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

[Spitfire]

Guesse it will go like "a bat out off hell" when you put it up for sale.
It's a beauty!!!!
Should be something for a lot of the new boys in the lounge.

 

[aswatland]

I hope it does! It goes on Ebay tonight. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ORIGINAL-IRVI...a_LE?hash=item3ef8f702f9&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Spitfire]

Got to ask you this Andrew. How many Irvins do you have?
Not to mention, how many Irvins have you had??

 

[aswatland]

Good question Soren. I currently own nine originals dating from 1933-1944.My current collection consists of:

1933 Irvin Air Chute (IAC)
1938 IAC size 6 (nr mint)
1940 IAC electrically wired size 5 (nr mint)
1940 D.G.L size 6
1941/2 D.G. Ltd size 5
1941/2 Black Fleece Irvin, possibly by Robinson and Ensum( smaller London maker)
1941 Wareings size 6
1943-44 Multi-panel Irvin possibly by D.G. Ltd
1943-44 Multi-panel Irvin by Links

I must have owned approaching 200 over the years.

 

[Spitfire]

Impressive collection - I must say!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[aswatland]

Superb 1938-9 Irvin

I have had this one in my collection for several years, but its not getting much wear so we are to part company. Before it finds a new home I thought I would post some pics here for reference. It's a near mint Irvin dating from 1938-9 and made by Irvin Air Chute. It is extremely well made and is a size 6. I have never seen an early Irvin in such superb condition before. It was most likely the property of a senior RAF officer.

 

[rikbb]

Superb jacket Andrew!

How much will you be asking for it?
rik

 

[aswatland]

How much will you be asking for it?
rik

All the info is in the Classified section with the Ebay link.

 

[Stevie J]

Irvin preservation and restoration advice wanted.

Hi all. I'm a newbie here and I hope I'm in the right place!
I recently acquired a very dirty and dried out Irvin which, I have to confess, the first thing I did to it was wash it. I took the view that if they could take a dunk in the 'Channel' and survive, a light wash would be ok. So, I ran a bath of luke warm water and added a bit of wool wash. As I agitated it gently, quite a lot of dirt came out of it. I then laid it out to dry. The lining is now much softer.
Subsquently, I discovered this site and read that you shouldn't wash Irvins!

I read here about the wonderous properties of Pecards and tried to get some here in Australia but ended up ordering it from the U.S. I laid it on thickly and left it to soak in for about a week. I then laid on another thick coating and, over a week later, it still had a 'waxy' feel. So, I laid it in the sun and, literally before my eyes, it soaked in to the jacket. I think there is a bit of improvement.
I should apologise for the quality of the photos.

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[My questions, which I'm hoping someone will be able to answer, are these:
1: Am I correct in assuming this is a circa 1942 Irvin?
2: Was it actually made by Irvin? (It has no label)
3: What is the best way to long term store Irvins?
4: As can be seen in the pics, there are a couple of unfortunate 'repairs' on the jacket. The 'half moon' one is not so bad because, with the collar down, it is covered but the elbow one is a worry. In fact, the jacket has several 'repairs' from well done to not very well done. How feasible and/or desirable is it to restore the jacket to eliminate these?
5: And my final question (for now); the jacket is missing one of its under arm vent 'studs' and main zip and one arm zip pulls. Are replacements available?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Stevie J]

Irvin preservation and restoration advice wanted.

Thought an after pic of the back would be nice.

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Also, I forgot to mention, the elastic behind the collar is missing. Are these available anywhere?

 

[Spitfire]

Welcome Stevie J - and congrats with the stunning result.
My guesse is it's a circa 1942 model.

Others - Andrew - may tell you if it's a Irvin production.

Regarding the different patches and repairs - I would leave them as they are - it's part of this special jackets special history.
(If you decide diffenrently - Aero in Scotland are experts in restoring old jackets.)

