Educate me on A-2 leather finishes

[Smithy]

Of course it begs the question of what kind of accurate repro the makers are trying to reproduce? Is it a new in the box wartime jacket which looks the same as an issued one in 1942 or a well used many decades old one which might pass as an original to someone who was not an expert? I'm in the original in a box camp - and as I posted in another similar thread a few days ago an early chrome tanned pigmented hide GoodWear I had was the closest I've seen to that.

Using veg tanned aniline hide can make a jacket look like a well used original once it's well broken in if that is what the maker is aiming for, and for film use or something like that it might make sense. But remember the jackets were new once and most in use did not have time to get very old and well worn.

View attachment 161213

I could be dead wrong, but I recall this photo as a reenacter wearing a U.S. Authentic repro?

That is a reenactor. The guy was a member over at Le Salon du Chapeau. This photo was in the member reenactors gallery thread that Paddy collated. And yes it is a US Authentic, I know that for a fact as I messaged him about the jacket after seeing this photo back in 2007/2008.