Button Front short Woolrich Jacket

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281204240511
This vintage jacket was made in the early 1940s by the Woolrich Woolen Mills of Woolrich PA. It is a waist length, button-front model, with side belt adjusters and a single breast pocket. The jacket has reverse “D-pockets”, and is unlined. This jacket was also made in a zipper version- see here: https://vintagehaberdashers.com/2013/11/10/zipper-front-woolrich-jacket/

Chest (pit to pit): 25″ (doubled = 50″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 20-1/2″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24-1/2″
Length: 25″

Zipper Front Woolrich Jacket

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281204250052
This vintage jacket was made in the years immediately following WWII. It is the zipper fronted version of Woolrich’s cossack style. In another listing, I have a slightly earlier button front version of the same style. The zipper is of a transitional style used immediately after WWII, with a Talon branded stopbox and a square sided slider. The jacket has a single patch breast pocket with a cateye button, and handwarmer pockets. The jacket is tagged a size 36, but measures more like a size 40.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 18″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23″
Length: 24-1/2″

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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″

J.O. Ballard Malone mackinaw

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281200082748
This vintage mackinaw was made by J.O. Ballard & Co. of Malone, New York. The company was founded in 1888 by Jay Olin Ballard, and traded alternately under the J.O Ballard name and the name, Malone Woolen Mills. The company began making wool outdoorsman’s breeches in 1891 and followed up with mackinaw coats like this one. They were famous for their Malone plaid- gray with red and green overchecks. Coats of this cut were advertised to hunters, hikers, mountain climbers, lumberjacks, workmen and all other stripes of outdoorsmen. The depression closed the company in 1933. It re-opened again in 1935 with the assistance of an Reconstruction Finance Corporation loan, a depression era loan program.
The coat has four flapped pockets and two slash pockets. The slash pockets, in the traditional position of handwarmer pockets, pass through directly to the game pocket. There is also access to the game pocket from flaps on the back of the coat. Unlike the similar Woolrich design, this one has buttons on the pockets instead of snaps and exposed buttoning on the front. The lining is mustard colored cotton. The sleeves have buttoned adjusters.

Chest (pit to pit): 22-1/2″ (doubled = 45″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length: 29″

Hunting and Fishing jacket

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271306401483
This vintage jacket was made in the 1940s under the WeatherBak label. This style was designed for hunters and fisherman, with space for every possible need. The canvas is advertised as “snag-pruf”, and the picture on the label of a hunter in the rain, along with the brand name reinforces the idea of water resistance which goes along whit this kind of tight, high quality canvas. Although canvas will get wet in the rain, the fibers swell with moisture, making a tight fabric even tighter, not allowing the water to actually pass through. I took some canvas gear on a canoe trip in Nova Scotia a year and a half ago. It rained the entire trip and my vintage canvas duffle was soaked, but everything inside remained dry.

The jacket has a short cut. 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. There are two interior pockets. Room to fit everything you own! The underarms have open bottoms, an alternative to gussets for greater range of motion.

Chest (pit to pit): 23″
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23″
Length: 21-1/2″

For a modern leather interpretation of this style, check out: http://fcancan.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-had-dream-part2.html

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″

J.C. Higgins Hunting Vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271301570163

This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1940s, and sold by Sears under their JC Higgins label. Due to similarities in their design, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Hettrick Mfg. Co. of Ohio made this under license for them. It has elastic loops for 24 shotgun shells, and a breast pocket. The four-hole buttons are textured.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″
Length: 19″

1910s “The Gem” hunting vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271301060308
This vintage hunting vest was made by the Gem Shirt Company of Dayton, Ohio in the 1910s. The Gem Shirt Co. diversified into canvas hunting clothes in the early part of the 20th century, innovating the usage of lined waterproof game bags. They were a high end maker at the time, making their products from an excellent grade of cotton canvas duck. The vest has 32 closed bottomed reinforced corduroy shotgun shell pockets on the front of the vest. The corduroy material is somewhat unusual, a nice early detail. The back of the vest has a buckled belt, and a stitched-on tab added by the original owner, probably to hold his hunting license. The vest has a five button front, with metal buttons reading “The Gem”. The buttons attach via grommets and rings. The vest has a typically 1910s style yellow on black label.

Chest (pit to pit): 21″ (double = 42″)
Length: 18-1/2″

1911. “The Gem” trademark registered. Logo matches that on this vest.

1912 – Ad for The Gem hunting coats

1917 – Photo of “The Gem” hunting coat

1918. Guiterman Bros Town and Country vest, Gem Hunting Coat and a Springfield Rifle

1923. Gem Hunting Vests and coats. This is the last I can find on the company.

1930s Blue Bill hunting vest

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281191020912
This vintage vest was made in the 1930s by Red Head Brand under their Blue Bill label. In the 1940s, Blue Bill changed their logo, and began including the (R) symbol. It has closed bottomed canvas shotgun shell pockets, 38 on the front and 18 on the back, for a total of 56. The shotgun shells on the back take the place of the more traditional belted back. The vest has a five button front.

Also see, Red Head no. 1

and Red Head no. 2

Chest (pit to pit): 19″ (doubled = 38″)
Length: 18-1/2″

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Tag Archives: hunting

Button Front short Woolrich Jacket

Zipper Front Woolrich Jacket

Rem DriDux

J.O. Ballard Malone mackinaw

Hunting and Fishing jacket

1940s snap front hunting vest

Green Hunting Vest

J.C. Higgins Hunting Vest

1910s “The Gem” hunting vest

1930s Blue Bill hunting vest