CFN-24 Colvinex flight suit

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272115044632

This vintage CFN-24 flight suit was made during WWII from goatskin. It is electrically heated, with Colvinex metal core yarn. It has a zip front, zip fly, and zippers running the length of the legs. These were popular to convert into motorcycle jackets post-war due to the zippers having separable bottoms. One of the zips is Korea-era replacement Talon, the others are all WWII manufacture. There are electrical leads on the chest, at the waist and at the wrists to hook to heated gloves. It has a belted waist and patch pockets on the thighs.

Tagged size: 36

Chest (pit to pit): 20″

Shoulder to shoulder: 18″

Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″

Inseam: 28-1/2″

1928-1932 Spalding Aviation Clothing leather flight suit

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272051885112

This vintage leather flight suit was made by A.G. Spalding & Bros. Aviation Clothing, between 1928 and 1932. It has a mouton collar, an offset closure, belted waist, large map pocket with sharply scalloped pocket flap, thigh pockets and a full silk pile lining. It is a size 42, and is their model 402. The suit has seven Hookless Fastener Co. Talon zippers, with the double marked sliders that indicate a date of manufacture between 1928, when the name Talon was introduced, and 1932, when Hookless dropped their company name from the product in favor of simply “Talon”. The zips are on the sleeves, legs, the chest and on two pass through pockets so the aviator could access his pants pockets. The fly opening is accomplished by a snap on the zipper tape. The large collar has a hook closure at the neck and a three button throat latch under the collar, to really secure it during open cockpit flight. While not his suit, Charles Lindbergh was a prominent endorser of Spalding’s flight suits of this era.

Tagged size: 42

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

Shoulder to shoulder: 19″

Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″

Inseam: 28″

Length (base of collar to bottom of belt): 22″

Length (top of collar to bottom of leg): 61-1/2″

The flight suit has the original boots, also made by A.G. Spalding & Bros. Aviation Clothing. These are moccasin style, with a lace up front and Hookless Talon zipper back. They are fully sheepskin lined for warmth, with a double layer moccasin sole and tongues front and back. They are a large size, measuring 12-3/4″ front to back, and 4-5/8″ side to side and comfortably fitting my size 12 foot. Inside are sheepskin slippers, which appear to be of slightly later manufacture, either added for extra warmth, or more likely to down-size the boots for a second owner.

Lastly, there are two flight helmets, one original to the suit and also made by A.G. Spalding & Bros. Aviation Clothing and another unlabeled one. The Spalding cap is a size 7-3/8 model 1900 and has Spalding baseball branded snaps for the goggle retainers. The second cap is unmarked, with a snap closure and ear grommets.

Note: gloves are not part of the suit, and were for photographs only, they are not included.

1930s Buegeleisen Eaglet Helmet blue

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400937745429
Strauss & Buegeleisen was founded in 1910 by Elias Buegeleisen of New York, and produced shatterproof aviators goggles under the Resistal name. Younger brother Joseph Buegeleisen and David Buegeleisen joined the company, with J. heading up sales in the Detroit area and D. as the West Coast representative. Joseph split from the family business around 1937 to found what would become Buco. D. Buegeleisen split slightly earlier and began production of these Eaglet helmets, marketed, like the other related family businesses, to the aviation and motorcycle markets. This cap has a navy blue cotton twill shell with a leather lining and trim. It has leather straps to hold on goggles with early style branded snaps. This one is tagged a size Medium and measures 20-1/2″ in circumference.

1930s D. Buegeleisen Eaglet helmet

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271901808372
Strauss & Buegeleisen was founded in 1910 by Elias Buegeleisen of New York, and produced shatterproof aviators goggles under the Resistal name. Younger brother Joseph Buegeleisen and David Buegeleisen joined the company, with J. heading up sales in the Detroit area and D. as the West Coast representative. Joseph split from the family business around 1937 to found what would become Buco. D. Buegeleisen split slightly earlier and began production of these Eaglet helmets, marketed, like the other related family businesses, to the aviation and motorcycle markets. This cap has a khaki cotton twill shell with a leather lining and trim. It has leather straps to hold on goggles with early style branded snaps. This one is tagged a size Small and measures 20″ in circumference.

1940s Civilian Air Associates B-2 leather flight jacket

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281645136149
This vintage jacket was made in Kansas City, Missouri, as a civilian version of the US army B-2 Flight jacket, issued in the early 1930s, and replaced by the B-3 in 1934. The army version was made of horsehide, with a single breast pocket, attached belt zippered cuffs on the inside of the wrist, and a full alpaca lining and mouton collar. This jacket was produced with a civilian label and a few alterations to the pattern. This jacket is made from capeskin, and with handwarmer pockets instead the large breast patch pocket that was universally removed from the army production version. This jacket has an off-center Talon main zipper, with bell-shaped slider and unmarked diagonal-stripe sunburst stopbox. The sleeves have zipper cuffs, with early pattern United Carr snaps and bell shaped talon zippers. The jacket has heavy wear, and the label has been partially worn away. The remaining text reads “aviation” and “Kansas City Mo”. There is a remnant of what looks to be a wing logo. The size tag is of the black and yellow design used on military jackets, and the pocket linings are the distinctive shade of twill used in the linings of A-2 jackets. These details point to this jacket having been made as part of a specialized civilian aviator’s line by a manufacturer which held a military jacket contract.

