My Buzz Rickson’s B-15D (1952 model) Jacket

[Stand By]

After reading Stand By's thread, I really wanted one of these. All I could find on the Japanese net was the version with the brown fur collar...
Until today!
Just bought a used example of the OP's jacket with that lovely blue/gray collar for half price! Can't wait for that to be delivered!
Just wanted to thank/curse* Stand By for planting the idea Inception style in my brain!

*delete as applicable.
I swear, I said only last week that I had bought my last flight jacket, then I saw this, and now I'm thinking how pretty a B-15c would be even if I'm not Marilyn Monroe. I'm addicted.

You are most welcome, Big J. Sorry for the slow reply - just too busy at my end to hang at the bar here like I used to ...
All I can say is - don't resist! (and you didn't! I hope you're as happy with yours as I am with mine!!)
I cannot believe how much I love this jacket. It's been my go-to jacket all Winter and I'm still surprising myself how I opt to lift it out of the closet by the door when my ELC B-6 and B-3 are right there beside it, and are fine options of course, but I keep going for the B-15D mostly every time! That collar feels so nice on the cold train platforms - and having 4 pockets sure is handy. Paired with a good sweater, it's nice and warm and the zip is a joy. And the grey knitted cuffs look nice with the rust knitted cuffs of my Buzz A-10 gloves too. It all just works and, as I said, it just surprises me how much I like it, as I've always been a leather junkie in the 3 seasons outside of summer (when all I need is my Buzz L2-A). Who knew?!? Not me. It still feels rather like a happy accident to have had the money to get it and to like something new and give myself a newer, different look when I wasn't looking for one ... and I know what you mean about hankering after another!
Please let us know how it is when yours arrives ...! I'm glad you pulled the trigger on one for yourself.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I’ve already posted this image over on another thread. I thought y’all might enjoy it. It’s civil rights activist, E. W. Steptoe wearing a C or D series B-15. The photo was taken in the early 1960s. Mr. Steptow owned a small dairy farm, in those days. He probably wore this Korean War era jacket around his farm because it was warm, tough...and (in 1964) inexpensive.

AF

 

[Big J]

Hi Stand By!
No worries! Thanks for your reply!
Mine arrived a couple of weeks ago, and it's great! I love it! It's getting too warm to wear it the last few days, but I'm glad I bought it. The collar is luxurious!

 

[Monsoon]

I like the look of the jacket overall, but not too sure about the collar color. It sort of reminds me of those dyed rabbits feet I remember seeing as a kid.

 

[Big J]

@Monsoon, yeah, I hear you. It doesn't look so blue in real life, mine's closer to gray than blue, but is kinda blue. But it's nowhere near as blue as the collars on B-15c jackets, and yet that never raises any feelings of 'lucky rabbit's feet' (I going to steal that turn of phrase). I think it's because the B-15c is just so blue all over- all that blue nylon. It doesn't stand out, and I guess most people who see it assume it's fake fur.
On the B-15d, maybe because the color of the shell and collar don't match, people don't make the automatic assumption that it's fake fur? I don't know. Maybe there's some psychological trick going on because of shell/collar contrasts? If it was green nylon with the brown collar on the B-15d, I think the first assumption would be that it's genuine fur, maybe?

 

[Big J]

@Monsoon, thinking about it, you've got a red BR MA-1, IIRC.
I'd love to get one of those, but I'm worried about it clashing with my red cheeks! I probably will get one eventually since it's a neat piece of kit in its own right, and it'd satisfy my Rebel Without a Cause red nylon fetish. I mean, it's really 'blazing' red like Dean's nylon jacket did in the film, but it's not actually the same jacket, meaning that I can kinda make the look my own.

 

[Monsoon]

@Monsoon, thinking about it, you've got a red BR MA-1, IIRC.
I'd love to get one of those, but I'm worried about it clashing with my red cheeks! I probably will get one eventually since it's a neat piece of kit in its own right, and it'd satisfy my Rebel Without a Cause red nylon fetish. I mean, it's really 'blazing' red like Dean's nylon jacket did in the film, but it's not actually the same jacket, meaning that I can kinda make the look my own.

Yep, I have the BR Red MA-1. And it is red, no mistaking that! I like it, nice heavy nylon and it doesn't look like the rest of my jackets.

