ELC Hide Question

[Julius]

I prefer MASH over Larry's. Larry's cuffs are too big.
For me MASH's cuffs are the correct size.

 

[Silver Surfer]

uh, having handled perhaps some 100 or more original a-2s, i can assure you that some have had slighty different colored panels. this is especially true of 1942 contract aeros. i have seen different colored panels on cable, and rw goaties as well. not only different colored panels, but different colored thread used on the same jacket. the different colored panels that i speak of are not because of age, wear and tear, or sun bleaching, it just the way some were made. original a-2 wrist knits were 2 1/2"-3" in length. the wrist knits that we now see on originals are usually shrunken by 1/2"-1".

 

[Brettafett]

Have to agree. Have not owned or personally handled hundreds of originals, but the one I did own for a time had slightly different hues, at least the lower sleeve panels were lighter. Varying grain and thread colours also.

 

[Julius]

When talking pigmented hides usually there are color differences from batch to batch, but very rarely if ever within the same batch.
The tannery uses the same process and dyes the leathers with the same color but never one batch is 100% the same with the previous batch. The same holds true with fabric dyeing. You can check it.

I don't doubt that you have seen examples with different color panels. It is possible that some jackets were made with leathers from different batches that were mixed during cutting. True what you say about the thread and knits.

 

[Brettafett]

I imagine that's exactly the case. Its 1942. You're are making a ton of A-2 jackets, with leather all over the place. You finish a few and there's some pieces left over. Next batch of leather comes out and your first jacket includes some leather from the previous batch. Darn, that olive drab thread ran out! Hell, just use that brown thread. And so it goes. Economy an all.

 

[B-Man2]

uh, having handled perhaps some 100 or more original a-2s, i can assure you that some have had slighty different colored panels. this is especially true of 1942 contract aeros. i have seen different colored panels on cable, and rw goaties as well. not only different colored panels, but different colored thread used on the same jacket. the different colored panels that i speak of are not because of age, wear and tear, or sun bleaching, it just the way some were made. original a-2 wrist knits were 2 1/2"-3" in length. the wrist knits that we now see on originals are usually shrunken by 1/2"-1".

Vic
Thank you!

 

[jeremiah]

Is there any evidence to suggest that any wartime originals were made from veg tanned hides?

 

[Julius]

no but there is evidence that they were made from chrome tanned hides

 

[taikonaut]

Is there any evidence to suggest that any wartime originals were made from veg tanned hides?

I think at least some Cable are veg tanned

 

[jeremiah]

Yeah still I bet they used pigment on even the veg tanned ones so where I was going with that is a dead end.

 

[taikonaut]

With Cable & Raincoat a lot of them tend to fade into pale yellow colour in patches in worn examples. I wonder if ELC and other repro makers after several decades would look the same way?

This original sold at GW
http://www.goodwearleather.com/pages/sale_cable_0001.html

 

[Lebowski]

Is there any evidence to suggest that any wartime originals were made from veg tanned hides?

Some pre-war jackets and some earliest ones possibly were veg-tanned.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Nothing to be done about those knits other than replacing one day. One thing you might try though if you’ve the heart is to get the knits wet with warm to hot water and then lay it out and let dry. The drying will tighten them up a little through some shrinking. But it’s only a temporary fix. They will eventually continue to bubble up and look ridiculous.

Don't wash ELC knits, it only stretches them totally out of shape

 

[jeremiah]

Good to know.
I have with others with good results.

 

[Silver Surfer]

im not %100 sure, but from appearances [im not a paid professional] some pre war a-2s were veg dyed, and i would bet dollars for donuts that rough wear 1401-p s were veg dyed. each and every one that i have personally handled, had that "mottled" look that is so charateristic of of that contract. the look is just so very different from susequent contracts that i have to deduce that the dying and or the tanning process used was veg-aniline.

 

[Julius]

Don't wash ELC knits, it only stretches them totally out of shape

Ken? are your knits made in USA or made in UK?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Ken? are your knits made in USA or made in UK?

USA

 

[Julius]

Is this by choice, or there isn't anyone in UK to buy them from?
if there was would you buy from the UK?

 

[ausreenactor]

I am always paranoid about my left wrist knit rolling over my watch. If they go it will be the inside of the left wrist knit.