Any info about G&B's Mountain Cloth?

[Big J]

Has anyone owned, seen IRL, or felt a Gibson & Barnes jacket made from 'mountain cloth'?
What's it like?

 

[Seb Lucas]

I do. I currently have a WEP jacket in Khaki in size 42 tall that I've never worn. Got it about 18 months ago. It's a large 42. The cloth is like a robust windbreaker fabric - nylon with no sheen and a little thicker than most.

 

[thor]

I have a G&B Mountain Cloth A-2 in navy blue with Thinsulate lining. Very comfortable, easy-wear, easy-care jacket. At a glance it could pass for cotton since it's not shiny or overly slick to the touch. A great spring jacket fabric.

 

[Doctor Strange]

One of my friends has a G&B WEP in the olive mountain cloth. I agree that looks and feels pretty cotton-like for a synthetic fabric.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Is "Mountain Cloth" more desirable than their satin offerings? Advantages, or disadvantages?

 

[Seb Lucas]

It's nothing like Dupont 6,6 flight satin. But then I don't think Alpha jackets use this good satin anymore, just shiny nylon. The G&B in house MA1's I have been told are a thicker, better grade of satin. The Mountain stuff is more like a matt finish polyester like you would find on any good windbreaker. You would't look or think twice about it. Good satin looks and is special.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

It's nothing like Dupont 6,6 flight satin. But then I don't think Alpha jackets use this good satin anymore, just shiny nylon. The G&B in house MA1's I have been told are a thicker, better grade of satin. The Mountain stuff is more like a matt finish polyester like you would find on any good windbreaker. You would't look or think twice about it. Good satin looks and is special.

Dupont 6.6 Nylon is the most common commercial grade, invented by them in 1934.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I should have written it feels nothing like the old Dupont, etc. I think the satin/nylon they are using now (and by that I mean the twill or weave quality of this material) is closer to generic Chinese nylon twill like you'd find on a raincoat. I recently handled a 1960's MA1 in a shop here and it was WAY thicker and stiffer than today's Alphas.

 

[Seb Lucas]

As it happens I'd be very interested to learn more about the satins used: the nylon twill used on Rickson and vintage MA1's. Rickson say the weave is 1/3 or 2/2 whatever that means. Does this pertain to thickness? Or is that what denier is?

 

[Big J]

Gentlemen, thank you for your replies. The mountain cloth sounds far more substantial than the flimsy stuff used on modern Alpha MA-1's.

Which leads to another point which you brought up Seb. My '67 and '68 issue MA-1's have a nylon shell that is denser, thicker and stiffer than modern Alphas (which I think are pretty low quality). The originals have nylon shells that just feel more....substantial. Is G&B's Flight Satin like the shells on the originals?

 

[TXFlyGuy]

While we are at it, how about both G&B and Cockpit USA satin/nylon? Better or worse than Alpha? Today the Alpha's are imported, where the aforementioned are made in the USA.

A close exam of both my Vintage Alpha B-15, and my Cockpit CWU-55P (both USA made), reveals a very tight woven nylon, quite substantial to the touch, with a very low sheen. In fact, my goatskin jackets have far more shine to them. The Alpha nylon almost feels heavier than the Cockpit.

This taken from the Cockpit website:

Crafted from military specified flight satin nylon with a quilted poly-fill insulation lining, this jacket is a true thermal warmer!

 

[Seb Lucas]

Big J - I haven't tried the G&B made flight satin but their rep told me on the phone it was spec'ed to be like the vintage ones and thicker than Alpha. I'm tempted.

The Alpha i bought in 2003 was thicker than one I bought in 2012. But the one I got last year is thicker than the last one. Quite well made. Who knows how it works?

The Mountain Cloth is thinner still and is more like the fabric of a London Fog trench coat.

 

[Doctor Damage]

The Alpha i bought in 2003 was thicker than one I bought in 2012. But the one I got last year is thicker than the last one. Quite well made. Who knows how it works?

It's worth pointing out, I think, that when we talk about quality we have to separate the quality of the components from the quality of the construction. Alpha's modern products, though much maligned, are as well constructed as any similar jacket manufacturer (and better than most, from what I've seen). Their materials, however, are not always that good and are inferior to vintage materials, as others have observed.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

It's worth pointing out, I think, that when we talk about quality we have to separate the quality of the components from the quality of the construction. Alpha's modern products, though much maligned, are as well constructed as any similar jacket manufacturer (and better than most, from what I've seen). Their materials, however, are not always that good and are inferior to vintage materials, as others have observed.

This supports to some degree my observations at a military shop in Frankfurt. They have every Alpha jacket in their inventory, and I tried most of them on. Very impressed! And not just with the construction, but the overall quality of the materials used.

Alongside the Alpha's were examples from Mil-Spec. Not nearly as nice. Not even close!

 

[Big J]

This supports to some degree my observations at a military shop in Frankfurt. They have every Alpha jacket in their inventory, and I tried most of them on. Very impressed! And not just with the construction, but the overall quality of the materials used.

Alongside the Alpha's were examples from Mil-Spec. Not nearly as nice. Not even close!

Wow, I'm really surprised to hear you say that.
My vintage issue MA-1's are far superior in materials and build quality to any non-issue Alpha I've ever seen.