nick-knacks hanging off your zipper

[mulceber]

When I've posted pics of myself wearing my Switlik, folks here have commented on the Chinese coin I use as a pull tab. I think it's a fun way to personalize a jacket without poking stitch holes in it. That got me wondering, what other other things do people use as zipper pulls? What's your favorite, and are there any that were used during the war that you're particularly taken with?

 

[Silver Surfer]

Bomb tags when ya can find em. gm, ford, Chrysler, Boeing, etc, tool check out tags. They were made of aluminum, then brass, or tin. One of my originals came with a pre ration aluminum Boeing tag. Good luck? Forgot to return it? Swiped? I think that the rabbit foot craze of the ‘50s started with wwll airmen. And yes, of course, coins. Sou, and Chinese coins being the most common. Post wwll Japanese yen.

 

[mulceber]

One of my originals came with a pre ration aluminum Boeing tag.

Got any pictures? It'd be cool to see it.

 

[coolhandluke]

I keep a 1930's era OK tax coin/ token on the Norshor Dubow zip. IIRC, it was purchased at a local antique store when I was in grade school 30 something years ago.

 

[flyincowboy]

Bomb tag on my 5star B3 special thanks to jonnycrow .

 

[flyincowboy]

AERO B3 with JONNYCROW BOMB TAG

 

[Dumpster D]

Hey nice bomb tag on your 5*

Like how you put the leather pull on the keyring yeah?


Someone gave me a Cowhide baseball glove repair kit with nice leather cord. I liked how A-6-A Boots had leather cord ties on the Crown Zips, so I used a piece from the glove kit as a zipper pull.

Only difference is I didn't knot the end because it might get caught up on something. I've snagged a couple door handles on jackets, usually in a rush.

The leather in the baseball glove kit is a pretty good match to the original tie on the A-6-A flight boot. The original leather cord on the boots in my collection basically did not survive in one piece...they just fell apart soon as look at them.

Does anyone know those weave OD green pulls?

I've seen them on flight boots and really like those. I don't see them often, but saw them used them for decades on Jackets and some other Zips, maybe on a US sleeping bag or M-65 jacket.

 

[MauldinFan]

I used to keep an original RAF whistle on the end of the pull of one of my A2s, but for the life of me I can't remember why I took it off or what happened to it.

 

[mulceber]

Update: I've been thinking about zipper pulls off and on for a while since I posted this thread, and I've actually put together a pretty solid collection to go on current and future jackets. I figured I'd show them off, just in case it gives people some ideas.

First, in Bianchi's Flight Gear 1942-1945, I saw that 4-Leaf Clovers were common. A serendipitous eBay search turned up this:

I was on the lookout for some lucky dice, and wasn't having any luck (luck? Get it? Ok, I'll get my coat....). Then I saw a picture @Thomas Koehle posted on instagram with EXACTLY what I was looking for - it could have come off an original. I asked him about where I could find one and, being one of the great gentlemen of the VLJ, he sent me a pair of dice. Many thanks, Thomas!

Finally, for a Korean War zipper pull, I've been gathering 2-3 Japanese coins. Search for "Japanese 5 yen coin" on eBay and plug in a year from 1948-1952 and you can find a lot of perfect coins for just a couple bucks. A bit of leather lace from whatever craft store is handy and you've got a great vintage zipper pull.

 

[Dumpster D]

Here's the zipper pulls I was talking about.

These standard top grain leather lace pulls are cool. Originally found on the type A-6 Boot Crown zips. (Hard to find a better size image to illustrate)

Made my own, copied from original pulls to get the proper length, and put one on my Repro B-3.

What type of pulls are the OD green Canvas ones? Were these post-war? Where could I source something like that? MASH?

Would like a canvas pull for my FS Werber D-1 main zip. I don't know if they would fit the small Talon Bell Pull?

 

[mulceber]

Cool! Got any close-ups of it on your B-3?

 

[Dumpster D]

A-6-A Flying boot zipper pull.

1. 'snag free' version

2. Tied version

The snag free version is from a baseball glove repair kit. It was cut down thinner. The leather is very stiff.

The Original style version is tied at the bottom. I used some vintage leather shoe lace, which is very pliable and light.

The approximate measure of the leather lace is 12" lengthwise to get a good tie. ( I tried to match the length close as possible to a Crown Zipper Leather pull from a pair of original flying boots)



Do you suppose crew members ever stole these from some A-6 boots, for their Jacket?

 

[mulceber]

Do you suppose crew members ever stole these from some A-6 boots, for their Jacket?

Very possible - the zipper pull is to make it easier to grab the zipper while wearing thick gloves. So it was probably more useful on the jacket than on the boots, since you’d be more likely to adjust the fit of your jacket in mid-air than to adjust your boots.

 

[Dumpster D]

Don't know, I couldn't reach my Zipper once I got all suited up in my flight gear.

 

[Thomas Koehle]

ZIPP-PULL i "found" on one of my jackets ...

it is dangling from a 1976 IMPERIAL - obviously the jacket was used for flying even after been decommissioned

jacket was "restored" with new knittings ...

Otherwise all other G1 i own have that "paperclip puller" - some with a small leather tab - some not

 

[Mr. Mike]

Two-sided bomb-tag for my B-3s

 

[Dumpster D]

Two-sided bomb-tag for my B-3s

Is that original? Where did you get that?

 

[flyincowboy]

Some Vietnamese lucky 7 dices with theirs hanging chain used as B3 zipper puller.

 

[Mr. Mike]

Is that original? Where did you get that?

I do not have prove points they are originals, but I couldn't tell the difference either. They are just stunning. I bought them years ago from Josh from Josh's Flight Jackets. He had about 10 of them and I could acquire 2 of them (bashing myself I didn't buy more that time). Unfortunately he never got them in anymore (which could give substance they're originals). Whatever I found since then was always only single sided /

 

[mulceber]

Can't comment on whether those are original or not, but Aero sells very similar copies:

Bomb Safety Pin Tag

Buy Bomb Safety Pin Tag on Aero Leather Clothing for £22.00

www.aeroleatherclothing.com