• 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.

Original Perry B-3 46” worth restauring it or not? Opinions pls.

Pilot

Well-Known Member
8F1A767E-232C-41EA-9E8A-9AE3BBB23443.jpeg
Worth restauring or not...
Missing neck belt, missing WW2 zip, Talon or other, missing fleece on waist line and cuffs, missing rank tabs...etc.
Missing coating...scuffs all over...open stitches...
Opinion please..thx...
Andrew, your skills and expertise may be required afterwards...
 
Last edited:

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
Provided the fleece is not rotten and it looks fine, it most certainly should and could be restored. I notice the rank tabs have been cut off which happens with B-3s when worn post War.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Provided the fleece is not rotten and it looks fine, it most certainly should and could be restored. I notice the rank tabs have been cut off which happens with B-3s when worn post War.
Thx Andrew, thx, sure it was worn after 1945. Guess replacing the rank tabs is the easiest part of all of it...Yes fleece looks OK just dirty/ dusty.
Thx a lot.
 

Tom Bowers

Active Member
my experience with original B-3s is that when the fleece gets to that level of deterioration (especially the areas where the top coating is worn away showing the white underneath) it's probably too fragile to rebuild and wear

It's a serious shame since it's a huge size but my concern is that you'll spend quite a lot of time and money and it blows out the first time you wear it

Tom Bowers
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
It would display well. My experience is that most Wartime B-3s are not wearable for anymore than the odd outing as the skins fracture so easily.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
It would display well. My experience is that most Wartime B-3s are not wearable for anymore than the odd outing as the skins fracture so easily.
Thx appreciate, but I have no “ nerves “ for displays...
Thx to all appreciate a lot.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
tom is correct. once the deterioration process is set, nothing will bring it back. stabilizing the jacket is the best you can hope for. my experience with original b-3s [perhaps some 20+] is that regardless of how good they look, they are all one step away from coming apart if worn. the process for tanning and coating the originals [even red skins] was such as to offer a protective coating to the sheepskin that after a few year would harden and crack the underlying hide surface. once this coating began to harden it had and has a tendency to pull the surface of the hide away. this was-is like air depot redyes of a-2s......sans tough horse hide. display? sure, wear? naw, get a repro, and work it to look like an original.
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
tom is correct. once the deterioration process is set, nothing will bring it back. stabilizing the jacket is the best you can hope for. my experience with original b-3s [perhaps some 20+] is that regardless of how good they look, they are all one step away from coming apart if worn. the process for tanning and coating the originals [even red skins] was such as to offer a protective coating to the sheepskin that after a few year would harden and crack the underlying hide surface. once this coating began to harden it had and has a tendency to pull the surface of the hide away. this was-is like air depot redyes of a-2s......sans tough horse hide. display? sure, wear? naw, get a repro, and work it to look like an original.
Thx.
Cheers
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
By displays I meant on a mannequin!
Agreed, but then one needs to have all other items going with the pilot and his jacket and for precicely this, I dont have the nerves ( nor the expertise / skills ) to find the good parts ( and no repro or fakes).
 
Last edited:

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
Nice jacket but as pilot just pointed out for a proper display you‘d need a fully geared up pilot ensemble but just showing the jacket for itself does not make really sense
 
Top