Best restoration company in america

[Joseph]

Found the picture that I thought he was wearing it in.

 

[Edward]

"sigh". I found this in a ball in my grandmothers attic. I don't like to think about the things she might have thrown away.

ya well, last week a new guy posted a near mint condition rarely worn WWII Star Sportswear A-2 he found Digging through the bins at a Goodwill! most likely family cleaning out a deceased parent's home as quickly as possible and just scooped and tossed everything without looking or caring. its the sort of gold we live for here at this forum so we do so appreciate you sharing it and your grandfather's history with us!

 

[MikeyB-17]

Will you look at that now? An original Werber in a size 50. Stone me what wouldn’t most of us give to find that in the attic? I agree with all who say don’t do anything more than you have to, don’t go replacing things that can be preserved (don’t whatever you do replace those fantastic mustard knits!). If the stitching is knackered (it did have a tendency to rot, being cotton), it might need restitching. I can’t comment on the restoration guys in the U.S. but it sounds like the other guys are giving you good advice in that department. From the pics it actually looks pretty good for its age. It’s delightful to see somebody who wants to preserve their relative’s artifacts and honour their history. So many don’t these days.
Cor, what’s going to turn up next?

 

[B-Man2]

I’m having a vision that by the end of this week some guy will show up with his great grandfathers “Goldsmith” A2 in a size 48, in the original issued box........... WHAT!!!
A guy can dream can’t he????

 

[blackrat2]

There is a link to a lady on the Goodwear site...off top of my head, apologies if already mentioned

 

[Technonut2112]

There is a link to a lady on the Goodwear site...off top of my head, apologies if already mentioned

Dena Hamilton at Great Leather:

Leather Care Specialists, Great Leather - Jacket Restoration and Leathergoods

Leather jacket repair, vintage bomber jacket restoration, and beautiful hand-made leathergoods. Based in the United States, Leather Care Specialists and Great Leather serve customers all over the world.

www.greatleather.com

 

[B-Man2]

Dena Hamilton at Great Leather:

Leather Care Specialists, Great Leather - Jacket Restoration and Leathergoods

Leather jacket repair, vintage bomber jacket restoration, and beautiful hand-made leathergoods. Based in the United States, Leather Care Specialists and Great Leather serve customers all over the world.

www.greatleather.com

I’m sure she is quite capable of doing the work however, if you intend on getting the jacket restored as opposed to stabilizing the jacket I would use someone who specializes in these particular types of jackets She works on all leather jackets and may not understand the importance of preserving the subtle nuances of stitching patterns and the use of specific materials to preserve the originality of this jacket. Please give serious thought to just leaving this jacket alone and simply stabilizing it for preservation purposes . Buy yourself a used Eastman Werber 1729 repro and wear that. You would be doing yourself and your Grandfathers jacket a real favor. I understand that you are not a collector of these types of jackets, so please do not be offended by my response. You may not understand the significance of what you have. It’s a one in a million find.

 

[Stony]

Goodwear Leather IMO. I've been to his shop and he has all the parts and equipment to make it happen. He's also very meticulous and historically correctly in everything he does. Also one of the most knowledgeable flight jacket people out there.

 

[Technonut2112]

I’m sure she is quite capable of doing the work however, if you intend on getting the jacket restored as opposed to stabilizing the jacket I would use someone who specializes in these particular types of jackets She works on all leather jackets and may not understand the importance of preserving the subtle nuances of stitching patterns and the use of specific materials to preserve the originality of this jacket. Please give serious thought to just leaving this jacket alone and simply stabilizing it for preservation purposes . Buy yourself a used Eastman Werber 1729 repro and wear that. You would be doing yourself and your Grandfathers jacket a real favor. I understand that you are not a collector of these types of jackets, so please do not be offended by my response. You may not understand the significance of what you have. It’s a one in a million find.

All I know is that John Chapman personally recommends her for work on his jackets...

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Links

www.goodwearleather.com

GreatLeather.com

This company, run by Dena Hamilton, works with leather garments, and they do superb repairs and rebuilding of leather jackets. We highly recommend their services.

 

[B-Man2]

All I know is that John Chapman personally recommends her for work on his jackets...

