Anything and Everything A-1

[Doug C]

Has anyone ever bought an off the rack A-1 from Flightjacket.com ? At $400 it's half the price of anything else.. I had a couple of custom A-1s from them and they were nice jackets, plus they claim to be the makers of the Willis & Geiger jackets and if you look at the pockets they have on the display jacket they are very similar to the W&G. It doesn't say on their website what kind of leather (the assumption is horsehide from the picture). How bad could it be for that kinda money though? http://www.flightjacket.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=7

Doug C

 

[bseal]

Dude,

What are you doing? You see the pictures of the Goodwears and the ELCs...

C'mon man, just save up the money.

 

[John Lever]

Dude,

What are you doing? You see the pictures of the Goodwears and the ELCs...

C'mon man, just save up the money.

Anything from the East coast yet ?

 

[Doug C]

Dude,
What are you doing? You see the pictures of the Goodwears and the ELCs...
C'mon man, just save up the money.

:lol: yea I know... I'm just so darned impatient though How's it going man?

Doug C

 

[Atticus]

...How bad could it be for that kinda money though?

Doug, I don't profess to be any kind of an expert on A-1s, but I don't think of A-1s as having collars like those on the Flightjacket.com version. Perhaps some did, but when I think of the A-1, I think of stand-up knit collars with buttons and leather button loops.

When such a "button and loop" collar is worn undone, it gives the jacket that 1930's look that is the unique hallmark of the A-1. The Flightjacket.com jacket has a collar that reminds me of the collars on several nylon jackets or that of a typical varsity jacket. Sorta mundane, in my opinion.

 

[bseal]

Dude,
What are you doing? You see the pictures of the Goodwears and the ELCs...
C'mon man, just save up the money.

:lol: yea I know... I'm just so darned impatient though How's it going man?

Doug C

How much do you want to spend? Perhaps I have a jacket or two laying around with longer arms.

 

[bseal]

Dude,

What are you doing? You see the pictures of the Goodwears and the ELCs...

C'mon man, just save up the money.

Anything from the East coast yet ?

End of the week is the ETA. Hey what #s are you thinking of for your LW ANJ4?

 

[zoomer]

The Flightjacket.com jacket has a collar that reminds me of the collars on several nylon jackets or that of a typical varsity jacket. Sorta mundane, in my opinion.

IIRC, that was the collar style on the original leather Navy 37J1. Put chest level pockets on that and you'd pretty much have it. (Unfortunately any originals are still being kept secret.)

 

[Doug C]

Atticus, I think that collar is not true to what you get when ordering an off the rack A1 from them... I may be wrong, but I faintly remember myself or someone else asking Dover that question a long time ago and it seems to me that the answer was the normal stand up collar with buttons and loops, well atleast it didn't stand out in my mind that it was definately the varsity collar. Perhaps I'm remembering that when the first custom A-1 made for bseal was being made Dover knew exactly what kind of collar was preferred? I may need to send him an question about it. Problem is, I'm usually a long anyway. However to me it doesn't seem that far off from a Lost Worlds version with the russet horse (if that's what it is).

Doug C

 

[John Lever]

Hey what #s are you thinking of for your LW ANJ4?
It's only an idea at the moment, but around $1k.
I'll wait to see after I sell my B-3.

 

[zoomer]

BTW, I felt out Shaul on the custom A-1 issue awhile back. He does not source cape, but would make one for you if you found your own. The price advantage over other makers pretty much disappeared, iirc.

 

[John Lever]

Seen this yet ?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=006

 

[CBI]

do jackets get any uglier than this?

 

[bseal]

I remember it was next to impossible to open and close the buttons. I used to get a lot of compliments when I wore it CBI before I sold it to Mikeandpat. I'm too sexy for this shirt, I'm too sexy for...

 

[Doug C]

do jackets get any uglier than this?

:?:

now, that was tactfull..

Doug C

 

[Doug C]

bseal I didn't know that used to be your jacket (the green Lost Worlds), I knew you had one like it but wasn't it a custom US Auth?

Doug C

 

[zoomer]

Whooo doggies, that's pretty handsome.

BUT! I still want proof the Navy actually WORE green leather. Not some third-hand half-remembered story from someone who mistook a 37J1A for a 37J1 from halfway across a flight deck during a rainstorm at night. :x

 

[bseal]

bseal I didn't know that used to be your jacket (the green Lost Worlds), I knew you had one like it but wasn't it a custom US Auth?

Doug C

Yes I admit it, I am or was an a-1 whore, pun intended. If you go back and look at the early pages of this thread, you will find multiple pictures of this same olive horsehide A-1.

 

[Doug C]

Yes I admit it, I am or was an a-1 whore,

Oh believe me I knew that.. I needed to go into rehab to break my addiction before it got too late.

I don't know but I think I've grown away from any of them with the high pockets lately, as a preferrance..

Doug C

 

[deeb7]

BUT! I still want proof the Navy actually WORE green leather. Not some third-hand half-remembered story from someone who mistook a 37J1A for a 37J1 from halfway across a flight deck during a rainstorm at night. :x

And you won't find it.

As I've posted before ... the 1927 specs called for chrome tanned sheepskin, in a chocolate color.