Ja Dubow 27798 (Platon) A-2 jacket review and pics

[B-Man2]

Seems BK and Platon need to communicate a little better and more often. It's eventually going to hurt them in the long term.
Good customer service still attracts customers, everything being equal, I'm going to buy from the business that provides the best customer service, and yes I get it about having to answer
several emails a day asking about minutia, but that's all part of the deal when your asking someone who doesn't know you to pony up $700.00 - $900.00 dollars in advance in my opinion.

 

[Brettafett]

I've learnt (or am learning) not to panic. Greg's Dubow has shipped and I ordered my russet before him, have not heard anything... No reply to emails either. I will not panic or worry...

 

[Changeling]

Yes no need to panic, I took the view in the beginning it might take at least six months to arrive, so it might turn out to be around that time in the end. I know it will be a great jacket from all I have seen and read.

 

[Smithy]

I know a lot of these outfits are one man band jobs and that answering every single email would mean they never actually made any jackets, but I do wonder if it might be prudent for them to devote half a day/one day a week to sit down and send a few emails off. Maybe even have in their website blurb something like "it's just me running this show so I can't answer emails all day and everyday but I do have one day a week where I drag myself away from the workbench and try and answer as much email correspondence as possible. For that reason please be aware that it may take a little time for me to reply to enquiries."

 

[Brettafett]

I know its been baked so many times, but in an ideal world (which this isn't), there'd be a re-working of all of this. Paying a large sum of money up-front for a jacket, that takes months and sometimes more months to arrive and may, or may not actually fit, with little or sporadic correspondence along the way is not ideal. This seems to be the only 'industry' this is accepted as the norm. No wonder guys are nervous and get a bit upitty.
A deposit... or even a non-refundable deposit... would be better, balance payable before posting, for example.
If I was not so interested in this subject and such a fan of these jackets and the genre, I would think we were all insane.
I will say though that ELC play the best game - emails are always answered, great after-sales support, and wait-times are generally respectable. Yes I know they are a bigger team... still.

Back on point. From my own jacket to all the pics I've seen floating about online, I have yet to see a disappointing Dubow from Platon.
And I am super pleased with the jacket I received from BK. Am getting close to having a closet of keepers. Thank goodness!

 

[Smithy]

Am getting close to having a closet of keepers. Thank goodness!

It's a refreshing feeling if you make it there mate!

The buying itch has definitely faded for me. I don't know whether it was something specific or if it just sort of happened but last year I just seemed to come to the opinion that I've got enough jackets. I don't collect them from an historical aspect nor am I a leather jacket collector, but rather I have them all as wearers so it was probably a darn sight easier to suddenly realise, I've got more than enough to wear. I've also stopped the Holy Grail quest for the perfect jacket - for me it doesn't exist. And I'm also one of those that likes jackets to develop patina and proper long term wear and the only way I can do that is by wearing the bloody things!

I love seeing other chaps new clobber on here but it's rather liberating to be satisfied with what I have and to not have that itch anymore.

 

[Brettafett]

Tim, I am not far behind you on this.

 

[ausreenactor]

After ticking all of the boxes with my BK Werber and the BR Rough Wear I though my A-2 days were done. Vic's ELC Monarch was perfectly timed. I still haven't had the pluck to get an A-2 painted. Now that Ties could be an option it looks like my next painted A-2 is on the cards (the BR Rough Wear). The Monarch can be the new nightly wearer.

Other than that it will only be unique BR stuff or absolute bargains....

 

[Officer Dibley]

It's a refreshing feeling if you make it there mate!

The buying itch has definitely faded for me. I don't know whether it was something specific or if it just sort of happened but last year I just seemed to come to the opinion that I've got enough jackets. I don't collect them from an historical aspect nor am I a leather jacket collector, but rather I have them all as wearers so it was probably a darn sight easier to suddenly realise, I've got more than enough to wear. I've also stopped the Holy Grail quest for the perfect jacket - for me it doesn't exist. And I'm also one of those that likes jackets to develop patina and proper long term wear and the only way I can do that is by wearing the bloody things!

I love seeing other chaps new clobber on here but it's rather liberating to be satisfied with what I have and to not have that itch anymore.

I’ve been there several times Tim !
Now i have a GW A-2, ELC B-10, BR L-2a and ELC Redskin B-6 (plus a Bronson olive L-2 and use ELC L-2....), i think i’m done......
A leather, a cloth, a nylon and a shearling.
I HOPE I’m done !
Dave

 

[Brettafett]

I envy you chaps.

 

[mulceber]

The buying itch has definitely faded for me. I don't know whether it was something specific or if it just sort of happened but last year I just seemed to come to the opinion that I've got enough jackets.

