Lightweight Marshall Fieldmaster hunting vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271416182166
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1930s by the Marshall Clothing Manufacturing Company of Butler, Indiana, under their “Gamemaster” label. The Marshall Clothing company was a well regarded manufacturer of sportswear- letterman jackets, basketball uniforms, gym shorts and the like. This vest has a five button front, with a high neck closure, reminiscent of early Brown’s Beach vests, also marketed towards the hunting market. This one is made of lightweight light brown canvas, with closed bottomed loops for 32 shotgun shells. These loops are all covered with flaps to protect the cartridges from the elements. This vest also has a flapped bellows pleated breast pocket.

Chest (pit to pit): 20-1/2″ (doubled = 41″)
Length: 22-1/2″

Repro Indian Blanket railroad vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281277739940
This vest was made by a company called Maxwear, in the style of a 1930s work vest, similar to the ones made by Brown’s Beach Jacket and the sleeved versions made by Woolrich. It is made of thick wool approximating the pattern of an Indian blanket. It has a five snap front, with patch pockets. The back has adjuster tabs. Snaps have a star design, continuing the western theme started with the material.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 25″

Modoc Mfg. Co leather vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271416093981
This vintage leather vest was made in the small town of Madras, Oregon by the Modoc Manufacturing Company. It is made of what feels like buckskin, with a pile lining. The patch pockets are riveted, and the vest has a snap front. The logo is an Indian chief. I can’t find much on this company, other than they operated in the 1960s and 1970s.

Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″)
Length: 23″

White Chimayo Blanket Vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271416082201
This vintage Chimayo Indian blanket vest was made by Americraft of El Paso, Texas, probably in the 1970s. The design and cut of these vests changed very little since the 1930s or earlier. This one has a white field, with black, turquoise, red and yellow pattern. It is a one button version, with a loop closure. The button is missing.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 21-1/2″

Blue Chimayo blanket vest

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271416072068
This vintage vest was made from Chimayo Indian blanket material. It has a five button front with loop closure. The material is a vibrant blue with red, yellow, white and blue designs. The edges of the interior are lined. Unfortunately, there are no tags, but there were several makers of these vests based out of New Mexico and Texas.

Chest (pit to pit): 20-1/2″
Length: 23″

1910s – 1920s Williamsport Leather Goods Co. Hunting vest

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281267809462
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1910s-1920s by the Williamsport Leather Goods Company of Williamsport, PA. It has loops for thirty two shotgun shells and a six button front. The back has an adjustment belt and buckle. The original owner sewed a canvas bag to the back of the vest as a game pouch. The bag has a leather belt closure, and two pockets, one with a mesh bottom, the other solid. The style of label helps date the vest to the late 1910s- mid 1920s. The maker of this vest ceased production in 1927, so it can not date any newer than 87 years old.
The Williamsport Leather Goods Company had a factory at 941 Nichols Place and a store or office at 506 5th Avenue, Williamsport, PA. It was run by Charles C. and Howard E Krouse.The factory burned on April 29, 1927, with a loss in excess of $325,000. They did not rebuild.
Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″)

1940s Sportsman’s vest

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271324386244
This vintage fly fishing vest was made in the 1930s or 1940s. It is similar in cut and style to two made by Remington under the DriDux label which I recently sold, but no longer has a tag, so I can’t say for certain. It has a three button front, with two large wraparound cargo pockets. There is a flapped breast pocket. The other side has a felt pad to store flies in. Most have a simple piece of sheepskin, but this one snaps closed for greater storage and protection. The vest has a fly rod loop on one side, and a metal ring to attach gear to on the other.

Also see: https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2013/11/09/rem-dridux/

https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2013/10/26/hunting-and-fishing-jacket/

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Length: 21-1/2″

Rem DriDux

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281204172608
This vintage fishing vest was made in the 1930s or 1940s by Remington under the Rem DriDux label. The fabric was advertised as “snag-pruf” and as being guaranteed water repellent. There are pleated breast pockets, and wraparound double hip pockets. One has a divider with separate flaps, one has a single flap. There is a fly rod loop, a waist drawstring, pockets on each sleeve, and a roomy rear game pocket. Hanging from the fly rod loop is a pair of nail clippers, probably to cut fishing line with. There are two interior pockets. This type of vest was generally advertised as a sleeveless jacket or a sleeveless coat. I recently sold another by the same maker, sold under the “WeatherBak” label, which had sleeves.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″ (doubled = 46″)
Length: 23″

1940s snap front hunting vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271301558605
This vintage hunting vest was probably made in the 1930s or 1940s. Dating these vintage hunting vests can sometimes be a bit difficult without labels, as the designs followed what was practical rather than what was fashionable. I have seen other examples of this vest design, but all were like this, without label. It’s an unusual design, deviating from the standard “vest with loops on the front and maybe a belt on the back”. There are two pleated breast pockets, one with a snap closure, the other with a grommet. Instead of the usual button front, this one has snaps, but it goes one further by concealing them. Snaps are “United Carr”. There are closed bottomed canvas pockets for eighteen shotgun shells. The back of the vest has a large bellows game bag, with a waterproof lining.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Length: 25″

Green Hunting Vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281191411402
As someone who has been collecting and researching vintage hunting vests, this one strikes me as particularly interesting. It’s not as old as most of the ones I’m selling, probably dating from the 1960s, but it’s made in an earlier style. Although hunting vests were a purely functional garment and didn’t really change with fashion, certain details did change over time, largely with innovations in materials and hardware. By the time this vest was made, the closed bottomed canvas loops has largely been supplanted by elastic knit loops, which were easier and less expensive to construct, and lay flat when not in use. This vest has the older style loops, heavily reinforced at the bottoms. This vest is reinforced throughout with green textured naugahyde, making for extremely strong seams. Another unusual thing about this vest is its color. Most hunting vests of this type are in shades of brown canvas. This one is in a minty gray green with forest green trim. The vest has DOT snaps throughout, and a removable, vinyl lined game bag.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length (with gamebag): 30″
Length (without gamebag): 22-1/4″

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Category Archives: vests

Lightweight Marshall Fieldmaster hunting vest

Repro Indian Blanket railroad vest

Modoc Mfg. Co leather vest

White Chimayo Blanket Vest

Blue Chimayo blanket vest

1910s – 1920s Williamsport Leather Goods Co. Hunting vest

1940s Sportsman’s vest

Rem DriDux

1940s snap front hunting vest

Green Hunting Vest