A-Team Murdock's leather jacket

I bought a jacket from A.J. a few months back, and this review is long overdue:

Murdock was, I believe, my very first crush way back when the show first aired in 1983 (?). My story is the same as everyone else's, I'm sure: like most of the other girls in my 2nd grade class, I wanted to be a Vietnam era combat chopper pilot... :confused ...moving right along... I just adored him. In my tiny world, he was the coolest guy ever. I begged my mommy buy me a pair of black Chuck Taylor's Converse All Star hi tops just like Murdock wore. So. Yeah. Fangirl from the beginning.

With the new movie coming out (last year), my love was rekindled and it finally dawned on me that maybe, juuuust maybe, there would be someone out in the interwebs who finally reproduced Murdock's jacket. And that's how I found my way back to this forum (long time lurker) and onto another forum where A.J. had posted. I finally got the courage to make contact, and after a bunch of emails and a little time, I finally got my jacket..........

Now, I've been painting various characters on jackets on and off over the last 10 years or so, as well as acquiring the bad habit of painting stuff on my Jeep. I also dabble in metal fabrications and jewelry making (flickr site for my crap). So I humbly consider myself to be a teeny, tiny bit of an artist. In addition, I collect a lot of props and costumes, I buy a few replicas, and I make a few replicas. I like details and workmanship and accuracy - they're important to me. And because of all of that, I think I have fairly high standards. On occasion, I am disappointed with a replica I purchase. Either the pictures don't fully capture the thing, or I imagine it to be better than it is, or I simply hope that it will magically be the bestest ever. I think a lot of people can say that, at one time or another, they've been a little let down by both company reproductions and individual reproductions. It happens. It's not the end of the world. Though sometimes it may feel like it and sometimes you may wish it was cuz zomg i just spent a metric f-tonne of money on this and why oh why is it not perfect what is wrong with you do you hate me oh god whyyyyyyyyyy?!???!?? die die die!!!.

But with A.J.'s posted photos and obvious passion, I didn't expect to be disappointed.

I was actually optimistic. <---(rarity)

And when the jacket finally arrived, I'll be honest, I braced myself for some little hint of disappointment. Some little flaw that wouldn't crush me, but would irk me. I can't help it. I'm pessimistic from experience. :lol

When I finally opened the package and took the jacket out, I can honestly say that I was blown away. Speechless. It was better than I had ever hoped it would be. The paint looks and feels like it's actually part of the leather itself, rather than applied by hand afterward. The artwork is beautiful on it's own right, but when compared to the photos of the original art, A.J.'s is elevated to another level because of its detail and faithfulness to the original. This jacket was... IS ...quite simply, a childhood dream come true.

When I wear it, I giggle. Really. It's silly, I know, but I can't help it. I giggle like a little frakkin' schoolgirl. And I LOVE IT.​

So, to anyone on the fence about getting one:
There's always some margin for error when talking about personal tastes and preferences, but I really cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with one of A.J.'s jackets. I hope this review was useful.

And to A.J.:
Thank you. You're my (internet)Hero. :lol :)
 
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:eek *speechless*
...
...
...
... okay, not speechless for long. Wow. WOW!

Thank you so much for your review! I've been wondering how you've been doing and how you liked your jacket (#6) all these months later.

You were the first one outside the van replica community to ask me for a jacket, and happened to catch me in my very first month of hardcore practice and learning in exactly how to paint these the best way possible.... and to have you, meticulous self and all, think that of your jacket, well by golly I know I'm meant to do this, even more so now.

I'm not dead on exact, but hope I'm close enough to turn any true fan's head... because I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "I want a jacket like that..."

...I said it myself almost two decades ago... now I know I'm not alone. I'm so glad to finally make this happen for so many people who've dreamed of their own.

Love, respect, and all that jazz we're on, :thumbsup
~A.J.
 
And here's a little eye candy... #21. Heading to Australia.

163667_10150396675325305_836380304_16636749_6515221_n.jpg


Yeah, I'm not cringing at this one. :)
 
#21, all touched up and heading to Australia...
a_j___s_h_m__murdock_jacket_21__by_nescartfanatic-d37s7jd.jpg


#22, heading to a real soldier. :)

a_j___s_h_m__murdock_jacket_22_by_nescartfanatic-d37s7ob.jpg



... and a compare picture with an authentic Murdock jacket... Authentic Jacket #1 on the left, mine on the right, of course. This isn't the design I replicate, but merely to see if my art can stand up against one of the originals...

two_sides_to_every_tiger____by_nescartfanatic-d37o4qo.jpg
 
#24 *sold*

I received word from Mr. Dwight Schultz himself via email...

"A.J., Those are absolutely beautiful.....You should be extremely proud and to my eye they are perfect ...God bless and keep your focus.
Dwight"

Wow.
 
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Keep up the simply amazing work!!!! I can't help but drool every time I see your art work. You are very talented and have really have got this down to 'a fine art'. A painted jacket from you is certainly on my list of 'wants' for this year!! :)

Keep up the amazing work....
 
hello everyone

I am in the UK and new here. I have been looking for a replica A2 flight jacket for a while now similar to the one worn by Murdock in the A-team series but can't seem to find one in the color I want. I have seen some on some forums but some look a bit dark.

I am looking for one that is a light brown color or vintage look. Cooper or LL Bean don't look to bad. Can anyone help?

Ants
 
Yep, I can help answer that question for you, as I've inspected both brands up close for myself.

L.L. Bean is the way to go if you want the faded distressed look.

Here's my buddy from Germany, he sent this to me to share, since I sent him the jacket :p (He's wearing an L.L. Bean. Sorry for the larger size, but it shows the detail)

international_murdock_love_by_nescartfanatic-d3b3zw6.jpg


Coopers are a few shades darker, they actually match the color of the elastic bands.

Hope this helps.
 
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Thanks for your reply, that is the kind of jacket I'm looking for. i have just been on the LL Bean website but not sure which one to go for can you advise, also the color is either dark brown or weathered can you advise on that and one other thing in the picture you show its a one back piece but on LL bean site it looks like it has stitching.

Any advice is great thanks
 
Of course :)

L.L. Bean made two color versions of their A-2. - dark and distressed, and both versions had either the three piece seamed panel back or a one panel version production line. It's a lot of work going through pics and making sure you're getting the right one, believe me.

The one piece backs are out of production, so you can't get them new off their website or anything, so you have to hit the pre-owned market.

It sounds like you'd like to do this yourself, but if you'd like one with a heck of a paint job, tiger and all, by all means, I'm here to help with that too.
 
I don't know whether I'll have the will have the paint job yet, you say the weathered one is the best, looking at LL Bean Site it looks like the weathered is gray is that right or is it brown, do you know? and which one would you recommend as they have Thinsulated or uninsulated which is best.
 
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