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Monarch AN-J-3 by Dave Sheeley (Maverickson)

Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
Finally! I’m wearing it. After a month of sitting in customs and postal service, here’s a sneak peak. Ive had it a week and have been wearing it off an on to work out the stiffness of the goat. It’s pretty stiff, but is now beginning to relax. The fit is great and the workmanship of course exceptional. Really going to enjoy breaking this one in

Took it for a drive today and its fantastic, here some shots after the drive after it’s warmed up in the sun and heat of the vette. More shots review and such will be coming soon when the weather ain’t so bright light here is too contrasty at present

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B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Matt;
That's one of the sweetest jackets made. Easy to move around in and gives you freedom of movement.
Looks great on you and those purple knits are fine looking.
Wear it in good health dude.
 
S

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
jeezelouise, that one looks as it should, custom made for ya [bespoke in some places]. that is one seriously smart looking an-j. btw, the over all color looks different from the pix that dave took, and these day light pix the color looks spot on for the contract. yowza
 
Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
Jeremiah, they are certainly more comfortable and easier going than A2’s.

I like both, but there is something special about the navy jackets in their cut and style, just my opinion. And by far more practical
 
Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
First off I’d like to say that I’m no expert on the nitty gritty details of these jackets, all that I do know is from personal experience in wearing some of them and what I learnt from this forum and its members, and various manufacturers. One in particular I owe a lot of thanks to increasing my knowledge base is Dave Sheeley, who is not only a wealth of knowledge on Navy Jackets, and the associated products that went into making them, but also a reference encyclopaedia for all things Monarch. He not only has the machines that Monarch used to make their jackets, but has taught himself how to use them and most importantly maintain them to the spec required to see that Monarch detail in every new creation. Dave puts a lot of detail and himself in every jacket and with it you get a history of the machines used, how they work, the history of certain techniques in the process of jacket creation, and even a history of particular jackets as worn by those that were in them during the war. Dave has quite a collection of various original jackets from makers apart from Monarch, which are used to achieve the correct pattern and fit for the client pertaining to that maker. If anyone was going to do a book on Monarch or the USN intermediate flight jacket I reckon Dave’s knowledge and expertise would make it a most enlightening read.

The process:

A year ago I put my Fried Osterman up for sale, hoping to secure funds for my next jacket. Brett initially bought it but it did have some issues so he returned it. The second I listed it again Dave contact me in interest. One side of the collar hook had failed, as the leather was deteriorating around the shoulder, but was still solid enough to wear. We started emailing, not aware that he was a member of the forum. I advised I was on the lookout for an AN-J-3 and he said he’s never made one but it would make an interesting project. Then we both discover that we were members of this forum. Dave offered to fix the failed collar hook on the FO and then put it up for sale via his name. So the AN-J-3 took almost a year to completion due to this process taking first priority. I saw the end result of his repair which wasn’t an easy fix but ended better than it was when I purchased it. Throughout this time he also acquired a few ‘new’ machines, and advised how they work and why he acquired them. Dave has, as far as I’m aware, the complete selection of machines that Monarch would have had during their time. This was going to be some jacket.

Initially being a civilian jacket I wanted the Navy version, internal windflap and no epaulettes, in my eyes its a much cleaner design. Dave offered labels for both civilian and military but I chose the civvie version. Either way an m422 without the mouton you might say. After some debate about quilted lining, we opted for a doubled over rayon in royal blue colour, purple knits and as close to period veg tanned goat hide (which is russet based with a seal brown dye top coat - allowing the russet to wear through and show patina over time). During this time Dave acquired a button hole machine, among others, and showed me the process of how it works, explaining the maintenance issues which is quite considerable. I mention this because I was not aware of what costs are involved in finance, labour and time, regardless it being one person or a company, to make one jacket or many. Its not just the making but the maintenance and skilling of operating these machines, that we as the customer/consumer take for granted sometimes expecting something for next to nix. Not picking, but you can see the difference in the images in the previous posts, between the button hole of Dave’s on this jacket and the one on my BK AN-J-3, both acceptable, Dave’s far more full and finished looking. Once again Dave’s attention to detail.

Measurements are always one of the important if not the most important part in getting a jacket to fit how the client would like. IN this respect Dave excelled. I sent through my measurements of what I’d like, based on my BK AN-J-3, along with some wearing shots of me in it. Dave advised the measurements of size 38 & 40 jackets that share a similar pattern that he has taken note of, M422 Monarch and an AN-J-3a. He advised that he’d work off the basic patterns of these jackets to achieve the best fit. It was about this time that he acquired John Colts Monarch AN-J-3a which was in particularly bad shape, He took it apart to pattern it and used that pattern as the base for my jacket. Part of the beauty of working with Dave is you get the history, pics and all, of the people who once wore these jackets, as he did so with Colts jacket, which has been uploaded in another thread here. Pretty much a lot of the details, like the smaller windflap, from Colt’s jacket made it on to mine.

