AVIREX …. The company that started it all…. (In 500 words or less… again.)

[B-Man2]

Keeping up with the idea that if a post is 500 words or less, then more people will be inclined to read it, I thought that a thread about one of the first repro A2 maker companies in the US might attract some peoples interest. The older members among us will definitely remember Avirex, as for many of us it was our first repro A2. The company was started in 1975 by a colorful fellow by the name of Jeff Clyman as a brand for military apparel. By that time much of the WWII surplus stuff including A2 jackets had dried up, and if you were a young guy looking to emulate that studly appearance of Steve McQueen in the “Great Escape”, then an Avirex A2 was pretty much the only repro maker providing, what we thought at the time, was an accurate copy of an A2. While much of Avirex’s advertising in those days might have given the impression that they were original contractors of WWII A2 jackets and other types of military apparel, in fact the company was started in 1975 and was not in existence during the war. However, the company did produce some nice repros of A2’s and B-3s during the time they were in existence. Keep in mind that we are talking about 1975, long before the top tier companies of Eastman, Good Wear, and Aero Leather entered the repro game. Many of the older members of the forum still have their original Avirex jackets and I would encourage those who do , to post them here and tell us a little about their memories and experiences with Avirex .
In 1987 Avirex and Clyman worked with the US Air Force to help develop the re-issue of the new and improved A2 jacket of which Avirex eventually became a supplier.
In 2006 Clyman sold the Avirex brand and trademark to Centric Brands. Clyman who also owned the Cockpit Brand and trademark then produced military jackets and apparel under that brand name and supplied the new model A2 jackets to the USAF. Today we are all fortunate to have exceptional repro makers providing accurate WWII repros to all of us, regardless of where we live ….. but back in the day Avirex was the place to buy your repro A2.

A 1978 Horsehide A2 by Avirex

The jacket that never was … The Avirex G-8

I

 

[ausreenactor]

My first A-2 was an Avirex.

From this new Ebay website. Posted off my Western Union money order and six weeks later it arrived.

 

[eckhartus]

I have several avirex nose art. My favorite is the "china doll". I have worn it a lot and love the patina it has developed.

I noticed they used all type of leather goatskin, calfskin, steerhide, horsehide, cowhide, etc. for their a2 jackets

 

[B-Man2]

I have several avirex nose art. My favorite is the "china doll". I have worn it a lot and love the patina it has developed.

I noticed they used all type of leather goatskin, calfskin, steerhide, horsehide, cowhide, etc. for their a2 jackets

Those look awesome … would love to see some individual close ups if you have time to post some more photos .
Thanks for posting .

 

[eckhartus]

Thanks. I really like your g-8. I also have one that has a nice patina. I will take pictures this weekend.

 

[B-Man2]

Thanks. I really like your g-8. I also have one that has a nice patina. I will take pictures this weekend.

Thanks looking forward to seeing them. While Avirex has an interesting history, we don’t talk about them much these days as the top tier jackets dominate most of the conversations . It’s good to see some of the painted ones .

 

[Silver Surfer]

ahhhh, to wallow in nostalgia. like others, I got my first repro from Avirex....by going up to the seventh floor of a loft building on lower Broadway, and Houstons sts. the small "showroom" was chuck full of original flight gear, and Avirex samples on a clothes rack. the largest part of the floor was occupied by manufacturing of the jackets. so,, there was the whir, clank and clatter of sewing machines and the equipment. and, yep, it was Jeff who manned the sole small cash register. obviously, his walk in set up was just for local buyers, and the serious Avirex sales was done through air craft, and militaria magazines and newsletters. mid-late '70s seems about right

 

[B-Man2]

Vic
Now that’s a good story. You actually were there where they made them and met Clyman . Was he a character back in those days ? Ive heard stories about him being a real marketing wizard.

 

[Chandler]

@B-Man2 -- Burt, it's hard to believe that A-2 is a 46 -- my 1990 size 44 horsehide fits like a modern 42. There must have been big pattern and material changes between 1978 & 1990.

And FWIW -- I definitely fell for Avirex's spiel, but I always held it (and my FAI A-2) up to the WW2 images I'd see and I knew it wasn't quite right.