Hi Techno
No criticism meant towards you. Good suggestion. Just trying to convey the significance of what he has and that it should be preserved rather than worn. With a repro out their similar to his grand dads jacket why run the risk of doing damage to a thing so rare.
No offense intended.
Cheers

 

[Technonut2112]

Hi Techno
No criticism meant towards you. Good suggestion. Just trying to convey the significance of what he has and that it should be preserved rather than worn. With a repro out their similar to his grand dads jacket why run the risk of doing damage to a thing so rare.
No offense intended.
Cheers

None taken.. I was just linking to blackrat2's post / suggestion... I've also heard her highly regarded at the hat place.

 

[Micawber]

I’m sure she is quite capable of doing the work however, if you intend on getting the jacket restored as opposed to stabilizing the jacket I would use someone who specializes in these particular types of jackets She works on all leather jackets and may not understand the importance of preserving the subtle nuances of stitching patterns and the use of specific materials to preserve the originality of this jacket. Please give serious thought to just leaving this jacket alone and simply stabilizing it for preservation purposes . Buy yourself a used Eastman Werber 1729 repro and wear that. You would be doing yourself and your Grandfathers jacket a real favor. I understand that you are not a collector of these types of jackets, so please do not be offended by my response. You may not understand the significance of what you have. It’s a one in a million find.

I can only agree and echo these words.

 

[B-Man2]

Joseph ;
I hope we didn’t overwhelm you with our responses , just trying to give you the information you requested .
Any reply is welcomed at this point .
Cheers
B-man2

Just edited my last posting to this latest posting.

 

[ausreenactor]

For what it's worth, Steve Sellers restored an original Rough Wear for me that was worse off than your Werber. I'm a freak for attention to detail and I still marvel at the workmanship and skill in restoring the jacket. He basically disassembled the entire jacket, re-placed the lining with stand collar, re-stitched matching every stitch hole, replaced the knits and zip.

Steve is amazing. Helped me out with a B-3 sleeve seam issue.

ELC are amazing. They have cheap return shipping too.

 

[ausreenactor]

They might fix it for free (as they dissect and analyse it)

 

[B-Man2]

I’d hate to see those cool looking knits done away with. They really make the jacket in my opinion.

 

[B-Man2]

So Joeph
What did you decide to do with your grandfathers jacket?
Will you be restoring it?
Cheers
B

 

[ausreenactor]

Hi Techno
No criticism meant towards you. Good suggestion. Just trying to convey the significance of what he has and that it should be preserved rather than worn. With a repro out their similar to his grand dads jacket why run the risk of doing damage to a thing so rare.
No offense intended.
Cheers

All the more reason to chase up Steve Sellers....

 

[Centaurus3200]

I'm the guy with the aforementioned Star Sportswear A-2. I learned a lot from the crew here. Most importantly, DO NOT put leather conditioner of any sort on it. It will do more harm than good at this point. I don't care if it's made from unicorn blood. Don't do it!

get a raw cotton breathable storage bag and lay it flat in a dark place. Like under your bed. No hanger needed. In fact the seams will separate if you hang that jacket for any length of time.

As far as wearing it, probably too risky with that one. it's in great condition considering its age.

I do plan on wearing my A2 perhaps a few times a year once I get the knits darned up, but my jacket was basically stashed in a closet for like 50 years. Or longer. And even then, I wouldn't dare put it in regular rotation.

Amazing jacket!

 

[ausreenactor]

I'm the guy with the aforementioned Star Sportswear A-2. I learned a lot from the crew here. Most importantly, DO NOT put leather conditioner of any sort on it. It will do more harm than good at this point. I don't care if it's made from unicorn blood. Don't do it!

get a raw cotton breathable storage bag and lay it flat in a dark place. Like under your bed. No hanger needed. In fact the seams will separate if you hang that jacket for any length of time.

As far as wearing it, probably too risky with that one. it's in great condition considering its age.

I do plan on wearing my A2 perhaps a few times a year once I get the knits darned up, but my jacket was basically stashed in a closet for like 50 years. Or longer. And even then, I wouldn't dare put it in regular rotation.

Amazing jacket!

Great to hear... Look after it. Appreciate the post!