is it safe to wear a WWII vintage leather flight jacket?

[green papaya]

seems like the materials would be dry rotted / fragile just from age? and the leather would be stiff and dry after so many years?

I think it's best to buy a well made repro for actual wearing, something that has a lot of use left in it.

vintage are best for collecting , not wearing

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Well, if safety is really such an issue for you, you might want to cover those swastikas…

(Seriously, when I saw the thread title, I wasn't sure if you meant fabric wear or hostilities because of whatever associations the jacket might evoke.)

 

[greyhound68]

seems like the materials would be dry rotted / fragile just from age? and the leather would be stiff and dry after so many years?

I think it's best to buy a well made repro for actual wearing, something that has a lot of use left in it.

vintage are best for collecting , not wearing

I have four original A2s all in excellent condition and very wearable no issues with dry rot etc. Do I wear them? Yes but not as much as I would want to. I wear my repros more. Why? Don't want to get something like that damaged. That is my reason not condition.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Ah, the perennial debate continues

vintage are best for collecting , not wearing

This is a topic/point of discussion in virtually every arena of things vintage. There are those who buy something vintage to use because they like the style, the quality, or any other reason, including collecting. Then there are those who feel that vintage items should not be actually used for what they were designed for, that they should be protected and just looked at.

Drive a vintage car? What if you get into an accident and total it? Have a vintage plane? What if you crash? (I was at an air show, Freedom Fest in Columbia, SC, when a Corsair went down. I was probably one of the few in the crowd who saw he was in trouble before he broke formation to circle around to land. I didn't realize how much trouble, though, until he failed to come back into sight.)

In the vintage motorcyle world, the saying is "Don't hide it, Ride it!"

Of course, this is all based on the item being in usable condition.

My own position is that it's your decision. Put it up on the wall under glass, wear it every day until you wear it out, or something in between--it's all up to you!

Regards,
Tom

 

[John in Covina]

I think that with some luck leather jackets such as these maybe in a condition that can be restored with the use of the right leather dressings. That will in turn allow the jacket to continue a long life and be used. If it was fragile, then you may wish to hold off but these were made for hearty wear and to be used / worn, so do it if it is possible.

 

[Estevan]

Safe up to a point....

I wear my 3 originals on a daily basis. Just make sure you watch them whenever you leave them somewhere. Be careful giving them to a coatcheck or leaving them on the back of your chair while you visit the loo....:eusa_doh:

 

[aswatland]

I have six original A2s and I wear them in rotation. I wear my Werber repro on a daily basis. I am always careful when wearing originals and one is only worn to airshows.

 

[scotrace]

There's an original Rough Wear jacket locally I would like to own. It's completely shot with holes, animal damage, the works. And it's several sizes too small, so wearing it isn't an issue. I'd like to have it for what it is.

If I had one that fit and was in goood overall condition, I would wear it occasionally. But for every day wear, excellent quality reproductions are not so hard to find and if an unseen bit of wire sticking out someplace gouges it, no one has to die.

 

[Fast]

Why did you buy it?

If you got it to have it, you have it. Put her in plexi case on the hallway wall and enjoy.

If you got it to wear it. Put it on and if and when a cuff or lining goes. Take her to a good tailor and get her fixed. And enjoy.

If it is old and you wear it, something will happen sooner or later. This is the transitory nature of earthly things.


Carpe Diem
Fast

 

[greyhound68]

If you got it to have it, you have it. Put her in plexi case on the hallway wall and enjoy.

If you got it to wear it. Put it on and if and when a cuff or lining goes. Take her to a good tailor and get her fixed. And enjoy.

If it is old and you wear it, something will happen sooner or later. This is the transitory nature of earthly things.


Carpe Diem
Fast

Yup either you enjoy it now cause your kids will sell it when you kick the bucket.

 

[bgbdesign]

Just wear 'em!
I do and at this point in my life I have learned how to "wear with care" my clothing and be careful at the same time.I wear a small size and have worn original everything for years with no worries.
however... I dont wear jackets with patches or painting or jackets with problems that would get worse. I dont wear shearling just sturdy solid horsehide or goatskin jackets that probably will outlive me!

