AVI LTHR BRONCO A-2 Jacket Review & Pics

[Technonut2112]

Me too. I don't mind who it's from, I just want to have the option to buy a good quality, relatively accurate A-2 for a good price.

Exciting times for 'budget conscious' enthusiasts.. SMW coming out with a reasonably-priced HH A-2 (I didn't care for the goat version posted in a couple reviews), AVI's offerings, and now Aero possibly into the mix... good stuff!

I'm already saving my pennies towards one of the HH SMW A-2's, since they will be lowering the pockets an inch. Hell, I should be able to purchase one reasonably-authentic A-2 from all three above makers for not much over the cost of one "high-end" A-2.

 

[Persimmon]

Can I get a quick summary of where this thread is all about please.
I guess it’s old age on my part but I am not quite sure what is good or bad. And who is good or bad anymore !

We started with a review of a jacket by a company called AVI
People like it the products they are producing.

People wonder where it’s made at that low (ish) cost and really start quering it’s political correctness re country of welfare etc etc etc etc

People pester the hell out of AVI to say where the jacket is made and it’s ethical background.

In the meantime folks start digging where in the world the jackets are made.

AVI release a statement offering country of manufacture and its design and ethics policy.

Ken at Aero after doing his own digging realises that the factory who make the jackets for AVI are selling them to other companies and one company for example Five Star Leathers is selling the jackets at a even lower price.

So -
Is AVI a goody for selling great designed jackets at a low price ?

Is AVI a baddy for selling great jackets at expensive prices when you can buy the same
jacket from Five Star Leathers a lot lot lot cheaper ?

Is Ken at Aero a goody for highlighting the source of the Pakistan factory who are making these jackets and showing everyone a cheaper source to get the jackets ?

Is Ken at Aero a baddy for harping on and on and on ( according to people ) about another companies products etc etc ?

Is Ken at Aero a goody ( through his board ) as they now consider using the factory in Pakistan to produce a lower priced to Aero customers “ Aero approved” jacket range ?

Is Five Star Leather a goody for producing great jackets at a low retail price ?

Is Five Star Leathers a baddy for producing jackets that don’t look like their retail pictures and the quality of the jackets are not as believed the exact same as AVI ?

Are China produced jackets a goody for selling ever increasing better quality of jackets but at least telling us that they are made in China and not hiding the fact ?

Are China produced jackets a baddy for selling ever increasing better quality of jackets but because they may or may not have the same ethical standards as companies producing jackets in the Western Hemisphere ?

Are they any other goody or baddy’s I have missed ?

Goodness I need help here.

 

[Smithy]

Now that you happen to put it that way...

 

[Brettafett]

Hahah Alan.... you and me both. I guess I'm the baddy for starting it all
All I did was find an original-maker A-2, that is relatively authentic to the original, at fantastic bang for the buck and wanted to post a little review and fit pics, because I like reading reviews and seeing fit pics, and thought folks here might find it interesting.
And all that went to pears.

 

[Technonut2112]

Damnit!! I just laughed so hard, I spit my 'good morning America' down my shirt....

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

You mean like this................ Gluing the top edges and trimming off a raw edge backing aftrer top stitching is an easy way and quick to get a neat pocket flap
View attachment 5505

Co-Incidentaly both the AVI Bronco and the Five Star Bronco use the same method on their pocket flaps

 

[Technonut2112]

Co-Incidentaly both the AVI Bronco and the Five Star Bronco use the same method on their pocket flaps

Another twist... The Amazon sizing chart in no way coincides with AVI's for the 'same' jacket.. I figured a 46 from AVI, but approximately the same size at Amazon would be a 'small'... Could very well be 'bait & switch' pics, however, Amazon offers it's 'A-Z Guarantee" as protection, and the wheel in the sky keeps on turning in this saga...

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Another twist... The Amazon sizing chart in no way coincides with AVI's for the 'same' jacket.. I figured a 46 from AVI, but approximately the same size at Amazon would be a 'small'... Could very well be 'bait & switch' pics, however, Amazon offers it's 'A-Z Guarantee" as protection, and the wheel in the sky keeps on turning in this saga...

It would appear they've no idea how an A-2 should be worn.
The A-1 we got is marked Small yet has a 24" pit to pit
Their sizing fit's in with the 1980s,

 

[Dr H]

Can I get a quick summary of where this thread is all about please.
I guess it’s old age on my part but I am not quite sure what is good or bad. And who is good or bad anymore !

We started with a review of a jacket by a company called AVI
People like it the products they are producing.

People wonder where it’s made at that low (ish) cost and really start quering it’s political correctness re country of welfare etc etc etc etc

People pester the hell out of AVI to say where the jacket is made and it’s ethical background.

In the meantime folks start digging where in the world the jackets are made.

AVI release a statement offering country of manufacture and its design and ethics policy.

Ken at Aero after doing his own digging realises that the factory who make the jackets for AVI are selling them to other companies and one company for example Five Star Leathers is selling the jackets at a even lower price.

So -
Is AVI a goody for selling great designed jackets at a low price ?

Is AVI a baddy for selling great jackets at expensive prices when you can buy the same
jacket from Five Star Leathers a lot lot lot cheaper ?

Is Ken at Aero a goody for highlighting the source of the Pakistan factory who are making these jackets and showing everyone a cheaper source to get the jackets ?

Is Ken at Aero a baddy for harping on and on and on ( according to people ) about another companies products etc etc ?

