Asking for Some Advice on an Old Flight Jacket

[GlasgowBased]

Hi everyone,

I was hoping to get some some input from the experts on here about an old flight jacket of my dad's. My dad served on the USS Denver (LPD-9) from 1967-1970 (I think); he was an electrician on the ship, not an aviator, but he came into possession of the jacket while he was serving and it remained one of his prized possessions for years. He died a few years ago and I took the jacket home when I was clearing out his flat. It's been sitting in my wardobe now since then. As you can see from the pics it's not in great condition. I live in an old Glasgow tenament though and buildings like this tend to have issues with damp and moisture. While the jacket already wasn't looking the best even before it came home with me, the conditions here seem to be taking its toll on the jacket. I am not desperate to get rid of it as it means a lot to me because it meant so much to him, but I don't want to let it just deteriorate in a wardrobe. I was wondering first if you could tell me what type of jacket it is and how collectable something like this, in this condition would be. I was also watching some videos about people treating and restoring jackets like this and was wondering whether it would be worth me trying to do so, and whether it's a difficult job.

Thanks in advance!

K

 

[mulceber]

G-1 flight jacket of the Mil-J-7823D specification, made by Star Sportswear of Boston. It is very collectible, especially given how patched up it is. We actually have a guide to Navy flight jackets on this site that we just completed, if you're interested.

As to the condition, I actually think from the photos it looks to be in pretty good shape! I didn't notice any signs of mold or red rot. The knits could use replacing, but that's almost always the case. I would say for storage, a shadowbox would be quite nice. Maybe store it in the least humid room in your flat, and/or look into maybe a very small dehumidifier. Old leather is best stored at about 30% humidity.