foster
Well-Known Member
A recently posted review made note of the NOS United-Carr snaps currently used in some jackets by Good Wear Leather:
http://vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15528
The reference:
Where do things like this come from? In this instance, I sold these to Goodwear. I specifically sold them to John - in the same way that you want a professional artist to have the finest canvas and paint, paintbrushes, etc.
Here's the story on these snaps. But let me specifically state that I have no more of these - John bought them all and all I have left are the empty bins in the chest and the memories. But since the question is asked where things like this come from, here is the story. I encourage everyone to keep looking, there's bound to be more unissued and unused stuff like these out there!
Years ago, my dad's best friend bought a local awning company here in North Carolina. The business had been around for decades, and one of the things that came with the business was an old USN Fastener Repair Kit (chest) from United-Carr. This was evidently a WWII item that had been bought decades ago by the guy who started the awning company, and he used some of the large ring snaps and all of the grommets.
Knowing I was interested in old military items, I was shown the chest, and of course I wanted to buy it from him! But, he wouldn't sell it - not then anyway. So for years I would ask, and help from time to time (his shop moved and I helped). Each time I would see if he was ready to sell them and each time I was told 'not yet'. Eventually, he decided he was no longer fit to work on a ladder (an essential skill in the awning business) and finally he agreed to part with the fasteners just before he found a buyer for his business. Sadly I never was able to buy all of his Union Special sewing machines - I got the incomplete ones and the functioning ones went with the business.
But back to the snaps in the repair chest - many of the original snaps were gone (particularly the larger ring snaps) but I don't think he really used anything in the kit in the entire time he owned the business. The smaller bits, and the ball snaps, were still there (as well as hundreds of WWII issue lift-the-dots as used on canvas webbing). The kit had the snaps, dies, and setting press - literally everything needed to install them perfectly, just as was done in WWII.
When I learned about John and the work he does in building precise stitch-for-stitch replica A-2 jackets, well, who better to put these to good use? I had a business trip in the Seattle area some months ago, met John and we worked out a deal. And now, other A-2 jacket enthusiasts are benefiting from it! This is what I hoped for, and why I really appreciate that this detail was noted in the review.
Here are some photos of the fastener chest and snaps, this was only one drawer out of 4 that held fasteners, but the only one that had any snaps for leather jackets. The setting press was in the bottom drawer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... bbf6aa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... f142dc.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... 62d70c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... a0d240.jpg
I hope this is informative and educational. Keep on the watch for original items like this - it is out there waiting to be found!
http://vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15528
The reference:
Where do things like this come from? In this instance, I sold these to Goodwear. I specifically sold them to John - in the same way that you want a professional artist to have the finest canvas and paint, paintbrushes, etc.
Here's the story on these snaps. But let me specifically state that I have no more of these - John bought them all and all I have left are the empty bins in the chest and the memories. But since the question is asked where things like this come from, here is the story. I encourage everyone to keep looking, there's bound to be more unissued and unused stuff like these out there!
Years ago, my dad's best friend bought a local awning company here in North Carolina. The business had been around for decades, and one of the things that came with the business was an old USN Fastener Repair Kit (chest) from United-Carr. This was evidently a WWII item that had been bought decades ago by the guy who started the awning company, and he used some of the large ring snaps and all of the grommets.
Knowing I was interested in old military items, I was shown the chest, and of course I wanted to buy it from him! But, he wouldn't sell it - not then anyway. So for years I would ask, and help from time to time (his shop moved and I helped). Each time I would see if he was ready to sell them and each time I was told 'not yet'. Eventually, he decided he was no longer fit to work on a ladder (an essential skill in the awning business) and finally he agreed to part with the fasteners just before he found a buyer for his business. Sadly I never was able to buy all of his Union Special sewing machines - I got the incomplete ones and the functioning ones went with the business.
But back to the snaps in the repair chest - many of the original snaps were gone (particularly the larger ring snaps) but I don't think he really used anything in the kit in the entire time he owned the business. The smaller bits, and the ball snaps, were still there (as well as hundreds of WWII issue lift-the-dots as used on canvas webbing). The kit had the snaps, dies, and setting press - literally everything needed to install them perfectly, just as was done in WWII.
When I learned about John and the work he does in building precise stitch-for-stitch replica A-2 jackets, well, who better to put these to good use? I had a business trip in the Seattle area some months ago, met John and we worked out a deal. And now, other A-2 jacket enthusiasts are benefiting from it! This is what I hoped for, and why I really appreciate that this detail was noted in the review.
Here are some photos of the fastener chest and snaps, this was only one drawer out of 4 that held fasteners, but the only one that had any snaps for leather jackets. The setting press was in the bottom drawer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... bbf6aa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... f142dc.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... 62d70c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/ ... a0d240.jpg
I hope this is informative and educational. Keep on the watch for original items like this - it is out there waiting to be found!