As many of you know a nice pair of english made oxfords can only get one gouge on the toe and you see it forever! So just take care if leather you wear.

A white linen suit and vintage two tone shoes will teach you how to take care of your clothes and stay clean very well

justmypair-of-pennies
bb

 

[green papaya]

thats why I never bought an original WWII leather jacket

mine is a modern reproduction

dont own any originals

 

[Micawber]

When I collected such things I would sometimes wear some of my genuine jackets ..but with care. I had a couple of particularly strong plain B3's that I tended to wear when I was out and about in my MB in the winter. In time the zips needed replacing so they went down to Gary Eastman. I never wore anything with genuine artwork though.

 

[cookie]

Leather that's dry

Lexol or one of those car leather re conditioners

 

[johnnyjohnny]

tiCtoCK

my experience is in the world of vintage watches...i buy and sell, and keep for myself, vintage ww2 ordnance issued brit, u.s. and german military watches...

i am like a little girl (no sexism meant) when it comes to marking something up...totally paranoid...especially about watches...have sold a new rolex and a few other new watches after putting the first nick in them...soooooo, the point being that i was rather surprised how easy it was for me to wear my doxa german DH ordnanced number military ww2 watch, and my zenith german issued ww2 DH ordnanced watch...both rather rare of all the german ordnanced ww2 watches...

the reason being that these watches, as virtually all ww2 issued a-2s, have at the least moderate wear (on the cases, and of course the crystal is always polishable and changeable, kind of like the cuff ribbing on an a-2)...so a scuff on such a watch is often a scuff on top of a scuff...not that i'm careless with them, but scuffing a scuff is not like taking your new bmw out and getting a shopping cart ding in it...

of course i try very hard not to let sledgehammers fall on these watches...and so i think it's likewise with leather jackets...as has been pointed out, the leather conditioners make any jacket with life still left in it very usable...and i'd feel comfie putting a scuff on a vintage ww2 a-2 that is already cool and distressed up, and upon which any wear only enhances the look, and can usually be reconditioned...think i'd feel much more queezy wearing a new expensive leather jacket...in fact i have a new vintage lamb sheerling repro of the 'b' series jackets used in heavy missions over germany, cost $450 10 years ago so i'm sure it's equal to the $1000 ones today...i am rather circumspect about rubbing up against anything in that jacket...in 10 years i've worn it about 6 times max...hence i still call it 'new'

i don't think it's an off the mark comparison, leather of a-2s and the steel of ww2 watches...the steel on these pieces has pits, has been cut up here and there, but leather like the steel was used in these jackets to stand up to hard use (obviously not to the extent of steel), and can be wonderfully reconditioned (as the more expert jacketeers here have stated)...

so from my perspective i'd suggest totally wearing your jackets

 

[Estevan]

My vote is for wearing them. I wouldn't want to just have them on a mannequin just to look at. For me wearing them is half the fun, the other is buying them.

 

[KhalilSheikh]

The perennial question...

...that also comes up in other fora.
The vintage jackets in my collection are predominantly decorated A-2s. As I've posted elsewhere, I have hard time wearing my decorated originals because I always come to the conclusion that someone else paid their dues to earn the right to wear that jacket. In most cases the original owner(s) risked their lives wearing those jackets. Makes me feel like a poser...an 'armchair quarterback'.
I'm trying to get over that, but it is difficult for me to do so.

 

[Fletch]

In the vintage motorcyle world, the saying is "Don't hide it, Ride it!"

Anecdote time. Supposedly the last known natural white skin B-3 (the type originally issued in 1934) was worn to shreds by its owner...who used it as a cycle jacket.

 

[Smithy]

...that also comes up in other fora.
The vintage jackets in my collection are predominantly decorated A-2s. As I've posted elsewhere, I have hard time wearing my decorated originals because I always come to the conclusion that someone else paid their dues to earn the right to wear that jacket. In most cases the original owner(s) risked their lives wearing those jackets. Makes me feel like a poser...an 'armchair quarterback'.
I'm trying to get over that, but it is difficult for me to do so.

I know where you're coming from Mazeta. It's a personal thing but I prefer to wear a repro for the simple fact that I am not going to worry so much about wearing it when compared with an irreplaceable, unique and historic item.