Club Obi Wan

I've a Bean A-2 from the 80s. Nice goatskin, collar stand, single piece back, two-piece sleeves, a Scoville zipper, and Scoville snaps. Still in great shape. I've wondered who manufactured it, but I guess that info is lost in a govt warehouse.

It's a good beater for hiking in the woods with the dog. Glad to know it's a collector's item.

Harry

Dover subbed the 80s jacket?

Was it LLBean that bought out Willis and Geiger?

Those were wild times.

Regards! Michaelson

Oh, and it was Lands End that bought them....not LLBean.

I know, as I tilted that windmill for months trying to get them to carry the shirt in their catalog. They had the stock, and they had all the sources, but for some reason refused to sell them. Hostile takeovers are bad, no matter how you spin it.

We got them to put one of them out...but it was a dang moss green instead of the khaki!

Regards! Michaelson

It's a shame when this happens to a Company such as W+G.
I've heard though that much of their records were donated to the National Air and space Museum. I would think that would just be the flight clothing related files.
Hopefully the other historic patterns etc have also been preserved.

Michaelson wrote:Oh, and it was Lands End that bought them....not LLBean.

..............
Regards! Michaelson

Thanks for that clarification

Michaelson wrote:You have quite a collectors item. As I recally, the company that made those jackets for LLBean didn't deliver a lot of the promised inventory of Flying Tiger jackets, and it was quite a fiasco in the jacket industry. They were supposed to be fantastic jackets, but it was one of those situations were the subcontractor had bitten off more than he could deliver.

Regards! Michaelson

Piker wrote:I have an LL Bean "Flying Tiger" from 1993. Well before I got into Indy at all. It fits great!! But it is from 1993. Back then Bean sold them in even chest sizes 42, 44, 46 etc. Today they are S,M,L,XL.

The knit cuffs are great in cooler weather and driving a convertible. Can see why aviators liked them back in the day.

Trying to figure out a way to get an Indy jacket and get around "wife block"! "You have a Leather Jacket already, dear...."

I've got one of those too! Great jacket.


Travis

I have one of those W&G safari shirts too. Wish I'd bought more, though I suppose it will outlast me. The things are just about bullet proof, with nice functioning epaulets, sleeve straps, pockets... all good stuff made to last. I always wondered what happened to them.

It's a shame. I have similar thoughts about the old Banana Republic stores. Before the Gap bought them out and they became upscale casual style kind of places, they used to track down old stuff in warehouses and sell it in their stores, supplemented by new stuff of similar spirit. I got a great old French military trenchcoat that way that I still love, even though I lost a buckle. A lot of their things were vintage military and it was terrific with their jungle-themed shops.

Anyone have some pictures of these safari shirts? They sound great.

Sadly, the operative word is 'was' great. They are no longer made or sold, and haven't been for years.

Regards! Michaelson

Wow, the knowledge you guys have continues to impress me. I too have an early 90's LL Bean A-2 jacket. The quality really is terrific and it appears to be infinitely better than what Bean's currently sells. It is sad to see so many classic American clothing companies now outsourcing. I just bought a Carhartt Detroit jacket, and the danged thing is made in Mexico! 10 years ago that would have been unthinkable.

_, is this the shirt that Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt wore on their African Safaris ??

Forrest For the Trees wrote:Wow, the knowledge you guys have continues to impress me.

Strickly speaking for myself, I've probably forgotten more than I remember now. Occasionally a 'file drawer' opens, and a piece of old information falls out. That's what happened when I remembered it was LandsEnd that bought out W&G. I'm amazed _ still remembers the dates!!!

Regards! Michaelson

Hey, at our age, that's allowed!

Regards! Michaelson

I have a Wested Raiders in Novapelle, looks great and extremely comfortable however, I am an A2 man to be honest and own a numbers of jackets.
At present I have - Aero Leather A2 in goat, ELC "house" A2 in goat, ELC PH A2 in steer, ELC Star in horse and finally an ELC G1 in goat.....all fantastic jackets.

NB> the comments regarding ELC using steer as horse, this may have been true in the past but as for the present, their horse is horse, steer is steer and goat is goat just as advertised....this can be concurred on any of the historic jacket forums these days.

I don't own a genuine A2, although years ago, I did own a genuine USN G1.
I prefer the G1 style of bi-swing back and underarm gussets, seems to provide superior range of motion.
My "flight jackets" consist of a Berman's and a Schott, both similar pattern brown leather jackets with G1 style bi-swing and gussets, but with removeable fake fur collars and furry zip-out liners.
With the fur collar removed, they resemble an A2 with a bi-swing back, not completely authentic, but in my mind, the way the A2 SHOULD have been made.
Differences amount to the tanning process on the leather, the thickness of the lining material (its a little thicker/stiffer on the Schott), and the material used for the knits (cotton/poly blend? on the Berman's, and some kind of acrylic/wool blend? for the Schott).
As far as comfort goes, there is not a great deal of difference, perhaps the knits on the Schott feel softer against the wrists.