The collar was taken from a civilian Monarch design, with no zig-zag stitching on the reverse as seen with mouton collars. Reason as Dave states is zip zag pattern was to maintain the light canvas sandwiched between the outer and inner pieces that keeps the collar from shrinking. Mine being 2 pieces of leather, like an A-2 didn’t require it. I also opted for more pointed ends to the Collar, whereas some Monarchs are a little rounded. This makes the collar appear wider, not everyones cup of tea but I like it. Dave also acquired an original Civilian Talon Zip and box.

I really enjoyed working with Dave on this, his level of commitment and attention to detail is extraordinary. Throw in the history that you receive on the jackets and patterns, and especially that of Colt, makes the process very rewarding and the end result even more special.

The jacket:

First impressions 3 weeks ago taking it out of the box, the aroma of newly tanned and dyed goat was very strong, almost eye watering. The hide was quite stiff, tough as old goat you might say. Dave did advise that it would be stiff at first. The hide is thick, similar to the Fried Ostermann I had, so will take quite a lot of punishment but when worn in over time will become buttery and supple. Everything was looking tack sharp the best bit was it fitted like a well worn glove. Dave nailed all the measurements.

We went down to Melbourne for a few days and I left it in the Sun, which has mellowed the stiffness and the aroma is now more a pleasant typical goat smell; stronger and more pungent than horse for those that have never had a goat jacket.

The construction is as you’d expect, spot on and detailed to the last stitch, testament to Dave and those Monarch machines that he’s spent hours on to perfect. I dig the purple knits and the burgundy stitching offsets the seal colour of the hide, which is somewhere between a milk and dark chocolate colour. You’ll see in the coming photos that there are mismatched panels of grain, which I really like, the collar also has some nice textured grain in it. The double sided rayon lining is both plush to the touch and reasonably warm, when on. This earlier pattern is trimmer around the body and sleeve, than on later m422a patterns, but doesn’t restrict movement at all. The collar also stands up nicely keeping the cold winds at bay, although at present is a little stiff. The body knit feels deceptively thin but is actually quite strong stitched in the navy fashion. Sleeve knits are sturdy of one piece construction and feel pleasant to the touch, not scratchy. Pockets are a extremely well made with a pencil pocket stitched in in the right side of the left pocket. Buttons look very period, and well stitched for the button holes which at present are stiff but will naturally loosen up over time. The inside pocket is well stitched with a thick white calico pocket thats quite generous, great for carrying your wallet when in dubious places.

Three weeks on, and the body is beginning to relax due to quite a lot of wearing to work and around the house. The goat is developing more grain and creasing in those areas where movement is almost constant, i.e. the arms. I have also been working the leather with my hands to help it relax. The images below will hopefully speak for themselves.

I finally have the AN-J-3 that I’v been looking for, and am going to enjoy getting to know it better over the years to come. If someone were to ask would I order another jacket from Dave again, it would be an emphatic yes! with no hesitation at all.

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Jonesy86

Jonesy86

Active Member
Skip said:
First off I’d like to say that I’m no expert on the nitty gritty details of these jackets, all that I do know is from personal experience in wearing some of them and what I learnt from this forum and its members, and various manufacturers. One in particular I owe a lot of thanks to increasing my knowledge base is Dave Sheeley, who is not only a wealth of knowledge on Navy Jackets, and the associated products that went into making them, but also a reference encyclopaedia for all things Monarch. He not only has the machines that Monarch used to make their jackets, but has taught himself how to use them and most importantly maintain them to the spec required to see that Monarch detail in every new creation. Dave puts a lot of detail and himself in every jacket and with it you get a history of the machines used, how they work, the history of certain techniques in the process of jacket creation, and even a history of particular jackets as worn by those that were in them during the war. Dave has quite a collection of various original jackets from makers apart from Monarch, which are used to achieve the correct pattern and fit for the client pertaining to that maker. If anyone was going to do a book on Monarch or the USN intermediate flight jacket I reckon Dave’s knowledge and expertise would make it a most enlightening read.

The process:

A year ago I put my Fried Osterman up for sale, hoping to secure funds for my next jacket. Brett initially bought it but it did have some issues so he returned it. The second I listed it again Dave contact me in interest. One side of the collar hook had failed, as the leather was deteriorating around the shoulder, but was still solid enough to wear. We started emailing, not aware that he was a member of the forum. I advised I was on the lookout for an AN-J-3 and he said he’s never made one but it would make an interesting project. Then we both discover that we were members of this forum. Dave offered to fix the failed collar hook on the FO and then put it up for sale via his name. So the AN-J-3 took almost a year to completion due to this process taking first priority. I saw the end result of his repair which wasn’t an easy fix but ended better than it was when I purchased it. Throughout this time he also acquired a few ‘new’ machines, and advised how they work and why he acquired them. Dave has, as far as I’m aware, the complete selection of machines that Monarch would have had during their time. This was going to be some jacket.

