http://www.ebay.com/itm/272166096793
http://www.ebay.com/itm/401010862645
This vintage vest was made in the 1910s-1920s. It appears to have pockets behind the shell loops, basted shut. It has a buckle-back.
Chest (pit to pit): 21-1/2″ (doubled = 43″)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271901042436
This vintage jacket was made in the late 1930s. It was last used in Ohio in 1967. It’s typical for these hunting jackets, as items of utility rather than fashion, to have been in service for decades, and this one shows it, with many repairs and heavy wear.
Chest (pit to pit):22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 19″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 21-1/2″
Length (base of collar to hem): 27″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281549213801
This vintage vest was made in the 1920 by Duxbak in Utica, New York. While it is missing its label, the cut, the construction of the closed bottom shotgun shell loops and the type of buckle used are all unique to Duxbak and makes it easy to identify. The buckle used on the back bears the patent number “819180”, which shows that this buckle design dates from 1906.
The DuxBak line was started in 1906 by Bird, Jones and Kenyon, and had a factory located at 1 Blandina St., Utica, NY. Prior to the 1920s, Duxbak used the slogan “Duxbak Sportsman’s Clothing” in their advertisements and on their tags. During the 1920s, they switched to ” Duxbak Rain Proof Sportsman’s Clothing”. By the 1930s, they had changed their label to include a graphic of a hunter, and to emphasize “Utica”.
Chest (pit to pit): 19″ (doubled = 38″)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271727679516
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1920s. The DuxBak line was started in 1906 by Bird, Jones and Kenyon, and had a factory located at 1 Blandina St., Utica, NY. Prior to the 1920s, Duxbak used the slogan “Duxbak Sportsman’s Clothing” in their advertisements and on their tags. During the 1920s, they switched to ” Duxbak Rain Proof Sportsman’s Clothing”. By the 1930s, they had changed their label to include a graphic of a hunter, and to emphasize “Utica”.
This shell vest design changed very little from when it was introduced in the early 1900s until this one was produced. As it was a garment of pure function, it was not beholden to the whims of fashion. A good design was a good design, and they stuck with it. It has loops for 32 shotgun shells, a high buttoning neckline to protect the wearer from the elements, and a buckle back to adjust for a comfortable fit. The buckle used on the back bears the patent number “819180”, which shows that this buckle design dates from 1906. The vest has a six button front, and all the buttons bear the DuxBak name.
Tagged Size: 38
Chest (pit to pit): 19-1/2″ (doubled = 39″)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281514804839
This vintage vest was made in the 1910s-1920s by the Edward K. Tryon company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from their rainproof Tryonette cloth. The fabric has been Cravenette proofed. The “Double Service for clear days for stormy days” label stopped being used in the 1920s. The vest has a belted back and 44 canvas closed bottomed shotgun shell loops.
Edward K Tryon was founded in 1811 and survived through to 1964.They were located at 815 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
Chest (pit to pit): 20″ (doubled = 40″)
Length: 19″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281433526221
This vintage shooting jacket was made in the late 1930s by the 10-X manufacturing company of Des Moines, Iowa. It is made of vat dyed Sanforized army cloth cotton twill. It is a half-belt design, with norfolk-style straps on the front to support the pockets. There are loops for two shells and gun pad reinforcement on the left shoulder. The high buttoning is typical of these earlier production models. The jacket has patches from 1930s-1940s, from the Elkhart Indiana CCC Gunners, the 1941 5th Annual International Wildlife Restoration Shoot, from Remington (25 straight skeet) and from Western (25 straight skeet).
Tagged size: 40
Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Shoulder to shoulder: 17″
Sleeve (shoulder to cuff): 24″
Length (base of collar to hem): 26″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281337853385
This vintage hunting vest was made by the Gem Shirt Company of Dayton, Ohio in the 1910s. The Gem Shirt Co. was founded c.1888, and 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. They ceased production by the 1920s.
The vest has 37 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 is belted, but instead of the usual vest style central belt and buckle arrangement, this one has double side adjuster belts. It has Southwick buckles, a type patented in 1906, also used on some DuxBak vests of the period. It has an early black and yellow label, which identifies this model as the “Special”, made for “Outers and Hunters”. The grouse on the label is carried through onto the figural buttons. They are removable ring-back, of the type common on workwear of the period.
Chest (pit to pit): 22″ (doubled = 44″)
Length (front): 24″
Length (rear): 19″
For another vest made by “The Gem”, see here. A comparison of the two is below.
Patent no 819,180, as found on the back of the buckle. Patented May 1, 1906
The logo for “The Gem” was trademarked in 1911, although it had been in use since 1888. The label on this vest reads “Registered”, dating it after 1911.
Ad for “The Gem” from 1912
The Gem Hunting Coat, 1917
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.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271491035755
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1920s. It is made from canvas, with thirty four closed bottomed shotgun shell loops. It has a high necked closure to keep out the elements, similar to the Browns Beach vests of the period, which were also designed for hunting. The vest has a buckle back. An ink-stamped canvas tag identifies this as a size 40.
Chest (pit to pit): 21″
Length: 19-1/2″
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271478366338
This vintage hunting vest was made in the 1920s by the Red Head Brand, a premier maker of hunting garments at the time. It is an early style, high buttoning cut, with a six button front. It has canvas, closed bottomed shotgun shell loops, another hallmark of earlier manufacture hunting vests. There are loops for 38 shotgun shells on the front, and loops for another 23 on the back.
This has the earliest Red Head brand label I have yet to see. It is significantly larger than later labels, with a much more detailed duck. It reads Trade Mark Registered at the top, while labels from the 1930s and early 1940s read , “reg. us. pat. off”, and ones from the mid-late 1940s had the (R) symbol.
Chest (pit to pit):19″ (doubled = 38″)
Vintage-Haberdashers Blog 