The Deck Jacket thread.

[thatoreoguy]

Looks good! To my knowledge what Bronson calls experimantal is likely refering to the first stage in the model evolution of the originals. The first original "khaki" N-1 still had the loops under the armpits and the fur liner down to the cuffs of the sleeve it had inherited from the older blue version. In this logic both, the blue N-1 and the first khaki could be called "experimental". The later wartime N-1 had no loops and the fur lining ended where the knits were attached. In this variant the N-1 stayed pretty much the same until the early 1960s.
If your Bronson has the fur down to the cuffs then they are following this evolution in their own naming logic. Their "experimantal" A-2 is modeled after the first version of original A-2s that still was made with "Jungle Cloth" as outer shell. The final version was made from plain weave fabric. This is at least how I try to explain myself Bronson's logic with their names. A few years ago they simply called them 1st, 2nd and 3rd model N-1 (they did not make the A-2 at that time).

Wear it in good health!

Edit: What the loops were actually designed for never occured to me. Some wrote, the idea behind was to have something to hang them spread out for better drying. One crazy theory said you could use them to attatch the jacket either to your belt or to your Rucksack when on shore. Never believed this, though. It is however likely that they were believed to be necessary when the jacket was worn in the whole N-1 sytem, so together with the bib. The suspenders could be fastened there to prevent them from falling off your shoulders when kneeling down. If this is true, it seems that the reality proved that they were not needed at all.

yep it has the lining all the way into the sleeves

 

[breezer]

not my cup of tea but might be of interest to someone - and of course if you buy from Marrkt you always have the option of returns: Black leather N1 by BR / William Gibson

https://www.marrkt.com/collections/...ickson-william-gibson-leather-flight-jacket-1

 

[4444Design]

View attachment 568622 View attachment 568623

Never seen those pics before - thx for sharing

 

[4444Design]

PIKE BROTHERS size XL

what i like with the PB is the more roomy sleeves they have

i owned a "L" before but was pretty snug so i was able to wear a tee only underneath

the XL allows for some layering which i prefer

 

[4444Design]

Thats a version from BOB DONG with full hooks and a zip underneath ...

this particular version was in production for a couple of months only and discontinued as far as i know

Photos are from 2019

 

[4444Design]

period-pics ...

 

[CatsCan]

i owned a "L" before but was pretty snug so i was able to wear a tee only underneath

The roomier fit looks pretty good on you! I also started to dislike the squeezed-into-the-jacket look. What are those jeans in the photo with your XL Pike Bros? They are looking a bit like Japan Blue...
Got a parcel from the US today with a nice vintage A-2 Deck Jacket. Fits great! Will come back to you with questions about the stencil on it's back when I took some photos. It reads like "B-1 Div." or "R-1 Div." and below is a number "102", both in red! Looks pretty neat on the green background (not at all stark).
I know nothing about the nomenclature behind. B-1 seems to make more sense than R-1 however. Surprised how light this jacket is compared to the N-1 repros I have. Cut is how I wished my N-1s would be.

Edit: It actually reads "R-1 Div.". US Navy folks will hopefully help me out, could this be related to a repair division, if so, No. 1 being for Hull repairs? In this case guys whose trade was welding among other relating crafts?

 

[CatsCan]

Forgot to ask: Is this the recent khaki color of Pike Brothers N-1?

 

[4444Design]

Forgot to ask: Is this the recent khaki color of Pike Brothers N-1?

I don't know - i own this jacket since a couple of years and it has seen some service before ...

There is some in "Kleinanzeigen" once in while ...

 

[CatsCan]

Here is my "new" A-2 Deck Jacket. Sewn at Vanderbilt Shirt Co., Inc. Asheville, NC in 1978. I would rate it as in very good condition for one that has been in service. No tears, no rips, no stains, color is deep OD, Liner fluffy, buttons shiny. It smells fresh after initial wash. It did not smell at all before wash. It becomes harder to find examples without oil stains, paint smears, frayed or chewn away knit cuffs, missing buttons, broken zippers or other damages. The stitching is very accurate and this jacket is extremely well put together.
The Back Stencil is very discrete with it's red color. It reads "R-1 Div." and "102" (see the b/w photo in the next post where it shows clearly).

 

[CatsCan]

Here the stencil enhanced in b/w

Maybe Thor or 4444Design can help me out, does it stand for Hull repair division? What does 102 stand for (It can't be a ship during the time of it's service)?

 

[CatsCan]

Sailors "Stop Our Ship" Protest against Vietnam War.

The guy in the center right wears his A-2 Deck Jacket.

A-2 Deck Jacket and M-65 side by side. These are the same guys as in the center of the previous image

The guy in the background is wearing a Led Zeppelin Tour Shirt (United States Of America Tour 1977, which was actually blue) so that dates this image about the time when my A-2 went into service. Can anybody identify the trainers worn by the guy in the front right?)

 

[breezer]

Looks like adidas gazelle

 

[CatsCan]

I first thought Adidas Saratoga, but no exact match so far...

 

[Bushman]

Found and restored some old photos of my Dad in his A-2 from his time in the Navy (late 70s, early 80s):

 

[CatsCan]

Found and restored some old photos of my Dad in his A-2 from his time in the Navy (late 70s, early 80s):

Beautiful photos, Bushman! Thanks for sharing!

 

[CatsCan]

More Deck Jacket photos. This time from Berlin Airlift 1948/1949. Decades later old West Berliners, most of them children back in the day, still have tears in their eyes when they talk about what these guys have done for them.

 

[Tom71]

Found and restored some old photos of my Dad in his A-2 from his time in the Navy (late 70s, early 80s):

Fantastic!

 

[Bfd70]

Perfect fit

 

[mumpy]

My RMC N-1 (size 40) arrived and just want to do a quick comparison with the Freewheelers N-1 (size 38).

* The Freewheelers is a significantly heavier jacket with thicker alpaca wool. Possibly warmer.
* The RMC has much better stitching all throughout. Buttons and hardware look awesome.
* RMC collar stays up better.
* RMC because it is lighter, feels better when layering.
* RMC has better fit for me but that's due to choosing the right size in this one. I am sure the Freewheelers has an awesome fit in the right size. The Freewheelers has a slightly more tapered fit I believe.
* Alpaca feels amazing in both.
* RMC sleeves feel slightly larger but could be due to tag size difference as well.
* Freewheelers has alpaca all the way to end of the sleeve (not just to the beginning of the cuff).