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A-2 lining material

John The Hat

New Member
Does anyone know where I can get my hands on the correct cotton material for re-lining wartime A-2 jackets ?
And (possibly harder) the early type silk fabric ?
 

flightmac

Member
I've thought of taking a silk undershirt from Cabela's and dyeing it, but I wasn't sure if:
one, was it the right weight and in general the right type (weave, etc.);
two, can I get a close color match (what shade was the early silk?);
and three, how close is the shape of that undershirt to an A-2 lining, i.e. can it be modified without too much trouble?
Just an idea John, any thoughts from the group?
 

regius

Active Member
what is the proper term of the cotton lining used on A2? They are not cotton twill for sure, simple cross weaved cotton? Considering how simple they are, I cannot find a match in New York fabric stores! But, if you source in China, there are plenty of nice cotton and silk to choose. Just go to the silk market, rolls and rolls of fabrics.
 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
I was gonna attempt relining an original A2 once before I was told I'd be doing more harm than good. I just went to Joann fabrics and picked out a high thread count 100% cotton bed sheet like material. The weight and feel were dead on, color a little off from what I was replacing, but very appropriate light russet.
 

MikeyB-17

Well-Known Member
I once had one of Aero's spun silk lined A-2's. I wouldn't have it again-the silk was a lot thinner than the usual cotton, and wore out around the collar pretty quickly. The cotton is a lot more hard-wearing, in my experience. I couldn't detect any significant advantage from using silk, either.
 
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