My last A-2 (hopefully) - Good Wear

[Lord Flashheart]

‘fraid it’s not really news. Just a hope that the 12-14 months a bunch of us (me included) have been quoting wasn’t wishful thinking.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Smithy]

It's all Poughkeepsie for me now. If John A-OKs it re my body shape it's a done deal.

Been looking at loads of photos of them and love the pattern, some of the best looking pocket flaps too (IMHO). There's also a pic in Bianchi's book of an original which is just jaw-droppingly beautiful.

Plus let's face it, it must be the coolest named A-2 contract. Aero? Roughwear? Star? Etc, etc...Blah.

"Poughkeepsie", now that's got a ring to it

 

[Brettafett]

Uhh, a little late to the party, boys.
But add me to the list!
Dubow 1755, in its default settings.

@Brettafett I will have the leisure of seeing what everyone else got first, so that I can change my mind accordingly at the last minute!

John's 1755 look awesome! It was (is?) on my list, even though I have Platon's and one of BKs Dubows.

 

[Greg Gale]

"Poughkeepsie", now that's got a ring to it

Man I don't even know how to pronounce it

 

[blackrat2]

Puff Kip sie

 

[Greg Gale]

Puff the magic Kipsie....I though it was P-oh-keepsie. Ah, let's stick to Roughwear

 

[mulceber]

Puff Kip sie

Close: puh-KIP-see (stress on the middle syllable). I was born in upstate New York, so I knew about the town before I knew about the WW2 contractor.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Star.

I can spell it, pronounce it and I like it. I even like the jacket.

But I don't think I'm surprising anyone here frankly. I'll even live with the difference in pocket stitching between Johns version of the Star and ELC's.

 

[mulceber]

For anyone here planning on a Rough Wear, you might want to consider the leather John used on this jacket. It's not horsehide, but it's pretty hard to distinguish cowhide from horsehide anyway, and cowhide frequently was used by Rough Wear.

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Rough Wear 23380 A-2 Jacket

www.goodwearleather.com

John’s description of it:

We found an amazing cowhide, which is extremely similar to what Rough Wear generally used in their A-2 jackets. ELC tested an original Rough Wear 23380 and it had bovine DNA, so this is an excellent contract to use have cowhide today.

Compare photos of this jacket to an original RW 1401-P John sold recently:

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

I personally think cowhide/steerhide is the way to go. It seems to drape better than the veg tanned horsehide out there. I think it has a more 40s accurate feel to it and can have heaps of character. This is my poughkeepsie in cowhide. A little thicker than average but still drapes as it should. Whereas a thick horsehide can be like armour

 

[blackrat2]

Johns cowhide is great…but then his goat looks good from some of the posts

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

I don't think cowhide gets the credit it's due. There is cowhide that is chrome tanned and semi analine dyed which is far more ww2 accurate than a veg tanned horsehide. I'm unsure if there is chrome tanned horsehide on the market??
Myself included has put horsehide on a pedestal, but if I was ordering a goodwear (wish i could) I would 100 percent go for chrome tanned cowhide

 

[mulceber]

I'm unsure if there is chrome tanned horsehide on the market??

Maybe Shawn's. John's had some on occasion as well. Chromium tanning is virtually a dead industry in the US, Europe, Japan and Korea, because it's SO toxic for the environment. The EPA basically killed the industry in the '70s. And most of the tanneries that are still doing it (largely located in China and Pakistan) aren't interested in tanning hides that are as hard to acquire as horse.

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

Ah yeah I knew it was bad, certainly not as bad as it was in the 40s but its for the best that things are moving towards veg tanned. Diamond Dave used to produce in chrome tanned steer

 

[mulceber]

Agreed. Anyone living downstream of one of those tanneries...probably would not want to drink their tap water...or shower in it...or go swimming in any natural water sources. Those tanneries sure made some leather that draped beautifully, but modern veg-tanned stuff will probably last longer anyway.

 

[Bremspropeller]

"Poughkeepsie", now that's got a ring to it

Fingers crossed it's going to be a Pough-Keeper

 

[Smithy]

I personally think cowhide/steerhide is the way to go. It seems to drape better than the veg tanned horsehide out there. I think it has a more 40s accurate feel to it and can have heaps of character. This is my poughkeepsie in cowhide. A little thicker than average but still drapes as it should. Whereas a thick horsehide can be like armourView attachment 75592

Now that's nice.

I'm sold on the Poughkeepsie now. The more I read about it, it seems to be a brilliant combination of a sharp profile and yet easy to wear.

 

[Kermit3D]

I don't think cowhide gets the credit it's due. There is cowhide that is chrome tanned and semi analine dyed which is far more ww2 accurate than a veg tanned horsehide. I'm unsure if there is chrome tanned horsehide on the market??
Myself included has put horsehide on a pedestal, but if I was ordering a goodwear (wish i could) I would 100 percent go for chrome tanned cowhide

I absolutely agree with this!
I've said it many times before, but in my opinion, if you look closely at period videos, you can see the incredible flow and drape of the original A-2 jackets. They mold to the body in an incredible way, almost like a silk shirt. This is especially noticeable in the collar, which is often very stiff in modern reproductions.

I think the original jackets have become much stiffer over time, which is misleading.

The chrome tanning is extremely polluting and I still have a problem with my conscience... but I think it's an essential element to get a jacket really close to an original.

If I were to buy a new A-2 (and put my ecological sensibilities aside), then I would definitely ask John for chrome tanned leather, ideally horsehide, but cowhide sounds great.

 

[Brettafett]

That, and also thickness. Modern repros, incl some high ends on occasion, depending on leather used... are on the slightly thicker side.

 

[Smithy]

I think the original jackets have become much stiffer over time, which is misleading.

I've talked about this before on here. The technical curator at the museum I worked at told me how much stiffer WWII leather was now compared to how it would have been at the time.