Zippers

[Senator Jack]

I suppose I've never given it much thought because, except for the pants, the bulk of my vintage clothing is fastened by button. Indeed, I think the only jackets I have that are zippered are of the 50s/60s leisure variety, which are easy to date by material and cut. But I can certainly see how important it would be for the military collector!

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Alan Eardley]

I'm not really that interested in zip fasteners. I just collect vintage clothing and the zip is often the best way to date or identify an item.

Some people find it funny when I'm well informed. That's OK. I find it funny when they're badly informed - or not informed at all.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

A good website for ZIPP wartime zippers. There are two pages of ZIPP zippers:

http://wengerm.home.mindspring.com/Details-Zippers1.html

Unfortunately mine does not appear on the website. Anyone here with ZIPP expertise?

bk

 

[BellyTank]

I'm up for a bit of German Zipp action- (not like that...)
Post a pic? what item is your Zipp zip on..?

B
T

 

[Alan Eardley]

Zipp zips

An interesting site. I have seen a number of these different patterns on LW Channel Suits etc. It has always struck me that if you put the shaped puller from the first type illustrated onto the rounded slider from the third or fourth type, you have something very similar to a Lightning of the same period.

Other common German zips on wartime LW items are Rapid, Elite, Prym, Rheinadel and RiRi, which are often made of plastic even at this early date.

Civilian Zipp zips often have fancy perforated pullers.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I'm up for a bit of German Zipp action- (not like that...)

B
T

Funnily enough the Baroness said something similar ...

pic will be posted soon (maybe tomorrow). It's on a leather trenchcoat.

It is the ZIPP with a lightning bolt through it. On the other side is "DRP N?ɬºrnberg".

bk

 

[BellyTank]

In addition...

Don't forget RITSCH, RUHR and ECLAIR- all used on wartime military and civilian German gear.
KWIK made some nice fancy zips too-

RiRi still make the late-war style nylon zip sliders, pulls and chain- well actually, they actually use that style for some of their metal pulls too.

B
T

 

[BellyTank]

It is the ZIPP with a lightning bolt through it. On the other side is "DRP N?ɬºrnberg".

bk

Ahaaa.... that's one of the earlier (wartime)ZIPP zip styles- they dropped the lightning Bolt and then changed the DRP to another, more obscure nomenclature- probably a different patent index, I would guess.

B
T

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The dating issue appears to be the usage of Nürnberg after DRP. The only thing i've been able to come up with on the web is a neo nazi website with a reference to a pair of 1941 ski pants wiith DRP Nürnberg zippers. Which may or may not have made it to russia.

Who used green leather? Is this civilian rather than military?

I know, I know ... Herr Flick

I just need to acquire the limp.

bk

 

[BellyTank]

Klopp!

I shall say ziss only vunce...

Herr Flick indeed-

Green leather is very 'era 'German civilian' but I guess the military used them in an unofficial way too.

I once saw a live show of 'Allo, allo in New Zealand- much funnier and bawdy than the TV virgin.

B
T

 

[Alan Eardley]

Zipper

Baron,

I take BT's point, but I wouldn't rule out that this is a postwar German police coat. Both French and German emergency services used green leather coats. The 1940s - 1950s French motorcycle policeman's coat in green leather used to be quite common in surplus stores (particularly USMC) on this side of the Atlantic.

The Zipps (zips) are of a design that was common in the mid-war period, but with teh sort of stock control you get in the clothing industry they could have been used well after the war. I don't think we can read too much into the DPR number by way of a date. Without seeing more of the coat, I'd be guessing.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Funny you should say that. My first gut impression of the jacket was that it was for a despatch rider. The only zipper is to close a pocket on the inside under the left lapel. There is a belt to hold the jacket closed which is missing its buckles I'll post more pics when i get time.

bk

 

[Wild Root]

Moved due to content....

Hello fellas, I had to move this thread seeing that it had little to do with suits. Yes, suits have pants that have zippers but, the majority of conversation and photos are of jackets and pants. I felt this more fitting in General Attire.

My take on the Zipper fly:

I have seen some very interesting things as some of you have. In 1998, a vintage dealer friend of mine showed me a NOS pair of pants from about 1928. They were heavy wool herringbone fabric that had a tall 3" waist band, wide legs and some very deep cuffs. They retained their original store labels (Can't recall what brand they were) and had these surprising details! The fly was a button type however; the back pockets had these up-side-down flaps over them. They buttoned at the top but, as you unbuttoned the flap and folded it down, it revealed a zipper closure! How odd it was to see zipper closures on the two back pockets with flaps that closed above the pocket that contained zippers and yet, there was no zipper on the fly where it would really count! How I wish I took some photos of them!

I have seen ads out of Catalogs that offer zipper flies in pants as early as 1934! But, they cost more then the button type. I prefer the button type my self and when I find a pair of button type pants I go crazy for them!

Speaking of Zippers, any one here see the cloth covered zippers? I have a few pairs of pants that have a cloth covered zipper! It was designed to conceal the bright silver gleam of the zipper when sitting down or what not. In later years like the late 60's to 80's we find zippers being made of plastic and in like colors of the pair of pants.

=WR=

 

[MudInYerEye]

I have a twill jacket from the 1930's that has a cloth-covered central zipper made by Waldes. The "Kover-Up".

 

[BellyTank]

Those type zippers were also used on the USAAF C-2 cardigan/sweater...

B
T

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Calling all zipper enthusiasts ...

I would call us Zippys, but who would be Bungle?

Anyone heard of Waldes? I just recently got an early 30s suit with a brass Waldes zipper in the trousers. The Waldes appears diagonally on the part if the zip you pull.

bk

 

[miss1934]

I have a Sears etc. from '33 with a "flash slide fastener fly" for men's trousers. But, they don't appear consistantly 'til my '34. Women's dresses are much odder, and they did not seem to appear until at least another year. I was watching Yankee Dooble Dandy (1942) though the other day and I noticed that you could clearly see all of the zippers up the back of all the costumes. The time period for the show was around 1905 and I regard this as ridiculous. It is much easier and cheaper to use zippers, but when recreating period pieces, shouldnt you at least bother to cover your own tracks?

 

[BellyTank]

BK-

Waldes zips have been spied on US Forces clothing and equipment in WW2 and post-

B
T

 

[nightandthecity]

I have had waldes zippers on both civilian and military gear from WW2 and the 1950s. Mostly 1950s civiliian stuff. But they are not common and I've never been able to find anything out about the company.

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

I have some of those Talon Ads somewhere

I have some jpegs of the talon ads that were mentioned earlier.... will see if I can dig them out and post them.

Cheers

Peter

Hey Biltmore Bob I have a feeling this one will go further than four pages!