ALL ORIGINAL Irvin RAF type Jackets - Loving that Wolf in sheeps' clothing!

[aswatland]

I get this link-few hats here!
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...-...the-ULTIMATE-thread-for-those-who-love-em!

 

[Gee]

Thank you once again for your help. I have just clicked on your link and it works perfectly. I have also tried the link at the top of this thread again only to get the hats again! Nice hats, but still hats. Never mind, I have made a note of this page number so that I can click on your link in future.

 

[Steven C P]

Helllo everyone,

Just wanted to share a piece of information that some of you may find interesting.
I recently bought a size 7 Wareings from about 1941-2, it is in excellent condition with an almost unmarked and unworn exterior, the internal fur is the thick almost shaggy stuff and is also in great condition. When the jacket came the collar was very tired, flat and balding and not at all in keeping with the condition of the rest of the item so I decided it should be replaced with a piece of matching but dense short fleece early Irvin Airchute trousers I keep for "spares". When the old collar fleece was removed, not only did it not have the exterior coating on it but it was a reddish pink colour, which, for the uninitiated is a sure sign of a vegetable tan in items of this age (a cream or white skin colour as one often finds on balding spots on these jackets tends to mean a chrome tanning method).

It is clear that none of the major Irvin repro manufacturers use a different grade of sheepskin for their jackets and tend to make the entire garment in one grade, it is also clear that the collars on mid and late war Irvins are of a totally different grade (close and dense) albeit often dyed to a similar colour because the shaggy or long fleece types in the body of the jacket are just not suitable. This fact seems to have escaped the attention of the replica makers. Of course in early jackets this was not a problem as the grade used throughout the jacket was the close cropped dense type.
I was really surprised to find vegetable tanned material on a comparatively "late" jacket albeit mixed with chrome tanned fleece. The earliest jackets were exclusively veg tanned and Mr Swatland has a superb early "Redskin" example !

Anyway, there it is !

 

[aswatland]

You mean this pre-War IAC veg tanned, hand finished jacket.

 

[Steven C P]

Yes Andrew, that one !!!!

S.

 

[aswatland]

Czech Wing Commander's Irvin

This is a recent addition to my collection of Irvins. The jacket belonged to the Czech fighter pilot Alois Hochmal (1914-2010) who rose through the ranks to Wing Commander in 1944. He commanded 313 squadron composed of Czech pilots and there is a picture of him wearing the very same Irvin in 1941 via the first link below.

http://horice.safarikovi.org/hochmal.html
http://horice.safarikovi.org/hochmal.html
http://www.cieldegloire.com/002t_hochmal.php

The jacket was made by Links and has the typical slightly rounded collar, medium-sized collar rings and exposed metal under-arm vent rings-characteristics of this high volume maker. Many of Links' Irvins are inferior in terms of build quality, but this one is an exception. All the stitching is straight and intact. The jacket dates to 1940 and was issued to him new shortly after he arrived in England. Apart from the belt buckle which is from another Links jacket everything is original, with no repairs or re-stitching. There is very little wear to the fleece.

 

[aswatland]

 

[PADDY]

I'm going to have to stop coming in here - *green!*

 

[aswatland]

To make you even more "green" Paddy some wearing pics!

 

[Spitfire]

Bravo!!!!!

 

[PADDY]

Andrew - "shame about the tubular arms, the wrong belt buckle, the YKK zips and the clown collar!" apart from 'that' it's...okayyyy . Not as authentic as an Eastman of course!! (*crying into his Guinness...damn this thread!).

 

[aswatland]

Andrew - "shame about the tubular arms, the wrong belt buckle, the YKK zips and the clown collar!" apart from 'that' it's...okayyyy . Not as authentic as an Eastman of course!! (*crying into his Guinness...damn this thread!).

You mean all the features associated with a great original Irvin!!!!

 

[aswatland]

One of our cats likes the jacket too!

 

[Metatron]

Perfect fit! Haha

 

[Gee]

Your cat has excellent taste. Another stunning jacket, Must be getting pretty close to the holy grail of Irvins with that history too!

 

[Andyboy]

Super fine jacket and in such great condition for it´s age! Congratulations!!!

 

[B-24J]

Can't think of anyone better to preserve such a piece of history Andrew. What would you say is the size?

John

P.S. I'm always happy when I have a Guinness!

 

[PADDY]

What's 'next' Andrew...Gibson's, Tuck's, Johnson's or Cheshire's Irvin? now those would be 'Holy Grails...'

And YES...in all seriousness...that is the most BEAUTIFUL of jackets, it truly is.

 

[Smithy]

Yup, an absolute stunner Andrew, and with such fine history.

That's a keeper

 

[free818]

fur jacket