Help with some info please - N-2A MIL-J-6278

[Skeptic]

I thrifted this a couple years ago now. I am not a collector.. I sort of bought it as a flip but as it hasn't sold I am think of wearing it since its my size anyway... is that sacrilege here?

Its in incredible shape (imo) but the fur on the hood is very very rough.. almost to the point that it sort of sticks you if you wear it.

Is that normal? Can it be softened/conditioned? How should it be cared for to maintain it? With the mix of natural and synthetic materials I don't want to screw it up. I've read its wolf or coyote? Any way to know for sure?

Any info is appreciated - The more the better as I am a curious type. Sure is nice to have groups of informed people to query

Thanks in advance.

 

[B-Man2]

Can’t understand why you can’t sell it.

 

[B-Man2]

Just sent you a Private message .., let me know your thoughts .
Thanks

 

[Skeptic]

Can’t understand why you can’t sell it.

If I'm honest I probably didn't try really hard as other things were taking up my time. Now I have found some time to drill down on it and found you guys!

 

[ZuZu]

It's a 50s N-2A in a very desirable big size! Used in the Korean war- in good shape a true collector's item. I'm almost certain the fur is wolf's fur- it's spiky like that- don't mess with it. (I think the theory was that it helped keep out the wind and snow when closed up). Beautiful color- much cooler than Sage IMO.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Hi Skeptic,

Nice N-2A and in good shape. It's a 1952 (fiscal year) made jacket. The fur is synthetic. The ones with coyote fur are more desirable hence why you may have a hard time flipping. They are not that ''rare'' in that size. Remember they are design to be used in a cockpit, so they are a bit short in the upper body. The hood is also over sized and bulky. I find them very desirable and fun to wear, but not everyone does. The A series tend to be a bit bulkier than the later B serie, at least mine are.

I personally think that the N-3 ''parka'' are easier to wear in an everyday setting.

HTH!

D

 

[Dany McDonald]

Oh, and forgot to ask, are you looking for ways to clean the entire jacket or just the synthetic fur?

 

[ZuZu]

Hi Skeptic,

Nice N-2A and in good shape. It's a 1952 (fiscal year) made jacket. The fur is synthetic. The ones with coyote fur are more desirable hence why you may have a hard time flipping. They are not that ''rare'' in that size. Remember they are design to be used in a cockpit, so they are a bit short in the upper body. The hood is also over sized. I find them very desirable and fun to wear, but not everyone does. The A series tend to be a bit bulkier than the later B serie, at least mine are.

I personally think that the N-3 ''parka'' are easier to wear in an everyday setting.

HTH!

D

What makes you think that long fur is synthetic? In the 50S? I had this same coat with the same fur and I thought you could see the leather base of the fur. It's definitely odd and specific to those blue jackets but I do think it's wolf. I don't think the fur trim was synthetic 'til the 70s on N-2Bs and N-3Bs. Am I wrong? If so I'll stand corrected!

Also- why was the 50s synthetic so cool and realistic looking and the 70s so fake looking ugly? Interesting...

 

[Skeptic]

Hi Skeptic,

Nice N-2A and in good shape. It's a 1952 (fiscal year) made jacket. The fur is synthetic. The ones with coyote fur are more desirable hence why you may have a hard time flipping. They are not that ''rare'' in that size. Remember they are design to be used in a cockpit, so they are a bit short in the upper body. The hood is also over sized and bulky. I find them very desirable and fun to wear, but not everyone does. The A series tend to be a bit bulkier than the later B serie, at least mine are.

I personally think that the N-3 ''parka'' are easier to wear in an everyday setting.

HTH!

D

Wow thanks for the info! Is there any significance to one maker over another? It sounds like there were more than 1 manufacturer. Any resource to decode the rest of the tag to any worthwhile information?
Regarding cleaning, I was mostly wondering about softening up the fur. I will have to get a close look at it... magnified perhaps. I really get the feeling its natural and not synthetic but maybe that's something you can tell from the maker on the tag? Either way its not comfortable It is short waisted like you say and I did see they made a parka style as well. I would prefer that probably for the Wisconsin winters. I've worn it a few times in deep winter and its very, very warm.

Again thanks everyone for chipping in info. Pretty cool that these jackets were so well made that we have survivors over 70 years later!

 

[Dany McDonald]

Thare a many differences within a same type or specification. You probably noticed that the hardware used and some colors variation from one manufacturer to another are found on the hood fur, the liner etc.
Why are some N-2A are more desirable than other? First contract awarded, the coyote fur (beautiful on earlier contract by the way) and rarity. Some have been modify to better serve the ground crews with reflective stripes and some are patched, etc...

The tag codes are purely administrative, nothing related to the fabric or components.

The ugly black thing is definitely not wolf or badger like some say. The term synthetic trim fur has been used in Full Gear by Aota Mituhiro and other japanese flight jackets books.


HTH!

