D-Pocket leather jackets

[Edward]

Easy access i the air to a pistol was certainly essential in those early biplanes, as it was the only available weapon. Those planes weren't fitted with guns as they were, originally, spy vehicles - the early dogfights came when two enemy spyplanes spotted each other. Not that that's why they had the guns.... at least, the RFC in England originally issued the guns as a quick method of suicide for a pilot going down in flames. Parachutes were considered to encourage cowardice, and thus not issued in those days.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

No, just a Lancer-fronted, waist-length, waist-belted, snap-collared, epauletted black jacket with a mid-chest slash pocket and a snapdown small auxiliary pocket. In other words, sharing all the attributes of a Schott, Buco, Lewis Leathers, Langlitz, or H-D "civi" jacket.

Yeah...even that style was very rare for most MC Cops to wear. A Buco style D-pocket would certainly be even much more rare for sure. MC Cops especially around here seemed to prefer their police uniform type leather MC jackets in the '50s. Looks like a early '50s HD PanHead.
HD

 

[Monitor]

Could someone with more knowledge of vintage jackets please help me out a bit - If anyone knows, what would be the body length of a 1950's or so Buco D-pocket in a size 42? Anything round that size number will do just as fine, as I am just trying to get the general idea of the length of these jackets.

Pictured random Buco D-pocket

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Monitor
I tried collecting them about 10 years ago. I wear a size 40. First one I found turned out to be around 23 1/2" body length with 24" sleeve length (didn't cover my belt & sleeves too short). I'm 6'2". So sold it on. Next found a nice 40 with 25" sleeves (about an inch too short) with 24 " body (didn't completely cover my belt). Lastly a size 42 that fit except for another 24" body length and only 24" sleeve. I gave up on a well fitting Buco for me...
HD

 

[Monitor]

HD, that's a bit short. I mean, I get the body length, but I can't imagine a 24" sleeve length being sufficiently long for a riding jacket from any period. Well, either way, HoosierDaddy, that helped me out immensely. Thank you!

 

[oneterrifichog]

Earlier this week the weather cooled down (Perfect for the LW Trojan D-Pocket) in Tennessee so I took a couple of days off and took a trip over to Maggie Valley, NC via US 129. Mid week is really nice riding on the Dragon.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Did you get a different bike OTH? The one you're riding doesn't look the same at all.
HD

 

[Bunyip]

Did you get a different bike OTH? The one you're riding doesn't look the same at all.
HD

Hmmm I'm thinking OTH has now got a bike for each of his d pockets....I've always hated it when my paint job and jacket clash....lucky bugger...well spotted HD

 

[oneterrifichog]

Did you get a different bike OTH? The one you're riding doesn't look the same at all.
HD

Yep downsized a bit for the Heritage Classic about 3 months ago. The touring bike was great but my wife decided she did not want to ride as much as in the past so I decided to go a little lighter and a bit more traditional.

 

[Mysteryo]

Here a nice D-pocket jacket I posted in the classified thread, becaus I'm selling it (i have 2 of them)

 

[Monitor]

Can't see well in the photos, but this model wouldn't happen to have a bi-swing back?

 

[mendelboaz]

That kind of looks like a Schott.

 

[nick123]

I REALLY like the Himel Bros Avro.
http://www.himelbros.com/images/products/preview/avro two tone 1.jpg

 

[Monitor]

As do I. Anything I've seen from Himel looks really great.

 

[Dinerman]

No D, but the largest map pocket I've run across. 1950s Sears Hercules. 21-1/2 down the back from the collar seam or 22-1/2" with the collar. Original motorcycle jackets of the 1930s-1960s were short.



And to answer earlier questions on the origins of the D-Pocket: They were an outgrowth on the large map pockets on early 1 piece flight suits. They became a popular stylistic feature, with many variations, on "Aviator" jackets of the 1930s and were adapted for motorcycle use around that same time.

 

[Monitor]

Flight suit... Huh! Thanks, Dinerman! And hell, 22,5"... That's really short but oddly so, the sleeves do not looks that much out of proportion with the rest of the jacket, which would make them short(er) too, I guess..?

 

[Dinerman]

Not abnormally short for a jacket of that period. The sleeves are shorter than on modern jackets. People at that time generally wore their motorcycle jacket sleeves the same length as suit jacket sleeves instead of down to the knuckle like they do now.

And the length on this one isn't a fluke, that's the length advertised in the catalogs. (All Sears measurements were measured from top of collar to hem instead of collar seam to hem, as is generally the convention these days)

 

[Bunyip]

Great info Dinerman, I love those old catalogues...

 

[Monitor]

Question for TFL experts, if you guys don't mind; I've been looking into D-pockets from Sears, and I notice that there are a lot of design variation between the jackets. I know that as the time was going by, they simplified the design; cigarette pocket became interior pocket, removable belt got replaced with the attached half-belt, etc. but what I'm most confused about is the sleeve zippers: Early ads always depict these jackets with sleeve zippers being placed on top of the sleeves, but I've only really seen a few of these jackets with such sleeve zipper configuration - even the supposedly earliest examples have sleeve zippers placed on the back seam of the sleeve, regardless of who was making the jacket for Sears. So, I was just wondering, was this really a random thing, or was there some rule to it, as for example, do only the earliest jackets have top sleeve zippers or..?

Bretron's Sears from the classifides, back sleeve zippers:

...what appears to be the exact same model, top sleeve zippers:

 

[Dinerman]

You might be interested in checking out some pieces I wrote over on The Art of the Vintage Leather jacket, where I broke down the design changes over the 20+ year run of Sears D Pocket jackets. They seem to have had multiple contractors, so even for a given year's standard advertised pattern, you do find variations.

http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1950-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jacket.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/06/1951-d-pocket.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1952-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jacket.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1953-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jackets.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1958-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jacket.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1960s-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jackets.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/sears-d-pocket-motorcycle-jackets-1968.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1969-1970-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle.html
http://vintageleatherjackets.blogspot.com/2014/04/1971-1972-sears-d-pocket-motorcycle.html