ALL REPRO R.A.F. Irvin type jackets

[Otter]

Thanks Deacon, I am 5'10" and regular build, the 46 was fine chest wise but the sleeves terminated around my knuckles.

 

[hippomaintenance]

Hi Smithy,

I totally agree with you if you have a 2007 Eastman. I have one and the fleece is nice and soft from new but the new broken grain jackets are really like cardboard out of the box and they do feel REALLY dry. I found after a coat of pecards that my broken grain jacket was a lot more wearable and much more like my 2007 jacket. Also I found that the fleece didn't wear so quickly as it was a lot more flexible.

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[hippomaintenance]

Hi Deacon,

It's obviously going to be up to you whether you treat the new Eastman or not. At least if you do soften it you know that Pecards won't harrn the jacket in any way or change the colour which is what I was frightened of doing.

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Smithy]

Hi Smithy,

I totally agree with you if you have a 2007 Eastman. I have one and the fleece is nice and soft from new but the new broken grain jackets are really like cardboard out of the box and they do feel REALLY dry. I found after a coat of pecards that my broken grain jacket was a lot more wearable and much more like my 2007 jacket. Also I found that the fleece didn't wear so quickly as it was a lot more flexible.

Cheers,
Dave.

Hi Dave,

Yup that's right mine is from 2007. I'd be interested to know whether all the broken grain ones exhibit this dryness or whether it's just a particular batch. Good to hear though that the Pecards sorted it out.

Tim

 

[hippomaintenance]

Hi Tim,

Yes my two broken grain jackets were just like cardboard when I got them and as I've said really dry. Then recently buying the 2007 Eastman off Ebay that had been worn only twice, put back in the box and forgotten about after it's owner had given up smoking and put on a fair bit of weight I saw the difference. The 2007 jacket looked brand new but the leather was really supple and the fleece was slightly thicker. I wouldn't dream of putting anything on this jacket for years as it just doesn't need it. I was really scared that if I didn't treat the broken grain jackets that they would crack even though they were brand new. So after a coat of pecards it makes them just like the 2007 jackets and as I've said not altered the colour.

I can tell that you have been thinking, like I would, why do people want to treat a brand new jacket.......it just shouldn't need it, but I have heard of lots of broken grain owners going onto sites to ask about treating them as for a new jacket they just feel so wrong.

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Spitfire]

Hmmm, well if that's the case, I'm reconsidering the L at least since I'm 6'2". Think I'll give Chaz a call and pick his brain. He originally didn't think I'd need a long. Of course, based on my B-6 and ELC G-1 being 46, he didn't think I needed a 48 either.

Naturally, it's difficult at best to size someone up on the phone.

Thanks for that!


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If you are 6'2 I would defiantly recommend a L version.

And yes Alan - it is my Aces High Irvin getting a lot of patina and use. So nice!

 

[Deacon211]

Interesting. I called up Charles at HPA and he said that he still thought a reg might do it. He went over the measurements with me and going up to a 48 and making it a long on top of that, would add a full two inches to the sleeve length. That would probably put it well onto my hand.

Plus I do think that as it breaks in it might "settle" onto me at least a little.

I think at least for now, I'll try the 48 reg. it's worth the extra fifty bucks if it is still too short and it's getting warmer so it's not like I can wear it much outside these days. Pics to follow plus I'll throw in my measurements for reference as to ELC sizing these days...wish me luck!

Deacon




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[Otter]

Apologies Hippo, I think I may have bid against you on that one, looked a very nice jacket.

 

[Deacon211]

So, as to the Pecards.

I found my B-6 pretty stiff at first, but also fairly dry by the second season. The leather looked a bit like, well, dry skin. Even with mink oil and conditioner, the underside of the sleeves started to flake away a bit in that classic B-3 wear pattern.

Do those that try to avoid conditioners find that this is "normal" and just let it ride, so to speak? Or is there some point that most people say, OK...it's time to condition?

Deacon


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[Sloan1874]

Personally, during the winter I appreciated the extra length - they were like woolly fingerless mittens.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Mink oil..:eeek:..are you serious..AND conditioner..!! Wow

 

[Deacon211]

Personally, during the winter I appreciated the extra length - they were like woolly fingerless mittens.

I can totally see that. It may be the way I go eventually, but I want to see what the 48 reg has to offer.

I guess it wouldn't matter which I got first, either is as likely to be about right or not right enough...although it will save me $50 if I guess right the first time!

 

[Deacon211]

Mink oil..:eeek:..are you serious..AND conditioner..!! Wow

LOL. I know, right? But when I grew up, if you wanted to save and weatherproof leather, you mink oiled the crap out of it!

Later, I switched to some leather conditioner or another. I used whatever the local leather cleaner guy recommended and once tried the conditioner kit from a local BMW shop.

Having had only one shearling coat, I can't say whether it would look better now or worse without the treatment. But I do know it was starting to look "brittle" for lack of a better word, without it. At 13 years, it has still outlasted any coat I have ever owned.

 

[Deacon211]

Beautiful.


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[alsendk]

I have noticed quite a lot of differences in the grain of the variety of Irvin's, coming from the companies selling them. I guess this is just a natural course of hides, coming from animals in general. My jacket never has been treated with Pecards or other conditioners. It always was very supple right from the start. I have tried to capture the grain of my Irvin jacket, but it`s difficult to get this close. But I think the colour of the jacket is about right.

 

[Deacon211]

Hmm, I don't know how my "beautiful comment" got in there before your jacket pics, but that is a lovely Irvin.

Here's my 13 year old ELC B-6. This thing is like butter.










You can see very little wear in the finish. What conditioning I did to it really seemed to keep the hide healthy, even under the sleeves which are show in the last few shots.

I've become a jacket junkie apparently!

Deacon

 

[hippomaintenance]

Otter,
Well............I bid against you also. I waited till the last minute and stuck in my bid.

I feel bad now!! Lol.

And finishing an hour after the jacket was a beautiful pair of 36 pattern flying boots that I also won!

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[alsendk]

The 13 years of wear seem to have been going over lightly on your B6 jacket, it`s hardly to be seen. And the gentle use of conditioner do not seem to have hurt the jacket at all.

I just wonder why the B6 jacket are allowed to have sidepockets, and the Irvin not. As I understand it, Irvin himself designed both jackets for USAAF and RAF. Were there some kind of specific demand for the RAF jacket not to have sidepockets?

 

[hippomaintenance]

I read in one of my Bob books that they were concerned that pilots may have carried lucky charms or photos of loved ones in the jacket pockets and if they got shot down and captured the enemy could get info from them. I know that maps etc were tucked down in the top of the flying boots.

Dave.

 

[Otter]

Hippo, glad it went to a good home, been too wet and warm up here for an Irvin, six degrees and rain every day.