 

[Monsoon]

@Monsoon, yeah, I hear you. It doesn't look so blue in real life, mine's closer to gray than blue, but is kinda blue. But it's nowhere near as blue as the collars on B-15c jackets, and yet that never raises any feelings of 'lucky rabbit's feet' (I going to steal that turn of phrase). I think it's because the B-15c is just so blue all over- all that blue nylon. It doesn't stand out, and I guess most people who see it assume it's fake fur.
On the B-15d, maybe because the color of the shell and collar don't match, people don't make the automatic assumption that it's fake fur? I don't know. Maybe there's some psychological trick going on because of shell/collar contrasts? If it was green nylon with the brown collar on the B-15d, I think the first assumption would be that it's genuine fur, maybe?

I like the B-15; I own a B-15C (mod) model. And I like the fur collar on the C and D, but I think I'd lean more towards the brown fur. The blue reminds me too much of a "cop" jacket.

 

[Big J]

@Monsoon, yeah, that red looks great, and BR nylon is a nice weight and tight weave. I really could see me wearing one.

I never mentally connected the B-15c and it's blue collar to police jackets, but now you mention it, I can see why some people would make the association. The B-15c is superficially very similar to a type of nylon jacket worn by Japanese construction workers. I think that's one of the reasons why I like Korean War era patches on my blue nylon- to avoid the construction worker association.
I think that's also one of the the reasons why I like Vietnam War era patches on my BR MA-1s, to avoid the neo-Nazi boot boy connection.

 

[Stand By]

I like the B-15; I own a B-15C (mod) model. And I like the fur collar on the C and D, but I think I'd lean more towards the brown fur. The blue reminds me too much of a "cop" jacket.

I wanted the brown collar at first as it’s more “my colour” and suits me, but HPA we’re out of stock and I opted for this one. And it’s one of those instances when I can be slow to recognize a good thing straight away and I wouldn’t have gone for it otherwise - and now, I’d opt for it again over the brown!

The collar is amazing - but I felt it losing its appeal last week when I wore it on a day which had started out cold but warmed up to around 7C and I walked across downtown T.O. and it was warm on my neck - but then I’d be wanting my Aero ANJ-3 ...
But I agree with Big J that I really like the blazing red B-15 but suspect that I’ll love it more than it loves me with my pink-cheeked complexion. I think it’d make look like a lush! Very happy with what I have.

 

[Stand By]

My doctor has a very dry sense of humor. One day he told me, “Geoff, when you first became my patient...twenty years ago...you were young and fat. Now you’re old and fat, and you can’t be both. So choose one or the other.”

AF

Good for you for making good, positive changes, Atticus. Not at all easy. Well done!
A shame you may need new jackets in a new size ... but seriously, bravo.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Good for you for making good, positive changes, Atticus. Not at all easy. Well done!
A shame you may need new jackets in a new size ... but seriously, bravo.

Thank you! The good news is...my original flight jackets fit me again. The jackets I had to retire were mostly repros.

AF

 

[Stand By]

Thank you! The good news is...my original flight jackets fit me again. The jackets I had to retire were mostly repros.

AF

Bonus! And you get to live longer and enjoy them all over again and all the more... good for you. Excellent.

 

[Edward]

I think that's also one of the the reasons why I like Vietnam War era patches on my BR MA-1s, to avoid the neo-Nazi boot boy connection.

That's been the real joy of them coming through a fashion cycle here again in the UK - they've all but lost that more unpleasant association.

 

[Flightengineer]

That's been the real joy of them coming through a fashion cycle here again in the UK - they've all but lost that more unpleasant association.

Good new that this jackets more is not considered as attribute of skinheads.

 

[Big J]

@Stand By, I hear you! Two weeks ago we had snow, now it's t-shirt weather. Jackets going back on the rack until next winter.

@Edward, especially good news since I have to keep my hair short now I'm losing it

 

[Edward]

@Edward, especially good news since I have to keep my hair short now I'm losing it

Doubly so for me... I can now go three days without shaving my head before anyone notices!

 

[Big J]

LOLZ! You know what Edward, it's a look that works for Ed Harris, he was pretty darn cool in The Right Stuff and Apollo 13.
Unfortunately, I just actually do look more like ol' Fifi in my avatar.

 

[Edward]

LOLZ! You know what Edward, it's a look that works for Ed Harris, he was pretty darn cool in The Right Stuff and Apollo 13.
Unfortunately, I just actually do look more like ol' Fifi in my avatar.

I just keep telling myself I have Yul Brynner's cheekbones...