• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

USN Deck Zip project [Bronson MOD]

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
There is a couple of wrong in the Bronson USN Deck Zip jkt 2017 version.
1) The 1st is the alpaca lining - all versions point to me it is navy wool lining instead of Alpaca. The 1 & only 1 I can locate with an alpaca lining is NAF1168/ contract NXs-1404. Anyway, I will change it to navy wool lining
2) Zip jacket are without wind flap-> will renove that
3) The fake Talon brass zip is ok -> but will change it to Mash NOS Talon of exactly the same period
4) Will change the knit cuff as well from Mash
5) The highlight -> will hand wash + hand bleach myself to the most desirable effect out of the 10s of specimen found - as shown attached. The area around zip is darker & so does under-pit area
6) Will also add some stencil at the
20180425_143941.jpg
back + wash-out effect, too
That will be a VERY LARGE PROJECT & will not be completed in a short period.:)
 

Attachments

  • 20180425_144007.jpg
    20180425_144007.jpg
    156.7 KB · Views: 541
  • 20180425_144028.jpg
    20180425_144028.jpg
    382.1 KB · Views: 536
  • 20180425_144035.jpg
    20180425_144035.jpg
    377.4 KB · Views: 581
  • 20180425_144102.jpg
    20180425_144102.jpg
    205.9 KB · Views: 504
  • Mash knit.jpg
    Mash knit.jpg
    126.8 KB · Views: 489
  • Mash zipper.jpg
    Mash zipper.jpg
    116.8 KB · Views: 594
  • Original.jpg
    Original.jpg
    121.4 KB · Views: 701
  • Original1.jpg
    Original1.jpg
    99.3 KB · Views: 553
  • Original2.jpg
    Original2.jpg
    101.8 KB · Views: 578
Last edited:

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
The original Talon zipper & label
Original3.jpg
& the ONLY original found with alpaca lining NXs-1404
 

Attachments

  • Original4.jpg
    Original4.jpg
    158.9 KB · Views: 577
  • Original5.jpg
    Original5.jpg
    197 KB · Views: 513
  • Original6.jpg
    Original6.jpg
    140.4 KB · Views: 490

Skyhawk

Well-Known Member
Interesting. An alpaca lining and a label with NAF instead of NXs. Is this another rare USN flight jacket? Possibly an attempted replacement of the cloth 37J1 before they made the M422 + M423 jackets?

The early USN 37J1 jackets had a prefix of just N or NOS. Not sure about NAF besides an unrelated acronym for "Naval Air Facility".

Looks like an awesome project! That label sure would be an easy reproduction.
 

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
Yeah - interesting project ...

Have been looking for one of those jackets in 44 but as far as I know they are produced only up to 42???

Anyone any other info?
 

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
some work in progress.
The jkt is ripped to its shell before bleaching.
The stitches are so dense & tension-ed, it is like iron-clad. Very strong sewing machine had been used, in this regard, it is almost indestructible - extremely difficult to dismantle the lining.
An accident happened, the seams are so strong that when I tried to use brut force to tear apart the seam, the upper part of the left chest was torn !
 

Attachments

  • 20180425_173126.jpg
    20180425_173126.jpg
    582.7 KB · Views: 502
  • 20180426_130502.jpg
    20180426_130502.jpg
    723.1 KB · Views: 545
  • 20180426_130523.jpg
    20180426_130523.jpg
    749.8 KB · Views: 520
  • 20180426_130837.jpg
    20180426_130837.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 481
  • 20180426_133212.jpg
    20180426_133212.jpg
    563.7 KB · Views: 478
  • 20180426_212322.jpg
    20180426_212322.jpg
    102.3 KB · Views: 482

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
after 2nd bleach + 1 hour of brushing
You got to be cruel & have a let-go mindset in doing these antiquing; you just cannot not be too kind in doing these things.
20180427_115238.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20180427_074838.jpg
    20180427_074838.jpg
    64.9 KB · Views: 376
  • 20180427_081917.jpg
    20180427_081917.jpg
    75.4 KB · Views: 401
Last edited:

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
Dry out after 2nd bleach. ripple shows up around shoulder seams & pocket seams.
20180427_142001.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20180427_141934.jpg
    20180427_141934.jpg
    140.1 KB · Views: 465
Last edited:

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
correct weave of navy wool lining used. Machine washed once to shrink & expose more of those cross weave pattern.
Correct lining weave 27Apr18.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20180417_055423.jpg
    20180417_055423.jpg
    761.5 KB · Views: 438

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
wow!

good job so far the jacket already looks like 70 years old

for the brushing I'd focus more on spots which would have - in real life - the highest amount of wear like elbows aso

looking forward to see her finished
 

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
The Mash zipper & knits arrives today. I am lucky that the deadstock Talon has the mark "3" in the box, indicated it was made in 1943. The same zipper box is found on my original M445A jacket. I said lucky because its web page said some zippers are without this marking & delivery is based on arbitrary
20180505_125923.jpg
picking.
Just a bit of fun side-talking that when I say to my tailor I want to change the alpaca lining of this brand new jacket & he is quite puzzled - do you mean it ? YES, of course !
 

Attachments

  • 20180505_125931.jpg
    20180505_125931.jpg
    130.2 KB · Views: 419
  • M445a.jpg
    M445a.jpg
    976.8 KB · Views: 396
Last edited:

Geeboo

Well-Known Member
the label arrived, it looks ok.
Just read from atthefront website that there is a thin nylon in between the shell & the wool lining for wind proofing in 1st pattern deck zip jkt. Since they claimed they have dissected
20180526_173753.jpg
an original to reproduce - I trust them & will add such.
By then, an original zip deck must be very very warm cos a thick shell + a wool lining is already warm enough, adding such a wind proof nylon will make it un-wearable in Most of the days - esp. in Hong Kong where i live !
 

Attachments

  • At the front.jpg
    At the front.jpg
    149.3 KB · Views: 432

jack31916

Well-Known Member
It's true that there's some sort of liner between the shell and the liner of the jacket. I don't know if it's a sort of nylon but I thought it was more a plastic / thin rubber material to make the jacket wind (and more important) waterproof on the inside. My friend has an original NOS Deck Hook jacket and I have a Buzz Rickson Zipp Deck jacket. When wearing the jackets for the first time at a reeanactment show we were making a lot of noise like someone was twisting plastic bags. Once worn in the noice disappeared.
 

falcon_ib

Well-Known Member
Wow great job! Love how the aging and faded colors correspond to where it would get the most wear. Stenciling looks great as well.

Evan
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Geeboo
I am officially bestowing the title of “Creative Jacket Wizard Extraordinaire “ on you.
You now have a new tittle .... use it wisely Jedi;)
 
Top