Is Ken at Aero a goody ( through his board ) as they now consider using the factory in Pakistan to produce a lower priced to Aero customers “ Aero approved” jacket range ?

Is Five Star Leather a goody for producing great jackets at a low retail price ?

Is Five Star Leathers a baddy for producing jackets that don’t look like their retail pictures and the quality of the jackets are not as believed the exact same as AVI ?

Are China produced jackets a goody for selling ever increasing better quality of jackets but at least telling us that they are made in China and not hiding the fact ?

Are China produced jackets a baddy for selling ever increasing better quality of jackets but because they may or may not have the same ethical standards as companies producing jackets in the Western Hemisphere ?

Are they any other goody or baddy’s I have missed ?

Goodness I need help here.

So, it's been many, many years since I saw it on TV, but I was always a big fan of the US sitcom 'Soap'... I have a sense of deja vu

Narrator: Remember the Tates? Jessica and her husband Chester? Chester's the guy who fools around with everyone but his wife. And poor Jessica, because Chester's been so busy, has taken up with Peter the tennis pro, who in turn has been busy with Jessica's daughter Corrine. Of course, Jessica doesn't know Peter's been busy with Corrine and Chester's been busy with everyone. Jessica just wishes she had gone shopping instead. Remember the DoD Police? Mid-Shift Meanie Michelle has a problems. Being paid to work is not agreeable with her Tae-Bo schedule. Playing too much is another problem Michelle has.. Someone ordered her a knuckle sandwich and that delivery is imminent is the word on the street . Jodie and Burt have a problem, they don't get along either. Michelle and Brandon have a problem, Brandon can't make love to Michelle and she doesn't know why. Geoff has the biggest problem of all, he knows why.

"Will Jessica discover Chester's affair? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?"
"These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of...Soap."

 

[Persimmon]

So, it's been many, many years since I saw it on TV, but I was always a big fan of the US sitcom 'Soap'... I have a sense of deja vu

Narrator: Remember the Tates? Jessica and her husband Chester? Chester's the guy who fools around with everyone but his wife. And poor Jessica, because Chester's been so busy, has taken up with Peter the tennis pro, who in turn has been busy with Jessica's daughter Corrine. Of course, Jessica doesn't know Peter's been busy with Corrine and Chester's been busy with everyone. Jessica just wishes she had gone shopping instead. Remember the DoD Police? Mid-Shift Meanie Michelle has a problems. Being paid to work is not agreeable with her Tae-Bo schedule. Playing too much is another problem Michelle has.. Someone ordered her a knuckle sandwich and that delivery is imminent is the word on the street . Jodie and Burt have a problem, they don't get along either. Michelle and Brandon have a problem, Brandon can't make love to Michelle and she doesn't know why. Geoff has the biggest problem of all, he knows why.

"Will Jessica discover Chester's affair? Will Benson discover Chester's affair? Will Benson care?"
"These questions—and many others—will be answered in the next episode of...Soap."

Remember it well.

 

[Geeboo]

The zipper & snap used by 5star Leather is low quality that are not even used by Chinese A2 mfyer such as Bronson. below par - no good
AVI used seems to me a very high quality Talon repro that is very close to original m39 zipper [the best repro Talon M39 zipper so far] , better than those Bronson are using right now. The snap is stamped United Carr too - not sure if is NOS but definitely good enough to my eyes. with a 20% off for non-EU buyer like me - they are like US$310 --to me much better a deal than 5star leather.
1) It is not convincing to me they are made by the same factory - at least the std are at least

2 par apart.
2) My query arises because Pakistan seller sell some so called handmade dress shoes in eBay ard US$160, but I can tell the cropped pics are just handmade shoes from 1st-tier shoe maker like John Lobb. When I email them, they don't reply or show me the photos of the EXACT shoes I shall buy. These seller do know what they sell, IMO cos the styles of the dress shoes are indeed very good [photos only] - that indicate the seller's is apt in catching buyer's attention; I think same case for " Bronco A2".
3) AVI is much much better than 5star leather, IMO.
4) Ken of Aero should have notice that.

 

[Brettafett]

He does, but its not why he is posting his comments...

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

From the Amazon listing, I noticed this: Date first listed on Amazon: October 27, 2017.... just close to a month before the review at the FL was posted... If the pics were not changed, how could these 'Broncos' have flown under the radar at around the same time as AVI released theirs?

I wonder which company made the first Bronco?

 

[Brettafett]

That would be Bronco MFG. Co. of New York 1942 ...

 

[Persimmon]

That would be Bronco MFG. Co. of New York 1942 ...

Oh you are a wag -)

 

[Brettafett]

 

[Rutger]

That would be me.

The auction lists the item location as Illinois. I ordered a jacket. A few days later I got a text from DHL informing me my package "from Karachi, Pakistan" will arrive on such and so date (which is tomorrow, June 6). The ad is adamant that no returns will b emade for poor fit, but if the jacket turns out to be a real POS and not the jacket shown, I'm sure I'll have an even chance or better of getting a refund because "item sent is not the item shown." I'll try, anyway. But WTF...wait and see. Who knows? I may like it.

Good luck mate !

 

[Dr H]

That would be Bronco MFG. Co. of New York 1942 ...

Best me to it...and I thought better of it and deleted it...

 

[Persimmon]

Best me to it...and I thought better of it and deleted it...

Ok. You are a wag as well !

 

[Dr H]

Ok. You are a wag as well !

...and bonkers with it, apparently