M422A/AN Colors

[SteveN]

I've been wondering about the shadings of these earlier models, and the early G-1's. I think the spec called for 'seal', but some examples appear to have a distinctly russet tone. E.g.

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Good Wear Bogen & Tenenbaum AN-6552 Flight Jacket

www.goodwearleather.com

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Vintage L.W. Foster G-1 Jacket

www.goodwearleather.com

as well as some that I've seen here in various threads.

Did this vary by contract, or individual example? I like the USN patterns and prefer as russet as possible, without making an obvious 'mistake'. Just how far toward a russet shade has been seen in real examples?

 

[mulceber]

Color totally varied between different contracts, and even within contracts. In general though, the M-422(a) series was a bit lighter than later jacket makes. If you’re interested in the lightest-colored Navy jacket you can get while maintaining accuracy, the Edmund T. Church M-422a is your best bet, or close to it.

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

I believe this is one of @Grant . Ed church, lovely russet colour there

 

[P-47 thunderbolt]

This is my Ed Church - a little darker

 

[STEVE S.]

My lightest is the W&G, next lightest my Block. My Church is pretty dark, almost in the same range as my Ostermann & G&F.
I think it had more to do with the different processes used at the various tanneries vs something the manufacturers did.

 

[ausreenactor]

I always worked on 'the earlier.... the russet-er-ier'...

 

[SteveN]

I believe this is one of @Grant . Ed church, lovely russet colour thereView attachment 75457

Now that's just about a perfect shade of russet. So it seems that regular russet goatskin wouldn't be inaccurate after all. Just not common.