The Real McCoy's A-2 Reproduction Flight Jacket, Perry Sportswear 42-16175-P, Russet Horsehide, Conmar Zip, Size 40

An old-era Real McCoy's reproduction of Perry Sportswear's 1942 horsehide A-2 contract, 42-16175-P, in russet hide that has aged into a deep, crazed patina, fitted with a brass Conmar zip like the originals.

Perry Sportswear of Newburgh

Perry Sportswear Inc. of Newburgh, New York, was one of the contractors who made the Type A-2 for the Army Air Forces. In fiscal year 1942 it held two A-2 contracts: an earlier, smaller one in goatskin, W535-ac-23377, and a larger one in horsehide, A.C. Order No. 42-16175-P. Russet is the usual colour of surviving 16175-P jackets, although examples in seal over russet are also known. One documented 16175-P was issued to a lieutenant and has "1943" written in its lining.

Collectors read a Perry A-2 by its details. The collar stand has short, rounded points. The pocket flaps are shallow-curved, with stitching set unusually far from the edge. The top corners of the pockets carry open box stitching, the snaps are of the nipple type, the zips are often Conmar, and some jackets have a three-piece inner wind flap. It is a distinctive, slightly rakish pattern among the many A-2 makers.

Those traits are what a collector checks first when comparing a contract reproduction with its original, and they are worth looking for on this jacket in hand: the shape of the collar points, the curve of the pocket flaps, the box stitching and the snaps. A good contract reproduction is judged on how closely it follows the maker it names, not on how closely it follows a generic idea of the A-2.

Remaking a Single Contract

The old Real McCoy's built its reputation on exactly this kind of jacket: a reproduction of one specific contract rather than a generic A-2. That meant the correct spec label, the right period zip and the right hide in the right colour. This example's label reads "TYPE A-2 · DWG. NO. 30-1415 · A.C. ORDER NO. 42-16175-P · PERRY SPORTSWEAR INC. · NEWBURGH, N.Y. · PROPERTY AIR FORCE, U.S. ARMY", with a small cream "THE REAL McCOY'S" tape label beneath the collar hanger.

The house grew out of Hitoshi Tsujimoto's vintage dealing, beginning with a forty-day American buying trip in 1978, an Osaka swap-meet stall and a shop in Amerikamura in the mid-1980s; it is now based in Kobe. After the company went bankrupt around 2001 it was restarted under Tsujimoto, and pieces from before that break are collected as the "old" Real McCoy's.

In the 1990s, this approach set the Japanese houses apart. Rather than produce one A-2 pattern with a different label sewn in, the old Real McCoy's studied the differences between wartime makers and reproduced them one contract at a time. To own its Perry is to own a reading of Perry Sportswear itself, which is why these early pieces are still sought out decades later.

Russet Horsehide and Patina

Russet, a warm reddish brown, was the colour of most 16175-P jackets, and horsehide was the leather of the contract. Horsehide wears in a particular way. It is dense and firm when new, and with years of wear it softens, takes the shape of its owner and develops a fine surface crazing, especially across the back and the sleeves where the jacket flexes most. That crazing, along with honey-toned rubbing at the edges, is the signature of an A-2 that has been worn for a long time.

This jacket has reached that point. It was described at purchase as "Mustang" hide, a term we report rather than confirm. What can be seen is a russet horsehide with deep crazing and an aged surface that gives it much of the presence of an original, and that is something a new reproduction cannot be bought with: it has to be earned by wear.

Made in New Zealand

Collectors report that the old Real McCoy's leather jackets were made in New Zealand by the workshop known as RMNZ, which later traded under its own name, The Few. The jacket was described at purchase as dating from 1994, and a 1994 Real McCoy's leather jacket would most likely be an RMNZ piece. Neither the date nor the New Zealand origin is confirmed for this example, and we present both as likely rather than certain.

