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DISCUSS

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Fantastic jacket. You often see wear points on the upper arm and both elbows from jackets used in single seat fighters and the worn areas on the epaulettes are from the seat harness and those directly behind the epaulettes are most probably from the parachute harness straps rubbing when the pilot leans forward. One thing you can tell for certain from that jacket is that it has been worn a LOT operationally in a fighter.

Thanks for posting Ken!
 

Kennyz

Well-Known Member
Thanks Ken. Great jacket.

It has an L & T Sportswear label...? I wasn't aware that company made A-2's.

Ken
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
The jacket has clearly been relined, check the inner neck stitching and the hidden stud backs, the label is badly fitted and looks to have been added during or after the reline, probably the later judging by the angle. The hanger tab is different leather and is obviously after market.
I've heard of L&T A-2s, but not seen one, to the best of my knowledge they were a minor player in the 80s/90s not period manufacturers so I'd forget them, that's a red herring, this is a WW2 era jacket.
So who made it?
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
Indeed not Ken and it is obviously a Spiewak jacket now that I can view the images on my computer not phone! One of 25,000 made. I'm surprised you did not ID the maker.
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
I'm not so sure it's a Spiewak. The epaulet stitching is very odd for that contract.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
I'm not so sure it's a Spiewak. The epaulet stitching is very odd for that contract.

I'm inclined to agree with Grant (that it may not be Spiewak) but the wide top stitch alongside the zipper on the RH side does look like Spiewak. Someone with Gary Eastman's book might be able check if any of the other rarer makers also place the final top stitch quite wide of the zipper

Ignore the extra stitching that would be from the reline, look at the lower (original) section of sewing

WWII-A2-Flight-Jacket-11.jpg
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
I'm not so sure it's a Spiewak. The epaulet stitching is very odd for that contract.

The box stitching is certainly more elongated than you usually see on jackets from this contract and I do wonder if they were replaced when the jacket was relined. I am not sure they are goatskin like the rest of the jacket.
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
The following contractors used small ring snaps: Spiewak (also ball snaps as well), Bronco, Sheeplined, Knopf and Cable. Only Spiewak A-2s have the all the features on this jacket, except the epaulets which I am not sure are original to the jacket. They appear to be made from horse or cow. Notice the empty stitch holes which could be where they were stitched on another jacket or operator errors.

WWII-A2-Flight-Jacket-6.jpg
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Indeed not Ken and it is obviously a Spiewak jacket now that I can view the images on my computer not phone! One of 25,000 made. I'm surprised you did not ID the maker.

I have to admit I wasn't 100% sure of the maker mysdelf, I'm still not totally convinced, see Grant's reply and my latest mail.....I'm not saying it's not Spiewak

When I found the jacket I thought it would be fun see what you guys made of it ...............What I hadn't expect was anyone tippexing their answers after their homework had been marked!!!!!!
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
The box stitching is certainly more elongated than you usually see on jackets from this contract and I do wonder if they were replaced when the jacket was relined. I am not sure they are goatskin like the rest of the jacket.

I somehow doubt that as most of the stitching on the repair work is of a very poor quality, to replace an epaulette without leaving a trail of stitch holes on the top stitch around the sleeve head requires an altogether higher level of ability tha is shown in every other aspect of the renovation . I also doubt such a close colour match could be achieved on a used jacket with a different hide
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
So if it is not an issued Spiewak Ken, who made it? It does not conform to any other jacket in Gary's book. So do you own the jacket? If so, then you will be in the best position to check out the epaulets, which may well be later replacements.
 
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