How To Improve Some A-2 (And Similar) Jackets

[raf]

I've always thought that many zippered jackets had a significant failure point at the bottom of the zipper where the fabric alongside the zipper often wears out and requires an expensive zipper replacement.

A few Jackets, some of them Mil-spec, have/had an originally installed flap plus snap to help secure this wear point. I'm not the first person to notice this failure point, lol. I've always thought that the specs for the A-2 jacket could have been improved and perhaps cost reduced by installing a snap at bottom of wind flap and replacing the "hook" at top of wind flap with a simple snap.

Today I used some (smaller) line 20 and some (larger) line 24 Mil-spec black oxide finish all-brass (non-rusting) snaps to reinforce the bottom of the zippers on a few jackets. In this event, jackets were both cloth and leather A-2 Repro jackets.

Snaps installed and will not impede possible future zipper replacement.

External wind flap at Top of some A-2s (assuming no "Hook" present) may not have enough room to emplace even smaller line 20 snaps. Dependent on garment and skill of person installing snaps.

If installing snaps on any garment, suggest some practice installing snaps on identical materials; there is definitely a simple learning curve. Main thing is to install male and female snaps in properly corresponding places so that the snap components "mate" naturally and are not "forced", buckling the underlying material. Snaps must be installed so that they grip very tightly, which prevents snaps from eventually pulling loose. IOW, one half of the snap cannot be rotated contrary to the other half using strong finger pressure. A Decent snap-setting kit is highly suggested, and such kits are specific to the size of snaps for which they are intended.

 

[Peter Mackin]

Installing a snap won't stop the fraying at the insertion pin .although I agree that I like the snap at the bottom of my schott jacket .
I've never had fraying on any A2.and I've owned/own many Never, ever would I have a snap fitted on my Aero,goodwear or eastman A2s.not only would they look horrible, but totally wrecked any future resale value. I also own a 40yr old cooper, brilliant jacket, no fraying. I find the worst culprits for insertion pin fraying are heavier motorcycle jackets, vanson in particular.

 

[RDS]

The addition of snaps, buttons or any other fastening to the bottom of a zip will make no difference at all to them failing or fraying here.
The main reason zips can fail in this area is due to the wear caused to the fabric tape when the male insertion pin goes through the slider/puller and into the zip box. Although this wear is incredibly minor it happens every single time a zip is not only done up but also undone.
If thought about logically by the time a snap is fastened in a jacket which has been zipped up the wear has already occurred. And it will also occur when the zip is undone after a snap has been unfastened.
The manufacturers realised what friction can do to zip tape quite sometime ago and even though the tape is generally now made from a much more wear resistant synthetic fabric (whereas it used to be cotton) that is why the bottom of zips are now also reinforced, normally with thin plastic or extra material, etc.

The most likely outcome of adding snaps or other fastening to any half decent leather jacket, whether a Type A-2 or otherwise, will probably be to devalue it.

 

[raf]

I installed some snaps onto Low-/Mid-tier Repro jackets, not the near-sacred Top tier jackets. I'd be hesitant to do that because of pushback from some prospective buyers as the snaps not being "Original". I'd never install snaps on an actual antique Original jacket. That said, In the movie "12 O"Clock High" (1949) the A-2 worn by Gregory Peck seems to be sporting at least a lower snap in some scenes. When the snap(s) were installed, and by whom, is anyone's guess. See this Pic: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Twelve-OClock-High

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on how much benefit is obtained from the lower snaps, at least. It's my opinion, not backed by any evidence at all, that the snap takes up a bit of the strain on the cloth at the bottom of the zipper, and may prolong Zipper's life a little; It's not a miracle cure. The discussion of whether the snap(s) improve or harm the jacket's aesthetics will vary with personal taste, and perhaps one's degree of holding to the traditional design-- both highly personal variables.

Let's also set aside the discussion of whether or not the original A-2 specs should have deleted the collar hook and installed top and bottom snaps on the wind flap in the first place.

 

[RDS]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on how much benefit is obtained from the lower snaps, at least. It's my opinion, not backed by any evidence at all, that the snap takes up a bit of the strain on the cloth at the bottom of the zipper, and may prolong Zipper's life a little.

A-2 (and similar) jackets have fairly substantial elasticated knitted waistbands. Unless the bottom of a jacket becomes caught or pulled beyond the full extent of the elasticated waistband these will take up any strain which may be put on the bottom of a zip. And even then, unless it was a particularly violent (and rare) occurrence an occasional full extension of a waistband is most unlikely to damage a zip.
As said previously the wear and fraying on the cloth at the bottom of the zip comes from the zip itself and snaps, buttons, etc. won’t prevent that.