US Wings: A-2s with 1940s vintage goatskin & 1958 "G-8s"

[Nighthawk]

Posted this at TFL already but I'd like to get your thoughts here for the members that don't hang out both places:

A-2:
http://www.uswings.com/usaaf.asp#LEVGA2

G-8 (scroll down to the Excelled version):
http://www.uswings.com/g-8.asp

I'd like to get everyone's thought on this. Are these legit? Can one really tell if goatskin is from the 40s? (Tanning and dyeing techniques, I presume.) You can click on the images for better detail. Also, I thought that the G-8 was a made-up designation in the 80s. If you look closely their version from 1958 has a tag that says G-8. I'm not necessarily planning on ordering any of these. I do own a U.S. Wings standard USAF A-2 and it is fine for the money. I should add that USW has other vintage items for sale that I don't question. I guess I'm not really questioning but wondering aloud.

NH

 

[fishmeok]

Sounds like some very creative marketing to me. I'd want to know more info first.
Cheers
Mark

 

[Swing]

Are these legit?

I call bullshit on US Wings.

~Swing

 

[deeb7]

I call bullshit on US Wings.

Exactly ... and it's annoying that people will believe this crap, because it's on a website.

 

[RudyN]

I wish I had known how bad US Wings was before I bought mine. However, I did make amends and have a GREAT Goodwear Perry Sportswear. All I have to do now is get rid of the US Wings jacket.

 

[navvet]

In all fairness to US Wings, the description on the first G-8 says "reminiscent" of earlier jackets. It does not outright claim to be an exact repro. Some folks don't care how historical a new jacket may be. If it suits their purpose for a reasonable price, good enough. The 1958 version probably was acquired from some other mfr. company, so US wings does not have the full historical information on them.

 

[zoomer]

It's an Excelled.
It doesn't have a vintage type Excelled label, tho (see below) - it has a USWings-type phoney-milspec tag.

For the $$$ I'd rather have a USAuthentic - even cheaper than USW's goat G-8, and for sure better looking.

USAuth

USW

Now that waist stitching - which goes all around at the line where the side tabs are - is so reminiscent of the M-445 Navy shearlings. So are the diamond elbow patches.
The question is - was there a private purch or civvy jacket like the G-8 that might have inspired the 445? Maybe even a rejected design bid?

USW calls the G-8 "(Type 440)", suggesting that there might have been a BuAer spec M-440. But I've never seen it mentioned anywhere. Please to call upon ancient wisdom of Aota-san...

 

[Tim P]

Yep, the g-8 is reminiscent of old aviation. clever marketing, not bad looking jackets as it goes, a bit indiana jones which in itself is fine.
The 40s vintage goatskin has still been cut, folded and stitched into that shitty pointy flap blousey 2003 faux a2 contemporary usaf blah which is a criminal waste of an opportunity if the claims of it being vintage are true.