USN jackets .... Eye candy for the mouton collar guy's

[mulceber]

My jaw dropped when I saw that G-1, Vic. Just stunning.

 

[Lorenzo_l]

Stunning G-1, Vic. Gotta love the beveled pocket flaps of the 55J14 series. First time ever to see rust knitted cuffs and waistbands in a G-1 - right in funky territory!

 

[Lorenzo_l]

I had to decide whether to post this here or in the "wear or not to wear thread", as this one has been my go to wearer original g-1 for many years. it is a 1951 [first star g-1 contract] star, and as can be seen in super condition in and out. when the jacket came to me some 20 years ago, I thought that the knit elements were replaced, but nope,,they are original. I have see a few original g-1s with the red russet knits in the past, but this one is the only one with the red russet knits that I have ever had in hand. by the looks of it, I have determined that the knits were originally brown, and faded to the reddish color, due to a dying glitch when they were made. the coin attached to the puller came as seen. I would say that the jacket is slightly heavier than my other g-1s.View attachment 55914

Vic,

How does this Star compare to your 1951 Pritker & Sons 55J14 as far as hides, craftsmanship and size is concerned? Thanks.

 

[Silver Surfer]

good question. both are made to the highest quality, with the star slightly heavier. also, the star is 1/2"-3/4" longer in the body and sleeves. though it is hard to tell, due to the fur on the collar , the pritzker collar lobes are slightly longer and pointier, and, the pocket flaps are a little more beveled on the star, then the pritzker. . btw, upon reconsidering, I've decided to keep the pritzker, as it is damn near irreplaceable, and fits perfectly. hell, if I sold the pritzker, I would only spend the dough on loose women, drugs, and booze, and the rest I would just piss away.

 

[Lorenzo_l]

good question. both are made to the highest quality, with the star slightly heavier. also, the star is 1/2"-3/4" longer in the body and sleeves. though it is hard to tell, due to the futon, the pritzker collar lobes are slightly longer and pointier, and, the pocket flaps are a little more beveled on the star, then the pritzker. . btw, upon reconsidering, I've decided to keep the pritzker, as it is damn near irreplaceable, and fits perfectly. hell, if I sold the pritzker, I would only spend the dough on loose women, drugs, and booze, and the rest I would just piss away.

Thanks, Vic. I was curious as to the variations in size, materials and craftsmanship in G-1s from different manufacturers and your two jackets, being both size 40 55J14s provide a good opportunity to highlight these type of differences.

 

[MaydayWei]

@Silver Surfer Good lord, that's a beautiful jacket; that mouton is a perfect chicken nugget brown. How'd you manage it as an every-day wearer? It looks in stellar condition for a go-to jacket.
I'd love some tips on how to wear an original everyday and keep it in good condition. How'd you manage to keep the lining so crisp and clean? Lining looks brand new...

 

[B-Man2]

Vic
That’s probably one of the coolest Original
G-1s I’ve seen posted here . What a collection you’ve owned over the years .... Nicely done !!

 

[Silver Surfer]

don't mean to be misleading. its a wearer alrighty, but by no means every day. I have pulled it from the pile just recently, not having worn it for the last year or so. that written, I used to wear it about 50 or so times a year, weather permitting.

 

[MaydayWei]

don't mean to be misleading. its a wearer alrighty, but by no means every day. I have pulled it from the pile just recently, not having worn it for the last year or so. that written, I used to wear it about 50 or so times a year, weather permitting.

Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying that. I had wanted to know because I had made a promise to myself that I would not baby and would actually wear my original if I were to buy it.
If I'm being honest, I've been wearing my original for a bit now and still have yet to get 'comfortable' in it.
I hope to one day be at a point where, without abusing the jacket, I can slip it on like a second skin or wear it and feel like I'm saying hello to an old friend.
Is it odd that I think of it like a living animal? That I have yet to earn its trust. That I have to spend more quality time with it for it to 'trust' me?
Wow, I am overthinking this lol

 

[B-Man2]

Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying that. I had wanted to know because I had made a promise to myself that I would not baby and would actually wear my original if I were to buy it.
If I'm being honest, I've been wearing my original for a bit now and still have yet to get 'comfortable' in it.
I hope to one day be at a point where, without abusing the jacket, I can slip it on like a second skin or wear it and feel like I'm saying hello to an old friend.
Is it odd that I think of it like a living animal? That I have yet to earn its trust. That I have to spend more quality time with it for it to 'trust' me?
Wow, I am overthinking this lol

Wei
I get it ... I really do ... anyone who owns an original probably has similar feelings at some point . So think about this for a second . Your jacket is probably close to 50 years old and was worn as a piece of survival gear by an aircraft crew member who had no regard for the jackets welfare , other than how it met his requirements of warmth and protection from the elements . If he didn’t do anything that hurt that jacket ... well .. you probably won’t either . So enjoy wearing it and post a few pictures of it in “What jackets are you wearing today ? “ for us all .
Cheers

 

[MaydayWei]

Turns out Dynel collars aren't 100% Dynel; rather, 80% Dynel, 20% cotton.
Didn't know they started using Cowhide in later D models either! I'd thought only E models were Cattlehide...

 

[MaydayWei]

Not mine, but my god! Just look at that organically faded golden mouton. I’ve the exact same cut of collar on my Brill, so I certainly know that’s the original mouton! It looks fluffy too! How the hell can I get my collars to do that?!

 

[ausreenactor]

View attachment 64060Not mine, but my god! Just look at that organically faded golden mouton. I’ve the exact same cut of collar on my Brill, so I certainly know that’s the original mouton! It looks fluffy too! How the hell can I get my collars to do that?!

That is a gorgeous colour..

 

[MikeyB-17]

Turns out Dynel collars aren't 100% Dynel; rather, 80% Dynel, 20% cotton.
Didn't know they started using Cowhide in later D models either! I'd thought only E models were Cattlehide...

View attachment 59301

My guess is the cotton element is the fabric base to which the Dynel fur is attached.

 

[B-Man2]

View attachment 64060Not mine, but my god! Just look at that organically faded golden mouton. I’ve the exact same cut of collar on my Brill, so I certainly know that’s the original mouton! It looks fluffy too! How the hell can I get my collars to do that?!

Wei
If your collar is mouton you can simply leave it in the sun and the UV rays will fade the mouton over a period of time . Dave Sheeley @Maverickson did that with the mouton collar on one of my jackets that he restored and it came out with a very nice honey color .

 

[Lorenzo_l]

What a Beauty, Burt. Would you care to shows a picture or tow of the complete jacket, please?

 

[B-Man2]

What a Beauty, Burt. Would you care to shows a picture or tow of the complete jacket, please?

I’d be happy to Lorenzol. Thanks for the kind words . Give me a little while to take some photos and I’ll post them in this thread .

 

[tda003]

Wei,
In answer to your question about "How the hell do I get my mouton to do that?", I took a slicker brush (dog brush) to the shearling collar of my B-3 repro and it ended up looking new/unworn with no damage or pulled fur. It does not work on the Dynel collars.
P.S. When did the collar on the G-1 become more rounded? Korean War era G-1's seem to have the same "pointed" style collars as my M-422A, but my Vietnam collar is rounded. When that happen?

 

[B-Man2]

What a Beauty, Burt. Would you care to shows a picture or tow of the complete jacket, please?

Here ya go Lorenzol.
Dave Sheeley @Maverickson deserves the credit for restoring this Pritzker to a great looking wearable piece of history .

 

[MaydayWei]

Wei,
In answer to your question about "How the hell do I get my mouton to do that?", I took a slicker brush (dog brush) to the shearling collar of my B-3 repro and it ended up looking new/unworn with no damage or pulled fur. It does not work on the Dynel collars.
P.S. When did the collar on the G-1 become more rounded? Korean War era G-1's seem to have the same "pointed" style collars as my M-422A, but my Vietnam collar is rounded. When that happen?

I meant more along the lines of how can I get my collar to go so golden in colour. Haha.
As for the round collar on G-1s, I believe that the collars went from pointy to round when they switched from the 7823 (AER) spec to the 7823B in 1961 or there abouts. (7823A comes after B chronologically for some reason).