I’m hoping I’ll get there soon. I’m definitely coming to the point where I’m questioning whether I can give each jacket regular wear. But with an Original United Sheeplined arriving today and a BK RW on order, I’m hoping I’ll soon be able to settle into enjoying wearing jackets rather than acquiring them.

 

[stanier]

I know a lot of these outfits are one man band jobs and that answering every single email would mean they never actually made any jackets, but I do wonder if it might be prudent for them to devote half a day/one day a week to sit down and send a few emails off. Maybe even have in their website blurb something like "it's just me running this show so I can't answer emails all day and everyday but I do have one day a week where I drag myself away from the workbench and try and answer as much email correspondence as possible. For that reason please be aware that it may take a little time for me to reply to enquiries."

I largely agree with this. Sending a significant sum to someone and then not hearing anything for months, particularly if previously set expectations come and go and the website drops offline as appeared to have happens recently in another case simply isn’t good enough, even if many other customers can vouch for the honesty of the craftsman / business / seller. Equally many of these vendors appear to think that their customers automatically have the patience of saints and uneventful personal lives that can absorb delay and wait without consequence which is unrealistic and annoying and frankly, vaguely arrogant, imho. Sorry when I’ve paid my money I want it and in my mind any expectation set by the vendor is part of our contract. If anything gets in the way of that I want, and have a right to know.

Equally and in fairness, I am very well aware from my own business life, professionally or a few periodic personal sales on eBay etc, including here (sorry but true!) selling a few items occasionally that the people who send the most questioning and other emails, often about obscure or off the wall topics are rarely, if ever, the customers who actually do business. They’re just time wasting. I appreciate this isn’t the case in these posts but I think it’s worth bearing in mind.

For me though the onus is on businesses to figure how to deal with this though and have solutions to deal with. They can range from automated email replies assuring the stability of the business through to providing a ticket number when a customer pays that allows them to track their place in the queue and carries automated alerts on supply issues. And a revolutionary thought, if unexpected illness etc sadly occurs, how about getting the web provider to put a notice up and automate and email to customers advising of such. These ideas, and I’m sure others, should be easy for any of their web providers to do and kills many birds with one stone. Nothings going to be perfect but it would be a lot better than where we are when dealing with one man bands.

Sorry this is slightly off the topic the thread is going on but not entirely and I figure that unless we raise this with these guys now both both customers and makers are driving in a ticking time bomb. What if a maker had a year or mores worth of paid orders and something stopped them making and trading completely? What would happen then?

 

[Greg Gale]

To be fair, communication with Platon has been impeccable, he always replied to me right away.

 

[Juanito]

Looks like Platon is back on eBay.

A-2 JACKET WWII JA DUBOW MFG 27798 Russet or Seal | eBay

This is an exact replica of the jackets produced under the W535ac27798 25 April 1942 contract JA Dubow Mfg had with the US Army. (All those interested in these things will know what I am talking about).

www.ebay.com

So aside from the hand wringing and teeth gnashing, has anyone actually gotten hung out to dry yet?

 

[ausreenactor]

There was a 'refund'; however, I am not completely across the circumstances.

I asked the other day if anyone had seen a recent eBay listing. Here we go!

 

[ausreenactor]

Two recent listings on the 13th and 21st of August. First one was for US$400!!

A-2 JACKET WWII JA DUBOW MFG 27798 Russet or Seal | eBay

This is an exact replica of the jackets produced under the W535ac27798 25 April 1942 contract JA Dubow Mfg had with the US Army. (All those interested in these things will know what I am talking about).

www.ebay.com.au

Have an eBay notification set but I didn't get an update.... Booo

 

[Greg Gale]

The only photo I can share until next March. Sorry for the quality, Mom’s phone, you know.

She measured 22” chest, 17.5” shoulders, and 25” sleeves, but I’m not sure she did it right. She probably didn’t.

 

[Micawber]

So I'm squinting at this on.my phone and can't quite see the size he is offering on the 'bay? I bought a 44" of him via greedbay months ago, my son has that now with the Catch 22 patch from Vic on it.

So these jacket's he's offering on there, cancelled or returned orders? Id be miffed if I'd ordered one the same size months back and then notice completed jackets in a suitable size up for grabs. Confused.

 

[ausreenactor]

So many Mum joke options... So much restraint.

Jacket looks great!

 

[mulceber]

So I'm squinting at this on.my phone and can't quite see the size he is offering on the 'bay? I bought a 44" of him via greedbay months ago, my son has that now with the Catch 22 patch from Vic on it.

So these jacket's he's offering on there, cancelled or returned orders? Id be miffed if I'd ordered one the same size months back and then notice completed jackets in a suitable size up for grabs. Confused.

Well it offers the jacket in russet or seal, so it sounds like he’s offering to make the buyer a new jacket in any size or color. I wonder if this is a way to scare up some more business.