Looks very nice,great goat skin what size is it ?
Are the pockets sewn on through the lining ?

 

[foster]

My understanding of Rayon was that it was introduced around the turn of the 20th Century (1890's - circa 1900).

 

[Peter Graham]

To my eye, it's cut too generous to be a vintage jacket.

 

[bseal]

Italian. Late '80s- early 90s.

The dual pieced back is a hint.

 

[dmar836]

First off, welcome to the forum.
An attractive jacket.
I was going to suggest that the stitching doesn't look very old or "set in".
JMO,
Dave

 

[watchmanjimg]

I agree. The construction looks modern.

 

[dmar836]

Cuffs with seams? I think that's a modern production thing too.
I like the leather but it wasn't constructed like a vintage jacket - or how the masters of repros do it. It's interesting how the thread lies on top of the hide.

 

[Robbo]

Hi
Thanks to everyone for the comments.
The size is approx 46" so looking at what information is about, it may be later than I thought.
However, there's just something about it that photos can't convey. It definitely has that vintage smell that anyone collecting will understand.
The pockets are not sewn through the lining but into the leather.
So all said and done possibly an Italian Repro ?
Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated.

 

[dmar836]

Robbo,
Looks like a nice wearer with functional sized pockets. The smell might be attributed to the tanning process. Others, more experienced than me, have told of some of the ripe smells from goat tanned in the middle east. That and storage...
Feel free to share some more of your collection!
Dave

 

[Dr H]

Nice looking jacket Robbo.
Hard to say definitively without having the jacket in hand, but I'm tending to a more modern jacket than some, I think.
Small things - the backing buttons look too new (they look more acrylic to me), as does the hide, even for goat which tends to go more golden/russet with age.
A quick exposure to UV lamp would tell if the thread fluoresces, but the stitch count looks too low (A-1 jackets tend to have more stitches per inch and even civvy jackets might have topstitched cuffs - not sure about the seam down the woollen cuff either.
The lack of yoke to the rear strikes me as unusual for an A-1. I can't see clearly, but are the three piece sleeves stitched with raw edges (or rolled)?
Oh, and a size 46 would be very unusual for any jacket of that period.
Enjoy...

 

[Robbo]

Hi
Yes, I'm beginning to think more modern than I first thought. It is rather large for an older design. The edges on the sleeves are rolled (not raw)
Still, a good wearer though. Unfortunately way too large for me.
Robbo

 

[johnwayne]

Surely with the scarcity of originals this would have surfaced before and the condition of your jacket is too good to be so old IMO. Nice jacket nonetheless and yes I would been on to it if I saw it loitering somewhere for sale!
Cheers
Wayne

 

[a2jacketpatches]

By saying "vintage smell" Do you mean kinda musty. As Dave mentioned tanning smell, that would lead me to believe very new. But any vintage jacket I've owned, especially leather has had a light to heavy musty odor to it.

 

[asiamiles]

Italian. Late '80s- early 90s.

The A-1 design has always been a popular one in Italy for some reason. I often see variants on it when watching Italian films from the seventies. I agree that this example likely dates from the 80's.

 

[joeson]

Italian. Late '80s- early 90s.

The A-1 design has always been a popular one in Italy for some reason. I often see variants on it when watching Italian films from the seventies. I agree that this example likely dates from the 80's.

Ditto.