Vintage Barbour Waxed Cotton Motorcycle Trousers. Olive drab NATO issue! Sz 32/34.

[tweedydon]

EXTREMELY RARE!

Vintage Barbour Waxed Cotton Motorcycle Trousers. Olive drab NATO issue!​

Barbour's International A-7 jackets (and their mid-weight cousin the Beacon, now sadly discontinued) came in only one colour when they were made out of the old-school heavyweight waxed cotton: Black. Unless, that is, they had been specially made to fulfill its NATO contract to supply equipment to British Army motorcycle dispatch riders, in which case they came in either Black or Olive Drab, with the Olive being the rarer colour.

These "M-7" (the "M" standing for "Military") jackets are now extremely rare, both because they were made in limited quantities and also because they were subject to a considerable amount of wear.

They were typically issued with matching motorcycle trousers. Given the *extremely* heavy wear that these were subject to even fewer of these survive than the M-7 jackets--and so I'm very pleased to be able to offer a pair!

Cut from heavyweight wax cotton (the sort that Barbour no longer uses, have substituted Sylkoil) these trousers are original NATO issue--Barbour's M-13 model number. They feature generous double layers of heavy wax cotton at all stress areas--the seat, the inner thighs, and the inner ankles. The cuffs are gauntlet cut, similar to the zipper sleeves in true motorcycle jackets; they are designed so that they can flare out so that they can easily cover your boots or under trousers, and then be tightly secured for a close fit. To this end they are equipped both with adjustable straps at the hem, and also with two additional adjustable straps placed at intervals along the calf to ensure a very snug fit and eliminate bellowing at speed. The two calf straps are secured by Barbour's own press studs; each features two to allow adjustments to be made to the fit. All of the straps and studs are present and correct. The hems are gathered and feature a reinforcement strip.

The attention to detail that Barbour displayed at the bottom of these trousers is reflected in the features near the waist. The waistband of these trousers is heavily elasticated for a very tight fit; the elastic is still lovely and tight. The trousers have no fly, but instead a long zipper on one side for ease of entry; this is then secured in place by a strap fastened with a press-stud. The other side features a long side-entry sipper for ease of access to undertrousers. Both zippers have leather reinforcements at each end and are heavy duty YKK zippers that function perfectly fluidly. All the hardware is brass.

These trousers are fully lined in Barbour's signature cotton tartan lining. All of the seams are double-stitched and reinforced. They have the correct NATO contract interior tag. These trousers were, of course, Made in England.

(Please note that these trousers are NOT to be confused with the recent Barbour "fashion" motorcycle trousers that Barbour has now wisely discontinued. Those were cut from midweight Sylkoil, lacked many of the features of these trousers, were not made to military specifications, and had a cheap polyester lining. They also retailed for $199.....!)

These trousers are in Good/Very Good condition. They do have some age discolouration at the hem, and they have the usual musty Barbour was smell that is typical of vintage Barbours and that dissipates with airing. There is a small snag hole on the outermost waxed cotton shell on the reinforced inner thigh, and the start of a fray on one cuff. And, of course, they have the usual minor surface scuffs of military-issue kits.

Asking just $45, or offer, boxed and shipped in the USA.

These are tagged Size 34, but measure closer to a 32.

Waist: 16.5 (fully extended)
Inseam: 27 1/2 (please note that these are NOT designed to be ankle length, but to come to the top of your Tanker boots).
Length from waist to hem: 37 1/2.