D

 

[ZuZu]

Thare a many differences within a same type or specification. You probably noticed that the hardware used and some colors variation from one manufacturer to another are found on the hood fur, the liner etc.
Why are some N-3A are more desirable than other? First contract awarded, the coyote fur (beautiful on earlier contract by the way) and rarity. Some have been modify to better serve the ground crews with reflective stripes and some are patched, etc...

The tag codes are purely administrative, nothing related to the fabric or components.

The ugly black thing is definitely not wolf or badger like some say. The term synthetic trim fur has been used in Full Gear by Aota Mituhiro and other japanese flight jackets books.


HTH!

D

Cool- thanks! I had one and I really liked the ugly blackish blue fur. Still not 100% sure if the only reference is the Japanese books but they're probably right. It's also called "synthetic badger fur" in an old thread on this forum. The way that fur replicated soft underfur and bristly guard hairs was uncanny. It was definitely a special look.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Fur has been replicated since around 1929.

 

[bn1966]

I have one of these (N-2A) & on purchase had it sympathetically cleaned by a dry cleaner here in the UK who specialised in ‘vintage’ military clothing and bridal wear. Absolutely love the SAC blue contrasting with the hood ruff. I wear it on the odd occasion it’s cold enough in the south west part of the UK (still T shirt weather-during the day). Had an N-3A but found it just too hot even in the depths of our Fall / Winter, N-2A is toasty but not roasty. Took me a while to find a good one but defo one of my favourite flight nylons.

 

[Dany McDonald]

This is the fake thing on my C.H. Masland & Sons N-3A, I can't imagine it walked the earth even on this Halloween evening...

N-3A Parka from C.H. Masland & Sons

Here is a jacket I picked up this week-end. It’s an N-3A form C.H. Masland & Sons. The over-all condition is pretty good considering its age. I’ve always been interested in the Korean War era and jet age from the 50’s, and picking pieces of equipment from that era is still possible. I will have...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

 

[Pilot]

Love the N-2a and N-3a.
Had them from Masland but sold them because their trim and mouton are synthetic… no coyote nor wolf.
BTW : Apparently Masland was/is producing rugs and carpets ( if its the same Masland ).
Traded them against a Monarch N-3a and a Reed Prod. N-3…. Real fur and mouton.

 

[Flightengineer]

This is the fake thing on my C.H. Masland & Sons N-3A, I can't imagine it walked the earth even on this Halloween evening...

N-3A Parka from C.H. Masland & Sons

Here is a jacket I picked up this week-end. It’s an N-3A form C.H. Masland & Sons. The over-all condition is pretty good considering its age. I’ve always been interested in the Korean War era and jet age from the 50’s, and picking pieces of equipment from that era is still possible. I will have...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

View attachment 164167

Damn, Dany, I always thought that this fur was real fur!
Thank you, now I know more than before. That's the power of this forum.
I had one with the same fur, someone brought it and gave it to me in the 90s (it wasn't really appreciated then). I don't remember the contract etc, I was very far from it then, much later I realized that I owned a used USAF blue N-2A (at that time I simply called this jacket "short blue Alaska" - that's what all the N3B type jackets were called here).I was young and wore it in early winter, then it burned in a fire in the hallway of my then girlfriend's apartment. It was a good jacket, I still feel sorry for it.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Damn, Dany, I always thought that this fur was real fur!
Thank you, now I know more than before. That's the power of this forum.
I had one with the same fur, someone brought it and gave it to me in the 90s (it wasn't really appreciated then). I don't remember the contract etc, I was very far from it then, much later I realized that I owned a used USAF blue N-2A (at that time I simply called this jacket "short blue Alaska" - that's what all the N3B type jackets were called here).I was young and wore it in early winter, then it burned in a fire in the hallway of my then girlfriend's apartment. It was a good jacket, I still feel sorry for it.

Hi Dmitry, I didn't get to check my CH Masland trim, its stored away as its way too big for me, but I am curious now. I just remember it looked like nothing I know from an animal. The early fake fur was not fully synthetic as they did use animal hair or (?) to reconstruct a somewhat weird looking product. Wish I could find a paper trail (online) from the gov or a manufacturer with the directive about the provenance and usage of the hood trim. In reality, coyote was used before and after the A series, on both the N-2 and N-3.

I suspected a fire hazard thing with real fur hence the switch to ''maybe'' test a fire retardant fake fur... this is just speculation on my part. Or it was a cost efficient strategy, but again early fifties fake fur was probably costly to manufacture vs coyote or real fur.

D

 

[Flightengineer]

I think it was more about economic feasibility. Nylon jackets are generally a terrible thing in a fire in a cramped cockpit, it seems to me that at that time they didn't think much about it or they simply couldn't solve this problem until Nomex was invented and introduced en masse.
Yes, coyote was probably used en masse due to its relative cheapness

 

[Pilot]

According to my experience… its the makers choice… my other N-3a‘s are/were all real fur trim and mouton… nothing is was synthetic ( appart from the jacket itself).