Repro A-2 leather questions

[Creeping Past]

A question for A-2 lovers and observers of leather quality. How authentic are the hides used by the repro makers? From Aero's oil pull, to Eastman's Havana goatskin, to John Chapman's capeskin, who's sourcing the most authentic looking/feeling hides out there?

Does this area of authenticity matter to you as much as the cut and fit of the jacket? Why, for instance, do some regard Lost Worlds leather as too heavy for A-2s? How can good quality leather ever be too good to be used in fabricating a jacket? Or do I just not get it?

Just wondering, as this comes up every now and again and I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about the matter.

Cheers,

CP

 

[STW]

Why, for instance, do some regard Lost Worlds leather as too heavy for A-2s? How can good quality leather ever be too good to be used in fabricating a jacket? CP

Haven't tried on a Lost Worlds A-2 but my experience with 4 oz. Lost Worlds FQHH makes me wonder if heavier and stiffer HH might overpower the knit waistband fabric. I'm very happy with the 4 oz. FQHH of my LW jacket (not an A-2), and I have not read this is a problem with LW A-2 in the reviews I've read, but it does make me wonder if the heavier stiff leathers are a mismatch with knit waistbands. Guess it would also depend on how sturdy the knit.

 

[Creeping Past]

That would make sense. Thanks for that. I suppose I should have figured that point out myself... :eusa_doh:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

IMO...GW is now offering very nice hides. Cape,goat. Definately their new HH is outstanding and prob as close to authentic as now offered. Aero offers a good variety of hides for their A2s with their jerky RealDeal HH a near match for some WW2 A2 hide as well. Not so much their oilpull(although it ages in a unique way). How important is this? Well..there certainly were both smoother and grainer hides used during the war. It not only seems that the heavier grained horsehide is difficult to come across these days...but in some circumstances even the same kind of beautiful finish as most originals. To those of us that own original A2s or have handled many..it can become quite important while trying to replicate an original to wear.
My first higher end A2 repro was a LW Dubow. The next was an Aero RealDeal. The difference was amazing. Where the LW had a heavy painted on finish that seemed indestructable..the Aero seemed a different animal and had a finish that much more easily showed grain and obtained a burnished look and charactor. After obtaining my first original Aero A2...the near match of hide to the RealDeal repro was amazing. Later on after handling a few original Dubows..it seemed to me that the LW is just as Stu proclaims.."A modern interppretation" rather than a WW2 copy...especially hidewize.
In my view original HH of the WW2 period...and possibly through the "50s had a certain charactor and beauty that only a select few offer today....and that's what many of us have always hoped for.
As far as weight. Originals vary...with lighter weight hides probably more dominent. However..my first original was quite hvy(compared to most) with very heavily grained russett hide.
HD

 

[STW]

...the LW had a heavy painted on finish that seemed indestructable...HD

This LW finish works well in black and my LW (not an A-2) has developed nice grain and character. But the LW russet looks very different from the Aero browns that have lots of character just coming out of the box. Of course, black doesn't work for an A-2.

BTW, the LW finish is very water resistant.