Vintage 1980s Schott 684SM A-2 Steerhide Flight Jacket, Made in USA

The tag inside the pocket tells you everything: Lot 2034, style 684SM, size 44. It’s still stitched in where Schott’s New York cutters left it in the late 1980s, and it marks this as one of the last of a model Schott made for just thirteen years.

Steerhide is the reason it has lasted. It’s heavier and tougher than the goatskin of the wartime originals, and here it has settled into a deep, even dark brown. The chest and shoulders carry a soft sheen, the pocket edges and cuffs have mellowed slightly lighter, and the natural creasing through the sleeves shows the leather has moved with its owner rather than fought him. It’s supple in the hand, with real weight to it.

Every detail has a job. The fur collar turns up against the wind. The epaulettes sit flat at the shoulders, as they did on the Army Air Corps A-2 of 1931. The two big bellows pockets close under pointed snap flaps, with a hand-warmer slot set into the side of each, so cold hands go straight in without opening anything. A leather throat tab snaps the neck shut, the action back opens across the shoulders when you reach forward, and the close-knit cuffs and waistband hold the warmth in.

Schott has been making leather in New York since 1913. The 684SM sat in its range from 1977 to 1990, the decade when flight jackets went from military kit to the jacket every man wanted. This one has its proof: the main zip is stamped SCHOTT USA, every snap carries the Schott name, and the original zip-out pile liner is still with it. It’s a full winter layer that unzips for milder days, with its Schott N.Y.C. label and flag tag marked 44.

Thirty-five years on, it’s complete, correct and ready for another thirty-five.

Condition & Restoration

Excellent vintage condition.

The steerhide has been specialist cleaned in-house and conditioned with our own Heritage Blend, leaving it strong and supple, with a deep, even colour and only natural creasing through the sleeves and back.

All the zips have been refurbished, waxed, polished and lubricated, and run smoothly from top to bottom. The knitted cuffs have been refurbished and keep their shape, and the waistband is in excellent condition. The fur collar is full and well preserved, all Schott snaps close firmly, and the original zip-out pile liner is complete, with the lining clean and intact.

Its natural character has been carefully preserved throughout, ready to wear for decades to come.

Key Features

• Vintage Schott 684SM A-2 style flight jacket, c. 1985–1990
• Made in New York, USA
• Styled on the US Army Air Corps A-2 (1931)
• Heavy dark brown steerhide with a deep, even patina
• Dark brown faux fur collar
• Leather throat tab with snap closure
• Epaulettes at the shoulders
• Two bellows pockets with pointed snap flaps
• Side-entry hand-warmer pockets
• Action back with horizontal pleat
• SCHOTT USA main zip, refurbished
• Schott-stamped snaps throughout
• Dark brown knitted cuffs and waistband
• Original zip-out pile liner with Schott N.Y.C. label
• Original lot tag: Lot 2034, 684SM, size 44

Garment Measurements, Laid Flat

• Chest, armpit to armpit: 25" / 63.5 cm
• Shoulders, seam to seam: 22" / 55.9 cm
• Sleeve length, shoulder seam to cuff: 26" / 66 cm
• Sleeve length, underarm seam to cuff: 18" / 45.7 cm
• Back length, collar seam to bottom hem: 26" / 66 cm

Best suited to

44 Regular (L)

Fit: A classic A-2 cut that sits at the waist on the knitted band, with the action back giving freedom of movement across the shoulders.