mr_lits
Well-Known Member
Always loved the B3, kind of my mainstay. I have owned originals and repros of all sorts by many makers. I have contract lists and photos from hundreds of examples in archive. Like I said; it's kind of my thing (my wife will tell you about it).
As the deep dive into the esoteric details, contracts and evolution of the jacket went on I found myself going backwards through its history. First owning a B3 I built out of another shearling jacket and parts from an original that emulated a late production B3. It was crude but I was a younger guy and couldn't afford a high end repro. Later I found a mixed batch Perry from Eastman, fit was good but the jacket was stiff and ended up not getting enough wear because it just wasn't comfortable. Soon after that I found a RMCNZ 1937 model whiteskin that I really liked but was just too big for me (sadly).
So on to the plot at hand. In research I found that there was a first model production B3 in 1933 (still working on confirming that contract to Switlik Parachute). I have only seen one photo of the first contract and it is a photo of Hap Arnold wearing one (photo below). It had details which were a blend of what ended up being the B6 and Irvin jacket blended together; bi-swing back, waist belt, leather back collar.
It was the 1935 contract to Werber that the details of what would become the later B3 models appeared. The "map" pocket appeared, the 3 panel back, side straps at the waist. Yet that model retained just enough of the Irvin; pit gussets, wrist zips, and a leather faced collar. I was instantly in love with the contract. Of course no one was doing a repro of this contract... who the hell would even know it existed and NEEDED to be brought back into the world. I was only able to find one set of photos of an original and who would be willing to do a 1 off of a jacket with only 4 photos as reference...?
Enter John Chapman. Seeing what John has been doing with shearlings I put the bug in his ear about the Weber B3 project. He was totally into it. Over the course of time we nailed down period correct Talon zipper pulls, he got the label sorted and other hardware acquired. When it came to picking the shearling he had a line on Chinese shearling hides. At first I was skeptical about Chinese anythings but once I saw photos I knew they would be a great material for the project, perfect color and plenty thick and grainy. He paired it well with Skinki russet horse for all the trim. The jacket hit my lap last Friday and I have been marveling over it since then. The hide is robust yet soft and will take creases with wear beautifully. Fit is good and tight (I will get some fit pics soon), it helps that John and I are virtually the same size.
It was been great to finally see this jacket come to fruition with a huge thanks to John over at Goodwear. That guy is the man. I nabbed a few of his photos he sent to show comparisons of the original I found and his reproduction below (I hope he is OK with me using them here).
And lastly just a couple of photos just post unboxing at the homestead.
As the deep dive into the esoteric details, contracts and evolution of the jacket went on I found myself going backwards through its history. First owning a B3 I built out of another shearling jacket and parts from an original that emulated a late production B3. It was crude but I was a younger guy and couldn't afford a high end repro. Later I found a mixed batch Perry from Eastman, fit was good but the jacket was stiff and ended up not getting enough wear because it just wasn't comfortable. Soon after that I found a RMCNZ 1937 model whiteskin that I really liked but was just too big for me (sadly).
So on to the plot at hand. In research I found that there was a first model production B3 in 1933 (still working on confirming that contract to Switlik Parachute). I have only seen one photo of the first contract and it is a photo of Hap Arnold wearing one (photo below). It had details which were a blend of what ended up being the B6 and Irvin jacket blended together; bi-swing back, waist belt, leather back collar.
It was the 1935 contract to Werber that the details of what would become the later B3 models appeared. The "map" pocket appeared, the 3 panel back, side straps at the waist. Yet that model retained just enough of the Irvin; pit gussets, wrist zips, and a leather faced collar. I was instantly in love with the contract. Of course no one was doing a repro of this contract... who the hell would even know it existed and NEEDED to be brought back into the world. I was only able to find one set of photos of an original and who would be willing to do a 1 off of a jacket with only 4 photos as reference...?
Enter John Chapman. Seeing what John has been doing with shearlings I put the bug in his ear about the Weber B3 project. He was totally into it. Over the course of time we nailed down period correct Talon zipper pulls, he got the label sorted and other hardware acquired. When it came to picking the shearling he had a line on Chinese shearling hides. At first I was skeptical about Chinese anythings but once I saw photos I knew they would be a great material for the project, perfect color and plenty thick and grainy. He paired it well with Skinki russet horse for all the trim. The jacket hit my lap last Friday and I have been marveling over it since then. The hide is robust yet soft and will take creases with wear beautifully. Fit is good and tight (I will get some fit pics soon), it helps that John and I are virtually the same size.
It was been great to finally see this jacket come to fruition with a huge thanks to John over at Goodwear. That guy is the man. I nabbed a few of his photos he sent to show comparisons of the original I found and his reproduction below (I hope he is OK with me using them here).
And lastly just a couple of photos just post unboxing at the homestead.
Last edited:
