Cooper A2 jacket

Danny Abernathy · Dec 3, 2010

Does anyone here know anything about Cooper leather jackets?
I have an A2, goatskin that I can no longer wear and am thinking of getting shed of it or maybe giving it to my son.
I have done some looking on the Internet and found out Cooper is no longer in buisness. Some of the older jackets are worth a ton of money and even the newer ones are selling for hundreds of dollars.
If this thing is valuable I need to find out before I do something foolish with it.
Thanks

AirCommando · Dec 3, 2010

They are a nice jacket; so one in real nice condition could be worth enough not to do anything foolish with it. I have one and I wouldn't sell it for $200. That's what it's worth to me.

Danny Abernathy · Dec 4, 2010

Maybe I should have said it's a goatskin leather pilot/flight jacket. Some people wouldn't identify what an A2 is. All the old pilot pictures show them wearing this type of leather jacket with the knit cuffs and waistband.
To be honest I have been offered what I consider a large sum of money for just "a leather jacket" but maybe I should hang onto it.

Faulkner · Dec 4, 2010

Coronodo Leather makes some quality jackets. I have one made from bison that I really like. Not cheap, but good stuff.

Coronado Leather, makers of handcrafted, concealment leatherwear for law enforcement and those interested in high quality leather jackets, handbags and carrycases for firearm concealment

Danny Abernathy · Dec 4, 2010

Yep, that looks very similar to mine except mine is darker brown.

AirCommando · Dec 4, 2010

I took this pic of mine laid out over some rifles. It's from the 80's. If yours is an early one, say from WWII, it is indeed worth a lot as you saw on ebay.

AC

jeffsmith · Dec 4, 2010

I am not sure who made this coat as the tag is too faded

But, this is a WWII A2 given to me by a family friend
He was a pilot but did not fly combat

the Squadron patch is for the 527th FB Sqdrn 86th FB Grp

they flew A-36's (Mustang Fighter Bomber Variant)
and P-47's in Italy, Southern France and Germany

Faulkner · Dec 4, 2010

I've had this one for over 25 years . . . seems to get better with age.

george minze · Dec 4, 2010

For some reason Cooper is out of business. They made A2 out of cowhide, goatskin and when it was PC and available horsehide......A2 is for the US Air Force or in some cases Air Corps jackets. some of the best reproductions made today are from Aeroleather, Galeshiels Scotland, or Lost Worlds NYC. Us Authentic I believe is still in the business. All also made the Navy G1 or earlier models were M422a. Navy< Marine Corps jackets were made in goatskin and had inside pistol pocket on the left side of jackets and had mouton collar. There were a few made by US Authentic s under a experimental contract with goatskin collars, for warm weather wear. Very few.. Any A2 or G1 made under contract are worth keeping. All included will bring good prices...The best made are the Lost World..... lostworldsinc.com....or Aeroleather.com. Aero has a representative who shows on line great photo's of what is available. AeroleatherUSA.com (Mark Moya) Flight jackets are one of the most collectible of all Military clothing. Remember most of the high end jackets are sized by WW2 standards.....The Cockpit at one time made the Averx brand of Military Jackets. They seem to have cut their production and sizing down due to corporate downsizing..Keep your Cooper it won't be worth less......

Danny Abernathy · Dec 5, 2010

Aircommando, my jacket is exactly like yours.
I do not believe it is an older jacket, it is in too good shape.
Biggest problem is my girth has widened with my advancing age and those jackets are tailored for a much younger and trimmer body.
I will probably just keep it unless I get an offer I can"t turn down.

peyton · Dec 6, 2010

Danny, all of us suffer from the advancing weight problem. I would hold on to it and pass it on to a deserving family member.

safearm · Dec 6, 2010

The re-issued A2 jackets were made of goatskin. The Air Force decided that us flyers (pilots in particular) needed something more the duty, patriotism, and flight pay get us to stay in the Air Force, so they issued us leather flight jackets to go with our nomex jackets/flightsuits. IIRC, it was about 1988-90 when the program started, and when I retired in 2008, it was still active. The jackets were unlined, so many of us opted for a larger size, and had them retrofitted with liners and inside pockets (the tailors outside the gate at Incirlik, Turkey did a great job).

