B-3 Eastman or R.A.F. 1942 Eastman.

[Loncster]

Hello guys, I’ve been extremely hesitant between getting a B-3 Or an RAF.
So please let me know what you’d pick!

 

[MrProper]

I don't like the brown fur of the 42 Eastman (I like the other versions better), but I think an Irvin is somehow more versatile than the B-3. The Irvin is easier to style up or down, and you can regulate the temperature a bit with the zips on the sleeves. Overall, it's just cooler.

 

[Edward]

Eastman aren't a brand on my radar any longer owing to price as much as anything, but in terms of B3... I have an ELC 42 pattern I bought used about fifteen years ago, and a Lost World B3. I find them both about the same in terms of utility. The B3 feels significantly more robust, the Irvin very flimsy, though to be fair I've never torn out an elbow on it so it's lasted ok. The Irvin is definitely the lighter of the two. It's also shorter. If you like the small of your back covered that little bit better when you bend down, the B3 wins there. The other big win I find with the B3 is the map pocket (assuming you're sticking with milspec), which is a hand place to stow gloves - no equivalent on an Irvin.

Really, it comes down to personal preference, though if I could own just one shearling jacket for the long haul, it would be an ANJ4.

 

[Loncster]

I don't like the brown fur of the 42 Eastman (I like the other versions better), but I think an Irvin is somehow more versatile than the B-3. The Irvin is easier to style up or down, and you can regulate the temperature a bit with the zips on the sleeves. Overall, it's just cooler.

I feel like the brown color gives it some life, The whitish brown color of the classic RAF is just boring, IMO.

Eastman aren't a brand on my radar any longer owing to price as much as anything, but in terms of B3... I have an ELC 42 pattern I bought used about fifteen years ago, and a Lost World B3. I find them both about the same in terms of utility. The B3 feels significantly more robust, the Irvin very flimsy, though to be fair I've never torn out an elbow on it so it's lasted ok. The Irvin is definitely the lighter of the two. It's also shorter. If you like the small of your back covered that little bit better when you bend down, the B3 wins there. The other big win I find with the B3 is the map pocket (assuming you're sticking with milspec), which is a hand place to stow gloves - no equivalent on an Irvin.

Really, it comes down to personal preference, though if I could own just one shearling jacket for the long haul, it would be an ANJ4.

I ordered the Irvin but the (Flimsy) part is making me hesitant about keeping the order. I'm interested to know your thoughts!

 

[Edward]

I feel like the brown color gives it some life, The whitish brown color of the classic RAF is just boring, IMO.

I ordered the Irvin but the (Flimsy) part is making me hesitant about keeping the order. I'm interested to know your thoughts!

Bad choice of words, maybe. What I mean is it's very light, much more so than I'd expected, and I was originally a bit worried by that, thinking in terms of durability (I like a bit of heft to my jackets). It is, however, fifteen odd years old now, has been worn a lot, and while I've not treated it roughly, it's not been babied either and survived just fine. The leather panels on the elbows of a B3 will definitely protect them that bit better should you scrape them in a fall / on a wall, whatever. But the Irvin has proven much more durable despite its lightness than I had at first feared.