Customer Reviews

Men's Air Force A-2 Flight Leather Bomber Jacket

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Material: a very soft, evenly-dyed glove leather (goatskin). Perfect for casual to "dressy" wear in spring, summer, and fall. Too soft for construction sites (unless you're the boss and don't plan on rubbing up against a nail). Collar and flap-pocket snaps are black-anodized (I bought the jacket in black). Vent grommets are brass. Zipper is YKK metal - not plastic - and very smooth (I added a leather zipper pull). Woven cuffs and waistband are the soft kind and tend to fuzz a little. Lining is uninsulated khaki material with American flag stencil and nylon sleeve linings. Nice leather-backed "Air Force" label.
Fit: Perfect for my size (L) and the 1940's fighter-pilot "blousing" around the waist is exactly right as is the lay of the snap collar and the curve of the epaulets. A whole bunch more comfortable than my old, heavy, $300 one. More authentic too!
Construction: Seems to be CAD-designed and made. Obviously modeled from an excellent original . . . maybe an Eastman. Extremely straight seams with turned edges. Evenly stitched everywhere. Feels like double-layer leather throughout, but not heavy at about 4 pounds. The back is three-piece leather rather than one-piece . . . a detail disliked by pilots for reasons of comfort on long flights in steel seats. Not important to me and even the L.L. Bean "Flying Tiger" version is three-piece at $289 or so.
Bottom line: While nobody is going to confuse this A2 with one of Neil Cooper's thick-leather masterpieces, they're not going to believe you paid a hundred bucks for it either. After a week of wear, it was my favorite jacket. After a month it's starting to take on some character and I am very, very surprised at the number of compliments I get.

The jacket itself is spectacular-looking and has really nice features at an incredible price. My problem was with the sizing. I ordered the "XL Tall" size for my husband who is 6'3". He normally wears an XL and can sometimes get away with a non-tall jacket but more often than not he needs the size to specifically indicate "tall". Well, this jacket was nowhere near being tall, even though the label indicated so. The sleeves were very much "regular" length. I ended up giving the jacket to my dad, who is 5'11" and the jacket and sleeves fit him perfectly.

First off, let me say that I've owned several Military Issue A-2 Bomber Jackets, so I have a pretty good idea of how this compares the original. The color is very close, if not, slightly darker than some of the originals out there (Avirex, Cooper, etc..). The best way to describe it is that it's 'chocolate' in color. Pretty dark, but nice. The sewing is tight and the leather seems to be nice quality as well. I have no idea what others were saying about the leather being thin. This is not thin for an A-2 Jacket, and actually thicker than the first original horsehide A-2 that I owned.

Finally, I almost purchased a size larger than I wear (due to the other reviewers saying that it runs small). But that's not the case. If you look at old photos of WWII Pilots wearing the A-2's, you'll see that they're worn fairly tight around the chest and shoulders. But...you can look pretty dorky wearing one of these too tight now a days. In any case, this jacket is pretty generous in the 'width' department, so no need to worry unless you're a clydesdale. If that's the case, then it probably makes sense to go one up on sizing. Otherwise, use the Luxury Lane 'general' sizing chart on their web site as an accurate guide.
Enjoy!

I suspect a great many buyers of the A-2, are more interested in the mystique of the WW II fighter pilots and the adventures of fictional heroes, than attaining a utilitarian garmet. The A-2 leather jacket has achieved legendary status among collectors, history buffs, and WW II re-enactors. The Indianna Jones fans have added a new segment to the A-2's admirers.
Those looking for total authenticity will not be satisfied with this model. This jacket takes liberty in materials, styling and features from the original; not altogether bad ideas. The silk lining of the original has been substituted for a rough cotton(?) lining, the metal snaps at the neck have been omitted, hand warmer pockets have been added behind the traditional front cargo pockets, and "nappa touch lambskin" has been substituted for the original material.
The originals were noteworthy, for their ability to stand up on their own, due to the stiff horse hide (and later goat skin) used in manufacturing. The worldwide loss of quality leather goods, has resulted in questionable materials and tanning methods, used for leather garmets. The use of kitchy sounding marketing terms, serve only to confuse buyers,to the true origin of the leather. Original A-2s are family heirlooms, handed down through the generations. I doubt this jacket will last nearly that long. On the plus side, the lighter softer material makes for a more comfortable jacket, without a several months break-in period. The liner in any jacket is a wear item, but silk certainly helps in sliding the jacket on or off over street clothes. The originals' sharply tapered waist line was designed for Depression era teenagers, not for the well-fed and older wide body, this jacket fits so well. The neck snaps are a non-starter, missed only on the most windy days. The addition of slash handwarmer pockets, while retaining the originals' snap pockets, is an appreciated improvement.
Overall, a pretty well executed copy of a classic, at a bargain price.

