Can anyone help ID this lovely old leather I Found?

[zoomer]

Original A-2 pockets are too small and too widely spaced to allow for hand warmers. You would have to pull your arms way back to reach them, as if doing dumbbell rows.

 

[AmyWarhol]

John Wayne, That almost sounds as if you are implying these were reconfigured A-2s. I’m sure you don’t think that or I misread your post. Perhaps that they were competing with the second hand market but improving the design.
For clarification to the OP, your jacket is not an original that’s been dolled up. It’s it’s own creature likely made in the 50s... ironically when malls starting being built.
Dave

Right. I agree 100% Thanks so much for your input!

 

[AmyWarhol]

Well, I have decided the fate of this jacket: While mowing my lawn last night, I hit a tree root that was covered with thick grass and cracked my mower deck... Luckily, I have a buddy who welds AND likes vintage leathers... He was thrilled with the rather ugly 70's Sears bomber I gave him a couple of years ago. It is too big for him and just cheesy looking! LOL! I can not wait to see him in this one; I think it will fit him like a glove. Oh, and I need to finish my lawn too!! ughhh....

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

The mention of an A-2 seems to have muddied the waters
Here's close up of that typical 50s pocket
The pockets themselves are blind but the shape of a patch pocket is picked out on a cording machine, one that double stitches and traps a length of cord between the back of the hide and a strip of cotton usually from the extremities of the two pocket openings . This gives a lovely raised seam, difficult to do neatly but well worth the effort and widely used in the immediate pre WW2 era.
Occasionally seen on repros these days as two lines of parallel stitching but without the cord inset, never looks right IMHO

 

[zoomer]

The pockets themselves are blind but the shape of a patch pocket is picked out on a cording machine, one that double stitches and traps a length of cord between the back of the hide and a strip of cotton usually from the extremities of the two pocket openings .

Ken, you have an amazing gift for describing a process in great detail without ever *quite* allowing one to form a clear mental picture of the end result.

Am I giving away the store to say that the cotton strip is attached to either end of the pocket slot?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

It's hard to describe some operations. The cotton strip is approx 3/4" (three quarters of an inch) wide and is behind the cord inside the jacket and is caught in on each side by the stitch lines made by twin needle machine
From nearest the wearers body to the exterior the layers are first the cotton strip, then the length of cord, then the rough out side of the leather and lastly the tanned side of the leather.
The machine binds the three elements together, the trick is to get the raised seam to be on the outside the jacket rather than inside it, hence the narrow strip of cotton has to be kept very flat during sewing while the leather must be allowed to form a ridge over the cord. that's the hard bit, it's too easy to end up with a hidden ridge and two rows of stitching on a flat shell
Short of inviting you to the Aero factory to see it being done, that's as clear as I can describe the process...........but you are very welcome to visit

No trade secret, anyone skilled enough to be able to execute the stitching would also be experienced and skilled enough to work it for themselves!!!
It's not an automatic process like a button hole machine, this is totally in the hands of the operator and once one front has been done, the opposite front has to be done to match exactly, again, free hand no guides involved

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

This is probably why (to the best of my knowledge) only Aero and Goodwear are using these machines today

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Much easier to see here...................

 

[zoomer]

Now it’s formed a mental picture. Tricky bit, keeping the cotton taut so the cord indents the hide instead...nature would have it ‘tother way round...

 

[johnwayne]

Sorry, didn't mean to imply it might be a re-configured A2, rather an attempt to improve on the basic design style, ie a new slant on an older pattern jacket, something modern designers seem to constantly do today, the numerous interpretations of the MA1 a prime example.

 

[zoomer]

Yeah, some jobber would have had to buy a big lot of A-2s and then cannibalize every nth one for materials. Not economical when you could just sell ‘em as is.

 

[Carlos Fandango]

The mention of an A-2 seems to have muddied the waters
Here's close up of that typical 50s pocket
The pockets themselves are blind but the shape of a patch pocket is picked out on a cording machine, one that double stitches and traps a length of cord between the back of the hide and a strip of cotton usually from the extremities of the two pocket openings . This gives a lovely raised seam, difficult to do neatly but well worth the effort and widely used in the immediate pre WW2 era.
Occasionally seen on repros these days as two lines of parallel stitching but without the cord inset, never looks right IMHO

View attachment 8312

Hi Ken, is this what you mean about the cord?

This is a jacket I picked up recently, I was thinking it was 80s but perhaps it's a bit older. Certainly in the 50s style. I would be interested in what you think, no label but i got it from France and I think it may be Chevignon? Interesting that it has the curved pocket flap similar to the one being discussed on the possibly Australian private purchase Navy jacket thread.

It's a much more red colour in natural light.

Thanks.

Carl

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

A ‘modern’ Mall bomber jacket.

Wrong, it's an early post WW2 US made Flight Jacket , no military

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Commercially produced jacket possibly from 1980s. Nothing collectible, but an everyday wearer .

Wrong on the first two counts, correct on the third

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I would say '70s but otherwise concur. (Looks like one of the pocket flaps has been replaced, too.)

No later than late 1950s