Fivestar A-2 Star Sportswear... Photos of the first jacket

[WingAndaPrayer]

Oh bother, I just saw mr ties had a Poughkeepsie thread. My bad!

 

[CBI]

cool

 

[leper-colony]

A friend of mine, who was a tail gunner on Nine-O-Nine in the 91st, was from the Boston area and was issued a Star A-2. So tempting. He painted his own jacket back as well.

Hey Murph, did you ever shoot at anyone?

Are you kidding me?! I was too scared!!

 

[B-Man2]

Speaking of different hides the Poughkeepsie contract was a cowhide contract . You can fact check this in the ELC book . So technically for those who like authenticity and accuracy in their repros , cowhide is the correct hide…. Not Horsehide .

 

[ausreenactor]

Congrats to Shawn and his team. This is pretty darn close, just a few tweaks. As we notice those few needed details, let's not forget the 98% they got right.

At the 40% price point!

 

[flyincowboy]

Speaking of different hides the Poughkeepsie contract was a cowhide contract . You can fact check this in the ELC book . So technically for those who like authenticity and accuracy in their repros , cowhide is the correct hide…. Not Horsehide .

And what about the STAR could you tell?

 

[Micawber]

A friend of mine, who was a tail gunner on Nine-O-Nine in the 91st, was from the Boston area and was issued a Star A-2. So tempting. He painted his own jacket back as well.

Hey Murph, did you ever shoot at anyone?

Are you kidding me?! I was too scared!!

Lol! Nine O Nine's nose art was, like so many 91st a/c, painted by Cpl Tony Starcer. I met quite a few crew members and also ground crew who did such a grand job of maintaining her and her sister ship Out House Mouse.

 

[leper-colony]

Why not used the original lettering color on the label? Just noticed.

 

[B-Man2]

And what about the STAR could you tell?

According to Gary Eastman’s A2 Manual the Star contract was also made of cowhide . He used DNA testing to confirm this .

 

[mulceber]

Yep, although I'd qualify that by saying that when Gary calls it a cowhide contract, what he means is that the jacket he tested was cowhide. There were likely plenty of horsehide jackets in there as well. Either leather is accurate. Honestly, either leather would probably be accurate for most of the war contracts.

 

[leper-colony]

Lol! Nine O Nine's nose art was, like so many 91st a/c, painted by Cpl Tony Starcer. I met quite a few crew members and also ground crew who did such a grand job of maintaining her and her sister ship Out House Mouse.

Wish I could find one of the British made embroidered and wire 323rd squadron patches.

Also I was in the Ashby (De La Zouch ), in the 90s, on business when he was over visting his old base in Royston. I've never been so gutted that I could not go over with him as work was too busy.

 

[Micawber]

Wish I could find one of the British made embroidered and wire 323rd squadron patches.

Also I was in the Ashby (De La Zouch ), in the 90s, on business when he was over visting his old base in Royston. I've never been so gutted that I could not go over with him as work was too busy.

I was involved and curated the BG museum there so chances are we met.
People like the 324th Sqdn patches due the Memphis Belle connection, 323rd due to 909 & OHM but the 322nd & 401st B Bomb Squadrons who were also with the 91st less so.

 

[flyincowboy]

And what about the STAR could you tell?

Been told years ago that A2 jackets are only Horsehide made.... Then there is Goatskin, Cowhide, Steerhide.... and all of them are accurate! thank to this the community !Such a nice place to learn about MILITARY jackets....

 

[ausreenactor]

Been told years ago that A2 jackets are only Horsehide made.... Then there is Goatskin, Cowhide, Steerhide.... and all of them are accurate! thank to this the community !Such a nice place to learn about MILITARY jackets....

The people are the primary benefit. The knowledge comes a close second!

 

[WingAndaPrayer]

Been told years ago that A2 jackets are only Horsehide made.... Then there is Goatskin, Cowhide, Steerhide.... and all of them are accurate! thank to this the community !Such a nice place to learn about MILITARY jackets....

Is there a difference between cow and steer hide?

 

[leper-colony]

Moo and whiney?

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Probably the assumption that steer being male would give tougher leather than cow, but I doubt this would be so. Perhaps marketing

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Having said that, I've heard it's tougher to skin a stag for example than a doe deer, so maybe males have thicker/tougher hide or more robust structure?? I'm sure someone here will have more informative knowledge

 

[ausreenactor]

Is there a difference between cow and steer hide?

Horns and udders go in the bin and then pretty much the same.
Steerhide would be more common. Cows stick around for milking...

Steers are beef and get the chop. Russet comes from Jerseys and Seal from Fresians.

 

[tda003]

It depends on where the hide is taken from the animal and breed as to how thick. As an example for horse hide. Cordovan is horse hide. It is noticeably different than the leather used in making flight jackets because it only comes from the rump area of horses and is thicker and undergoes a six month tanning process. Also there are grades and thickness differences. It's the same for steer hide. Ultimately, however, any hide can be skivered for thickness. The surface isn't any thicker., so not likely that you can easily tell what sex the beast started life as. This is simplistic, but I'm not writing a thesis.