Do You Find This Happen on A2 Jackets Often?

[Nnatalie]

How would anyone in the world see that.

Uh...because holes grow, especially in knit fabric?

 

[B-Man2]

Maybe this forum should be called Vaginal Leather Jackets.

Real cool there smooth.... in case you haven’t wrapped your head around it yet .. we have some ladies on the forum , and we’d like to keep them here.

 

[mulceber]

Uh...because holes grow, especially in knit fabric?

And she oughta know, since she made this for me: https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/hello-from-michigan.23952/#post-261530

 

[lipmann01]

I guess that person has missed my point here. I was just trying to make an observation about how different repro A2 jackets have different feeling of knits, some feel more robust while some are more prone to getting holes. So I humbly asked anyone who could answer me how the original knits looked like back in the 1940s. I believe many repro makers have idealized the jacket so I always wondered about the quality of an original issued A2. So far I’ve received some really helpful feedbacks. However that Corona Virus thing he said was really irrelevant and uncalled for, also extremely ungentlemanly. I also did mention that I wish I could learn a thing or two from WWII airmen who would treasure their jackets while still utilizing them as pieces of work ware. Why did this have to be turned into a hate speech?!

 

[B-Man2]

I guess that person has missed my point here. I was just trying to make an observation about how different repro A2 jackets have different feeling of knits, some feel more robust while some are more prone to getting holes. So I humbly asked anyone who could answer me how the original knits looked like back in the 1940s. I believe many repro makers have idealized the jacket so I always wondered about the quality of an original issued A2. So far I’ve received some really helpful feedbacks. However that Corona Virus thing he said was really irrelevant and uncalled for, also extremely ungentlemanly. I also did mention that I wish I could learn a thing or two from WWII airmen who would treasure their jackets while still utilizing them as pieces of work ware. Why did this have to be turned into a hate speech?!

Your question was clearly written and of legitimate concern. Don’t be put off from asking questions about future concerns, due to responses from people like him. Occasionally we have to deal with people like this but for the most part, we ignore their ridiculous inflammatory posts and move on. You can tell the value of his contributions to this forum by simply looking at his profile. He’s been a member here since 2008 with a whopping total of 53 posts . The last 4 of which were tasteless and offered nothing of value. Please do not feel put off by this, most of us here are happy and willing to help out a fellow jacket owner or collector.
Cheers

 

[Nnatalie]

So I humbly asked anyone who could answer me how the original knits looked like back in the 1940s. I believe many repro makers have idealized the jacket so I always wondered about the quality of an original issued A2. So far I’ve received some really helpful feedbacks. However that Corona Virus thing he said was really irrelevant and uncalled for, also extremely ungentlemanly. I also did mention that I wish I could learn a thing or two from WWII airmen who would treasure their jackets while still utilizing them as pieces of work ware.

It’s a tough question, because even the originals that survived to the present day are showing how the knits stood up to 75+ years of wear, rather than a few years of wear. It’d be fascinating to come across offhand mentions of repairing or caring for jackets in original journals or memoirs. Not anything that would be easy to find, but I imagine there are some stray lines out there about a soldier getting tears or holes in his jacket cuffs.

 

[mulceber]

It’s a tough question, because even the originals that survived to the present day are showing how the knits stood up to 75+ years of wear, rather than a few years of wear. It’d be fascinating to come across offhand mentions of repairing or caring for jackets in original journals or memoirs. Not anything that would be easy to find, but I imagine there are some stray lines out there about a soldier getting tears or holes in his jacket cuffs.

Our best indicator there would probably be the New-in-Box original A-2 that @Jorgeenriqueaguilera recently purchased. Those knits look pretty close to the the ones coming out of BK, GW, and DD, so I suspect WW2 soldiers probably ran into the same issues that @lipmann01 did, although I doubt they fretted much about it.

