USN Deck Jackets period / repop

[Mike1973]

This is definitely a 1st model WWII style US Navy foul weather jacket. Looks like a repro. There's only one true way of putting the U.S. NAVY on the back and that's with a silkscreen using iridescent ink (like Speedball) in that kind of off white-greyish ink (with a very slight blue/green cast to it for reflection). I've heard the original process was some kind of rubbery reflective heat transfer but it was too much trouble so they went to just silkscreening them. Here's one of the ones aged up by an expert for the movie "Midway".

Great tips, thanks!

 

[Doctor Damage]

bumping this thread so members & visitors can read it alongside the five hundred million other N1 deck jacket threads we have underway... lol

 

[thor]

James Dean in a WWII N-1 Navy deck jacket. Earlier I posted this to the “Famous people in flight jackets” thread (tho it’s definitely not a flight jacket).

 

[thor]

As a late Christmas present to myself, I just ordered a Buzz Rickson A-2 deck jacket (found one in a rare XXL).
Finding an original in size XL/48 has been near impossible so I treated myself to a BR repro. Looking forward to going with more textile jackets and not my usual leather G-1.

 

[tropicalbob]

I just retired after 26 years on Active Duty & Reserves. I was a Senior Chief Boatswains Mate; I basically was in charge of all the operations on the deck of the cargo ship: cargo loading and transfer, rigging, crane operations, mooring, anchoring, helicopter flight deck operations, etc.

I realize this is an old posting, but I was just watching "Mister Roberts" the other night (probably my favorite movie) and was wondering if you had any thoughts on it, or if you had any Hoot Gibson movies you wanted to trade?

 

[thor]

“Mister Roberts” is also one of my favorite Navy movies. It is both funny and tragic, and brilliantly captures life aboard a Navy cargo ship. It brought back many fond (and afew not so fond) memories of my years aboard Navy cargo ships.
The author of the original book, Thomas Heggen, served aboard attack transport cargo vessels during WWII and based characters in his novel on actual Naval officers.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Buzz Rickson repro

 

[Doctor Damage]

Buzz Rickson repro

 

[thor]

Buzz Rickson A-2 deck jacket. Great quality and fit!
Ordered this off Amazon from
Rodeo-Japan. Jacket was delivered in 4 days from Japan, no extra import or customs charges.
I added the “U.S. Navy” tape over the chest pocket.

 

[4444Design]

Well - i'm also "back" with USN jackets ...

For comparison with the BR blue N1 These are pics from a BRONSON N1 i got some years ago - on one pic there are period NOS deck-bibs which i also got a couple of years back dirt-cheap on EBAY.com

compared to the BIBs the Color is a 100% match

for reference some of my foul-weather deck helmets (got a full lot of about 12 or 13 of them in different condition) just to Show the different stages of Fading and wear

remarkable: on some of the helmets the characters ain't in White but in silver

 

[4444Design]

Some more stuff outta my Collection

Unfortunately a thad too small for me to wear - considering to sell it if someone Comes up with an interesting offer

 

[4444Design]

Some random A2's - all period ...

 

[thor]

AE-21 was USS SURIBACHI, an ammo ship in service from 1956-1994.
I really like that you can sometimes track the history of a deck jacket thru the date of manufacture on the label and the stenciling on the back of the jacket.

 

[ton312]

View attachment 205659
Buzz Rickson A-2 deck jacket. Great quality and fit!
Ordered this off Amazon from
Rodeo-Japan. Jacket was delivered in 4 days from Japan, no extra import or customs charges.
I added the “U.S. Navy” tape over the chest pocket.

This looks outstanding! Interesting to hear how quick and easy it was through amazon too. This jacket has been in my want list for about two years...just haven't pulled the trigger but I think you just pushed me over the edge!

 

[breezer]

Just bought ( and sold ) a BR N1 in navy blue - hoping that a large would fit me right I found that the proportions just weren't right for me. The sleeves were too baggy, and it almost felt like the arm holes were too high - as in my arm movements felt a little restrained - it was not a relaxed fit, even though the jacket did feel slightly too big. Finally, the zipper felt flimsy and over all I felt a little disappointed.

Having said that - if the fit had been exactly right I probably would have been happy, as I didn't pay anywhere near retail. I'm now over ordering expensive jackets in the hope that they fit right. ( until the next time I do it, that is....)

 

[Doctor Damage]

during 1970 postal strike

 

[thor]

In the 1980 movie “Raise the Titanic” (pretty good flick!) you’ll see a mix of Navy deck jackets; the hero “Dirk Pitt” wears a WWII blue hook-front deck jacket while there are also
blue and green 1970-1980 era deck jackets galore.

 

[Edward]

View attachment 202524
James Dean in a WWII N-1 Navy deck jacket. Earlier I posted this to the “Famous people in flight jackets” thread (tho it’s definitely not a flight jacket).

Great look. I love his glasses and that 'pancake top' cap, too. IUt's really interesting looking at what Jimmy Dean wore, especially off-camera. As a young star he had enough of an income (he could afford that crazy Porsche that got him killed, for a start!) that he could wear whatever he wanted, so his choices in casual wear were clearly very deliberate and all the more interesting for that. Notably, I think this is the first (non-character) shot of him I've seen where he's wearing a hat.

Well - i'm also "back" with USN jackets ...

For comparison with the BR blue N1 These are pics from a BRONSON N1 i got some years ago - on one pic there are period NOS deck-bibs which i also got a couple of years back dirt-cheap on EBAY.com

The Bronson looks fantastic. I really think that if the people behind Bronson / Bob Dong / Non-Stock were to target the Western market more and do bigger sizes (most of their jackets look to be just a sized or so smaller at the top end than I'd want), they could do very well indeed, especially with the price of the Japanese brands headed ever skywards.

for reference some of my foul-weather deck helmets (got a full lot of about 12 or 13 of them in different condition) just to Show the different stages of Fading and wear

remarkable: on some of the helmets the characters ain't in White but in silver

These are interesting, reminiscent of the shape of early, leather flying helmets. Paint colour variation doesn't surprise me - I imagine they used what was to hand, especially in wartime. I'm sure I did hear of an M422a with a silver 'USN' tencil on the bottom of the collar; I know I've seen them in both white and yellow.

In the 1980 movie “Raise the Titanic” (pretty good flick!) you’ll see a mix of Navy deck jackets; the hero “Dirk Pitt” wears a WWII blue hook-front deck jacket while there are also
blue and green 1970-1980 era deck jackets galore.

Interesting little film. In the mid-eighties (back in the days before bigger budget, more recent 'pay-for' on-board 'cinemas'), the Larne-Stranraer ferry went through a long phase of screening it during voyages. I'm guessing a mix of it wascheap, the right length, and whomever set up the system had quite the sense of humour... This revival would of course have been around the time of an upsurge of interest in the Titanic following Robert Ballard's discovery of its location on the ocean floor. One thing the film (or, more accurately, the novel on which it was based) got very wrong was its depiction of the ship in one piece. This popular misconception was actually very well dispelled in the otherwise ghastly 1997 Titanic flick. Still holds up as a cracking yarn, though.

 

[thor]

Just picked up a 1974 A-2 deck jacket off the ‘Bay in excellent condition (at a very good price!) and it’s a size XL (pit to pit of 27” so it’s closer to a XXL). Made by the Vanderbilt Shirt Company. It seems there was some general fluctuations in sizing among the various manufacturers of these jackets. I’ve seen XL jackets that measure out at only 24-25” P2P. I suppose just like any vintage clothing, it’s hit and miss

 

[Doctor Damage]