Atticus
Well-Known Member
After some issues with fit, I got my Orchard G-1 today. I ordered a size 52R, but I sent it back thinking it to be too snug in the gut. Pete sent a replacement size 54R but it was much too big…so I asked him to return my 52R. In my defense, figuring out my proper size has been a bit of a challenge. I actually wear a size 46R dress coat and have never worn a size fifty-anything in my life.
Well, it turns out the 52R really isn't too snug. Having never owned a new G-1, I forgot to factor "break-in" into my analysis. I discovered that new goatskin has quite a lot of stretch to it. After only an hour of wear, the jacket loosened in the middle and is now quite comfortable...even while sitting with it zipped.
Guys, I just don’t have any complaints about this jacket. The goatskin is soft and supple, even if it isn’t terribly grainy. The knits seem sturdy and are of good quality...they remind me of the ones you get from Flight Suits. The paperclip zipper is certainly acceptable. No, it’s not a vintage Conmar, but it works nicely and looks like a brass G-1 zipper should look. The liner is fine. It seems about the same as the liners in my other E-series G-1s. The mouton collar is very good...great actually...but admittedly it’s been a long time since I've felt new mouton.
I’m calling this jacket a "hybrid repro". It’s new, but it appears to be the exact jacket that Orchard supplied to the military in the eighties…the only difference being the mouton collar. It has all of the features of an issued E-series G-1 and nothing that isn’t on an issued E-series G-1. In fact, if it wasn’t new, it would look exactly like the ’86 Orchard that USMC LtCol Ketner wore into my office the day he was trying to bail his Harrier pilots out of their indecent exposure charges.
Its a long story, Mildred.
Because this jacket isn’t vintage, I’m half tempted to put a patch on it. Maybe I'll use a VMF-512 patch to celebrate the squadron that was formed next door at Oak Grove Field. Or maybe a VMAT-203 patch to celebrate Ketner’s drunk, nekked, incarcerated, humbled Harrier jocks. Or maybe I'll resist the temptation and just leave it alone. One way or the other, this is a damn good jacket for the money. If Orchard is still selling them for $110.00, I'm here to tell you that its a deal. No, you won't be getting a '62 Ralph Edwards, but you will be getting something a darned sight better than the pleather, dynal collared G-1s being issued today.
My two cents.
AF
Well, it turns out the 52R really isn't too snug. Having never owned a new G-1, I forgot to factor "break-in" into my analysis. I discovered that new goatskin has quite a lot of stretch to it. After only an hour of wear, the jacket loosened in the middle and is now quite comfortable...even while sitting with it zipped.
Guys, I just don’t have any complaints about this jacket. The goatskin is soft and supple, even if it isn’t terribly grainy. The knits seem sturdy and are of good quality...they remind me of the ones you get from Flight Suits. The paperclip zipper is certainly acceptable. No, it’s not a vintage Conmar, but it works nicely and looks like a brass G-1 zipper should look. The liner is fine. It seems about the same as the liners in my other E-series G-1s. The mouton collar is very good...great actually...but admittedly it’s been a long time since I've felt new mouton.
I’m calling this jacket a "hybrid repro". It’s new, but it appears to be the exact jacket that Orchard supplied to the military in the eighties…the only difference being the mouton collar. It has all of the features of an issued E-series G-1 and nothing that isn’t on an issued E-series G-1. In fact, if it wasn’t new, it would look exactly like the ’86 Orchard that USMC LtCol Ketner wore into my office the day he was trying to bail his Harrier pilots out of their indecent exposure charges.
Its a long story, Mildred.
Because this jacket isn’t vintage, I’m half tempted to put a patch on it. Maybe I'll use a VMF-512 patch to celebrate the squadron that was formed next door at Oak Grove Field. Or maybe a VMAT-203 patch to celebrate Ketner’s drunk, nekked, incarcerated, humbled Harrier jocks. Or maybe I'll resist the temptation and just leave it alone. One way or the other, this is a damn good jacket for the money. If Orchard is still selling them for $110.00, I'm here to tell you that its a deal. No, you won't be getting a '62 Ralph Edwards, but you will be getting something a darned sight better than the pleather, dynal collared G-1s being issued today.
My two cents.
AF