Danny Abernathy · Dec 6, 2010

Thanks all for the info, I will ask my younger son if he would like to have it. My older son doesn't want it, he says it's "not his style",I don't know so much about fashion but I always thought they were a good looking jacket.

george minze · Dec 7, 2010

At one time used, surplus A2s were available in surplus stores about the time Korea broke out. They could be bought very reasonable. William Holden played the part of a near to well drifter in a movie with one of the leading starlets of the time (Kin Novak) ???? I think. I think the name of the movie was Picnic. Any way his prize on only real possession was his A2 flight jacket from the WW2 area. After that movie came out the prices for used or surplus jackets went way up. My G1 (Navy, Marines was issued to me in 1958 as a returnable piece of equipment. They were to be survey when you were transferred back to the states. That is when being friends with the supply sgt. was advantages. They like the A2 were sized by WW2 standards....Small for the listed sizes. The original G1's had a very different weave of the waist and cuffs. The weave went both ways and can be noticed. Very few were really turned in for survey and they were liberated by the flight crews that had been issued them. During the short time of the Flying Tigers both styles were used by AVG pilots, as pilots were from both the Navel Service and the Air Corps....Aeroleather made two for Tex Hill one of the original Flying Tigers, for the TV series "War in the Pacific" They had leather patches on left breast one had a cat wearing a cowboy hat and a gunbelt, and Tex's name in Chinese over the pocket. Two were made. One is at Aero Leather, Scotland and I was lucky enough to get the other. Never worn,and has the red silk lining that at the time represented an Ace. It is sized 44 but would fit me and I am a sz 40...Many of the flight jackets were made in foreign countries by tailors for what by today's standards would be inexpensive.....Sorry but Flight Jackets, military watches, and pistols are my passion and I guess I get carried away...But in my defense I'm now 72 Keep those contract jackets they will always be worth it. and those days seem so real to me now....Semper Fi

Sear2212 · Jan 5, 2013

Just looking at my Cooper 44L today. My wife purchased this jacket around '88 for me because the AF wasn't handing them out when I was in for incentive purposes and today, it looks almost new. The goatskin shines, all the mfg tags are intact. Close to the pic in post #6 but not as worn and my Velcro patch is from Cooper Co.
Cooper is number one in Mil flight jackets for the real thing, no third party, after market with these people's products. The second mil jacket mfg is anything from Alpha Industries. Great stuff.

whitecoyote · Jan 5, 2013

After seeing this thread I dug my Cooper out of the closet. I bought this about 25 years ago, and only wore it a few times. It still fits!

daisie678 · Mar 9, 2021

Nope, you don't have to do anything foolish with your jacket is a masterpiece give it to your son dude! I still have the copper jacket which my father gives to me on my 16th birthday.

03hemi · Mar 9, 2021

I have an A2 from WWII with patches made of Horsehide which was the leather of choice until they ran low and switched to Goat skin. Horse is a lot warmer than goat.
I also have may dad's G1 (exact replica from a period correct G1) from his time as a Marine F9F jet pilot with the infamous VMF-311 squadron.
I drew this picture for my dad when he was alive.
Cooper's can be had for around $150-200 on Ebay if not an original WW-II issue.

DeathGrip · Mar 9, 2021

I have one that we bought for my Dad. It's a WWII 50 year commemorative made in '95. All that means is it has a different liner. Size 42R. It's like new because he never needed it down here in Florida. I still have the paper work. I'm to big for it and have no one to pass it to. I'd sell it for a reasonable offer.

CAJUNLAWYER · Mar 9, 2021

I don't have one but I cannot pass up the opportunity to contribute to a 10 year old Zombie thread

Cooper A2 jacket

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