Initially being a civilian jacket I wanted the Navy version, internal windflap and no epaulettes, in my eyes its a much cleaner design. Dave offered labels for both civilian and military but I chose the civvie version. Either way an m422 without the mouton you might say. After some debate about quilted lining, we opted for a doubled over rayon in royal blue colour, purple knits and as close to period veg tanned goat hide (which is russet based with a seal brown dye top coat - allowing the russet to wear through and show patina over time). During this time Dave acquired a button hole machine, among others, and showed me the process of how it works, explaining the maintenance issues which is quite considerable. I mention this because I was not aware of what costs are involved in finance, labour and time, regardless it being one person or a company, to make one jacket or many. Its not just the making but the maintenance and skilling of operating these machines, that we as the customer/consumer take for granted sometimes expecting something for next to nix. Not picking, but you can see the difference in the images in the previous posts, between the button hole of Dave’s on this jacket and the one on my BK AN-J-3, both acceptable, Dave’s far more full and finished looking. Once again Dave’s attention to detail.

Measurements are always one of the important if not the most important part in getting a jacket to fit how the client would like. IN this respect Dave excelled. I sent through my measurements of what I’d like, based on my BK AN-J-3, along with some wearing shots of me in it. Dave advised the measurements of size 38 & 40 jackets that share a similar pattern that he has taken note of, M422 Monarch and an AN-J-3a. He advised that he’d work off the basic patterns of these jackets to achieve the best fit. It was about this time that he acquired John Colts Monarch AN-J-3a which was in particularly bad shape, He took it apart to pattern it and used that pattern as the base for my jacket. Part of the beauty of working with Dave is you get the history, pics and all, of the people who once wore these jackets, as he did so with Colts jacket, which has been uploaded in another thread here. Pretty much a lot of the details, like the smaller windflap, from Colt’s jacket made it on to mine.

The collar was taken from a civilian Monarch design, with no zig-zag stitching on the reverse as seen with mouton collars. Reason as Dave states is zip zag pattern was to maintain the light canvas sandwiched between the outer and inner pieces that keeps the collar from shrinking. Mine being 2 pieces of leather, like an A-2 didn’t require it. I also opted for more pointed ends to the Collar, whereas some Monarchs are a little rounded. This makes the collar appear wider, not everyones cup of tea but I like it. Dave also acquired an original Civilian Talon Zip and box.

I really enjoyed working with Dave on this, his level of commitment and attention to detail is extraordinary. Throw in the history that you receive on the jackets and patterns, and especially that of Colt, makes the process very rewarding and the end result even more special.

The jacket:

First impressions 3 weeks ago taking it out of the box, the aroma of newly tanned and dyed goat was very strong, almost eye watering. The hide was quite stiff, tough as old goat you might say. Dave did advise that it would be stiff at first. The hide is thick, similar to the Fried Ostermann I had, so will take quite a lot of punishment but when worn in over time will become buttery and supple. Everything was looking tack sharp the best bit was it fitted like a well worn glove. Dave nailed all the measurements.

We went down to Melbourne for a few days and I left it in the Sun, which has mellowed the stiffness and the aroma is now more a pleasant typical goat smell; stronger and more pungent than horse for those that have never had a goat jacket.

The construction is as you’d expect, spot on and detailed to the last stitch, testament to Dave and those Monarch machines that he’s spent hours on to perfect. I dig the purple knits and the burgundy stitching offsets the seal colour of the hide, which is somewhere between a milk and dark chocolate colour. You’ll see in the coming photos that there are mismatched panels of grain, which I really like, the collar also has some nice textured grain in it. The double sided rayon lining is both plush to the touch and reasonably warm, when on. This earlier pattern is trimmer around the body and sleeve, than on later m422a patterns, but doesn’t restrict movement at all. The collar also stands up nicely keeping the cold winds at bay, although at present is a little stiff. The body knit feels deceptively thin but is actually quite strong stitched in the navy fashion. Sleeve knits are sturdy of one piece construction and feel pleasant to the touch, not scratchy. Pockets are a extremely well made with a pencil pocket stitched in in the right side of the left pocket. Buttons look very period, and well stitched for the button holes which at present are stiff but will naturally loosen up over time. The inside pocket is well stitched with a thick white calico pocket thats quite generous, great for carrying your wallet when in dubious places.

Three weeks on, and the body is beginning to relax due to quite a lot of wearing to work and around the house. The goat is developing more grain and creasing in those areas where movement is almost constant, i.e. the arms. I have also been working the leather with my hands to help it relax. The images below will hopefully speak for themselves.

I finally have the AN-J-3 that I’v been looking for, and am going to enjoy getting to know it better over the years to come. If someone were to ask would I order another jacket from Dave again, it would be an emphatic yes! with no hesitation at all.

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Great jacket, and review. Congratulations to both you and Dave!
 
Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
Thanks gents.

Geez Burt, don’t make me any taller mate or my jackets won’t fit , but thanks for the compliment
 
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