My new ELC monarch

[Silver Surfer]

packing repros? squish them together into a wad and chuck em into a box of .....whatever. creases? yeah, plenty. dont worry, as most will work their way out. i have a buddy who wads his new repros into a ball and sits on them when doing sit down construction. if they get in his way, he just kicks them across the floor. ask no mercy, grant no mercy.

 

[Skyhawk]

packing repros? squish them together into a wad and chuck em into a box of .....whatever. creases? yeah, plenty. dont worry, as most will work their way out. i have a buddy who wads his new repros into a ball and sits on them when doing sit down construction. if they get in his way, he just kicks them across the floor. ask no mercy, grant no mercy.

Well I would hate to buy a used jacket from that guy. Especially if he eats a lot of beans!

The best way to pack them would be just like they were shipped. Fold them like a long sleeve shirt and put them in a box that has room inside so they are not pressed together and form hard creases.

Regards,
Jay

 

[B-Man2]

Jerimiah
I know I must sound like a broken record that keeps playing the same song over and over again, but here it goes. For transporting your jackets for your move....................Wrap them in a tight ball and throw them in the corner of your moving box. Put other clothes on top of them and let them alone. Don’t worry about creases. Your jackets will continue to look great whenever you decide to wear them..........With all do respect to Jay if you need more assurance simply check Ken from Aeros thread “17 years of hard wear “
And look at the photos of his jacket...........

 

[jeremiah]

Ok that’s great. Thanks guys for the tips.

 

[Pilot]

Jeremiah, your A-2 looks like WW2 ...no more difference to me...
Great jacket, nice fit....

 

[Smithy]

My Irvin got stuffed at the bottom of a box when moving country. It then lived in the bottom of that box for 16 months in transit and then in storage. When I unearthed it, it looked like hell, a crinkled, creased mess. After about a week of lying on the floor and a bit of wearing it looked a thousand times better than before it went travelling.

I wouldn't do that with something like CXL FQHH but with my Irvin stuffing it in a box any old how actually worked a treat.

 

[jeremiah]

Sounds good. I will pack with no worries then. Thanks guys. looks like I will be moving to Mississippi.

 

[Wright Field]

Sounds good. I will pack with no worries then. Thanks guys. looks like I will be moving to Mississippi.

I’ve been breaking in my new ELC Weber by doing exactly what they say here: wadding it into a ball, sitting in it, piling things in it, etc. It came stiff as a board and is just now softening up from the process.

 

[jeremiah]

Yeah great.

 

[jeremiah]

Pretty interesting. I was having a look at John’s version of the monarch. Then looking at vintage monarchs. Man did Eastman get the collar button placements wrong. The vintage ones match Johns. Wonder why they did that? Anyone else notice this?

The HP site has some good comparison pics and you can even see the original has the button more centered on the collar end where as the repro , like mine, has it offset more towards one end.

 

[Pilot]

Right, never noticed that before, but you are right.

 

[Brettafett]

Perhaps the jacket ELC used to copy the pattern has the collar buttons placed that way... WW2 jackets, even within the same contract, did vary I believe... Would be interesting to ask Gary at ELC.

 

[jeremiah]

Maybe but the comparison pics they have on the HP site show them next to each other and the vintage one has centered buttons.

I still like mine though.

 

[herk115]

I like it now and can layer if I wanted to. and if I gain some weight down the road, it will still fit. plus the price I got it for was way better than a new one from Eastman.

My thinking exactly. I've reached the age where it's become apparent that I'm not going to get smaller again, and most likely get bigger. I buy all my jackets one or two sizes large. Amazing how they all seem to fit after only a couple of years.

 

[jeremiah]

Funny thing is this thing fits me like a charm now. I don’t think I could layer much more in it.
Tried taking a pic today to show color difference with gavs. It’s only slight darker in this pic.
Love to see a pic of your second hand ELC herk.

 

[gav]

View attachment 5145 Funny thing is this thing fits me like a charm now. I don’t think I could layer much more in it.
Tried taking a pic today to show color difference with gavs. It’s only slight darker in this pic.
Love to see a pic of your second hand ELC herk.

beauty!

 

[herk115]

View attachment 5145
Love to see a pic of your second hand ELC herk.

You will, when I get down to Nellis AFB next week. Have my pic taken in front of the sign.

 

[jeremiah]

Interesting.
I was talking with Rob and getting details from this monarch I got new from eBay back in April. According to their records it was made back in 2007 based off the numbers on the tag in right hand pocket. However it’s odd since the jacket was definitely new and unworn when I got it. According to the records it was made for a guy in Slovakia.

I bought from eBay user drifterproductions.
The left hand pocket has the “genuine horsehide”label folded and sown along back top part of pocket.
Did I read somewhere that this label was used later after ELC was accused of not using horsehide? Or did they use labels later to say which hide was which? Could be my misunderstanding And the grain on this thing is great how it’s popped out. Definitely had grain when new but some has popped out more with wear and rain and sun. I did a very minor and mild HWT.
So? Could records be wrong?
Here it is new again
Definitely unworn when I got it as zipper was not smooth from newness and no stains or creases anywhere that began appearing shortly after I started to wear it.

Either way I really like it. Just was wondering how quality of their leather was back in 07 vs today. From Gavs pics, they look similar so guessing just as good.

 

[gav]

It’s a beauty whenever it was made. The hide is wonderful.

 

[jeremiah]

Thanks.
Here is my tag. So it might just be from 10 yrs ago if going by the second set of numbers.

But what a great hide if it’s not warhorse.
I am guessing it’s still veg tanned though.

Would be cool to compare a few pics with some other original makers by ELC from around this time period. Still can’t see how this jacket New was sold 10 years ago to a customer in Slovakia, never worn and then drifterproductions got a hold of it and it made its way to me. Perhaps the customer returned it and it sat somewhere like NOS and was passed on to DP.