Type A-1 Trousers...Yep, Trousers...1931

[zoomer]

Apologies if someone posted these in the year or so since they sold on eBay - but here is a rarity among rarities, a pair of Switlik Parachute A-1 trousers in sheep-lined horsehide, the companion to the pure-unobtanium B-1 jacket.

I think these were made only by the one contractor, and only in 1931 and 1932, until the blanket lined B-2 jacket and A-2 trou were substituted.

Notice the Drawing No. 31-2411. The B-2 jacket was Dwg. 31-2412, and perhaps the B-1 was as well - the differences were just the lining and the neck closures.

These went for just $450 on eBay. If they'd been the jacket, what do you bet ten times more in this condition...

 

[Dr H]

That pocket flap is a peach - matches the B-1 really well.
Great colour (both hide and fleece) - none of the modern repros come close to that sadly.
What a bargain.

 

[Falcon_52]

Nice post zoomer. I didn't see those for sale way back when. Something I noticed when looking at Aota's Full Gear book and also these photos is that the A-1/A-2 trouser pockets seem to have a 3-dimensional pocket. What I mean is that the bottom corners look a bit like a B-3 pocket that's been flattened over time - they don't look quite like the pockets on any of the B-2 repro jackets (sewn flat to the body).

Does anyone else see this same thing or am I working too hard?

Noel

 

[John Lever]

Is the lining moquette or sheepskin ?

 

[zoomer]

The pockets to appear to be slightly bellowsed. I can see that here.

Re the jacket pocket, we know it snagged on chute straps, and all were ordered removed in 1934. The original pocket might have been made flat for just that reason.

The lining is sheepskin. I suspect the spec was changed to moquette for economy reasons - always item one in the air services at that time.

 

[dmar836]

Nice find! Add that to the "something I will never own" pile!

Dave

 

[zoomer]

Let's take another look at the 1932 Wright Field test pilots' pic, the best one available of the horsey suits in use.

Those pockets appear to have been blind-stitched on, which would give that slight bellowsing. None of the B-1 or B-2 repros copy that.

 

[zoomer]

Here's an original (pocketless) Werber B-2 that turned up on The Hat Group a year or 2 back.
You stitch hounds tell me what you think of the holes. I still think blind stitching, one row to secure the edge inside, the next to pull it tight to the body.
No, I don't think it ever had TWO pockets. But maybe the left pocket was moved to the right side.

 

[dmar836]

If I'm following you correctly I don't know how one would stitch the pocket inside out then turn it for the second row of topstitching. About one side is all that would make sense to me. Could it not just be double top-stitched for reinforcement purposes?
The added pocket stitching on the other side has an interesting shape unless a large patch somehow overlapped there at one time. Otherwise looks like there were two variations of pockets there at some point.
Dave

 

[zoomer]

If I'm following you correctly I don't know how one would stitch the pocket inside out then turn it for the second row of topstitching.

I don't know myself. My spatial aptitude scores were very low. :lol:

Maybe they did the pockets on a double-needle machine, with the baseplate in between the body panel and the pocket. I know Werber Coat ran double-needles because they advertised for operators in the local papers.