A-1 Jacket / A1 Flying Jacket - The ultimate Golden Era flying accessory!

[cheaterome]

LOST WORLDS

Yes, it is a Lost Worlds.



Jerome

 

[Doug C]

Hey guys, just a note that I posted my A-1 repro up on auction if anyone is looking for one.

Doug C

 

[henderson field]

New Eastman A-1

I have recently bought an Eastman A-1 and I must say I am delighted with it.

According to the Eastman website this latest A-1 has a new cut but still retains the slim fit of the original. I can vouch for this as I am quite broad across the shoulder and it is a snug fit. However, I prefer that close-in feeling to the baggier A-2's. It is made of "capeskin", a kind of fine sheepskin, and feels wonderfully soft and pliable - almost like glove leather.

If I can work my digital daguerreotype I will post some pics. I agree with many loungers that the style is just perfect!

fftopic: I really ( really) like Eastman's Hartman jacket, a "Luftwaffe" jacket based on that worn by the German Ace Eric Hartman. The problem I have with it is the wool lining. Admittedly it was a warm day when I tried it on but I think it would be uncomfortably hot in anything less than very cold conditions.

BTW - Does anyone have any tips on cleaning/maintaining leather jackets? AdvThanksance.

Cheers,

HF

 

[Estevan]

I received my new cape ELC A-1 a little while ago. :eusa_clap Man, what a lovely jacket. I will try to get some pics posted and a review when I have some time. If you are looking for a really smart comfortable A-1 than you should look no further. I lucked out and got this one at a discount because it was on Eastman's sale page and the finished product is even nicer. Like I said, I will get a review posted later.

 

[PADDY]

Review and Pics please of this Eastman baby...!

It's torture waiting for this Steve! Come on, and show us some Spanish Sunny pics of this A-1 on your back :eusa_clap And a personal review to whet out appetites.

Let's see if Gary and Alan have come up with the goods on this one

 

[Estevan]

Here are a couple of quick pics....I'll try to get a review posted shortly. Unfortunately it's way too warm here in Southern Spain for anything heavier than a polo shirt. But from what I can tell this will be my most comfortable jacket. The cape is wonderful and very soft, it feel like a second skin. This is more like a leather shirt than a jacket. Very comfortable. More to follow.

 

[Fletch]

Just returned from Italy. I happened to visit the Saturday street market at Verbania Intra, a town on Lake Maggiore, where in addition to a zillion yummy food items and a great proliferation of leather goods I saw quite a few A-1 knockoff jackets on sale.
I didn't buy one - they were very thin skin, probably lamb, with too many seams, and only black and various suedes for colors. But the style lives on, in a certain form.

Here's a pic.

 

[Doug C]

Fletch you should have grabbed one of those suede numbers..pick me one up next time or heck, just take me along next time and I'll get my own.

Doug C

 

[Doug C]

Oh BTW Steve - your jacket looks amazing in those pictures! Especially like the buttoned one, congrats.

Doug C

 

[scotrace]

Agreed. It's a great jacket to have. You've gotta be happy with that one.

 

[Fletch]

Operation A-1

I picked up this Italian lambsuede civvy A-1 off eBay for $15 and am hoping to do some experiments on it. Chief among these will be to put knit cuffing on the sleeves, which are way too short as it is.

The jacket is unlined (looks like it always was). It bears the label of Carroll & Co., which was (is?) a classy SoCal men's shop. So this was fine goods once upon a time.

The lambsuede is very soft , fine grained, and fragile - ripped 1" into a sleeve gusset and split a cuff seam just stretching out the sleeves after soaking in warm water. A little Amazing Goop cement and a piece of old glove for backing seems to have fixed both. Can you notice?

After the knit cuffs, I'm thinking an aviator-type knit collar and maybe even a liner. I haven't touched a sewing machine since home ec class 25 years ago. What am I up against?

In case the suede doesn't clean up well, is there anything keeping me from putting on a darker, maybe low gloss, finish?

 

[Estevan]

Thanks Doug et all, it's wonderful jacket. Not getting too much use lately with the highs in the 90s. Nonetheless, September will be here soon enough and it wil be just right to go out for a stroll in my A-1.

 

[scotrace]

Fletch, that's a MAJOR project.

 

[Fletch]

Um. How about just cuffs, amd a re-dye if she won't come clean?

 

[Estevan]

Fletch, That's a darn nice looking jacket and for 15 bucks you can't beat it. I don't think it would be too hard to fix her up either. Personally, if you're not that handy with a thread and needle then send her to a pro. I myself would much rather spend a few extra Euros and have it done than kill myself trying to do it, but that's just me. ether way, great price and nice looking jacket. As for a re-dye, can you do that to suede? I really don't know if you can, maybe someone here can answer that. Looks like a pretty good fit, and once you put the cuffs on I think you can gain a couple of extra inches if the short sleeves don't suit you. Great score!:eusa_clap

 

[Riley Dee]

A1 jacket question

Hello Fedora Loungers,

I am under the impression that there wasn't necessarily a standardized A1 design with absolute set specifications and that many of the flyers dictated the subtle details when they bought their own A1 flight jackets.

I am considering having an A1 style jacket made and I am curious about what would be considered accurate for the leather type. I have a choice between goatskin or cow leather. The goatskin is a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the cow.

Is goatskin period correct and do you guys/gals think it would look substantial enough to do an A1 justice?

Thanks.

 

[scotrace]

As far as I understand it, many A1 jackets were made of capeskin:

Etymology: Cape of Good Hope, Africa
: a light flexible leather made from sheepskins with the natural grain retained and used especially for gloves and garments

Cow or goat, probably not often. Horse seems more likely.

 

[Fletch]

Cape is aka hairsheep leather. Outside of gloves and organ bellows it seems to be widely unavailable.

I would think lambskin would be OK for an A-1 if it weren't too thin or delicate. There's not much knowledge ot there on the difference between lamb and cape.

 

[Doug C]

A-1 are my all time favorite and I've owned a few now.. currently own a capeskin version from willis/geiger.. I've had horse and goat also, even had a custom jacket made out of lambskin that was basically an A-1 (just didn't have knits at the cuffs and waist, but did at the collar... also had Indy back panel and side straps). Now that I have the capeskin and seen how light weight it is, I'd say that it's closest to US Authentic's (flightjacket.com) "vintage goatskin" or a light weight Lambskin, either one. The Horsehide I had irritated me because of it's lack of graining and surface texture and character... other than that it was perfect (it was a US Auth custom order). As for cowhide, I'm pretty sure it was used too during those days but I personally would only choose it if it was the kind goodwear sales, with all that character.

ps - Also, another item you should think hard about is the buttons on the very bottom of the jacket, there's usually two..sometimes they are button and sometimes they are snaps.. all the ones I've had have been buttons BUT I strongly suggest getting the snaps because the buttons get to be a real PITA after a while.

Doug C

 

[number6]

A1

Eastman have just reworked their A1 replica to a more original specification. Check out their website .