Dr H
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,006
- Location
- Somerset, UK
This is a WWII-era AN-J-3 flight jacket (or possibly assembled later in the decade). A-J-3 jackets are extremely rare, and no original used by the military has turned up bearing a mil spec label. This one was used (possibly by a military flyer in Korea given the characters on the patch) and every detail of construction is identical to the mil spec items. This is the USN version of the jacket with no epaulettes and lacking an external windflap (it has the G-1 type windflap).
It's not clear who the original manufacturer was (it doesn't resemble the Willis & Geiger 'AAF version' of the jacket posted recently) and I don't know the characteristics of the naval jacket patterns well enough to put it with a particular maker. John Chapman believes that 'government contracts were produced with the government purchasing about 20-30% more material than was needed, just in case anything could go wrong during a production cycle. At the end of the contract, the production house could use any excess material for their own profit.
In this case, the left-over material could be used to keep the production line going on the same format of jackets, but a department store would be asked if they would purchase the finished garments. Abercrombie and Fitch may have bought this run of jackets, and supplied their own labels for the garments before they were made. The labels were certainly applied during production of the jacket, not after.'
I've previously owned 3 AN-J-3 jackets (a couple in goatskin) and this is by far the best that I've seen (in fact, it's about the best condition that I've ever seen for a vintage jacket of this age). It has no odors, other than the light smell of the tanning method. The lining is unholed and has no tears to any of the seams, there is a faint (lighter) discolouration towards the centre of the shoulders, but barely noticeable.
The zipper (a blackened double marked Talon) is in excellent condition - no separation to the tape and blackening to teeth is largely intact. The waist knit is is excellent condition (one or two small moth nips), the cuffs need minor darning (several moth nips and an worn edge), but they've survived really well.
There is no size tag, but from the dimensions (see below) it's a generous 46 (more like a 48) and the action back works very well with tight elastic tapes.
Chest (pit to pit) 25.5"
Shoulders 21"
Sleeves 26"
Back length 25.5"
Front length 23.5"
It's not clear who the original manufacturer was (it doesn't resemble the Willis & Geiger 'AAF version' of the jacket posted recently) and I don't know the characteristics of the naval jacket patterns well enough to put it with a particular maker. John Chapman believes that 'government contracts were produced with the government purchasing about 20-30% more material than was needed, just in case anything could go wrong during a production cycle. At the end of the contract, the production house could use any excess material for their own profit.
In this case, the left-over material could be used to keep the production line going on the same format of jackets, but a department store would be asked if they would purchase the finished garments. Abercrombie and Fitch may have bought this run of jackets, and supplied their own labels for the garments before they were made. The labels were certainly applied during production of the jacket, not after.'
I've previously owned 3 AN-J-3 jackets (a couple in goatskin) and this is by far the best that I've seen (in fact, it's about the best condition that I've ever seen for a vintage jacket of this age). It has no odors, other than the light smell of the tanning method. The lining is unholed and has no tears to any of the seams, there is a faint (lighter) discolouration towards the centre of the shoulders, but barely noticeable.
The zipper (a blackened double marked Talon) is in excellent condition - no separation to the tape and blackening to teeth is largely intact. The waist knit is is excellent condition (one or two small moth nips), the cuffs need minor darning (several moth nips and an worn edge), but they've survived really well.
There is no size tag, but from the dimensions (see below) it's a generous 46 (more like a 48) and the action back works very well with tight elastic tapes.
Chest (pit to pit) 25.5"
Shoulders 21"
Sleeves 26"
Back length 25.5"
Front length 23.5"
