Anything and Everything A-1

[asiamiles]

From Warehouse, seemingly unlined:

 

[bseal]

Good looking jacket, yours?

 

[John Lever]

I think small pockets need to be on the waist, they look slightly odd at this height.

 

[asiamiles]

Good looking jacket, yours?

No, spotted on Yahoo.jp. I might have been tempted, but the lack of lining put me off.

I think small pockets need to be on the waist, they look slightly odd at this height.

I think I actually prefer them higher.

 

[fishmeok]

New A-1 with USN style pockets

I'm going to stop making individual posts for my stuff, this thread needs new life anyway. This is a 46 A-1 (style) based on the Doniger pattern that I made for a customer. He wants the higher USN style pockets and 25" sleeves, first time I have done that. I think it turned out well, but I need to find some better snaps.
Cheers
Mark

 

[dujardin]

Re: New A-1 with USN style pockets

I'm going to stop making individual posts for my stuff, this thread needs new life anyway.

maybe (due to my poor english) i missunderstand what you say but NOOOOO, don't stop.
you're making a f...g good work and you may be proud and happy to speak about it with us.
if i was able to realise such a work, i would be more than happy to speak of it here, receive congratulations and/or remarks, receive some info, help, encouragment.
no, don't stop.

byeeeeee marcel

 

[airfrogusmc]

GOOD JOB I really like the shape of the pocket flaps and just the overall look and shape of the jacket.

 

[siddhartha]

I am really impressed with the craftsmanship exhibited here-keep up the good work!

Chris

 

[zoomer]

Just finished field-modding my "old pattern" Eastman A-1 - the one made from steerhide and photographs.

This was a very oversize 46, possibly MTM for a somewhat apple-bodied gentleman.
The waistline had several inches of slop and crept up constantly thanks to ELC's period-accurate no-elastic knitting.
Here it is on me before the mods, with only one row of elastic sewn into the waistband (not enough!) - and after the mods, which included putting in a second row of elastic.

The mods consisted of:
-unstitching the pen slot (I now store pens in between the hide and lining of the pocket)
-sewing a 2nd row of elastic thread into waist knit
-relocating the right-hand (female) snap panel to create a windflap (hardest part! - see below)
-relocating the buttons in line with the snaps
-smaller collar and pocket buttons (large collar buttons tended to crash into each other)
I handsewed everything!

Front of jacket Before

Front of jacket After.
Yes, the buttons left holes. I'm all right with that because now the fit is better and I have a windflap allowance.
I layer under this jacket in the cold, so it's nice to have it not gap so much between the buttons.
I always close at least the waist snaps when wearing it, so the funny corner isn't a big deal to me. Form follows function!
I may move the top body button back. I was concerned it would make the neck fit tight, but it actually throws a slight U shaped crease under the neck.

Here's how I moved the snap panel. This was a many-step process:
-undo snap panel from jacket front
-undo waist knit from panel, plus some slack from jacket front
-trim back and resew knit to panel with 1 line of stitching, inside out
-fold that seam in, then sew 2nd line, right side out
-reattach panel to jacket front with 1 line of stitching
-reinforce with 2nd line
I tried to use the existing stitch holes, but that is a hit and miss process - especially when working from the inside, where the holes are a lot smaller and hard to see.
I did every other stitch, then retraced my steps, filling in the gaps on the way back.

The result looks like what it is - handsewing by a rookie leathercrafter - but it should hold till the knits need replacement one day.

 

[deand]

Zoomer,
Very impressed with your willingness to modify something so crafted to begin with. I really appreciate your presentation on this process, as I was curious as to how exactly you moved that snap flap when you first mentioned it. Interesting also how the top button location poses a problem when you tweaked the rest of them. Surprising also, since I don't own an A-1 repro, but would like to someday, that the knits, to be historically correct, don't have elastic. Then again, givne the vintage of a genuine A-1, elastic was probably not common, if even in existence. Great job a,d thanks again for the step by step.




dean

 

[bseal]

Zoomer!

