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Steve McColgan A2 Review Photos

Xopher

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Pennsylvania
Howdy folks,
I'm back to give another quick review, this time of my Steve McColgan A2. I know these were of considerable interest as a budget A2 and not too much information was available on them. So heres my 2 cents.

Coming in at $524 after shipping the SM Wholesale A2 was great for me as a starter jacket for the fact that it was higher quality that anything I had owned at the time, but not so expensive that Id be afraid to wear it. I chose the Chestnut color, which absolutely put the photos to shame once I had it in my hands. I had previously owned a US Authentic A2 in the veg tanned horsehide, which was another beauty in itself, unfortunately the color was not as dark as I would have liked, and the jacket didnt fit well enough for me to try and convince myself it was for me.

So I have had the SM A2 for about a year and a half now, the hide is absolutely wonderful, Id say favorable in my opinion to the US A hide. It is cow hide even though I was dead set on Horsehide but after a year and a half I really dont feel Id notice the difference.

The zipper is a repro Talon, which is nice. Im not a fan of the fake aging/patina on the zipper pull, and the zipper box does not match, but again I got over it.

I feel the cut of the jacket may be similar to a Roughwear, but Im not too sure, Im not brushed up on my contract identification. I do feel that the chest is a tad baggy. I ordered a size 42. The pit to pit is just under 24 inches, which I think might be bigger than the standard size 42. All that said though, It does not appear to be a sloppy fit in my opinion, I just feel a bit constricted with extra leather under my arms depending how I move. This could just be personal preference.

The pigment on the jacket is nice and thin, which is nice because I like patina on my jackets and absolutely refuse to fake it. The patina is through honest wear, with no break in techniques or softening, though I certainly dont baby the jacket, I cant say I've careful wearing it. If you hang yourself up on a door latch, or lean against a brick wall, it will leave ever so slight a blemish showing the gorgeous natural hide underneath, which I like.

If you are not sure an A2 is what you want and are kicking around the idea of a G1 or some other cut, this is a great option for a nice jacket to test the water without dropping big money on a GW or Eastman. I feel it is more historically accurate than the US Authentic, which was my a deciding factor for me, as well as the fact that it was not drum dyed and will age with use. Here are some photos, the patina is hard to see in the pictures but is noticeable in person. I tried to get some close ups, as well as a picture of me wearing it at my Americas Got Talent audition to show how it fits.

Steve McColgan A2 Chestnut - Size 42R
Height 5'7''
Chest 42.5-43''
Waist 36''
Weight 190"

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Smithy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,139
Location
Norway
Looks great, Brettafett here has one as well doesn't he, and Matt Deckard as well if I'm not mistaken. Be nice to hear some follow ups from them as well.

How are the knits?
 

Xopher

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Pennsylvania
Looks great, Brettafett here has one as well doesn't he, and Matt Deckard as well if I'm not mistaken. Be nice to hear some follow ups from them as well.

How are the knits?
I think the knits are on par with high tier repros. The wool tubes, no seams. Fine knits that don't stretch out quickly and the color has a very vintage tone to it that's not often seen these days.
 

Xopher

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Pennsylvania
I'm about to buy one from Steve. How heavy is the steer hide? Was it stiff or did it soften up into a comfortable jacket?

The Steer hide was very comfortable right out of the box. It feels substantial but very pliable so even brand new it didnt feel restrictive at all. The hide is probably about a millimeter than ELC Horsehide but unless you had them side by side, it would be really difficult to tell.

When the surface color wears off, it shows a nice tan color behind the top pigment. It really looks like the real deal when it breaks in. After years of owning it now, I still believe it to be one of the best choices in its price range.
 

Fadetoblack88

Familiar Face
Messages
88
Location
Wichita, ks
The Steer hide was very comfortable right out of the box. It feels substantial but very pliable so even brand new it didnt feel restrictive at all. The hide is probably about a millimeter than ELC Horsehide but unless you had them side by side, it would be really difficult to tell.

When the surface color wears off, it shows a nice tan color behind the top pigment. It really looks like the real deal when it breaks in. After years of owning it now, I still believe it to be one of the best choices in its price range.[
The Steer hide was very comfortable right out of the box. It feels substantial but very pliable so even brand new it didnt feel restrictive at all. The hide is probably about a millimeter than ELC Horsehide but unless you had them side by side, it would be really difficult to tell.

When the surface color wears off, it shows a nice tan color behind the top pigment. It really looks like the real deal when it breaks in. After years of owning it now, I still believe it to be one of the best choices in its price range.
How is the range of movement in the arms? The US authentic I had fit like a suit jacket, the arms moved at about mid bicep and you could only raise your arm about chest level before it started pulling on the jacket body and the whole thing starts rising up and left a pike of leather on top of your shoulder. I'm trying to avoid that. My cooper A-2 did the same thing.
 

Xopher

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Pennsylvania
How is the range of movement in the arms? The US authentic I had fit like a suit jacket, the arms moved at about mid bicep and you could only raise your arm about chest level before it started pulling on the jacket body and the whole thing starts rising up and left a pike of leather on top of your shoulder. I'm trying to avoid that. My cooper A-2 did the same thing.

The range of motion seems really good to me. I can't say I ever remember it bothering me in the way that you describe. All in all its a surprisingly comfortable jacket, it really impressed me the day I got it. My only gripe, which is mild, is that the chest seems wider than I expected, by about 1 inch.

I had a US Authentic which was very restrictive, like wearing a blazer, which is why I sold it. I like the SM pattern much better. If I were to rate the patterns for wearability I'd give the US Authentic a 5.5/10 and the SM A2 an 8/10
 

Woodyear

Familiar Face
Messages
94
How is the range of movement in the arms? The US authentic I had fit like a suit jacket, the arms moved at about mid bicep and you could only raise your arm about chest level before it started pulling on the jacket body and the whole thing starts rising up and left a pike of leather on top of your shoulder. I'm trying to avoid that. My cooper A-2 did the same thing.
That would be due to low cut armholes. To alleviate this problem you should purchase jackets with higher cut armholes, which feel less comfortable at first due to the leather sort of digging into your armpits, but really you get used to it and it’s only annoying initially. It also greatly increases your range of motion, but it does make the jacket feel more snug, so it’s a trade off. Almost all my jackets have high armholes.
 

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