My new ELC Werber 1729

[Chris217]

I've been thinking about getting a Weber..How I love these early contract A-2's!

 

[Geeboo]

In vintage collecting: car, amplifier, speakers, watch, pen, camera, the earlier/ the earliest is ALWAYS better.

 

[33-1729]

View media item 386After the great advice I got here before Christmas, I finally pulled the plug and ordered a Werber 1729 from HPA. I ended up with a 40R and Charlie was a great help with sizing.
The fit is appropriate but takes some getting used to. The arm holes seem like they’re biased slightly toward the back, so you get done bunching in front and tension in back when you reach forward. I see this in other pics, too, so it’s not just me. A minor quibble, but noticeable.
Otherwise, I love the jacket. The color is just what I hoped for, sort of a dark caramel brown. The leather is very stiff out of the bag but has been loosening up with some wearing around the house.
Any advice on the care and feeding of this, such as breaking it in? I’m also curious about what happens when it gets wet. If that’s bad, are there waterproofing options, or just avoid rain all together?
Thanks for the help and advice so far!

Congratulations on your Werber 33-1729. I'm a fan too.

I bought one of the first ones from ELC and have found simply wearing it does the trick of breaking it in (just like the originals). I don't go out in the rain, though some suggest it. As for conditioning I go by feel rather than by time and, so far, have only conditioned it once in the past decade even though I live in the high desert.

The sleeves pulled up slightly with wear, about a half an inch, making it a better fit for me. It takes a good while for the horsehide to break-in, but then people are wearing those from WWII today. My advice is to not rush the aging. Take your time and enjoy it.

 

[zoomer]

I just wish the collar and waistband were deeper. That’s what happens when you copy one original, in one size, without looking at all the photos you can and using a little horse(hide) sense. But! I am a big guy and it’s still my all-time favorite A-2!