ALL ORIGINAL Irvin RAF type Jackets - Loving that Wolf in sheeps' clothing!

[miger]

Hi all, My first post on the forum and i'm looking to get my foot on the original Irvin ladder,so to speak.
I've very much enjoyed reading through this and the original Irvin thread, making notes and picking up tips as i went along.
The Guys on here are real experts on these classic items (Andrew, you must write that book m8!)and i've loved seeing the photos of peoples Irvins too -----it's obvious how much they love them
Cheers
Jim

 

[aswatland]

Welcome to the forum Jim. I'm sure you will soon get your foot on the original Irvin ladder.

 

[Spitfire]

Original - almost as new - Irvin sold on E-bay for £ 1782.59 or $ 2850,00!!!!!!!
Must be new world record.
Wonder if anybody in here bought it?

 

[miger]

Original - almost as new - Irvin sold on E-bay for £ 1782.59 or $ 2850,00!!!!!!!
Must be new world record.
Wonder if anybody in here bought it?

Was this one of yours Andrew? -----beautiful! -- but out of my league i'm afraid!

 

[kowalski]

I saw this listing, the fact of very good quality jacket, from one year to acquire the values, , what I've seen, this 1470f ( model wiring )

 

[aswatland]

Sadly no. The seller is George Hsu, a collector from the USA. Many of his jackets are featured on John Chapman's Flight jacket CD.I was amazed by the final price, which must be a record for a mid War Irvin. It's a nice jacket in well preserved condition, but it probably sold for considerably more than it should have done. The going rate for such a jacket would be around £600 to £800 max IMO.

 

[miger]

Well, what do you know!
I've been watching the 'bay for a couple of weeks and i've bagged an original! (you've probably all seen it!)----bit of work to do on it but that's ok.
I'll post pics up when it arrives and hopefully Andrew will do his magic and identify the maker etc

Re: The Ebay Irvin that sold for the enormous price ---the seller obviously spent a lot of time on his ad' with plenty of detailed photos, specs, history etc --and this is what definitely helped to get that price ----still too much though!
Are originals a lot more expensive in the 'States then?

 

[kowalski]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vtg-Levis-denim-big-E-jeans-hidden-rivets-leather-tag-/320611890205?pt=Vintage_Men_s_Clothing&hash=item4aa5f5341d
Hi, sorry too Off top , look, the pants are so expensive, do not you think that our original Irvin should be much more expensive?, why this way is ??

 

[B-24J]

Early Irvin with cuff straps

I recently saw an early Irvin (Alas and alack not my size.) with the connectors in the sleeves for the electrically heated gloves. What I thought was interesting were the straps and buckles around the cuffs below the connectors - apparently to help fitting the gloves over the cuff.
I'm guessing this was a prewar feature discontinued due to cost and time during the war? Perhaps part of the early RAE system mentioned by Prodger in "Luftwaffe vs. RAF".
In Donnelly's "The Whitley Boys", he talks about the cold in the rear turret during the high altitude raids of 1940. I guess that the electrically heated glove/boots were not widely available in the early days of the war.

John

 

[Mike1973]

Spotted on flickr - ball turret gunner with original Irvin

http://www.flickr.com/photos/masqueman/sets/72157602150605305/with/1435554215/

 

[kowalski]

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hello, I found it in the closet on the bottom, all locks, sleeves, and above all, the main castle, the word DOT, um, I think maybe size L, in the daylight has a color darker brown

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[Metatron]

I love the portrait of the ball gunner! So full of emotion.

 

[kowalski]

if someone needed more shots my Irvin , is no problem

 

[aswatland]

Thanks for posting pics of your Irvin Air Chute-made electrically wired jacket. It is certainly extremely well preserved. The jacket most likely dates to 1939-40 when IAC had several contracts for electrically wired Irvins. As far as size goes the pre-war ones tended to have a chest size on the label, whilst from around 1940 they were mostly given a size from 1 to 8 on the label.

Does yours have 9 underarm vent holes? This was a feature of many IAC Irvins from the late 1930s. Here's a link to my IAC jacket for comparison with yours.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...s-Loving-that-Wolf-in-sheeps-clothing!/page10

 

[kowalski]

helo Mr Astwatland, yes my Irvin have 9 underarm vent holes, just in a different setting 4, 2 , 2 ,1. .lacks only the rubber for the collar
łoł Irvin yours is the same as mine! There are many models of Irvin, but I think that these models are the best, it's not about that sweeten yourself, but you have to admit that they have something, and eventually are rare, personally met the 4, 5 maybe 6 pieces
I miss just RAFboots pat 1936 , looking for a good reproduction, I wrote to Mr Gary Eastman, and Areoleather can help me out and resume production of these shoes, hahahaha unless you know a good cobbler who sewed these boots on order?

 

[aswatland]

Late War Irvin in exceptional condition

This is a superb example of a multi-panelled Irvin, which dates from 1944-5. It is complete with its original label.

The entire jacket is made from thick copper coloured fleece. Most late War Irvin jackets were made from surplus Irvin trousers and this one was made from early War trousers rather than the shaggy mid War type. The sheepskin is soft and not itchy when worn, which is often the case with the shaggy fleece variety. There are some old lines of stitching on the hem, bottoms of the sleeves and windflap from when the panels were used for Irvin trousers.

There is almost no wear to the fleece at the cuffs, hem, collar and windflap, indicating that the jacket has been lightly used.

The original hanging chain is present. The belt is solid and complete with no re-stitching at all! All three zips are the original Lightnings with their original leather pulls and they function smoothly with no missing teeth.

The AM label reads: Size 4, Stores ref. 22c/320, contract 12353, height- 5'8"/5'9", breast-36"/38", waist-32"/34". (measured at the hem): 22". It should comfortably fit someone with a chest size up to a 38".

 

[aswatland]

 

[Smithy]

Wonderful Irvin Kowalski and in super nick, you're very lucky.

Andrew, even though that's got far too many panels , that really is in fantastic condition. I simply can't get over how good the fleece is in those last two photos especially!

 

[kowalski]

very beautiful, he looks like it, he wasn't used. in cuffs of my jacket he doesn't have wiping, belt, belt loops, all teeth in the lock, only the rubber in collar of scrap, and the tag, the sheepskin coat is thick, skins seams is shade of patina is a time , I will do the photo in the daylight,

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is the difference in color

 

[Spitfire]

Super jacket, Kowalski and in a very great shape. No doubt it's a bombercrew jacket, 'cause of the electric heating system.
Congratulations!