Zipper pullers on A-2 jackets

[GregGale]

Please enlighten me, I don't know anything about this topic. All I know is that there was a piece of leather attached to the zipper of my Cockpit A-2 - and it was very handy- , and now there is nothing on my Eastman Star.

Were original jackets equipped with this tiny leather strap? Was it just a "field mod" done by individuals? Or is it something that appeared much later, on repros only?

If it's historically accurate, where do you suggest I start looking for an appropriate piece of leather?

Thanks in advance

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've immediately removed them from my jackets (apart from the more permanent fob-like ones on non-spec jackets like my Schott 654). I don't like they way they look, don't see that they're really needed to easily pull the zipper, and they've always struck me as an unnecessary - and perhaps historically incorrect - detail.

Most wartime photos I've seen don't show them, so I'm also curious to hear if they were indeed widely used on issued jackets.

 

[Justhandguns]

You just reminded me, yes, I think I don't have any leather zipper pulls on my Eastman A-2s. On the other hand, my G-1 came with a matching strip of leather. There are a few people selling strips of leathers on ebay, but you can also ask Eastman to see if they can send you some 'leather samples', maybe in strip forms?

 

[handymike]

I took mine off, and replaced the main zip one with a longer piece of Latigo lacing (leather).

 

[devilish]

I’m not sure if they were issued that way or not? But I’ve always heard it made the zips easier to use while wearing thick flight gloves? Irvin’s came with them as did later cloth and nylon jackets. I personally like them and have put them on any jacket that didn’t have one. Scraps of leather aren’t to hard to find. Try a leather tailor or cobbler?

 

[Atticus Finch]

Leather zipper pulls weren’t on original A-2s, but other things were added as field mods...bomb arming pin tags, common among them. G-1s from the Vietnam era, through today, were issued with the little leather zipper pulls. Some vintage nylon jackets had leather pull tabs on both their main zips and on their cigarette pocket zippers. Some had leather only on the main zip. This mainly depends on the date of the jacket.

Of course, zipper tabs...whatever they’re made of or whoever installs them...are there to make the zipper more manageable when the airman is wearing gloves.

AF

 

[Doctor Strange]

No doubt they make it easier with gloves, and it's a worthy purpose. But I don't generally wear any of my leather jackets in cold enough conditions to also require wearing gloves.

 

[nick123]

My silly unofficial copilot experience has taught me that being buckled up with restraints, it's really not easy to put anything in a pocket whatsoever. I suppose you can unbuckle in flight but given the unpredictable nature of turbulence, bad idea)...I'd argue from observing my dad that the only crucial item one would need to possibly store in a jacket for easy access is an extra pen. When we were flying from SJC to KTOA we hit this patch of turbulence deemed "moderate" which my dad reported to ATC after hitting his head on the ceiling and the autopilot being disengaged with the plane then headed on a steep downward bank....it ****** sucked, and that in pilot lingo is only "moderate". Good news is planes are structurally tested for severe turbulence so there's little to worry about, but my god, I think I pissed myself. Ironically, the gf in the back seat remained calm as a puddle of water.

 

[kowalski]

leather tongue it is it zipper without them is bare I have it in all my jackets

left ; us auth A2, B3 ww2 , Aero A2 RD , Eastman A2 and Eastman Irvin

A zip without a tongue is like a gentleman without a tie

 

[seres]

I took mine off, and replaced the main zip one with a longer piece of Latigo lacing (leather).

Very nice! I have been replacing mine with paracord, about the same length as this for easier use. But I may change to the Latigo lacings. Very nice!

 

[GregGale]

I went to a leather tailor who gave me some leftovers. I cut a smaller zipper puller out of one. The colors don't perfectly match, but it's very soft, always hidden by the flap, and makes using the zipper a lot easier. Now I only have to order one of those Thunderer whistles

 

[Brettafett]

ELC will attach one if requested... They are handy...

 

[EmergencyIan]

Though A-2's may not have left the factory with leather pull tabs, I've seen some originals with them which look like they've been there for many decades. I don't know a helluva lot, that's just a personal observation.

- Ian

 

[GregGale]

I just ordered a pair of gloves from ELC, so I sent Gary an email asking if he could include a piece of leather in the package that I could use. He said my order has already been shipped, but he will send me a leather zipper puller no extra charge. I'm always amazed how nice and helpful they are at ELC...

 

[Brettafett]

At the prices we are paying, I would hope so. That said, not everyone would. Yes, the ELC team are great.

 

[Flightengineer]

I agree that they are convenient. On some old war time jackets sometimes they was (on pics).