Bill Kelso timeline of leather, with a little wear thrown in...

[DiamondDave]

The label looks to say Aero but it does indeed say Arco, at least in the jacket itself.

The jacket is based on the one that Claire Chennault was issued in the Army Air Forces, which was made by Aero of Beacon NY.

The interesting thing is that the name based on Aero of Beacon NY is not now nor has it ever been owned by Aero Scotland, here in the US. They do own that name in the UK but not here. The last registered owner of that name here is actually one Gary Eastman.


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[Skip]

As DD said above is it. Bk versions of an Aero are called Arco.

BK have a chenault version on their website, pretty sure it's based of an Aero 16160?

 

[DiamondDave]

As DD said above is it. Bk versions of an Aero are called Arco.

BK have a chenault version on their website, pretty sure it's based of an Aero 16160?

Yep, that pre-war contract is exactly the one worn by Chennault!

DS


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[Pilot]

Nice stuff! Made in England according to the Ebay-tag...not Greece as mentioned here.

 

[Skip]

Sorry Pilot but not seeing UK or anything that resembles that on the yellow tag, which is just the authenticity tag that goes with buying a repro, in this case I would assume BK'S tag? in the description it does say Origin UK as below, but can pretty much stake my 'vette on it that it was made in Greece, as thats where they make all their jackets but it may have been sold thorough their supplier in London?? If its a BK, and I'm pretty sure it is, it should have a made by BK tag under one of the pocket flaps, also as too my knowledge they were the only ones offering a Arco 16160 pertaining to Chennault, as DD mentioned before. I think the origin may mean where the seller acquired it from.

Size: 46

CH:24.5 SH:20.5 SL:25 L:30

Condition:10 of 10 - NWT

Material:Leather

Origin:UK

Description: New Bill Kelso A-2 Leather Flight Jacket Chennault Flying Tigers

Limited Edition, Repro. of Lieutenant Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers A-2

Guaranteed Authentic. Money-Back Guarantee

 

[D97x7]

Well mine was certainly posted from Greece as I remember the tracking said it hadn't left the country when it arrived on the door step, I'm in the UK so surely they wouldn't send it to Greece only to post it back.

 

[Dr H]

My A-1 came from Greece.

 

[Pilot]

Sorry Pilot but not seeing UK or anything that resembles that on the yellow tag, which is just the authenticity tag that goes with buying a repro, in this case I would assume BK'S tag? in the description it does say Origin UK as below, but can pretty much stake my 'vette on it that it was made in Greece, as thats where they make all their jackets but it may have been sold thorough their supplier in London?? If its a BK, and I'm pretty sure it is, it should have a made by BK tag under one of the pocket flaps, also as too my knowledge they were the only ones offering a Arco 16160 pertaining to Chennault, as DD mentioned before. I think the origin may mean where the seller acquired it from.

Size: 46

CH:24.5 SH:20.5 SL:25 L:30

Condition:10 of 10 - NWT

Material:Leather

Origin:UK

Description: New Bill Kelso A-2 Leather Flight Jacket Chennault Flying Tigers

Limited Edition, Repro. of Lieutenant Claire Chennault's Flying Tigers A-2

Guaranteed Authentic. Money-Back Guarantee

OK, but it says made in ...origin = UK

 

[Skip]

Yes correct but this chap is not BK so he has somehow acquired it new and is on selling it

But Bk is definately from Greece, the chap has made an error if he thinks it's manufactured in UK

 

[Dr H]

On EBay, the seller fills in the ‘country of manufacture’. If he/she didn’t know it was a Greek outfit then they might simply assume UK (given the yellow label is produced with a clear English description).

 

[Pilot]

On EBay, the seller fills in the ‘country of manufacture’. If he/she didn’t know it was a Greek outfit then they might simply assume UK (given the yellow label is produced with a clear English description).

Of course!

 

[Pilot]

Yes correct but this chap is not BK so he has somehow acquired it new and is on selling it

Agree

 

[John Lever]

Obviously

 

[Pilot]

This fleebay item : 292500838049 answers it all.
Besides a great neat looking jacket.... impressive.

 

[MikeyB-17]

Whoa that’s some incredible grain on that one.

 

[Pilot]

Ordered a BK Dubow....lets wait and see, but so far very pleasant and swift Email exchange.
So far all in best fashion and manner.

 

[Pilot]

Looks like the BK’s on fleebay realy hit the ceiling....reaching the GW level and this despite all the horror stories here and there.
Real great jackets as per the photos.

 

[stanier]

It certainly used to be Greece, but I wonder if changes are afoot.

Bill Kelso’s website seems to have a UK contact address now. And somewhere in the last few months I’ve read they’ve signed a deal with a UK partner and it wasn’t American Classics.

 

[stanier]

And I’ve just noticed there’s free UK delivery from BK?

So is their manufacturing here in the UK now?

 

[M3Cavalry]

Pilot, what did they tell you was the wait time? What leather did you go with?