Learn me something about jacket colors

[TrainDriver]

What are the proper names of these two colors?

I want an A2 in the brown color on the left (perhaps a touch darker). I know there is Russet and there is Seal, both of which claim to be brown. Some Russets seem to have a red/orange hue to them. Seal, however, hits my eyes as black, not brown.

Why do some russets have a reddish hue to them? Why is seal brown so very very dark? If I were to rob a bank wearing the jacket on the right, the witnesses would say I was wearing a black jacket.

Does coloring in jackets sort of take on a life if it’s own like fit - every maker is a little different?

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Ww2 usaaf specification was 'seal brown', this however was open to interpretation somewhat. There was such a wide spectrum of brown shades under this term that russet is used in more recent times to describe the lighter of these.
During ww2 some leather was overdyed- some before the jackets were made and some in depots when used jackets were refurbished. These could be near black in colour. This also led to some characteristic wearing and aging where a lighter shows through in wear points.

 

[ZuZu]

What are the proper names of these two colors?

I want an A2 in the brown color on the left (perhaps a touch darker). I know there is Russet and there is Seal, both of which claim to be brown. Some Russets seem to have a red/orange hue to them. Seal, however, hits my eyes as black, not brown.

Why do some russets have a reddish hue to them? Why is seal brown so very very dark? If I were to rob a bank wearing the jacket on the right, the witnesses would say I was wearing a black jacket.

Does coloring in jackets sort of take on a life if it’s own like fit - every maker is a little different?

It's a huge can of worms. In repros almost all "Russet" is too red. I think the idea of "Russet" on A-2s was born in the 1980s when militaria people noticed that some A-2s were sorta kinda reddish brown like the REAL russet found on cap brims and Sam Browne belts- official russet of the US Army. "Seal" brown in repros is almost always way too black- again I think from people looking at black and white photos and somehow thinking A-2s were blackish brown. "Hogan's Heroes" didn't help- I think that blackish color looked better on TV.

So in repros we have this IMO stupid dichotomy Seal/Russet. This makes it so that many if not all repros are not like original at all in color.

The seal brown found in modern A-2s like from Cooper or Avirex is a weird washed out light seal corpse grey- UGLY!

In real life most original A-2s are a poo brown- a pure brown with a bit of chroma which makes them look differnet in different lights and which is richer than the horror of modern issue A-2s.
Most original A-2s are on a spectrum of brown from dark to light. The blackish brown of repro seal brown is pretty rare- many jackets which in photos look blackish brown are just brown in the light.
Original jackets are like actual seals- they vary in color but they're BROWN!

 

[ZuZu]

What are the proper names of these two colors?

I want an A2 in the brown color on the left (perhaps a touch darker). I know there is Russet and there is Seal, both of which claim to be brown. Some Russets seem to have a red/orange hue to them. Seal, however, hits my eyes as black, not brown.

Why do some russets have a reddish hue to them? Why is seal brown so very very dark? If I were to rob a bank wearing the jacket on the right, the witnesses would say I was wearing a black jacket.

Does coloring in jackets sort of take on a life if it’s own like fit - every maker is a little different?

The jacket on the left a bit darker would be pretty ideal!

 

[Brettafett]

Eastman showroom. All originals.

3 versions of ELC's Havanna Russet HH

 

[TrainDriver]

Eastman showroom. All originals.
View attachment 117715
3 versions of ELC's Havanna Russet HH
View attachment 117717

Man, those pictures smell good.

I think somewhere between these two is juuust about right.

 

[TrainDriver]

The jacket on the left a bit darker would be pretty ideal!

Both of those jackets very much frowned upon around these-here parts. US Wings on the left and Cockpit on the right.

 

[TrainDriver]

It's a huge can of worms. In repros almost all "Russet" is too red. I think the idea of "Russet" on A-2s was born in the 1980s when militaria people noticed that some A-2s were sorta kinda reddish brown like the REAL russet found on cap brims and Sam Browne belts- official russet of the US Army. "Seal" brown in repros is almost always way too black- again I think from people looking at black and white photos and somehow thinking A-2s were blackish brown. "Hogan's Heroes" didn't help- I think that blackish color looked better on TV.

So in repros we have this IMO stupid dichotomy Seal/Russet. This makes it so that many if not all repros are not like original at all in color.

The seal brown found in modern A-2s like from Cooper or Avirex is a weird washed out light seal corpse grey- UGLY!

In real life most original A-2s are a poo brown- a pure brown with a bit of chroma which makes them look differnet in different lights and which is richer than the horror of modern issue A-2s.
Most original A-2s are on a spectrum of brown from dark to light. The blackish brown of repro seal brown is pretty rare- many jackets which in photos look blackish brown are just brown in the light.
Original jackets are like actual seals- they vary in color but they're BROWN!
View attachment 117711

The one on the right is the washed out corpse grey of Cockpit. Looks black to me.

 

[Pilot]

„Washed out corpses „ Saddlery Cooper A-2.
Issued !