Aero Real Deal 4215142P Type A2 Unmatched Horsehide

Wholesale Price:     £300.00

This is the jacket that would have been thrown at the raw cadet but the quartermaster. This A2 has been cut just like they would have been at times of leather shortages such as experiences during WWII. Manufacturers would have tried to squeeze as many jackets out of their leather as possible and marks and scars would not have been avoided, and no care would have been taken as to the matching of grain, panel to panel. The end result is probably the nearest to a WWII A2 made since 1943. Obviously we save on the hides when making such a jacket, and that saving is being passed on to the customer despite the fact that we think this is probably the most truly authentic A2 on the market. We've taken the original 42-15142-P contract Aero A-2 patterns, copied the original tanning technique, lightly spraying a Seal Brown or Russet coating onto a reddish Horsehide base hide, drumming just enough to bring up the grain without unduly softening the hide. We didn't just use ONE original 15142, we had 14 here at one time during the research period! This Type A-2 is fitted as standard with a Nickel Triple Marked Talon Zipper with the early Art Deco box and WW2 Bell Shaped Puller on Brown Cotton Herringbone Tape. Antique Brass is available as an option, please request this option in the specials box on the shopping cart. We fit a clone of the Aero 42-15142-P label, identical Pale Mustard 100% Cotton lining, identical 100% wool knitted parts with the cuffing which soon wears into the profile of original two way weave cuffing without the inherent faults. Just by looking at old jackets and reading action reports shows how many Airmen removed the cuffing as soon as it stretched out of shape original patterns, Gunners especially! They wouldn't have needed to do this with our cuffing! During WWII all available horsehide was used, not just the prime front quarter. This meant rougher horse skins, leaving on all the scars, natural marks, and not trimming off the jerky shank- there was a war going on, every bit of horse went into the jacket, and the same goes for the 'Real Deal'. This is the jacket to stand up to a World War and come out the other end looking better than it went in, anyone whose ever looked at original AAF Type A2's would surely agree, remember during WWII Type A2's were not the flawless, shiny unblemished, A2's like the supposedly Stitch for stitch replicas currently on the market.