Gibson & Barnes

Does anyone know how Gibson & Barnes is doing these days? A couple of Yelp reviews were negative. One said the factory was moved to Mexico. I was thinking about ordering a G1 jacket from them.

I used to own a Coronado (Heavy-duty Motorcycle jacket) they built. It was built like a brick wall and weighed 11 lbs. Bought it direct from them, it was in the "clearance" section of their website. They shut down all M/C jacket product a few years back. Their website does not say much overall. I would steer you in a different direction these days...just look around on here...lots of great options.

Check mine out here (Long sold): https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/gibson-barnes-coronado-46t.94659/

website is still up they are open for bussinees

Best way to find out anything about G&B is to contact them directly.

We have heard they were not moving enough jackets so to save costs they relocated manufacturing and reduced their range of jacket patterns available. No idea if this has impacted on their product quality.

Can't remember anyone buying a new jacket from them in some years here. People on this site may have the odd piece by them (I have owned and enjoyed at least 5 G&B's over the years) but, unlike other companies, they are not known for artisanal reproductions of period jacket and their sizing/patterns have always been off.

What do you guys think about, US Wings or Cockpit, as far as quality? I'm looking for a G1 in the medium range of cost.

There's plenty of info on this site about those brands and multiple posts on the same thing can be a drag. I recommend you do a search.

Having said that - this site is dedicated mainly to hand-crafted artisan jackets and mall brands like Cockpit or US Wings are not really celebrated. Cockpit jackets are well made but they use synthetic kits and linings and bland looking leather and the patterns are poorly executed and oversized. Their G1 comes in a range of fits and is probably their best, trimmest pattern - I like the removable collar version.

But you can probably pick up a used genuine G1 for cheap.

AVI leather in Denmark make trim fit repro G1's that look pretty good.

Oh, and I should say, if you are overweight then the oversized patterns of Cockpit or US Wings could work.

GTH do one that looks quite nice in the flesh; the collar is faux rather than real mouton (but then that has been milspec for a long time too) https://www.silvermans.co.uk/collec...leather-flight-jkt-mk2?variant=19083900715062 I've also seen the same jacket on Amazon for fifty quid less. Worth considering.

I'm glad you asked about Gibson & Barnes. To make a long story a little short, after literally years of study and prevarication, I bought a G-1 from them.

To sum it up, I love the thing. I wear it in the house at night instead of a sweater, I love it so much.

I wear a 42S or 44S suitcoat. I ordered several G-1 jackets over my period of longing for one - I won't name the names, but if you read this forum and think about the non-custom-made guys, you know who I'm talking about. In every case, what got the jacket returned was the fit. Saggy shoulders. Too long arms. Too long body. Yep. I'm a 42S.

The other thing that turned me off was some of the hype the sellers use. "We supply the US Navy" "We supply the US Goast Guard." "We have the contract to supply Trump's new Space Force."

I kept coming back to Gibson & Barnes because they are the only mid-level guys I found who sell a short size, as well as regular and long sizes.

I ordered the 42S G-1. The only down side to Gibson & Barnes is the wait. I think it was about three months between the order and delivery. The customer service people very patiently and kindly answered each of my "Where the hell is my jacket?" emails.

I note that they don't bill your credit card until the jacket ships, unlike some others.

I'm not good at the whole posting photo thing. I'll work on it and try later, but suffice to say the jacket fits me perfectly.

The look is, to me, beautiful. I love the fur collar - it has that blonde, faded look. Again, I'll try to post some photos. The quality is superb. I can't find a single missed stitch, or anything.

My advice if you're not willing to spend $1000 on a jacket, go for Gibson & Barnes. Their return policy is good, so if you don't like it you just have to pay the shipping to get it back to them. Give them a try.

If you are into A-2s instead of G-1s, Gibson & Barnes has some pretty authentic higher-end reproductions. Based on my experience with Gibson & Barnes quality, I'm betting they're pretty damned good. I may start saving for one.

I'd love to travel back five years ago when Gibson and Barnes had their full jacket offerings. Their physical catalog was a gem. They're sadly no longer, in my view, the best mid-tier bang for the buck. However, they used to, and still probably use really nice leather. I'm dubious as to if their patterns have remained constant too. I'd seek used on ebay. Service was always pretty good, very gracious return policy.

I'll second the quality of Cockpit's G-1s, but also the points on authenticity (or lack there-of). If you're in the US, then may be worth a punt, can always return it. 100 Missions is nice. Cockpit USA has sales, but can be found cheaper online.
AVI's G-1 is my go-too cold weather jacket. love it, but I'm not sure about the second generation. You could check with them, they may have some special offers.
G&B has some weird sizing with their jackets. A-2s certainly NOT high-end in terms of authenticity, well-made sure, their WW2 versions are nice enough repros if you are not into contract-specific details. Not cheap. AVI LTHR has cheaper original maker jackets. Pretty decent.
If you want an A-2, www.jadubowmfg.com is impossible to beat. Top tier, original-maker horsehide A-2s at the price of mid range jackets. Crazy good, but std sizes and pattern may not work with everyone... Anyway...
If you are open to M422as, the earlier version of the G-1, then try Headwind Mfg. Steve makes a stunning jacket. Custom made and sized to you. Prices very close to Cockpit, a bit more than G&B, but on another level in terms of authenticity and quality. Period.
Theres also, always an original G-1 off Ebay. If you don't mind something pre-worn and in various stages of wear.

Yes, I'd be looking at J.A. Dubow too.

Just placed an order for a russet Dubow! What great price! So Platon took some of the workers? Is Platon a member here?


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Bluishsmoke said:

Does anyone know how Gibson & Barnes is doing these days? A couple of Yelp reviews were negative. One said the factory was moved to Mexico. I was thinking about ordering a G1 jacket from them.

Click to expand...

Check out FiveStar leather. Over on the VLJ forum, there are two threads, one for his A-2 and the other for his G-1. They're looking really good and the price is right.