For the Buzz Rickson Nylon enthusiast

[OperationCoffee]

The founder(s) of Buzz Rickson were once interviewed about the early days of their company and said that they thought the gathering/rippling of fabric on the seams of nylon flight jackets had to be a manufacturing defect/sewing error, and when they began making their jackets they attempted to keep the fabric as flat as possible and eliminate this effect.

The jacket below is from the 1st year of their operation and as can bee seen the material exhibits no gathering around the seams anywhere on the jacket except where the waistband and collar are sewn in. Think about how much labour went into making a jacket this way!

 

[B-Man2]

It would be interesting to compare a recently made MA-1 by Buzz to this jacket, just for the hell of it , to see if their jackets are still sewn with this kind of quality control .

 

[OperationCoffee]

I'll post a few pics later of a recent one

 

[Micawber]

I'm thinking.

I may be wrong but having done a bit of sewing and renovating using a variety of equipment I imagine it's all down to ensuring the machine is correctly timed and set up, is using the right needle and thread combination, and the operator is well trained, experienced and not overly rushed and trying to over feed the work through the machine.

 

[OperationCoffee]

I'm thinking.

I may be wrong but having done a bit of sewing and renovating using a variety of equipment I imagine it's all down to ensuring the machine is correctly timed and set up, is using the right needle and thread combination, and the operator is well trained, experienced and not overly rushed and trying to over feed the work through the machine.

Thing is, all Nylon flight jackets have the rippling (originals included). While it may not have been technically, in light of your observation, difficult to make a flat seam, the fact these guys were so obsessed with "perfection" that they were willing to take extra steps to make jackets like that says something about BR. Yes, I am a huge BR fan...

 

[Dany McDonald]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing. I am also a fan of Buzz, but everything...

Dany

 

[OperationCoffee]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing. I am also a fan of Buzz, but everything...

Dany

Ok, some of their stuff can be...weird? or cheesy ( over priced T shirts for one ) but generally most of that shit stays in Japan. Me, I'm just into (most of) their jackets.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Well Buzz and RM tend to play with a combination of accurate details mismatched from different contracts and type versions. I mean you find all the correct parts & colors for an accurate reproduction of a certain type (lets say a B-15B), over 3 or event 4 different jackets and versions in as many years. It's simple, if you make the most accurate version of a, ex: a B-15B, you will have a hard time selling the same B-15B to the same market year after year... One you have the perfect Sigmund Eisner B-15B, why buy another with the incorrect zip or knits or oxygen tab.... It's a sale tactic.

Just my two cents.

Dany

 

[Dany McDonald]

Just for fun, look at this B-15C from Buzz (BR10791/10805).

This manufacturer label Midwest Fur & Garment B-15C stock-37 contract was for Midwest first B-15C in Olive green...not Blue.
The combination of Blue Nylon and Crown (M51) main zipper is a Pritzker & Sons feature.
Beige knits was only found on Albert Turner B-15C.

So this jacket is in fact the combination of 3 different contracts.
Toyo has all the proper Nylon, hardware, labels and knits to make an accurate B-15C or 3!

Dany

 

[OperationCoffee]

Just for fun, look at this B-15C from Buzz (BR10791/10805).

This manufacturer label Midwest Fur & Garment B-15C stock-37 contract was for Midwest first B-15C in Olive green...not Blue.
The combination of Blue Nylon and Crown (M51) main zipper is a Pritzker & Sons feature.
Beige knits was only found on Albert Turner B-15C.

So this jacket is in fact the combination of 3 different contracts.
Toyo has all the proper Nylon, hardware, labels and knits to make an accurate B-15C or 3!


View attachment 73075


View attachment 73076

Dany

So a Frankenjacket. That is interesting.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Frankenjacket yeah but a beauty! Wish Buzz would make a HQ repro of Midwest Fur & garment!

Dany

 

[Spitfireace]

I have two Buzz Rickson's. A B-15 1944 type cloth, and an L-2 1945 prototype jacket also made of cotton.

 

[Spitfireace]

 

[Spitfireace]

Ya I know it's not nylon.

 

[OperationCoffee]

My first Buzz jacket was/is the jacket in this post. It still fascinates me. It was an ebay purchase from ages ago. I paid $80 delivered. I was just noodling around looking for a good early vintage MA-1 and this was all that I could find that came close. It opened a new world (japanese repros) for me basically and I've been collecting Buzz jackets ever since. Oddball mashup jackets actually seem pretty cool. I'm not really looking for historical authenticity in a Buzz jacket anyhow (I'll buy actual vintage jackets for that ) . They're just fun. I've never paid retail for one and never will. The bang for buck factor is a big draw, and I've never been disappointed. Buzz jackets are the best constructed garments of their kind I've ever handled and I always feel that thrill of getting a killer deal every time I'm able to pick one up for 1/5th (or better) than the price of an original/gen.

Those prototype jackets are really fun. You're basically buying something that would only otherwise exist for you as an artifact in a rare photo you might pull up after an extended internet session.

I just wish there was someone doing stitch for stitch knock offs of Buzz's patches. Try buying or even finding an original of some of the ones they've repro'd over the years.

I've attached a pic of a wallet I made out of an old Buzz MA-1 pocket because why not

 

[Spitfireace]

 

[warguy]

I like that little wallet thingy. I could see those taking off. I too am a big Buzz Rickson fan.

 

[OperationCoffee]

I like that little wallet thingy. I could see those taking off. I too am a big Buzz Rickson fan.

I got lucky with that one. A fleabay seller described a jacket as being in "like new" condition and what I got was a completely trashed jacket with sleeves that had been altered/shortened. He refunded me and I used it as a parts jacket. The Crown slider came in handy with repairing another jacket zipper (saving me a trip to the MASH site).

 

[Spitfireace]

Love MASH.

 

[mulceber]

View attachment 73102

@Spitfireace do you have any more pictures of that L-2? Does it have a USAF logo or AAF?