Original Colors

[SteveN]

I've been looking at the various colors of originals and wonder if the lighter russet is the result of fading, or did they come this way? With nearly all the repo manufacturers russet is a chocolate color, the exception being Headwinds light russet brown horsehide. How authentic would this have been in real life, original issue models? A bit hard to tell because I can't lift up the pocket flaps in the photos to check...

 

[jeremiah]

BK russet is really light brown. At least their liberty HH.
but russet and seal were subjective to the tanneries. Some producing various shades calling it all seal.
normal bark tanning will lead to a light russet color.

 

[Micawber]

I've been looking at the various colors of originals and wonder if the lighter russet is the result of fading, or did they come this way? With nearly all the repo manufacturers russet is a chocolate color, the exception being Headwinds light russet brown horsehide. How authentic would this have been in real life, original issue models? A bit hard to tell because I can't lift up the pocket flaps in the photos to check...

One famous image you may have seen?

 

[Pilot]

Dubow russet, Bronco russet...on purpose uncleaned...untreated.

 

[ausreenactor]

The old ad ELC used to use in Fly Past showed how 'russet' some original jackets were.

 

[SteveN]

True about the variations. I once had an ELC Cable that was quite a light russet, probably similar to the ad mentioned above. Hard to tell on the computer too, as every monitor will display color somewhat differently. @Micawber photo, which I hadn't seen on the most recent search is quite nice. Checking out BK now...

 

[jeremiah]

Here is my version of the antique russet on my BK dubow.

 

[tjoenn]

Here is my version of the antique russet on my BK dubow.
View attachment 28204View attachment 28205View attachment 28206

It just doesn't get any better than that!!!

 

[SteveN]

Wow, nice grain and color on that for sure!

 

[Juanito]

One famous image you may have seen?

View attachment 28198

This is my favorite A-2 photo of all time. In my opinion, the perfect fit--cuff to the wrist when the arm is bent, enough length to double over in the back. The perfect russet color. I wonder i someone has determined what contract these jackets are. The pointy collar sould suggesst Dubow on the guy pointing to the map.

 

[ZuZu]

I've been looking at the various colors of originals and wonder if the lighter russet is the result of fading, or did they come this way? With nearly all the repo manufacturers russet is a chocolate color, the exception being Headwinds light russet brown horsehide. How authentic would this have been in real life, original issue models? A bit hard to tell because I can't lift up the pocket flaps in the photos to check...

A-2s came in every shade of brown. In the 70s I used to think that originals must have faded because my Avirex was an almost blackish brown and originals mostly seemed to be just plain brown. Now I know that was just me being stupid. I haven't really seen a lot radiation fading on original A-2s- if you look at the underside of the collar the original and almost always medium brown color shows. If you watch old color films from WW2 you can see what we think of "seal" jackets mixing with so-called russet jackets but then there's a shot in sunlight and you can see that "seal" is mostly just darker brown. An original RW27752 I had which is on John Chapman's CD look very "seal" in the photos but in real life I always thought of it as a dark russet. The "Seal"/ "Russet" dichotomy is false- really a gradation of brown would be a more accurate spectrum and really mostly very brown "russet" is most common. The almost black seal offered by repro makers was very uncommon except for in redyes- WW2 "seal" had a lot of brownish tones in it. One of the saddest things that's happened in my lifetime (jacketwise) is that those shitbags at Avirex somehow wangled their way into creating the new Air Force A-2- UGLY in all ways and especially UGLY in that horrible grayish rotting chocolate color they chose. Can you imagine say a Perry pattern out of nice brown goatskin sewn with nylon by Cooper- it COULD have been a nice jacket...!

 

[ausreenactor]

Would have cost too much per jacket if they made it too attractive. Government is more budget conscious than we are here.

 

[ZuZu]

Would have cost too much per jacket if they made it too attractive. Government is more budget conscious than we are here.

I still think it could have been done in a better color and made less weird looking. The Coopers and Avirexes are actually sewn quite well and have complicated sewing details- it’s just straight up an ugly pattern- the 1970s Avirex pattern #2 with the stupid pockets 1” from the wind flap and the weird pocket flaps.

 

[Dany McDonald]

There's russet and then there's russet...

Dealing with WW2 images from the web, one has to take in account color correction/shift and original film process/rendition.

Here's Micawber image corrected with less magenta (saturation in orange) and tweaked here and there...

EDIT: Here's a better version, less saturated

.

 

[jeremiah]

Those two match the Havana brown pretty well that ELC uses.

 

[B-Man2]

Those two match the Havana brown pretty well that ELC uses.

J
Did you have a monarch that looks like this at one time or am I thinking of someone else ?

 

[jeremiah]

I have a monarch still that matches that color well.

 

[B-Man2]

Thought so ...... At least the ol memory is still working .

 

[ausreenactor]

I have a monarch still that matches that color well.

Vic''s/my ELC Monarch is very close to this pic colour.

 

[Brettafett]

Most... original WW2 A-2s Ive seen, have been a mid-brown chocolatey colour. BK's Liberty, Platon's seal and Aero's old mid brown smooth HH came the closest to this colour. Of course there are so many other variations.
Jimmy Stewarts Roughwear 1401 is quite a light russet.
I've seen a very light brown original A-2 also, not reddy at all, more caramel... but could not read label.