Still... I never got rid of it. >>shrug<<

 

[Ed Rooney]

My '86 Avirex G-1 was a workhorse. Very well made.

 

[B-Man2]

@B-Man2 -- Burt, it's hard to believe that A-2 is a 46 -- my 1990 size 44 horsehide fits like a modern 42. There must have been big pattern and material changes between 1978 & 1990.

And FWIW -- I definitely fell for Avirex's spiel, but I always held it (and my FAI A-2) up to the WW2 images I'd see and I knew it wasn't quite right.

Still... I never got rid of it. >>shrug<<

Please post a photo of it if you’d like. Would love to see it and hear any stories about how you came to purchase one.

 

[Smithy]

They might not be accurate in terms of knits and even patterns but those 5 jackets Eckhartus posted look absolutely terrific. Great patina to the leather and the artwork has worn to look like old originals.

I sometimes think with repros we get too caught up on ultimate accuracy which maybe is wrong. We're not WWII flyers and repro jackets will never be originals so why not maybe occasionally just be happy with a jacket which fits well, wears well and ends up looking like a good approximation of the real deal, and that you're not scared to throw beer or a kebab over.

Sure those 5 that Eckhartus has aren't 100% accurate but they more than capture the spirit of these things which is maybe the most important thing, whilst you can wear without giving a hoot about.

 

[B-Man2]

My '86 Avirex G-1 was a workhorse. Very well made.

Ed
What got you interested in buying an Avirex?

 

[B-Man2]

They might not be accurate in terms of knits and even patterns but those 5 jackets Eckhartus posted look absolutely terrific. Great patina to the leather and the artwork has worn to look like old originals.

I sometimes think with repros we get too caught up on ultimate accuracy which maybe is wrong. We're not WWII flyers and repro jackets will never be originals so why not maybe occasionally just be happy with a jacket which fits well, wears well and ends up looking like a good approximation of the real deal, and that you're not scared to throw beer or a kebab over.

Sure those 5 that Eckhartus has aren't 100% accurate but they more than capture the spirit of these things which is maybe the most important thing, whilst you can wear without giving a hoot about.

Tim
Where the hell were you with this advice 20 years ago ? You could have saved me thousands of dollars over the years !!

 

[Smithy]

Tim
Where the hell were you with this advice 20 years ago ? You could have saved me thousands of dollars over the years !!

Burt, I'm like Buddha. I was sitting under a tree minding my own business ;-)

 

[Chandler]

Please post a photo of it if you’d like. Would love to see it and hear any stories about how you came to purchase one.

I've dropped pics in a few other threads, but I'll dig into my collection to find a couple (I also have an Avirex B-3 that I've never really shared -- I should take some snaps of that).

I really can't recall how I found Avirex, but it was probably an ad in an aviation magazine and I signed up for the catalogs (I have another thread about those, if you recall).

But as you pointed out, they were the only game in town for a long while and their marketing spiel said "We're the one you want!"

Flush with cash, fresh out of a bad marriage and into a more lucrative job -- I was reeled in. If only HPA had been advertising sooner.

 

[Chandler]

I meant to add these last week before the big outage, better late than never.

@B-Man2 -- mine doesn't even look like it came from the same factory as yours. Different hide, different knits, different pocket flap contour.

What's the hanger like in yours? You can see mine is not authentic to originals.

 

[John Lever]

Avirex Japan make very nice B3's

 

[Chandler]

Avirex Japan make very nice B3's

Mine is nice -- very warm. Just not at all authentic to originals.

I think their Patton B-3 was closer at the time, but I didn't want the armored division patch.

I also knew nothing of authentic B-3s then, so dual slash pockets were of no concern.

 

[B-Man2]

I meant to add these last week before the big outage, better late than never.

@B-Man2 -- mine doesn't even look like it came from the same factory as yours. Different hide, different knits, different pocket flap contour.

What's the hanger like in yours? You can see mine is not authentic to originals.

I think that this inconsistency in hide color and knit color was one of the things that Avirex didn’t focus in on and what made the jackets they produced less of a quality jacket than say an ELC or Aero later on.