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Any 'Zip Whisperers' out there..

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Gents,

Bought a basically unworn BR L-2A and the zip had issues. Coming apart after the zipper slides past. Have run the left side of the jacket through the right side of the zipper on my 9th TFS L-2A and it stared doing the same. That is with TWO different zippers. Worked it until the new side ran through my old zipper puller with no issues. Did the pencil thing and it worked a treat. Then moved it back to the other zipper and it is doing the same. Will give it a bit of 'squeeze' and see if that makes a difference. The knits are different and I noticed my old Superior Togs has a black zipper on the sleeve. Wondering if the newer Superior Togs are using a repro Crown? It has a wave, like a snake on both sides too? Stitched flat but there are natural curves in the zipper. Will take some pics.. Baffled...

Couchy
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Gents,

Bought a basically unworn BR L-2A and the zip had issues. Coming apart after the zipper slides past. Have run the left side of the jacket through the right side of the zipper on my 9th TFS L-2A and it stared doing the same. That is with TWO different zippers. Worked it until the new side ran through my old zipper puller with no issues. Did the pencil thing and it worked a treat. Then moved it back to the other zipper and it is doing the same. Will give it a bit of 'squeeze' and see if that makes a difference. The knits are different and I noticed my old Superior Togs has a black zipper on the sleeve. Wondering if the newer Superior Togs are using a repro Crown? It has a wave, like a snake on both sides too? Stitched flat but there are natural curves in the zipper. Will take some pics.. Baffled...

Couchy
Couchy
Interestingly I sold a New BR L-2b to Officer Dibbey that did something like you just described . I hope he sees this post at some point to weigh in on this . I think he was going to try to get BR to take it back or repair it.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Took two hours to do the zip up the first time. Down to five mins with the work on the left side of the zip in the good puller.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Here are some pics. Two BR Superior Togs L-2A 'Green Knit' jackets. 40 on the left 44 on the right. Probably a decade between versions. Obvious knit differences, and the sleeve zipper on the new version is a Crown. Just gave the slider a squeeze and takes around two minutes to run it up and down and massage it to correct closure. The natural curves in the zipper make it a bit tricky. I have been working on the left side of the new 44 with the zipper puller side of my old 40. I have been rolling the new 44 zipper back over itself and running like one would polish a bowling ball like Jesus in the Big Lebowski..

Maybe just needs a bit of use? Pulled the tags off it, figured that was as much wear on a jacket I could handle! ;)

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Pilot

Well-Known Member
BR is recently partially manufacturing in China....but still label it “Made in Japan”....or “Buzz Rickson’s Japan”
Maybe it was their Monday shift.
Guess you have to change the crown.
 

Officer Dibley

Well-Known Member
Having same problem with mine. Not worn much, never had a problem with it running smoothly and then all of a sudden it separates after 6”. Easy enough to unzip but then keeps separating again. Nothing i can see to explain the problem ....
 

Rutger

Well-Known Member
Some of mine are so heavy to zip up I don't have the guts to do so. Others do fairly fine. Wrecked the puller of my L-2B when pulling up, ran heavy when closing. Only problems with L-2, L-2A and L-2B.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
I have been working the zip and best time is under two minutes running it up and down to get under the separation for another go. I have not tried it worn though. Will keep working it..

Thanks for the input Gents..
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Its much better now and after rolling it back and forth it is much easier to use. It even goes all the way too the top. I think the teeth just needed rounding to seat better. I could barely 2cm without it splitting. Now up to 20cm at a time. With as few as four or five tricky/sticky sections.

Appreciate the input Sir!
 

KariJ

Active Member
Graphite lubricates the zipper 'dry'. We used to do the same in dusty environments on weapons.. Run it up and down the zipper crease..
But the pencil must have a graphite "hearth". There is also mostly Chinese pencils where that business end is made from coal or some burned "stuff" (my wife is Cantonese and we really have loads of weird stuff)

Good quality pencils are like:
Faber Castell "https://www.faber-castell.com/products/24-24-01-pencil"
Pelikan "https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsa...Store.219741./quality-pencils-made-by-pelikan"

But also for this kind of purpoces graphite powder from AliExpress (not affiliated):

The last one does it*s job, and it is 10x cheaper than those quality pencils
 
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