 

[deeb7]

Surprising also, since I don't own an A-1 repro, but would like to someday, that the knits, to be historically correct, don't have elastic. Then again, givne the vintage of a genuine A-1, elastic was probably not common, if even in existence.

I think elastic was available, but yes, it's one of the notable differences between the A-1, and A-2. Neither jacket was elasticised, apart from the elastic properties of the knitted wool, but with the A-1, the waistband was set in flat, and the A-2, of course, was gathered slightly.

This causes the A-1 to sit, and appear longer when worn ... part of it's A-1ness.

 

[zoomer]

Excellent observation (as always) David.
And looking back at the earliest A-2s with that in mind - the 1932 Security seems to have had the (unusually full!) gathered waist, and the 1933 Werber the opposite!
L-R: Security 32-485; some kinda A-1; Werber 33-1729

Pic circa 1934, courtesy Edwards AFB archives via Weasel_Loader.
Other pix from this period show the 32-485 typically had ample blousing at the waist.

 

[asiamiles]

Zoomer, I wonder why you didn't simply sell the jacket and purchase another better fitting one? You would surely have gotten a decent price even for an old model ELC A-1, whereas now the jacket would be a very hard sell. Did you just feel up for a challenge?

 

[deeb7]

Excellent observation (as always) David.
And looking back at the earliest A-2s with that in mind - the 1932 Security seems to have had the (unusually full!) gathered waist, and the 1933 Werber the opposite!

Thankyou, Paul ... I see what you're saying. The Werber also seems to be shorter, but it's difficult to tell whether the difference is between the two contracts, or just those individual jackets. The gathering in of the waistband is usually more visible at the back of an A-2, and sizing will also affect the appearance ... the Werber wearer is quite a large airman.

 

[Tokyo Jones]

Zoomer's photo of an airship officer finally put me over the top with A-1s. Here's a photo of the crew of the USS Akron relaxing in the mess:

I've read through this entire thread, but I still don't have a clear understanding of the A-1's collar variations. I thought I'd read that the navy versions used the lower profile, one button version, but obviously these are the high profile two button collars. Notice the offset buttons on Curly's jacket. What could that be for?

Paul, did you identify the source for the original purchase order, specifying the chocolate brown color? I'd like to research the history of this jacket more.

Thanks!
TJ

 

[deeb7]

I've read through this entire thread, but I still don't have a clear understanding of the A-1's collar variations. I thought I'd read that the navy versions used the lower profile, one button version, but obviously these are the high profile two button collars. Notice the offset buttons on Curly's jacket. What could that be for?

You have it right, TJ ... Curly anyway, is wearing the AAF type A-1, with the higher collar.

Do you mean the offset buttons on the knitted collar? They fasten with loops, to avoid buttoning through the knit.

 

[Tokyo Jones]

Deeb, if you look closely at the collar buttons on Curly's jacket, you'll see that the bottom button is set much closer to the shoulder than the top one. Normally, the buttons are perpendicular rather than set in a diagonal.

Regarding its being an AAF jacket, it does have the high pockets, which I thought was a Navy pattern. Too, the USS Akron was a navy airship. So, perhaps I am wrong about the high pockets being a Navy pattern?

Interestingly, the photo above was taken prior to the Akron's first official tour. As many of you may know, less than 18 months later the ship and most of its crew would be lost in an accident off the New Jersey coast.

 

[bseal]

I've seen Curly's jacket before, but where? with the missing button...

 

[zoomer]

Zoomer, I wonder why you didn't simply sell the jacket and purchase another better fitting one? You would surely have gotten a decent price even for an old model ELC A-1, whereas now the jacket would be a very hard sell. Did you just feel up for a challenge?

I did, honestly. I really enjoy this jacket but, yes, I probably underestimated its market value after the new model came out. (I own one of those, too.) Instead of a collectible, it became a beloved article of kit. I now like wearing it even more than before.