ELC Irvin 1942 with strange zipper

[Pilot]

Early 2000... untouched , no plastic teeth, but plastic tape...Very soft hide ( no cracks, no scuffing, not balding), not spongy.

 

[Southoftheborder]

Actually the teeth weren't plastic anywhere but the male feed part of the zip was. I don't think I have any pictures of it. Riri make very good zips and this was well made as you you'd expect but just a bit odd with the practical but off period plastic feed instead of brass. It had a period type puller which wasn't marked Riri as I recall.

An Eastman G1 I bought also unworn and brand new from eBay a little later also had a Riri zip like this but with a Riri marked puller and also one of those plastic feeds. The experience with the the Irvin allowed me to date it to about the same time. The strange thing about that one was that like the Irvin it zipped up the European way. Which was bloody odd for a top of the range repro US jacket. I moved that on quickly. But it seems to me that ELC did and do have a pretty cavalier attitude about some things.

 

[jack31916]

Quite an early jacket from 1990s, very robust, I washed it to crinkle it up. The only reason I sold it was because I have another that I prefer, a size 48 merino similar to this 44.
View attachment 263836 I am wearing Grants Irvin over an A1 in my avatar.

Amazing result! Did jou put the jacket in a machine or just a handwash?

 

[Micawber]

There you go, plastic bits, ginger curlies and spongy skin, I feel so inadequate. The shame, the shame.

 

[entertainment]

Micawber: We need to start an exclusive club for the owners of these rare jackets.
That picture makes it look so much worse than in real life!

 

[Micawber]

Micawber: We need to start an exclusive club for the owners of these rare jackets.
That picture makes it look so much worse than in real life!

But I worry so much when women and children point and snigger at that small piece of unmentionable, not to mention the ginger curlies and spongy skin, it tends to frighten my horses too. Do you think I can get counselling on the National Health Service?

 

[blackrat2]

Grant great looking jacket
I received one of these jackets with the plastic bits, went straight back to Eastman
Not a snob but having shelled out for a new jacket I couldn’t believe it when I saw the zipper
Don’t recall the how the leather/ sheepskin looked

 

[MikeyB-17]

I had a Martin Gould Leathers ‘D-1’ (another John Lever purchase!), not terribly accurate but actually a pretty cool jacket, which had Riri zips. They were things of beauty, no business on a D-1 but obviously very high quality. The main zip had a very hard, tough plastic male feed. I recall ELC used Riri’s on Luftwaffe jackets-anyone know if they had any plastic bits?

 

[John Lever]

I think Luftwaffe jacket zips were often plastic on the jet type jacket

 

[Pilot]

I think Luftwaffe jacket zips were often plastic on the jet type jacket

Yes, correct!...Plastic Ri-Ri’s.

 

[Micawber]

If you are so minded ELC will happily replace the zip we dare not mention for fear of ridicule for the sum of 65 of your finest English pounds ...but they are not undertaking any repairs until the New Year.

 

[entertainment]

The possibility of a zipper replacement gives me solace.
I wore it today and it was really comfortable and warm.