leather pull tabs on zips

[hillcpa]

Every repro I have ever owned had a leather pull tab of some sort attached to the zipper. Does anyone know if this was standard issue with vintage A-2s or did it vary with contracts, manufacturers, etc.? Were some issued with no leather pull, or do we even know at this point?

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I believe the leather was to help when using gloves and that it was part of the A2 contract.

 

[hillcpa]

Those of you with experience with vintage jackets, do they typically still have the original leather pull tab attached to the zipper? I don't know why this intrigues me--the question just occurred to me, and I'm a curious sort.

 

[Dr H]

In my somewhat limited experience with original A-2s, two Perrys retained a leather pull and two had lost (or lacked) them.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I'm pretty sure a lot if not all A-2's and other flight jackets came out of the factory with leather pull tabs. I've been hunting down AAF stuff for many years, estate sales, swap meets, I've placed ads, you name it. I'm not an expert on specific details, regulations, and contracts, but I know what to look for. I'm sure a lot were tossed or replaced with a bomb tag or whistle. I got dog tags and a Seagrams 7 key chain off the Navigator jacket of The Argonia ( a D-day C-47 ) but he wouldn't give up the jacket.

Anyone else tune in on this? I'm trying but can't give a rock solid answer.

Oh! I do remember seeing an Ebay item posted for 8.00, a regulation A2 / G1 pull tab, for real.

 

[JOHNO]

I have'nt seen very many original A2s but I've seen a lot of G1s and field jackets. All of the G1s had "Split Leather" pull tabs but I saw one several years ago with a grenade pin ring.

 

[Roughwear]

I own several original mint A2s and they have leather pulls made from the same leather as the jacket attached to the metal zip puller which indicates that it was common practice to add them in the factory for several makers, such as Perry and Doniger for example. I'm not sure whether every maker attached them though. Indeed some zip pulls did not lend themselves as well as others for leather pulls, such as the Kwik and rectangular Talon zip pulls and they may well not have had them fitted.