Dany McDonald
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I acquired this Rolen L-2B last year and took my time finding a seamstress that could tackle the job of restoring what was a jacket in a sorry state. The wristlets had already been replaced but were so rushed that they looked skewed and the stitching was all over the place. The collar was also in a bad state (very loose) and the male part of the Conmar zipper was missing a lot of its elements, teeths, tape, etc. Some rips and tears in the Nylon had also been very badly stitched/repaired. I already had all the knits elements that came with an eBay Rolen B-15D auction I won like 3 years ago. But I did source the Conmar zip (lucky to find a totally white 1960's) on eBay and did a dye job to matched the original right or box side that I left intact so I could keep as much of the original jacket there. The securing nylon latch, at the bottom is missing. I have a nice piece of nylon from a donor fly suit and acquired some press studs since the restoration. That will have to wait in 2024 but planned!
I really like this jacket for its add-ons elements (name & airforce tag, reflective strips and the first lieutenant stripe), I think its a cool piece that has all the "USAF issue" vibes an enthusiast like me loves, its vintage for sure!
Thanx for looking!
D
I acquired this Rolen L-2B last year and took my time finding a seamstress that could tackle the job of restoring what was a jacket in a sorry state. The wristlets had already been replaced but were so rushed that they looked skewed and the stitching was all over the place. The collar was also in a bad state (very loose) and the male part of the Conmar zipper was missing a lot of its elements, teeths, tape, etc. Some rips and tears in the Nylon had also been very badly stitched/repaired. I already had all the knits elements that came with an eBay Rolen B-15D auction I won like 3 years ago. But I did source the Conmar zip (lucky to find a totally white 1960's) on eBay and did a dye job to matched the original right or box side that I left intact so I could keep as much of the original jacket there. The securing nylon latch, at the bottom is missing. I have a nice piece of nylon from a donor fly suit and acquired some press studs since the restoration. That will have to wait in 2024 but planned!
I really like this jacket for its add-ons elements (name & airforce tag, reflective strips and the first lieutenant stripe), I think its a cool piece that has all the "USAF issue" vibes an enthusiast like me loves, its vintage for sure!
Thanx for looking!
D