I received this jacket for Christmas,2008.I love this thing.I've worn it every day,when it wasn't just too bloody hot,here in the Arizona desert,which means about 6 months of real use.With a flannel shirt underneath,this very lightly insulated jacket is warm enough for even the coldest morning,here in the Valley of the Sun.

It has only got better looking,and more comfortable with age.Zippers,pockets, snaps,etc,all in perfect working order.A very slight amount of natural "distressing" is starting to show up on the high spots,such as the pockets.No real color loss,just sort of a burnishing.All to the good.Makes it look more like an old favorite(which it no doubt will be),rather than something fresh out of the box.

It misses out on 5 stars because of a few minor gripes.First,inexplicably,there is no snap at the top of the wind flap to cinch it closed.There's one at the bottom,though,where you don't really need it.Odd.My old WWII vintage A-2 had both a top,and bottom snap.Not a huge deal,but it would be nice to be able to secure the wind flap on those cold morning motorcycle rides to work.

Incidentally,this is not a proper,nor adequate motorcycle leather,nor was it meant to be.I use it only on my short commute to work,so I don't have to schlep two jackets.

Second,the cuffs and waistband are made from a very soft knit fabric,rather than the stiffer,slicker stuff you usually find on jacket cuffs.It's already beginning to fuzz and pill,and I'm a bit worried about it for the long haul.I wonder if something like Scotchgard would prevent this? I'd appreciate feedback on that,thanks.

Last and least,the lining of my old A-2 was a slick silk-like material.Even with lots of layers,you could could just stick your arms in,and basically shrug the jacket on.This one has an attractive khaki colored shirt-like weave fabric,that causes just enough friction that you have to be a bit more deliberate about putting your arms through the sleeves.Very minor,but this stuff is starting to pill and fuzz,too,and you have to wonder just how much more expensive a slippery nylon fake silk liner would have been.

That took a lot of space,but those are very minor gripes,and this is meant as a positive review.Go back and read my second sentence.I think mine was about $130.00 when we ordered it,and after receiving it,we considered it a bargain.Especially when compared to other A-2 jackets out there,costing a lot more.

I see the price has dropped.If you're looking for an authentically cut A-2,you need to try this one,before you buy something else more expensive.If it's not "real" enough for you,lots of people would love it as a second-hand gift.

* On the sizing issue: I'm 5'11,about 190.I have the large-regular.The waistband sits at exactly my natural waistline,just as a jacket of this type should,and the sleeves are at the perfect length,as well.In other words,it fits me like a glove,so if you are 6'0 or taller,you'll definitely need the "tall" *

This was exactly what my husband was looking for. It fit him great and the quality is very good. Seller was prompt with shipping - we had no problems.

I bought this jacket to wear in a play, but it's much more than a costume piece; when cold weather comes, I will be wearing it a lot. I ordered it on a Tuesday and it came that Thursday--what service! It was carefully packed; every surface that could rub another surface in transit (pocket flaps, side pockets,collar, etc.)was cushioned with a piece of tissue papaer, then the whole thing was swathed in tissue before being packed in a plastic bag and boxed.

And when I got the wrapping off, what I found was a soft, beautiful mid-weight jacket, nicely made. It's a dark-chocolate color. I'm 5-foot-7 and weigh 210, so I ordered an XXL; it's very generously sized. The back is made of several pieces of leather, but they are beautifully matched in color. There are two large flapped pockets, two hand-warmer pockets, and one inside breast pocket. The cuff and waist are a soft knit material.

I expect to enjoy this jacket for many years, and it's a terrific bargain for the price ($[...[). I recommend it highly.

Colour: i chose brown, it is very dark brown, very much the same colour as dark chocolate.

Material: The seller's description "Soft lamb touch supple nappa" is very misleading. This is NOT lamb or Nappa leather. Nappa leather is defined by Wikipedia as full-grain leather made from unsplit kid-, lamb- or sheep-skin. I was informed by a sales personnel at their main website "landingleathers dot com" that it is just cow leather used in this jacket. I hate it when people play with words to market something to make it sound premium. Lamb or nappa leather can be consider premium as it is usually more expensive due to lesser supply than cow leather. We eat more cows than lamb don't we? Lamb or nappa leather usually has a more supple touch than cow leather. Though this is not always true, cow leather can be equally supple and soft to touch as it all depends on how the cow leather is processed.
i am pleased to say that the quality of the cow leather used in this jacket is as supple as lamb leather. It is of good thickness, not too thick but yet not too thin for a dress jacket. It is definitely not as thick as those used in motorcycle leather jackets where safety is of concern. Thicker means heavier. This jacket has the right weight (not too heavy). This leather is very lovely and its quality is worth the price.

