Small Questions:

Boyo said:

sounds like that's the hardest part.. sourcing the material..

Bronson Clothing make this type of Mackinaw under $200 ... 3 different colors

https://bronsonshop.com/collections/jackets-coats

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Wish their A-2 deck jacket wasn't stenciled. I really like that one and it's 1/2 the cost of Pike Bros.
edit: Actually it's only about $30 cheaper...

Shawl collars mackinaws just don't look right without a shearling collar. Private White VC had the nicest looking Jeep Jacket but they now have a new version that doesn't look as good. I actually managed to find some 8oz Millerain Sahara fabric, not sure if that will weigh enough but it is waxed so it will feel heavier.

ton312 said:

Wish their A-2 deck jacket wasn't stenciled. I really like that one and it's 1/2 the cost of Pike Bros.
edit: Actually it's only about $30 cheaper...

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The Bronson costs around USD85 at their own shop on Taobao but USD140 at their international site. You get free worldwide shipping though for orders over USD99. Last night I was trying to persuade a friend to start a Taobao proxy service for foreign customers LOL and not just for Bronson.

ton312 said:

Wish their A-2 deck jacket wasn't stenciled. I really like that one and it's 1/2 the cost of Pike Bros.
edit: Actually it's only about $30 cheaper...

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I'm surprised you don't try to track down an original.. definitely values to be found.. this one might fit ya..

https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Navy-A-...249305?hash=item2d010e6699:g:aYwAAOSwMmJd~pqP

I have both an original A-2 from 70s and a RM repro. The Bronson is a copy of the RM so it uses a jungle cloth shell like the RM. The 70s A-2 I have and most others on ebay that are claimed to be from 60s-80s have shells similar to the M-65. The original is pretty solid, IMO much better than the N-4. However, I still bought the RM because I like the jungle cloth and the fit.

Boyo said:

I saw this on another leather jacket forum.. Dude found a Himel Jacket for $38.. not a bad score..

was his size too.

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What...38$ for a Himel......after buying at such a price I would laugh my a** off.
Clearly they are clueless about leather jackets in general.

Complete newbie question, but can you get A2 jackets with slim sleeves?

My nearest vintage clothes store gets a bunch of A2 jackets on a regular basis. I'm of a smaller stature and whilst some A2s fit me well in terms of chest and length, I find the arms are either a little too long, or they're extremely billowy - making me look like the michelin man.

Am I just having unfortunate luck? Should I own the billows? Or do I need to pump some more iron?

There are various makers copying multiple different contracts. Each one is a little different. However, my guess is that the local vintage shop is getting “A2 inspired” jackets from the 80s when they saw a resurgence in popularity. That was a baggy decade. If you post your measurements members can give you a better idea. Many will be happy to measure sleeves on their jackets if they are close to your size. If you’re a gentleman you’ll post in inches and cm.

Rawky said:

Complete newbie question, but can you get A2 jackets with slim sleeves?

My nearest vintage clothes store gets a bunch of A2 jackets on a regular basis. I'm of a smaller stature and whilst some A2s fit me well in terms of chest and length, I find the arms are either a little too long, or they're extremely billowy - making me look like the michelin man.

Am I just having unfortunate luck? Should I own the billows? Or do I need to pump some more iron?

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Yeah, probably those jackets are A2 "facsimiles" from the late 80's early 90's.

Boyo said:

Would you keep a jacket or two that didn’t fit 100% right if they were first rate jackets from a top manufacturer ie.. Good Wear? Or should these be released back in the "pool"

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Like many people in these parts, before discovering the vintage look, I used to wear my jackets quite big. Then I did the typical thing of wearing them a bit too small.... before finding a happy medium where they both look period correct and fit me properly.

For me, fit tolerance depends. As long as it's comfortable, I'll put up with more of a compromise on something I got for buttons; like HD and others, if I'm paying out the big bucks I want the fit to be good - that's a big part of what I'm paying for there. If something doesn't fit or get worn often enough, I try to make sure and move it on for the sake of my mental health. One of the side effects of my clinical depression over the years has been a tendency towards hoarding behaviour. We've done a *lot* of work on that at home with looking towards a potential house move (I have cleared out something in the region of sixty percent of all my possessions), so I'm trying not to just buy a whole bulk more bumph I don't need / won't wear. TBh, I think it's one of the reasons I got into jackets: I've always loved leather jackets, and if they all get regularish wear, I can justify the space. I don't keep or buy anything that I can't wear, which is in large part why I don't generally collect vintage jackets (I prefer good repro nowadays on all my clothes).

