What Price Glory Sheepskin Flying Jacket

[alcon]

In the past,I have read many posts about the WPG Flying Jacket (RAF Irvin style) and the non-leather seam tapes (plastic) and horrible zips. Does anyone have a recently purchased jacket that can comment on the jacket's quality today? Thanks

 

[foster]

It was back around 2003 when WPG made his first sheepskin jackets. I used to own one of the B3 jackets he made. I was under the impression he only did one batch of them?

The B3 was nice sheepskin but the other details were a bit off. Modern YKK zipper, and the seam tapes seemed slightly off to me. I had to file the buckles as they were cheaply made and had sharp edges.

 

[Roughwear]

In the past,I have read many posts about the WPG Flying Jacket (RAF Irvin style) and the non-leather seam tapes (plastic) and horrible zips. Does anyone have a recently purchased jacket that can comment on the jacket's quality today? Thanks

I believe the Irvin design has improved recently and plastic is no longer used for the seam tapes. Why not email the maker and find out for sure?

 

[alcon]

I'll try again. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck in the past getting a response from them-ugh.

 

[Anonymous]

Yummy!!!

 

[jon11]

how do they fit and wear?

 

[Geir]

I bought one of these by mistake in 2008. It's not the same quality as Eastman or Aero, so I gave it away to a friend of mine who took me up for trip in an AT6.

 

[Tim P]

with respect, Its not likely to be the same as an Eastman or Aero. the price differential is massive. if it were the same then those two would have some questions to answer about their pricing...

Is it however, well made and wearable? it could be that if it were lighter weight (as many vintage jackets seem to have become over time) it is easier to wear than a more costly jacket.
does it represent reasonable value for money or is it a POS?

 

[flyboy]

No - it's not as welmade as ELC or Aero. And definitely not as good as Aces High.
But it is wearable. It's lighter/softer.
Is that value for money? Only you can answer that.

 

[jack31916]

I've bought (a second hand) one from one of the guys here for not too much money. It's much thinner / lighter than the Eastman and Aero Irvins but due to its lightweight, comfortable to wear. I liked it better than my Aero Irvin.

If you can get hold of a secondhand one then you'll have value for money.

 

[Jason]

The WPG Irvin is the only repro Irvin I've ever had, but can compare it to a few originals.
Yes, the WPG is very much lighter in weight and thinner than the originals, and no doubt the Aero / ELC / Aces repros too.
Its appearance looks OK, not quite in the same league as the high end repros of course, but certainly better than other supposed Irvin repros (eg ALC)
Wearability - lets just say it's not a robust item, you'll want to make sure you don't scrape against any walls or gates etc to keep it in one piece.
Construction is functional enough, but is in line with the rest of the jacket - Ok but nothing to get excited about.

Is it good value? Considering a new repro costs 2.5 to 4 times the cost of the WPG, it probably is priced about right for what it is. The law of diminishing return applies here; to get that last nth degree of authenticity with the high end repros, you have to pay for it. If you're looking for authenticity at a bargain price - forget about the WPG. If you're looking for something reasonable at a decent price - the WPG fills a niche no other maker currently does.

 

[Roughwear]

Here's a link to your review of your jacket Jason with the photos.

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