Which company really offers the BEST quality?

[ChristianM.]

Hi @ all.

As the titel says wich company offers the best quality? My question is not about the most exact reproduction!

It is about which company uses the best materials, makes the cleanest stiches, puts the most effort into production, best color matches... etc.

So is it:

- Aero leather clothing

- Eastman leather

- Good wear leather from John Chapman

- Real mccoys

- Lost worlds inc

- Any other company you can think of ?


Just vote and tell me why.


Regards from Austria
Christian

 

[Dr H]

My money (literally) is on Good Wear (I have a GW Doniger) and the quality of goatskin, attention to detail, execution of stitches, customer interface is marvellous...

 

[rich]

Hi Christian! That's a big question! So, here's a big answer......................

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_th ... aintenance

In seriousness, I only have 2 makes from your list and IMO they are both excellent (ELC and Aero)
Maybe Buzz Rickson could be in there for the nylon jacket vote?

 

[havocpaul]

There seems to be no definitive impartial answer and previous attempts have quickly divided into two camps, GW and ELC. Buzz A-2's are in the main price prohibitive and lack precise details from particular contracts, Aero have their fans too.

 

[Dr H]

There seems to be no definitive impartial answer and previous attempts have quickly divided into two camps, GW and ELC. Buzz A-2's are in the main price prohibitive and lack precise details from particular contracts, Aero have their fans too.

A very good summary - all down the eye of the beholder at the end of the day. You could buy an original instead of course...but which company offered the BEST quality under wartime constraints? :lol:

 

[John Lever]

For sheepskins I would say RMNZ
For FQHH Aero.

 

[Anonymous]

For A-2 type jackets I would say Noble house Germany.

All the best Jeff

 

[Vcruiser]

I don't know if you are talking strickly repro A2s. If so I would say any of the companies on your list offer top quality. As far as hides go..they all...from time to time offer exceptional hides. However..I still say..for the money...an Aero RealDeal is a steal.
As far as Utility jackets (repros of '30s..'40s..'50s jackets)of various hides...Aero for sure..IMO(considering price). I agree with John Lever..Aero's FQHH. It seems a unique hide only offered by that company.
Sheepskin..Real McCoy New Zealand...but occassional others seem to obtain a run of better shearling(I have a nice B6 by Aero!).
Keep an eye on eBay as well for a slightly used example from any of these companies. Could save a few hundred...but check measurements closely.
Van

 

[dadgad]

Talking about A2s?

I own a GW and an Aero and I tried and handled a good number of Buzzs in Japan.

My props are neatly for Aero as long as leather and tanning/dyeing quality goes, I believe that my GW was an unfortunate one considering the huge respect that the brand reached nowadays and the Buzzs I touched and tried were really stiff and lacked character on the whole.

I have also an A1 from Eastman and it is essentially perfect.

My humble opinion.

GL

 

[ChristianM.]

For A-2 type jackets I would say Noble house Germany.

All the best Jeff

Nice to hear about Noble House.
But are you really sure they can compete with Aero, ELC etc.?
Because of their low prices i can´t imagine the quality is as good.

 

[ChristianM.]

Talking about A2s?
GL

This thread should not only refer to A2's. It´s open for every Typ.

 

[ties70]

For A-2 type jackets I would say Noble house Germany.

All the best Jeff

Nice to hear about Noble House.
But are you really sure they can compete with Aero, ELC etc.?
Because of their low prices i can´t imagine the quality is as good.

Hallo Christian,

willkommen an Bord!

Jeff was just kidding you (hopefully ), Noble House is ....well, do you know "Pulp Fiction"? It's not the same stadium, not the same league, not even the same game as the other high quality makers...

Ties

 

[ChristianM.]

For A-2 type jackets I would say Noble house Germany.

All the best Jeff

Nice to hear about Noble House.
But are you really sure they can compete with Aero, ELC etc.?
Because of their low prices i can´t imagine the quality is as good.

Hallo Christian,

willkommen an Bord!

Jeff was just kidding you (hopefully ), Noble House is ....well, do you know "Pulp Fiction"? It's not the same stadium, not the same league, not even the same game as the other high quality makers...

Ties

Hallo Ties,

Dachte ich mir schon

So for what brand goes your vote?

 

[shiloh]

For sheepskins I would say RMNZ
For FQHH Aero.

My apologizes for not knowing certain things about A-2 jackets and productions...but what is FQHH .

Thanks,

Shiloh

 

[ChristianM.]

For sheepskins I would say RMNZ
For FQHH Aero.

My apologizes for not knowing certain things about A-2 jackets and productions...but what is FQHH .

Thanks,

Shiloh

hihi, one of my first posts here and i can explain something...

Front Quarter Horse Hide supplied by Horween / California

 

[ties70]

For sheepskins I would say RMNZ
For FQHH Aero.

My apologizes for not knowing certain things about A-2 jackets and productions...but what is FQHH .

Thanks,

Shiloh

@ Shiloh:

John was talking about Front Quarter HorseHide


@ Christian:

In the last years I had leather jackets from all the high end makers, except for Buzz Ricksons (too fat for them ). Right now I have an ELC Werber and three Goodwear jackets. My choice is obvious, I guess.

Best regards

Ties

 

[Cobblers161]

Gotta be Good Wear all the way. If not for the attention to detail and differing contracts but simply down to the way a GW feels. Damn beautiful.

Having owned Eastman, The Few and Real McCoy and handled an Aero I have to say in my humble opinion that GW trumps the lot.

Rotenhan would sort this out in a flash. Bring him back, by force if necessary!

shiloh, FQHH is front quarter horsehide.

 

[Chris217]

If your looking for 100% authentic repro, Good Wear is the way to go. John's jackets are as close to NOS as you can get.

 

[Roughwear]

Gotta be Good Wear all the way. If not for the attention to detail and differing contracts but simply down to the way a GW feels. Damn beautiful.

Having owned Eastman, The Few and Real McCoy and handled an Aero I have to say in my humble opinion that GW trumps the lot.

Rotenhan would sort this out in a flash. Bring him back, by force if necessary!

shiloh, FQHH is front quarter horsehide.

Having owned GW and ELC A2s I think it is difficult to generalise as we are not talking about authenticity. All the ELC A2s I have owned, and own especially the RW 1401p and the Werber are outstandingly well made and the hide is superb. The GW Doniger is another excellent jacket, but two other GWs I owned were not quite so well made and had that chemical smell which others have commented on.

In terms of originals the best made Irvins are from Irvin Air Chute and Wareings and some of the best A2s I have seen are from Doniger and Roughwear, but of course much depends on the skill of the seamstress and the quality control!

 

[shiloh]

Gotta be Good Wear all the way. If not for the attention to detail and differing contracts but simply down to the way a GW feels. Damn beautiful.

Having owned Eastman, The Few and Real McCoy and handled an Aero I have to say in my humble opinion that GW trumps the lot.

Rotenhan would sort this out in a flash. Bring him back, by force if necessary!

shiloh, FQHH is front quarter horsehide.

Thanks to you all for explaining FQHH to me

Shiloh