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^^^. Word. Wife won't budge. I have thinking to do :rofl:
I'm pretty much sold on the ANJ-4, though I'll hang fire until the late summer, by which point I'll hopefully made it over to Gala and had a chance to try one on.
Does seem slightly perverse to discuss sheepskin jackets and -35C chills just as we're about to swelter under 35C temperatures over here.
I really love my N3, though, when the weather hits 'unbearable' - snow, sleet, rain - it comes completely into its own!
happy to swap. One of the few pleasures of a miserable, damp, dark-by-4pm january days is pulling on a really warm sheepskin jacket.
There's a weird humidity thing going on in California right now. It feels like the East Coast. Pretty dismal jacket weather.
Wow - crazy HD/Fanch...
We just got some odd thing moving in here - winds kicking up like the Wizard of Oz...maybe we'll get wet too!
.........For the rest of you, I'm afraid until you've experienced rain that travels at 90 degrees to the ground because of the wind, I have little sympathy!..........
Yeah, we get that sideways rain stuff. Then, we get the tornado that goes with it......
If you already own an Irvin repro (and I'm pretty sure you do) I'd definitely go with the ANJ-4. The Irvin is a much nicer jacket than the B-3 in my opinion. So if you want an American sheepskin jacket go with the AN. The fact that it's also less common (relatively, no sheepskin flying jacket is that abundant) and won't be mistaken for an Irvin where you live either is another plus. The only thing I might change is a slightly darker shade of fleece, if available.
Blimey, most of my trips to the Alps have been snow-bound and sub-zero, so I'd have thought a B-3 would have done you proud! I do like the ANJ-4's low-key cool, especially the seal-on-seal combo. I shall need to investigate further and try on an example of two, just to see how it feels. Love my Irvin, but I like the idea of a slightly longer and darker sheepskin jacket (with pockets!). The relative stiffness of HH on sheepskin is definitely something I'll need to look at as well.
Out of interest, does anyone know when the ANJ-4 was introduced and how it common it was?
J, I think Butte is just suggesting you're 'big-boned'.
I agree. I think "Look good, feel better" can be extended to wearing decent gear and I love that … but when it's -35C on a bitterly cold day, even an ANJ-4 will feel …. well, short. To my mind, that's the only trouble with these things. They were designed for their utility in cockpits, so a slightly longer jacket like an N3-B edges them out for my money. I had hoped that, on those wickedly cold days, I could wear my lighter B-6 under my slightly roomy vintage N3-B (with just a shirt or something), but no. Turns out I can't. It's the collar on the B-6, you see, and it's all just too bulky and it feels wrong. Ah well. Life goes on …
I've concluded from my analysis here that Britain or perhaps somewhere in Europe is probably the place to move to for the most versatile jacket ensemble. California doesn't cut it. I'd happily trade some sunshine to be able to wear a sheepskin jacket.