 

[aswatland]

Welcome to the forum Stevie. Your Irvin has much character. It is typical of mid-War four panel body construction and most likely dates from 1942-3. I have seen many Irvins with the same features as yours, but am not able to identify the maker for certain. It does not appear to be the work of Irvin Air Chute, Wareings or DGL etc..The repairs look recent and they could be professionally done using reclaimed sheepskin. Leather pullers can be made from old leather. I use cow hide from wrecked Irvins to do this. Eastman or Aero might be able to supply an underarm vent ring, but these often come detatched from Irvins, so personnally I would not bother to source a replacement. I would store the Irvin flat, in a moth-proof bag. Eastman will supply you with an elastic collar strap. Enjoy wearing your first Irvin.

 

[Stevie J]

Irvin preservation and restoration advice wanted.

Hi Guys and thanks for the welcome and advice.
I am quite happy with the improvement in the jacket so far and am looking forward to making the most of it. I won't get to use it for a while as we are coming into summer and it was 34 degrees today!
The fellow I bought the jacket from was of the view that it was too far gone to wear but I'm confident it will be ok.
I did have an original US B3 which was sort of a family heirloom but I do prefer the Irvin.
One other question I have is, the sleeve zips tend to open themselves an inch or two with wear. Is there anything that can be done to stop this?
Thanks again for your help!

 

[Spitfire]

Stevie - I think it's just a part of the "Irvin Charm"

Since there is no "lock" on the zippers - like on moderne day zippers (for trousers etc.) - it just happens, especially if the wrist is tight, when zipped.
That's just me guessing.

 

[aswatland]

As Soren says it is very common for the sleeve zips to open a little and this is due to wear to the track and slider. I would not advise trying to mess with the slider by squeezing the sides with pinchers as it may well break it.

 

[Stevie J]

Irvin preservation and restoration advice wanted.

I'll take that advice. I had a feeling there was nothing to be done, but I'm glad to know before fiddling with it.
Whilst on the subject of zips, I have noticed that the bottom of the main zip seems to be diferent from most others I have seen. Is this a clue to the manufacturer? Again, I should apologise for the poor photo!

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[aswatland]

I'll take that advice. I had a feeling there was nothing to be done, but I'm glad to know before fiddling with it.
Whilst on the subject of zips, I have noticed that the bottom of the main zip seems to be diferent from most others I have seen. Is this a clue to the manufacturer? Again, I should apologise for the poor photo!

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The main zip is a double trunnion DOT with a brass puller and a cast slider. The bottom has the normal DOT brass closure "bucket", which was perculiar to DOT zips. These zips were used widely by most Wartime Irvin makers so its no clue to the maker.

 

[Stevie J]

Irvin preservation and restoration advice wanted.

I realise that the zip itself is the normal in that it's a double trunnion DOT, but all the other ones I've seen have been secured by two rivets, one on either side, whereas mine is held by two stitches on each side.

 

[aswatland]

I realise that the zip itself is the normal in that it's a double trunnion DOT, but all the other ones I've seen have been secured by two rivets, one on either side, whereas mine is held by two stitches on each side.

Looking at the pictures of your jacket the zip is most assuredly not original to the jacket as it ends well short of the hem.Check the stitch holes very carefully and you should see where there is the later stitching. I have noticed when this happens the rivets are often not re-used. Very occasionally the rivets were left out for some reason when a zip was installed in the factory. My 1940 IAC jacket does not have the rivets and the pics below show where the zip normally ends.

 

[royal123]

Looking for a 1940s RAF Irvin jacket

Hello to you chaps.
Im new on here,and i find this forum with some very interesting subjects,
especially as i like the 1940s,as that was the period i grew up in.
Im looking for a RAF 1940s Irvin jacket,my chest size is 38(with shirt on),but i dont seem to find any that size,they all seem to be between 40" & 42".
perhaps you chaps can point me in the right direction.

It would be nice to have a 1940s jacket,to compliment the fact,that i flew in a Spitfire MK9 dual cockpit in 2007 in Denver USA.
Also i took control of the spitfire when we were up in the air.
Dream come true.
If anyone is interested,i have loads of photos i could post,and a photo which this camera chap took of us above the airport.
Getting back to the jacket,i would love one of those if anyone has one for sale,as you chaps know your stuff about them.
Thanks.