IRVIN NUTS?...the ULTIMATE thread for those who love 'em!

[Windsock]

I meant to also add that is one killer jacket Mike, and interesting to see that the windflap is of the finer grade of fleece even though the jakcet is a multipanel type. I thought that they were typically the same fleece as the main part of the jacket which looks like it ought to be the shaggy type?

 

[Windsock]

Hot on the heels of a missing Alan E, now Mr Swatland is AWOL. He was planning to make a trip to Kew this month and I have some references for Irvin order numbers and possible contract details I wanted to have researched but hadn't yet passed them on.

Anyone know where he is? Not responding to pm's either. He must have become so engrossed in the archive and they forgot that he was in there and locked him in.... Maybe we should alert them to the possible presence of an Irvin Nut on a mission.

Failing that, anyone else in the nearby vicinity of Kew who would like to make a visit?

 

[aswatland]

Hot on the heels of a missing Alan E, now Mr Swatland is AWOL. He was planning to make a trip to Kew this month and I have some references for Irvin order numbers and possible contract details I wanted to have researched but hadn't yet passed them on.

Anyone know where he is? Not responding to pm's either. He must have become so engrossed in the archive and they forgot that he was in there and locked him in.... Maybe we should alert them to the possible presence of an Irvin Nut on a mission.

Failing that, anyone else in the nearby vicinity of Kew who would like to make a visit?

I have been on leave for a week in Somerset. I just got your PM Andrew and will respond. Well done Mike for getting a good price for that Irvin. BTW I was wondering where Alan E is.

 

[Mike1973]

Cheers fellas! Yep, sounds like the jacket is going to a very good home in Victoria, and will make a nice addition to his Irvin trousers! Sounds like a top bloke. I was suprised at the final price, I was expecting to make my money back, but not much more. Always difficult to judge the market on ebay of course!

As for posting, my local little post office today didn't provide many answers... and scared me by saying there was a package limit of 90cm... and that wasn't a max length measurement, but length and width COMBINED!! A quick look on the Parcelforce website states a max length of 105cm, length and girth of 200cm, so armed with that I should be fine, I hope! jacket is now bubblewrapped, bagged, and boxed, and weighs in at a solid 3.25kg!

Windsock, the fleece is fairly uniform throughout the jacket. Quite a fine grade...

The fleece in the Beesa Irvin of mine is the long shaggy stuff, which I actually prefer much more! I think the Barons long fleeced Coastal Command Irvin is a beaut too!

 

[PADDY]

Alan E.

Alan often goes off around the world with his work, so (being positive) I'm 'assuming' that he's just out of the country with work right now and no doubt will be back in fine form.

 

[Spitfire]

Summertime

...so it's time to stove away the ol' Irvin.

Do you guys just leave it hanging in the closet, or do you pack it down in a special way - maybe even with mothballs.
(Personally I have always had it hanging - on the broadest coathanger in store - in a plastic bag)

Any good idears and suggestions are most welcome.

 

[ethanedwards]

Irvin storage

I always keep mine in a big flat-ish cardboard box, (similar to an Eastman's issue box) with a fistful of cedar balls scattered inside......maybe your plastic bag is a good addition too, Spifire...........

 

[Edward]

Not sure about the plastic... I did read somewhere a while back that it's not good to keep suits stored in the plastic bags they come back from the dry cleaner in (something to do with the chemical make-up of the bag, if memory serves - acid in it or something). Don't know whether that would be the same for the Irvin? Though right enough, I've never had a problem with purpose-designed plastic suit covers....

 

[Windsock]

Here in the sub tropics (Av daytime temps 29degC and humid Summer and 21 dry Winter-though some days it does get up past 36 and it would be rare to get a day below 17) my jackets do unfortunately get a lot of storage time though I always keep one jacket out on display at all times, so I just rotate them. When stored however I have been using these neat rigid sided zip topped nylon suit boxes from Ikea. I sometimes include camphor or cedar balls. These are laid flat. They fit one Irvin or two A-2's. The rigid sides protect the contents a bit more. Always on vigil for any sign of critter action or mould I regularly air and inspect them. So far I have not had any sign of either pest thank goodness. I understand it's important to allow these materials to breath and I feel the bags allow this to happen but taking them out regularly is the best.

I had a couple of pairs of flying boots, gloves and helmets stored in an ancient oak trunk but I found that after a very wet summer a little mould starting to form on the heels of one pair. It wiped off fine with no issues but needless to say this method is no longer used.

 

[Smithy]

Here in the sub tropics

Now there's an understatement if ever I heard one

I've heard leather can "sweat" in plastic bags, but that might be an old wives' tale.

 

[Windsock]

Now there's an understatement if ever I heard one

I've heard leather can "sweat" in plastic bags, but that might be an old wives' tale.

Just you wait for those oven hot Melbourne summers to hit Tim- hot north wind blowing in off the Mallee. Won't be so cocky then....

 

[Smithy]

Just you wait for those oven hot Melbourne summers to hit Tim- hot north wind blowing in off the Mallee. Won't be so cocky then....

Yeah but it's a dry heat!

 

[Spitfire]

When I said "plasticbag" I meant the purpose-designed suit bag.
Never seen any "sweatingproblems" there...

 

[Edward]

When i said "palsticbag" I meant the purpose-designed suit bag.
Never seen any "sweatingproblems" there...

I should have realised.... I had visions of your Irvy gonig in a bin bag for storage in the box... lol

 

[ethanedwards]

Irvin storage

Can we place a 'life-expectancy' on sheepskin, ie will it always loose integrity within a certain amount of time, regardless of how well they are stored? Or should our Irvins keep indefinitely, given ideal storage conditions? I know some members have pre-war Irvins, but what is the oldest sheepskin around that wouldn't have to be treated with kid gloves - the comparative poor robustness of B3's is well known ............. and I hate the thought of Irvin jackets sharing a similar fate.

 

[Edward]

Presume part of it is the way in which the sheepskin is treated in the manufacturing process - dyes, chemicals, etc. I guess different breeds of sheep might produce harder or lesser wearing fleece, but had always assumed that the dying process of B3s was the rason they didn't last so well as Irvins - i.e. if I was to buy an ELC B3 and Irvin today, they'd both, treated the same, have the same shelf-life?

 

[Smithy]

Apparently the sheepskins used in American B-3s were simply not as hard-wearing as those used in Irvins Edward. It is likely that this will have something to do with the breeds of sheep that American and British sheepskins were sourced from.

Can't remember where it was but I am fairly certain Andrew Watland wrote a post detailing this.

 

[aswatland]

Apparently the sheepskins used in American B-3s were simply not as hard-wearing as those used in Irvins Edward. It is likely that this will have something to do with the breeds of sheep that American and British sheepskins were sourced from.

Can't remember where it was but I am fairly certain Andrew Watland wrote a post detailing this.

Yes I did. British fleeces are from different breeds of sheep and are generally more robust. Maybe something to do with our UK climate as well. Hardy sheep only survive winters in the hilly parts of the UK! BTW is Swatland!

 

[ethanedwards]

Schpelling

W is next to S on the keyboard! I expect Tim is getting close to being tour-expired, and needs to bash in for a spot of leave.........

 

[aswatland]

W is next to S on the keyboard! I expect Tim is getting close to being tour-expired, and needs to bash in for a spot of leave.........

It's good to have a bit of fun on the forum. Call me what you like chaps!