GW B-6 Fresh Pics

[thor]

Real McCoys used to do a nice repro M-444 but discontinued it a while back. US Authentic does a reasonably accurate interpretation of the M-444 (as did Willis and Geiger in the 1980's) though nowhere near an exact replica of any known wartime maker.
Personally I like the Navy's M-444/445 much better then any of the USAAF sheepskin jackets.

 

[Edward]

What relationship did it bear to the ANJ4?

 

[thor]

At some point during the war(42/43) the US mandated a Army/Navy flight jacket design for both services in an attempt to save time and money. The ANJ3 and ANJ4 were the resulting jackets.
One was a combination of the A-2 and G-1 intermediate jackets while the ANJ4 was a conglomeration of the B-3 and M-444/445 design winter sheepskin jackets.
Didn't last long because they phased out leather jackets for warmer/cheaper synthetic material flight clothing.

 

[hpalapdog]

Real McCoys used to do a nice repro M-444 but discontinued it a while back. US Authentic does a reasonably accurate interpretation of the M-444 (as did Willis and Geiger in the 1980's) though nowhere near an exact replica of any known wartime maker.
Personally I like the Navy's M-444/445 much better then any of the USAAF sheepskin jackets.

Eastman are launching a m-444 this fall

http://www.eastmanleather.com/blog/2013/05/usn-m-444-sneak-peek/

 

[hyptul]

B-6 is ridiculously short. If you lived in Russia, we would have noticed it, too.

 

[ButteMT61]

B-6 is ridiculously short. If you lived in Russia, we would have noticed it, too.

He made the jacket. It's for someone else. Spasibo.

 

[xmr]

Eastman are launching a m-444 this fall

http://www.eastmanleather.com/blog/2013/05/usn-m-444-sneak-peek/

Is this confirmed? Eastman never answered my emails regarding the M444...

 

[bn1966]

Certainly appears to be the case http://www.eastmanleather.com/blog/2013/05/ Straight from the ELC Blog

 

[rocketeer]

Her's an M445A I owned a few(read lot) of years ago. Not the best pic, it is a photo of a photo.
This was a Gordon Ferguson, size 42. The main differences between this and my Eastman ANJ4 are: button pockets, triangular sleeve reinforcements, cuff extensions have storm cuffs though cuff is made from fleece, back is two piece vertically split and strap side adjusters
Sold because it grew too small for me

 

[xmr]

Certainly appears to be the case http://www.eastmanleather.com/blog/2013/05/ Straight from the ELC Blog

I saw that as well but this blog entry is 3 months old and I haven't heard anything else about it.

 

[Sloan1874]

Storm cuffs made from fleece? Them's toasty! Great looking jacket.

 

[rocketeer]

Storm cuffs made from fleece? Them's toasty! Great looking jacket.

Not quite Craig, you have to be familiar with the cuffs of both these jackets. The ANJ4 sleeve is fleece down to the cuff, then the cuff is a solid hide with a typical(A2 knit style) storm cuff sewn inside.
The M445A has the fleece sleeve, then a strip of leather around the circumference of the sleeve, the fleece then appears to continue to the end of the sleeve and trimmed with more leather with the same A2 style storm cuff inside

Sorry, no pics of the M445A inside cuffs and yes, this was my favourite jacket for years.

 

[Sloan1874]

Ahhh, I understand. An interesting idea. Does it make any difference to warmth/wearability?

 

[rocketeer]

Ahhh, I understand. An interesting idea. Does it make any difference to warmth/wearability?

No real difference in warmth, but some of my jackets do suffer at the wrists so the ANJ4 is probably more hard wearing.
An ideal winter jacket like this for me would be a B6 but made with B3 thickness fleece though I dont know if the back would work then. Or a D1 with no zips on the pockets(B3 fleece).
J