The Type A-2, 1931 to 1943

The Type A-2 was adopted by the US Army Air Corps on 9 May 1931 under specification 94-3040 and drawing 30-1415: a waist-length leather jacket with a shirt-style collar, shoulder straps, two snap-flap patch pockets, knitted cuffs and waistband and a front zip. Horsehide was the original leather; cowhide was approved in 1940 and goatskin in 1941. A replacement, the AN-J-3, was named on 24 May 1943 and the A-2 was declared Limited Standard, yet contracts ran on into December 1943. In barely twelve years it became the most recognisable garment of the American air war.

A horsehide contract placed in 1942, as Perry's 16175-P was, belongs to the high point of A-2 production, when the jacket was being issued to the flying crews heading for every theatre of the war.

Why Japan Collects the A-2

Japan is the deepest collector market for the A-2 in the world, and contract-specific reproductions are the reason. Japanese collectors compare labels, collar shapes, zip makers and stitch spacing with a seriousness that once belonged only to collectors of originals, and the 1990s houses rose to meet them. A jacket like this one, worn long enough to take on the look of an original, is the result: it carries the knowledge of the wartime pattern and the history of the people who wore it in.

There is also a generational story here. Jackets made by the old Real McCoy's in the 1990s are now old enough to have been worn for three decades, and the best of them have aged in the way the originals did. For a collector who wants the look of a wartime Perry without the fragility and scarcity of a jacket from 1942, an early contract reproduction with real patina is one of the most satisfying answers.

The Piece

The hide is russet horsehide, described at purchase as "Mustang" hide. Years of wear have given it a genuinely aged patina, with heavy surface crazing across the back and sleeves and honey tones where the leather has rubbed. It is the look that collectors of originals recognise and that new reproductions take years to earn.

The brass Conmar zip runs smoothly and matches the hardware found on many Perry originals, and the collar closes with a hook and eye. The lining is in good order and carries an Army Air Forces stencil. The sleeve knits are torn and have been left unrepaired for character; they can be replaced by a specialist when the next owner chooses.

Beyond the label, the jacket is plain in the wartime manner, with no painted art or patches. That simplicity suits a contract reproduction: the interest lies in the hide, the hardware and the pattern, and in the way the leather has darkened and creased through wear. It is a jacket to wear rather than to keep in a cabinet. Tagged 40, it fits small, more like a 38 or a Japanese M, so please go by the measurements.

Details

• Type: Type A-2 flight jacket, Japanese reproduction
• Maker: The Real McCoy's (old era, pre-2001)
• Contract / label: Perry Sportswear Inc., Newburgh, N.Y., A.C. Order No. 42-16175-P, Dwg. No. 30-1415; "THE REAL McCOY'S" tape label
• Era: 1990s; 1994 stated at purchase (unconfirmed)
• Leather / shell: Russet horsehide (described at purchase as Mustang hide)
• Hardware: Brass Conmar zip; collar hook and eye
• Lining & knits: Lining with Army Air Forces stencil, good; knits torn at sleeves
• Decoration: None
• Tagged size: 40 (fits like 38, about Japanese M)
• Measurements: Shoulder 43 cm · Chest (pit to pit) 50 cm · Sleeve 62 cm · Length 59 cm

Condition

• Well-developed patina with heavy surface crazing on back and sleeves.
• Sleeve knits torn, unrepaired; replacement advisable in time.
• Lining in good condition.
• Conmar zip works smoothly.
• Runs one size small for the tag.

Condition grade B on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

The label, contract and size tags, leather, stitching, zip and hardware, paint and insignia are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Feed the crazed horsehide with a light leather conditioner to keep it supple, and have the knits replaced by a specialist before the tears spread.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

Every figure above is taken by hand with the garment laid flat, in centimetres. Lay a shirt or jacket you already love beside them and allow a centimetre or two of margin, the quiet safeguard on a final sale. Our size guide to tops and jackets turns pit-to-pit figures into US, UK, EU and Japanese sizes, and for anything it leaves open the curator team replies within one Tokyo business day.

Further reading: Look up horsehide in the Japonista Lexicon.

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