New on FL - What is this Irvin??...

[Marseille]

Hi to all,

I have been consulting regularly this forum for quite a few months now, being always impressed by the high-level of most of the contributions – my congratulations to all of you for this - and all my thanks to keep this spirit alive through your dedication to details and respect of authenticity.

As many here I am an aviation enthusiast and have been collecting aviation-related items for quite some times now... with a special interest for 1930-1940 Soviet pilot equipments, uniforms, etc.

That's how I came to buy my first mod. 40 Eastman Irvin in 2005. I have been wearing it every winter since (although French, I live in former Soviet Union and weather is perfect for Irvins...) , it got a very nice patina and I love it - or loved it, until a "profesionnal" to whom I gave my beloved Irvin for dry cleaning thought it would deserve a new "paint"... This idiot had no better idea than spraying my whole Irvin with a cheap-red colour to make it look newer...:rage: But all this is past now, and with a lot of philosophy I have learned to live with it (and believe me I have tried everything to give back to my Irvin his old appearance and the maximum of the patina it had).

But the reason I an writing is different: I have recently bought in France a reportedly "barn-found" Irvin... I like to believe nice stories, and although the overal design, shape (and smell!!...) indicate (for me at least) it could be an original, I am not 100% convinced and would be happy to get some comments on this...

Here are some pics:

The zippers bear the mention "Aero – Great Britain", but this Irvin does not seem to me to be an Aero copy (sorry if I look naïve…). It has an overall long design (has Aero ever produced such Irvins?...), no ventilation holes on armpits, a collar strap on the other side, a belt buckle with a non-standard design…

Patina, smell and quality are there like on an original (?) but this mention "Aero" disturbs me... Grateful for any comment or indication!!

All the best,

Marseille

 

[kampkatz]

Welcome to FL, Marseille. Your "Irvin" seems to be in fairly good condition. I am not an authority on Irvins, but there are plenty of others who will pick up on this thread shortly and offer their insight. Good luck with your future searches, and be prepared to learn a lot from the serious collectors who frequent the FL.
Paul

 

[Dav]

Hi
Could the zip be a replacement, Aero do that sort of thing I think.

 

[aswatland]

Welcome to the Forum. Your jacket is a post War "Irvin" style flying jacket. The Aero zip was typical of late '40s early '50s zips and was not used on Wartime Irvins, which had Dot, Lightning, AM or Flash Fastener zips. Orignal Irvins nver had a one piece back, always at least two or more!

Your jacket was most likely made for the civilian market and they were often worn by bikers or pilots of open cockpit planes. The materials are generally inferior to those used in the War on Irvins. Some had vinyl seam tapes, collar backs and belts. The inside of the sleeves were often made from white sheepskin.


Pride and Clark was a significant maker of these jackets. They usually do not command the same higher prices as pre-War and Wartime manufactured Irvins.

There is a large original Irvin thread and I suspect Paddy or one of the mods will move it there so everything about original Irvins can be kept together.

 

[Marseille]

Hi all,
Thank you for your welcoming remarks and to you in particular Andrew for your quick and detailed answer; I was suspecting indeed this Irvin could be a post-war production but could find no info on how to differenciate them. Just a small remark to your post: my jacket has a back in 2 pieces, not like a 1940 model (vertical seam), but with a long horizontal seam with 2 triangular pieces in the lower corners (visible on the pics above). I don't think however this questions your assessment; zippers have not been replaced and since there were no Aeros fitted in wartime, I have a post-war production, that becomes clear...

Thanks again and all the best,

Marseille

PS for the moderators: I don't mind of course if this conversation is moved to the thread dedicated to Irvins and their reproductions