Chest (pit to pit): 21-1/2″ (doubled = 43″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 16″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (base of collar to hem): 22″

Levis Vintage Clothing HomeRun Moleskin Worker Jacket

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281574492886
This jacket was made by Levis Vintage Clothing as part of their Fall / Winter 2014 “Metropolis” lineup. The official model description is the Levi’s Vintage Homerun Moleskin worker jacket. The tag reads, ” HomeRun Double-Tex Suedette “.
Though the line is described as reproductions of clothes made “circa 1940”, this style of shawl collar, button front jacket was popular from about 1928-1933. These days, it is often referred to as an A-1 style by collectors because of the button front. While it shares a common stylistic ancestor with that knit collared model, the two are divergent lines. When originally produced, these were referred to as Cossack Jackets. That name was later applied to the belt-backed leather jackets of the mid 1930s onward. Through other current productions of the style, it has also become known as the “Menlo” or the “Heron” after specific model names. The Home-Run label was originally used by Levi Strauss from the mid 1920s through to about 1940 for a line of children’s and teenager’s clothing. Levi’s Vintage Clothing resurrected the label design for the some of 1930s workwear reproductions in this Metropolis line. It is a very nice reproduction of the style, made in a durable moleskin cotton. The jacket has a seven button front, with small flapped pockets. It has a shawl collar, and triangular side panels with belt adjusters. The belt’s buckles are reproductions of vintage hammered style hardware. As is typical of this style of jacket, it us unlined. It has ventilation grommets and shirt style cuffs. With a 42″ chest, this would best fit a size 38.

Tagged Size: Men’s Medium
Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-3/4″
Length (base of collar to hem): 24-1/4″

1930s leather police motorcycle jacket

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271715598736
This vintage leather jacket was made in the late 1930 for a police motorcycle force. It is made of heavy black leather in an early motorcycle style. The jacket has a double-breasted, zip front cut, with snap belt buckles for a heavy garrison belt. It has lace-up sides, button cuffs with internal knit cuffs and zippered handwarmer/cargo pockets. The jacket is lined with wool and has an inside zip pocket. The main zipper is a later replacement, probably from the 1960s or 1970s. It appears that at that time a nylon liner was added overtop the original 1930s wool lining, but all that remains are a few shreds by the shoulder. The jacket has been heavily worn, implying a life after its original police usage. There are snaps for a mouton collar, as well as snaps on the belt loops. Some of these are 1920s United States Fastener snaps, others are United Carr made in the 1930s after United States Fastener and Carr merged. There are even RF Co snaps thrown into the mix. The pockets have late 1930s bell-shaped Talon zippers, while the interior pocket has an extremely rare version of the chain zipper with a Talon marked ring.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (base of collar to hem): 22-1/4″

Ralph Lauren Reproduction suede leather A-1 jacket

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271688862141
This jacket, made by Ralph Lauren under the Polo label, draws heavy design influence from the leather “windbreaker” jackets of the 1920s which evolved into the A-1 flight jacket. Many of these early jackets were made of lightweight leathers, suede or capeskin. Separable bottom zippers were not invented until 1927, and didn’t go into production until early 1930, so jackets of the 1920s had button fronts. In this period, knit collars, cuffs and waistbands were popular. These jackets were originally marketed toward the sporting market: golfers, hunters, outdoorsmen. This short style would come to be adopted by civilian aviators, as it was far less clumsy than the full length coats of the WWI period.

The jacket is made of brown suede. It has a full wool tartan lining.

Tagged size: M (always go by measurements)
Chest (pit to pit): 26″ (doubled = 52″)
Waistband: 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 23″
Sleeve (shoulder to end of cuff): 25-1/2″
Length (base of collar to end of waistband): 27″

1940s Hercules Aviator leather jacket

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281464398498
This vintage leather jacket was made c.1947 and was sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co under their Hercules label, used for leather jackets and workwear. The jacket is an “aviator” style, a style originated in the 1930s, and defined by its offset zipper front, coat style lapels, interesting pocket setup and usually by its fancy back. This example has handwarmer pockets, a chest mounted map pocket and an angled cuff detail with decorative buttons. The back is belted and has bi-swing shoulders. It has a scalloped back yoke. The main zipper is a Talon, identifiable as being made immediately post-war by its marked U shaped stop box design and square hole on the pull. The chest zipper is also a Talon, with a chain style pull and a transitional style slider. With a 42″ chest, this will best fit someone who wears a size 38.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (doubled = 42″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 17-1/2″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 23-1/2″

G-1 leather flight jacket General Zipper

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271547836293
This vintage leather jacket is a USN G-1 flight jacket. It has a half-belt, bi-swing back, knit cuffs and waistband, button closure patch pockets with a pencil slot and a button throat latch on the underside of the collar. The main zip is a General, which bears a striking resemblance to Talon’s toolings. The interior wind flap has been cut off, the tag removed, and the original owner’s name marked out on the lining.

Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to end of knit): 24″
Length (base of collar to end of waistband): 24″

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