WB Place Deerskin Leather Jacket

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281038245725

This vintage deerskin jacket was made by the W.B. Place company of Hartford, Wisconsin. They were tanners- you sent them a deerskin, they tanned it and tailored it into a jacket or gloves. This jacket has a classic design for this kind of leather, very outdoorsy, with a western yoked front and back, contrast leather stitching and fringe. There are issues with the finish of the jacket, which seem more to do with the quality of the original tanning job than with wear. There is wear just above the cuffs, where the owner rolled the sleeves under to shorten them.Chest: 23″Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″Sleeve: 25″

Hair On Cowhide

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Leather and cowhide, a great western combination.

BWS German leather jacket

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281033511480

This vintage overcoat was made post-war by BWS. It is a classic german style, double breasted with no buttons. There is an elaborate setup whereby the interior side of the jacket is secured with snaps on a belt, and the exterior is fasted by means of a hook and clasp attached to the belt. It has a yoked front and back, belted cuffs, and an interior “zipp” branded zipper on the pocket. It is made of heavy dark green leather.

Chest: 21″ (can adjust larger)

Shoulder to Shoulder: 19″

Sleeve: 25″

Length: 46″

Foster Sportswear motorcycle jacket

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281030496790

This vintage leather jacket was made in the 1940s by Foster Sportswear. It has an asymmetrical zip front, a forerunner to the modern style epitomized by the Schott Perfecto. While most jackets of this style turn up in horsehide or goat, this feels like it’s capeskin. Very nice and supple leather. It has slash handwarmer pockets, with flapped cargo pockets and a diagonal zipped map pocket. At the time, this probably would have been advertised as an aviator style.

The jacket has a quilted body lining and flannel sleeves, with knit storm cuffs. It has a conmar pocket zipper and a conmar main zip, though the slider is missing on the main zipper. There is one broken tooth about halfway up the zipper track, which is probably where it would have jumped. Somewhat surprisingly, the jacket does not have the standard half-belt back, opting instead for a paneled design with small elasticized side panels. The leather has some wear and patina, but overall is in very good condition. There is a small section of dropped stitching under the right armpit. The lining has a hole, see the photo.

Chest (pit to pit): 22″

Shoulder to shoulder: 19″

Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 23-1/2″

Length (collar to hem): 26″

Leather and Denim

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

There was a time when a leather jacket was treated somewhere between a windbreaker and a sweater. They were casual and utilitarian.

Diagonal Zip Vintage Leather Jackets

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

The black leather jacket epitomized by the Schott Perfecto wasn’t always the motorcycle jacket default. Here is a small sample of diagonal zip leather jackets, ancestors of the style, which date from the 1930s-1960s. Top to bottom: Monarch, no label capeskin, Foster Sportswear, British Sportswear, no label Columbia. The silver British Sportswear jackets has exposed studs on the lapels, but none on the collar. The Columbia has concealed studs on both. The top three have none. They display a variety of pocket styles and placements, and of cuff styles.

WWII sheepskin gauntlets

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271098561346

These vintage mittens were made during WWII and are named to a Captain Bill Grall. They are fully sheepskin, with a tanned finish on the hand and a raw finish on the gauntlet. They have what looks to be a horsehide reinforcement pull panel on the gauntlet, as well as a horsehide gusset. The leather is still supple and the sheepskin is in great shape. Though they appear to be a handmade, non issue item, they would match a wartime sheepskin B-3 or Irvin, or are perfect to go with a vintage motorcycle jacket.

Early Issue G-1 leather flight jacket

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281017892299

This vintage leather jacket was made for the USN. It is goat, with a real mouton collar. It has an action back, knit cuffs and waistband, a windflap and an interior gun pocket. There are stitch marks from a nametag from when it was issued. The town, “Poultney, VT” is written in the lining. The cuffs are replacements, and all the knits are in need of replacement. The main zipper is Conmar, with what may be a replacement conmatic puller. The prong of the zipper is missing, as are some teeth by the neck. The mouton is worn through and flaking. The lining is torn and repaired.
Chest: 22″

Sleeve: 24″

Shoulders: 17″

Length: 28″

Talon Zippers

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

There are many more patterns of Talon zippers out there, so consider this a (very) incomplete guide. It is interesting, though, to see the evolution of Talon sliding fasteners over the years, 1930s-1960s, in the design of their pullers and stop boxes.

Monarch leather jacket

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Spencer Stewart

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271093612336

This vintage leather jacket was made by the Monarch company, a legendary leather jacket company of the golden era, who held an A-2 contract during the war. This is an aviator / motorcycle style, with an asymmetrical front zip , two flapped pockets, and two map pockets. It has epaulettes, belted sleeve cuffs, and a bi-swing half-belted back. The main zip is a triple marked sunburst Talon. The tab on the male side (the side without the puller) is missing. It’s still zip-able, but it takes a little bit to get the teeth to mesh initially. The chain zippers on the two map pockets are also talons. There are two ventilation grommets under each arm. The jacket is made of colt leather, a type of horsehide. There is damage to the cuffs, and cracking to the collar. The left shoulder has some flaking and the lining has wear and some moth damage. This jacket has been worn and has acquired a fantastic patina over the years.

Chest: 22″

Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 25″

Shoulder to Shoulder: 18″

Top of Collar to Hem: 28″

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