Fitting: I went with the large tall as i was concerned with the length of the sleeve. Pls go to the seller's main website for sizing chart. It is more detailed in information than Amazon's general sizing chart. The sleeves of my large tall jacket fit well but the shoulder area was a bit drooping. It hangs over my shoulders by 1 inch on each side, making it look not as smart. My shoulder to shoulder length is 18.2 inches. The other parts of the jacket ,chest size, waist all fits true to size. I have quite broad shoulders and am bewildered why its hangs lose on my shoulders. I wish it had a slightly more snug fit around the shoulders.

Construction: The stitching is excellent. No flaws that i can see.

Remarks: There is 100% polyester insulation filling in-between the inner liner and the leather outer shell. As such, it is too warm for my country Singapore which has 30-35 degrees celcius all year round. Although this can be remedied by removing/ripping the polyester filling out. I removed some stitches of the liner of the inner breast pocket so that i may fit my hand inside and pull out all the filling. This pocket is made of cotton material and can be easily stitched back.

I hope this helps!

ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Best clothing buy of my life. I researched online for about 30 days reading all the amazon.com comments, all the A-2 forums and A-2 sites. I also monitored the ebay jackets being offered for sale. I'm not an A-2 expert, nor a leather expert, but I am more astute now. I know quality, and this jacket is pure quality. I know it is a reproduction, but it is a wonderful reproduction. Jacket could not have been packaged with more care. No oder -- no wrinkles. Jacket is heavy weight (6#), quality stitching, cuffs and waist are knit polyester. Lining is tan - 75% polyester & 25% cotton; sleeves and handwarmer pockets are lined with dark brown - 100% polyester. It is a "no excuses" jacket.

I recommend reading A-2 forums, sites, etc. just to be informed on the original A-2, but base your decision on the amazon reviewers, as they are commenting on the jacket you will receive. From the few negative comments posted, those buyers must have received a different jacket from the one I received. I own 3 Scully and 2 Schott leather jackets, all priced 2 to 3 times higher, and not one exceeds the quality of the Luxury Lane A-2 jacket.

After reading the amazon comments several times, quality was an issue for a few buyers, but buying the correct size was more of a concern. I'm 6'- 220lbs - 46" chest - 40" waist - 29" inseam - 33" sleeve, and the 2XX is a perfect fit. Using the Luxury Lane sizing guide instead of the amazon sizing guide was key. I used the Luxury Lane contemporary outerwear guide recommendation.

There are many useful, and intelligent amazon comments, so read through them with care. I sincerely thank those who took the time to write their opinions, both pro and con.

As others have commented: "no one is going to believe you only paid $99 for this jacket."

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!!

The price was almost too good to be true, would the quality be a disappointment? I had been looking for the more traditional "Air Force" A-2 style Bomber in dark brown as opposed to the fur collar "Navy" style, and I wasn't interested in some designers 'variation on the theme' with gaudy add-ons like extra zippers, snaps, and squadron patches. After shopping on-line and in various stores where you could handle the merchandise, I couldn't find the right Bomber Jacket. From way overpriced - to leather that felt like plastic - to styles that stretched the description "Bomber Jacket", I was running out of places to look.

After ignoring the Amazon links when searching for Bomber Jackets on the Internet I finally took a look, and was surprised to see the style/color I had in mind. I was prepared to spend between $300 and $400 for a decent quality jacket and was ready to move on after seeing the under $200 price tag on this one. After reading the reviews I figured it might be worth a try, but kept the expectations on the low side.

The jacket arrived in a few days and was packaged well enough to provide some protection during shipping. The first thing you notice upon opening the box is that new leather looks fake, but it's definitely leather and surprisingly soft/supple. The next thing that hits you is the weight, this is not a lightweight jacket. It's not super heavy like a protective motorcycle jacket, but it's thick enough leather to be durable. Sturdy zipper and snaps, and the liner is comfortable. This is too much jacket for mild temperatures in the high 60's to low 70's, you get too hot. Temperature in the low 60's and below, grab this jacket and you are covered from casual to a little dressy.

Don't let the low price scare you away, this is a real value. A real find where you get more for your money than expected.