Sheeley Gearing Up For M-422 Jacket

[Nickb123]

Yes, the M422 collars seem noticeably bigger than the 22as, with a larger spread. Here’s a W&G GW.

 

[CBI]

great work on these!!!!!

 

[entertainment]

Smug? Me? Don’t know what you mean Smithy

View attachment 65737

Looking more Steve McQueen than Micawber in this one!

 

[Brettafett]

Absolutely brilliant!
Looking forward to see how it wears in, and more pics down-the-line...

 

[ausreenactor]

Hi All,

I wanted to add that my M-422 USN reproduction jacket is among the most unique USN flight jacket designs that I have encountered to date. It goes without saying that it would have been quite impossible for me to have been able to ascertain all the different nuances of this jacket's design had I not been able to source the two originals that I now have in my personal collection.

Furthermore to have had the good fortune to have taken the time to have personally completely dissected and expertly patterned my size 40 (which had been previously altered and subjected to numerous amateurish repairs) and then restored it complete. While the other (size 38) remains untouched since leaving the factory in the late winter of 1941. Both of which enabled me to recreate the most accurate of patterns for my jackets and maintain permanent references.

My size 38 is seen on left and the size 40 on the right.

View attachment 65769

One of the obvious & more unique of the many factory nuances of the overall M-422 design is the size of the collar. That specific size of which varied (to say nothing of exactly how that collar was aligned or attached) among the the three M-422 makers. The largest of which was the Monarch and the smaller being the W&G. In addition, the size of the M-422 collar was larger than any and all subsequent USN flight jacket contracts.

That larger size collar is easily exemplified in the following original pic of my size 38 (as seen above) which was taken of the original owner on Attu Island Alaska during the Aleutians Campaign.

View attachment 65770

The list of the unique design difference goes on and on. Some of those differences are obvious. While on the other hand many are not. The majority of which cannot be gleaned from a one dimensional image. When worn the feel from this make jacket is ultimately completely different from the other two M-422 makers.

Cheers, Dave

Well done..

Firstly, thanks for the efforts and more importantly taking the time to articulate the processes...

Brilliant... as stated earlier, my World is AAF... but I am coming around....

 

[Maverickson]

Hi All,

My original size 40 Swtlik M-422 as compared to my latest hides now available for my builds. Check out then grain. That same grain can be seen throughout.

As seen compared to my size 38 Switlik. These hides are destine to make some stunning jackets.

For my USN builds I have several different hides to choose from

Cheers, Dave

 

[ojaw]

Hi All,

My original size 40 Swtlik M-422 as compared to my latest hides now available for my builds. Check out then grain. That same grain can be seen throughout.

View attachment 78574

As seen compared to my size 38 Switlik. These hides are destine to make some stunning jackets.

View attachment 78578

For my USN builds I have several different hides to choose from

Cheers, Dave

Hi Dave, forgive my ignorance, but is that HH? It looks great, available for my jacket?

 

[Maverickson]

Hi,

That is a grainy goat hide. Not horse hide. I got that grainy goat hide with my latest hide purchase and enough to do some dozen jackets.

Cheers, Dave

 

[ojaw]

Hi,

That is a grainy goat hide. Not horse hide. I got that grainy goat hide with my latest hide purchase and enough to do some dozen jackets.

Cheers, Dave

Ah okay, thanks. Still thinking about the possible hides for mine, was set on HH but now less sure as I read more about the durability, rain resistance and ease of wear with goatskin…

 

[Maverickson]

Ah okay, thanks. Still thinking about the possible hides for mine, was set on HH but now less sure as I read more about the durability, rain resistance and ease of wear with goatskin…

Hi,

If you were looking to have a correct horse hide USN type jacket there was in fact one single contract that used horse hide verses goat hide for it's outer shell. That was with W&G's late War N288s-35805 flight jacket contract. The jackets from that contract rarely come available. But I have managed to source two (size 38 & 40) jackets to perfect my pattern.

Between my two original horse hide jackets and my existing collection of originals from my W&G M-422, M-422A and AN model W&G jackets from every conceivable size (36 through 48) gave me a great opportunity to proof my pattern.

Much like what I have done with most of my original USN jackets that I reproduce & not unlike the pair of my Switlik M-422 seen within this thread, I plan on restoring my size 40 horsehide W&G to keep around as a permanent reference and model for my future reproductions. That original size 40 is seen below.

Note, that when sourced this same size 40 W&G horse hide jacket was missing it's original label. The label was added for the photo and those same type of labels are now being used on my reproduction jackets.

Besides the thread I did on these horse hide W&G AN model jackets https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/sheeleys-horse-hide-usn-an-j-3a.27435/ . My eBay sales page for that same W&G horse hide jacket I offer can be seen here https://www.ebay.com/itm/115165026070?hash=item1ad05ed716:g:BDkAAOSw7l9h0ga6 . In that sales page I've included a synopsis of the contract which further explains what I know about this jacket.


Cheers, Dave

 

[ojaw]

Hi,

If you were looking to have a correct horse hide USN type jacket there was in fact one single contract that used horse hide verses goat hide for it's outer shell. That was with W&G's late War N288s-35805 flight jacket contract. The jackets from that contract rarely come available. But I have managed to source two (size 38 & 40) jackets to perfect my pattern.

Between my two original horse hide jackets and my existing collection of originals from my W&G M-422, M-422A and AN model W&G jackets from every conceivable size (36 through 48) gave me a great opportunity to proof my pattern.

Much like what I have done with most of my original USN jackets that I reproduce & not unlike the pair of my Switlik M-422 seen within this thread, I plan on restoring my size 40 horsehide W&G to keep around as a permanent reference and model for my future reproductions. That original size 40 is seen below.

View attachment 78812
Note, that when sourced this same size 40 W&G horse hide jacket was missing it's original label. The label was added for the photo and now used on my reproduction jackets.

Besides the thread I did on these horse hide W&G AN model jackets https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/threads/sheeleys-horse-hide-usn-an-j-3a.27435/ . My eBay sales page for that same W&G horse hide jacket I offer can be seen here https://www.ebay.com/itm/115165026070?hash=item1ad05ed716:g:BDkAAOSw7l9h0ga6 . In that sales page I've included a synopsis of the contract which further explains what I know about this jacket.


Cheers, Dave

I’m actually in the queue already, for a Monarch Edgewater (ebay #402745272671)