Sloan1874 said:

I personally like a short jacket - that's one that at minimum covers my belt-buckle - but I've got a small frame and legs a bit longer than than my waist size, so I can get away with it. The problem with a short jacket on someone carrying a bit of timber is that it tends to emphasis the girth which can be unflattering.

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It's a fine line. Being more 'padded' myself, I find a longer, boxier jacket (like close to the knee) can be less flattering on me... Of course, I tend also to be of the view that a lot has to do with the whole wardrobe choice; even the most correct, best fitting of vintage fitting waist-length jackets can look like early Joey Ramone fit if you're wearing hipster-cut jeans like modern 501s.

Sloan1874 said:

I have a rotating list in my head of jacket styles that I want. As I tick those off, my acquisitions slow. That said, sometimes I see something that just calls my name.

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About where I'm at now too.... I have a list of about a dozen jackets on my want list, but that varies over time...

Herman F. said:

Here's a small question. Is goatskin noticeably lighter than Vicenza?

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Leather being organic, no two hides are the same.... but as a rule of thumb, goatskin in my experience tends towards being lighter (though no less tough). Vicenza is roughly the same thickness to my hand as CXL FQHH, but much more pliable from the off.

ton312 said:

I’ve been toying with the idea of asking Alan to move the otherwise useless belt/buckles on my PHWM up 5” to the traditional HB position. Is this a bad idea? I can’t convince myself either way. I’ve mocked it up with some clips. I think doing this would allow me to pull in the torso just enough. Bad idea/terrible idea?
Has anyone ever tried this?
View attachment 184671 View attachment 184673

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Adfter the fact now, but in general I always think it's a bad idea to try and adapt one design into something else. Messing around with a carefully thought out design can end badly.

Boyo said:

Taking the mis-matched grain thing too far?

View attachment 187241

A new jacket from the Japanese brand Warehouse.

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HoosierDaddy said:

I don't think the smooth side of that jacket will ever catch up with the heavily pebbly grained side. Never...

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It looks to me very much liked something you'd have seen often when these jackets were standard workwear and not high-end fashion items. I'm inclined to agree that it probably won't fully even out over time, so were one to buy one one would have to be sure one could live with the contrast. I think for me it'd be too much on a high end, expensive jacke,t but if it was on a second-hasnd, extreme bargain....

Boyo said:

I saw this on another leather jacket forum.. Dude found a Himel Jacket for $38.. not a bad score..

was his size too.

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Nice score. That's probavbly a rare example I'd pick up to resell - though if I found it in my size...

Monitor said:

Doesn't the store check what they're selling? Did it really look like $38 jacket to them!?

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For somebody who doesn't know the niche market the way we do and might not be into leather, I can see how that happened... bet they'd kick themselves if they found out otherwise, though.

handymike said:

https://simonjamescathcart.com/products/wool-plaid-mackinaw-coat

SJC makes one.

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No sheepskin lining, but a lovely coat. Would like a calf-length version.

Blackadder said:

The Bronson costs around USD85 at their own shop on Taobao but USD140 at their international site. You get free worldwide shipping though for orders over USD99. Last night I was trying to persuade a friend to start a Taobao proxy service for foreign customers LOL and not just for Bronson.

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If Bronson were to extend their size range, they could do very well indeed in the West.

can someone tell me if a document scanned to my desktop can be loaded into a personal message?

@jonbuilder I think you can copy and paste the image.. there is no upload feature

Thank you Boyo I was attempting to upload a picture I scanned to my desktop A postage receipt for a jacket I posted to Russia.

Aero Jerky Horsehide is very underrated..I just received an Aero Happy Days jacket made from Black Jerky HH..And man is it some nice leather.

carry on

Boyo said:

Aero Jerky Horsehide is very underrated..I just received an Aero Happy Days jacket made from Black Jerky HH..And man is it some nice leather.

carry on

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If the wait on midnight blue is too much for me to bear I’m using that for my modified HWM. I really like the look of the jerky hides. They seem very close to 50’s HH.

lets see pics of the Happy Days..........considering trading in my black A2....for a Happy Days

^jerky HH develops a nice grain and it’s super comfortable to wear, I think it deserves more attention. The only bad thing about it is that it’s got zero crispness and so creases are very hard to set (at least in the batch of seal I’ve got).

Small Questions, eh?

I may sound like I'm "down with the kids" here, but any of you have an instagram account? Some of could probably make a nice little chunk of side money going by your collections.

breezer said:

lets see pics of the Happy Days..........considering trading in my black A2....for a Happy Days

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Cross post from the WJAYWT:



I like that the leather is not dyed through and I can envision the brown tones coming through the high wear areas


Back panel is nicely grained.

looking good.....olive knits are a winner........what size did you go for and what size do you normally wear? My A2 hasn't seen much wear so thinking I might switch things up