Good Wear Leather Coat Company: Sale Acme Clothing & Tanning 1937 A-2 Flight Jacket

This item has been sold.
1937 Acme Clothing & Tanning Co. A-2 Flight Jacket
Price: $1,549.00 (new condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this jacket has comfortable fit in the correct size
Leather: russet brown Italian veg-tanned horsehide
Lining: tan cotton
Knits: dark brown wool
Zipper: No.7 nickel Hookless riveted zipper
Thread: mid-brown cotton
Size: 42

This jacket is a return, and is in new condition. The customer preferred knits that were a bit lighter in color. We chose the darker knit shade because the original featured in Gary Eastman's book "Type A-2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual" shows an original made with similarly dark brown knits. Having knits in either shade is perfectly fine, but he chose the lighter shade.

This jacket is made with russet Italian veg-tanned horsehide, and it's full of excellent grain, which will only get better with wear. The lining is also a correct tan color (not mustard as later Aero Leather Clothing Co. A-2s would have). The zipper is an M-37 No.7 nickel riveted copy of a Talon, with the name Hookless applied. If you know about trademark law, you'll know why Hookless is the name offered in countries where the trademarked name Talon must be licensed on newly made zippers.

This jacket has the pre-war details seen on A-2s jackets, from stitching in the leather above the knits, to a leather edge along the wind flap side of the zipper along the lining. These early jackets had the collar hooks applied by hand-sewing them. The snaps are vintage United-Carr Anzo snaps made in 1943, identical to those used in the Aero contract in 1937. One can find very interesting information about the ownership of this company (Aero Clothing & Tanning Co.) on the Vintage Leather Jacket forum, as it was a bit different than the later Aero Leather Clothing company of Beacon, New York.

The knits look dark in our photos, but photography increases the contrast of light-dark, making the leather look lighter and the knits look darker than they are when viewed in person. There certainly is contrast, but it's not as extreme as the images on this page. These knits are from our new company, and they're of a superb weave, and quite snug.

If a customer would prefer it, we can do the overdye treatment which many original jackets had gotten during WWII. This would make the leather darker, so that the knits and leather are a more even color tone. Please contact us about options if you would want this done.

The jacket would ideally fit someone in the range of 5'8" to 5'10", with a chest of 41" to 43", and a weight of about 175-195 pounds. The jacket is shown with a wearer who is 6 feet tall with a 41" chest.