 

[mulceber]

Here’s the photo, for reference:

 

[B-Man2]

During the Air War in Europe there was a “cottage industry” of uniform makers, tailors,
leather craftsmen and such, in England who would replace linings, cuffs, waist knits, or make you a pretty good copy of an A2 jacket IF they could obtain the materials . You could get it all from soup to nuts. My dad had a set of Paratrooper wings made in England during the war and sent his issued ones home.
Concerning the knit cuffs, as someone mentioned earlier, a lot of airmen simply cut them off when they got too bad, and went without. There are several photos around showing just that . I don’t really know if there was much difference in the quality of knits on issued jackets of the time vs the repros of today. I tend to think that the ones made today might be a bit better than those made during war time. Just my opinion.

 

[lipmann01]

ORIGINAL / UNISSUED US AAF ~ Air Force A-2 / G-1 / G-2 Flight Jacket Waistbands | eBay

I have 3 boxes that are still sealed! You are buying aSEALED BOX of waistbands as there may be a collector or 2 out there who want a sealed box for his collection. ORIGINAL A2 / G1 / G2 Flight Jacket Waistband Box of 10.

www.ebay.com

Just found this on the bay: so replacement waistbands were actually a thing back in those days. I wonder if there used to be a department in the army that did garment repairs for soldiers who fought hard while still had to look sharp for certain occasions.

 

[B-Man2]

ORIGINAL / UNISSUED US AAF ~ Air Force A-2 / G-1 / G-2 Flight Jacket Waistbands | eBay

I have 3 boxes that are still sealed! You are buying aSEALED BOX of waistbands as there may be a collector or 2 out there who want a sealed box for his collection. ORIGINAL A2 / G1 / G2 Flight Jacket Waistband Box of 10.

www.ebay.com

Just found this on the bay: so replacement waistbands were actually a thing back in those days. I wonder if there used to be a department in the army that did garment repairs for soldiers who fought hard while still had to look sharp for certain occasions.

View attachment 38535

There were repo depots where jackets were sent to be repaired and replaced. They also re-dyed jackets at these centers, as there were several different interpretations of the color russet and the USAAF decided to re-dye those jackets a dark seal color and send them back out to the field . Many of the original jackets some of us own today are re-dyes from that period. Here’s a photo of an original Aero 21996 that was re-dyed during the war. You may be able to see small places around the collar where the dye got onto the collar lining. The cuffs and waist knits are Mash repros. They also had guys who were assigned to each air unit known as parachute riggers, who were crazy good with sewing machines and could repair, remake, invent all sorts of equipment, so cuffs and waistband replacements were no biggie.

 

[mulceber]

Burt, is that one of yours?

 

[B-Man2]

Burt, is that one of yours?

Hi Jan!
Yes , it’s a size 46 but the tag is gone.
It’s a Depot re-dye.

 

[mulceber]

It looks like it's in great condition. That leather is holding up really well, especially for a depot redye: I know from Eastman's guide that the dye they used frequently caused the upper surface of the leather to flake off.

 

[B-Man2]

You’re right about that .
Whoever owned this one took care to treat it with something and store it to prevent it from drying out.

 

[mulceber]

Yeah, no kidding. This jacket looks like it hasn't aged a day since the end of the war.

 

[Micawber]

There were repo depots where jackets were sent to be repaired and replaced. They also re-dyed jackets at these centers, as there were several different interpretations of the color russet and the USAAF decided to re-dye those jackets a dark seal color and send them back out to the field . Many of the original jackets some of us own today are re-dyes from that period. Here’s a photo of an original Aero 21996 that was re-dyed during the war. You may be able to see small places around the collar where the dye got onto the collar lining. The cuffs and waist knits are Mash repros. They also had guys who were assigned to each air unit known as parachute riggers, who were crazy good with sewing machines and could repair, remake, invent all sorts of equipment, so cuffs and waistband replacements were no biggie.
View attachment 38537View attachment 38538View attachment 38539

That's a tidy re-dye job Burt, I've seen much, much sloppier jobs than that.