Reply With QuoteI'm pretty sure one of them do, either Eastman or Aero. Check their websites.Originally Posted by Kitz
Can one buy German equivalents ?
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I'm pretty sure one of them do, either Eastman or Aero. Check their websites.
Just need a Bf109 to go with it!
https://www.eastmanleather.com/ostma...ide-p-154.html
https://www.epicmilitaria.com/german...ot-jacket.html
https://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/german...er-jacket.html
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Those look really nice (as do all of those Eastmans to be fair). Another nice thing to save up for.......................!
I just ordered American Flight Jackets Amazon were doing it for £38. I've rung Aero Leather & was advised to send in a list of measurements & they'd see if they could help me. I also rang Eastman who were very helpful but didn't have anything in my size.
@Sinnlover
Look what postman Pat brought me today!
https://i.imgur.com/fM0jttH.jpg
Can strongly recommend Aero Leather and Eastman - their products and customer service are second to none!
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Is the book good - would you recommend it?
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Ha ha!
Be warned it’s a slippery slope!!!!!
I found 3 more jackets that I had forgotten about when having a clear out this weekend
All 48s so too big for me!! 1 A2 1G1 and a USN issued Pea Coat
It’s a sickness as bad as watches for me!
Agree with that - I’ve had a fair few Aero Leather jackets over the years - that smell when you first open the box
Sold off now and just enjoying one A-2, I realised that the thrill was in getting a new jacket, not enjoying just wearing one to death. The parallels eh...?
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I owned tons of jackets:
- Eastman House A-2
- Eastman Roughwear A-2
- Eastman Star Sportswear A-2
- Eastman B-6
- Eastman B-15A
- Buzz Rickson L-2B
- Buzz Rickson N-1
- Aero B-6
- Eastman M-421A Gordon & Ferguson
- Aero 15142 A-2
I am 6 foot 4 so had all of them custom made. Eastman make out that they don't offer custom sizing outside of generic Long/Extra Long sizes, but this isn't really true. Rob at Eastman was always very accommodating and I was allowed to order jackets with custom sleeve/back lengths.
Ultimately I ended up selling all of the jackets. Sadly the truth is that even with custom measurements they just never flattered my very big, tall frame and consequently I never really wore them. Combine this with Eastman's utterly ludicrous price rises over the past two years - they are just absurd, some jackets now nearly twice the price for no increase in quality - it just felt right to leave that particular hobby behind.
I'm in comms with Aero Leather currently, they don't seem to respond rapidly but so long as they respond positively I can wait.
Just dipped into it so far as I'm supposedly "working" but it looks good. I got it on Amazon but the seller is actually Fashion Books UK, I paid £38 + £5.61 postage.
Eastman said they couldn't help as I'm a long backed 6'4"with a 54" chest. I hope Aero can help, their reputation is good & their pricing seems more reasonable.
I think the factory is still closed looking at the website hence the slow replies. They will certainly make to measure for you though.
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That’s a good price - looks to have gone back up in the price now!
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Update - I have spoken to Aero today. Sadly I am outside their A2 range though other styles are available. I'm taking this as an incentive to slim & will be trying again once I meet their sizing.
Very helpful people, I'll be back to them.
Glad Aero are back up and running
All the best with the slimming challenge - I’m doing the same to fit my own A-2!
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Thanks, it's a good incentive!Glad Aero are back up and running
All the best with the slimming challenge - I’m doing the same to fit my own A-2!
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The older Schott A2 jackets are far superior to their modern versions.
I've two of their old jackets, a brown and a black and the comparison and better quality to their modern versions is really noticeable..
About 10 years ago they made a new fur collar for my old brown jacket as the newer ones are a different shape/cut.
Spoke to an old boy who'd worked at the factory for years and we worked out my jacket was made sometime in the seventies, he cut the collar to the pattern used in those years and sent it to me to see if it fitted.
It did, and they didn't charge me a penny.
I've had two in the past, but sold both. An Eastman first and later an Aero. They re hard to get the fit right and i always thought the Eastman was a little long and the Aero a little short, but both were custom made from my measurements. Wish i still had them as they are a great jacket and only get better as they wear in.
I found the Aero nicer to wear and but the Eastman was slightly better made in my opinion. I part exchanged the Eastman A2 for a B10 from them which although cotton, has an alpaca lining and was a superb jacket, that the dry cleaner managed to shrink and the decal partially came off, but i digress.
Both companies were great to deal with.
Sorry to hear that.
Maybe try https://www.noble-house.eu/catalog/index.php
They might be able to help?
They are not exact copies of WW2 contracts but they are good quality for the money as far as I have seen. You do get what you pay for though.
The problem is that I'm the wrong shape! If I can lose a few pounds, which I ought to be doing anyway, I can go back to them and get an A2.
It seems my current circumference is going to be a struggle for the waistband - apparently they are bought ready sized, not cut off a roll, all I need to do is get down to the magic number & we're in business.
I'm treating it as an incentive!
I know that feeling!
This thread has my mind racing.
I’ve an original Irvin that does get worn but boy is it a heavy bit of kit.
An then there’s the Grey coloured leather flying jacket a friend of mine had made when he was a Harrier aviator in the USMC as Colonel. Need to look that one out. It’s unique!!
Ta for jogging memory
Jim
I'd like to see a picture of the grey one!
The Luftwaffe in the 70 and 80s always had grey leather jackets. Looked great and the leather was really good.
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They were very good quality and quite distinctive in their cut.
I have one and it’s a favourite ‘scruffy’ jacket
They are surprisingly warm as well.
When they first went to surplus they were cheap - £20 or so. Now they have shot up in price. Quite a few were made in to leather NATOs by a German strap maker.
The leather is very thick but very soft.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 2nd July 2020 at 19:16.
JG71 "Richtofen", last German operators of the F4 Phantom.They were very good quality and quite distinctive in their cut.
I have one and it’s a favourite ‘scruffy’ jacket
They are surprisingly warm as well.
When they first went to surplus they were cheap - £20 or so. Now they have shot up in price. Quite a few were made in to leather NATOs by a German strap maker.
The leather is very thick but very soft.
Yep, it’s one of the reasons I bought the jacket.
They look to have been added to the jacket in service as the Velcro is different to the name patch Velcro but I have no history of the jacket so can’t be sure The patches do have some age to them though.
The top one is the wing badge, the round one is one of the squadrons in the wing.
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