GOLDEN BEAR SPORTSWEAR mfg A2 jackets during WWII

Oh bother

Mike K. said:

Golden Bear Sportswear - Do The Pooh With Your A-2!

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Looks like doing the pooh on your A-2.

I really, really hope that's a 'shop.

The Disney rendering of Pooh doesn't quite make it.
The Ernest Shepherd Pooh on an Irvin jacket would be nicer.


B
T

Fletch said:

hope that's a 'shop.

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Of course it is Fletch! Just pokin' fun at the Golden Bear name and authenticity claim.

As a side note, I know they made motorcycle jackets for San Francisco Police motorcycle officers for years. They may still be making them.

I have an A2 style jacket made by them that has to be 30 - 40 years old if it's a day!

Quality. One word sums up what you get when shopping @ Golden Bear.

As a kid, my folks used to bring us to the old sewing factory in a warehouse on Valencia. My dad used to also say that it was worth the money to invest in quality, because you will save more over time. We grew up wearing Levi's jeans, Pendleton shirts, and Golden Bear jackets. The bomber jacket I got in high school was bought big enough for me to grow into. Over time, I've grown into it, and out of it. Over the years, Golden Bear has kept many generations in my family warm - with some of these garments being handed down from one generation to the next. Now 20 years later, that jacket is ready for me to pass down to the next generation. I only wish I still had my high school letter jacket (also from Golden Bear).

Imagine a jacket that got better with age. A classic brown bomber jacket with bi-swing back, epaulettes, dual entry front pockets, lined for warmth, and leather so thick & rugged that pilots wore it comfortably in the days when fighter plane cockpits weren't heated. We are talking about a jacket that I rode motorcycles in, crawled under cars with, wore in the snow & rain, rolled around on the concrete in street fights, passed out in bars and vomited on, went to jail in, and broke many hearts with. Okay, well maybe my being a heart-breaker had nothing to do with the quality of the jacket.

Today, I still wear several items from Golden Bear including my motorcycle jacket. Authentic Talon zipper. Laces at the sides. Zippered sleeves. The back is one large single piece of leather, not yoked with 3 pieces sewn together. Extended lower back and kidney pads. Detachable fur collar. Riveted re-inforced badge tab.. The Golden Bear motorcycle jacket is the official issue for many Northern California police departments including San Francisco Police Department, California Highway Patrol, San Bruno Police, et cetera. If you are in the market for a Schott Perfecto or Vanson, then you need to check out Golden Bear. The Golden Bear police issue leather motorcycle jackets far exceeds those from Taylor Leatherwear.

A lot of people favor outlet shopping for the lower prices and are willing to tolerate imperfections. Not the case here. I like being able to talk to the people who manufacture the item. They are able to make necessary adjustments to the garments to ensure you of proper fitment. They will do custom work such as spacing belt keepers, sewing on patches, and hemming sleeves. They know their product and can explain to you the different types & grades of leather, the difference in hides (buffalo, cow, steer, pig, goat, deer), the tanning, process, + care & maintenance. Additionally, I have never seen them try to sell something that was imperfect, defective, or sub-standard.

No leather pants.lol

They may not make an A2 but they do make some nice looking jackets.

One of the nicest orphan/civilian/private purchase jackets sold on t'bay recently was a Golden Bear. And it sold for a song.... like $25 ... I meant to bid at least double that but was too busy posting here and missed the auction end! DOH! :eusa_doh:

It was a corker ... single piece back, two piece sleeves etc well worth the money and a bargain at twice the price!

Will find pics later!

I've been to the Golden Bear factory/showroom

a couple of times in the past two-three years. It seems many of their jackets are made overseas and the quality is a bare whisper of the jackets Golden Bear made in the 50's and early 60's. THOSE are gems to treasure. Their modern work is not very good; I would not own or wear one.

Johnson Leathers across town makes jackets for a good number of NorCal police departments; certificates and photos on display. Made right there in the shop. Excellent quality.

So, IMHO, if you can find an old Golden Bear from forty years ago, jump on it. But, don't bother with the newer stuff. By way of comparison, I have jackets by Aero, Real McCoys, GoodWear, and Johnson, and vintage G-1's by Star and Ralph Edwards. Today's Golden Bear is not in the same league with those makers, not even in the same galaxy.