The Leather Zip Pullers On Original A2’s … Factory Made or a Field Expedient Invention?

[B-Man2]

So ….I’m sitting around grooming an original A2 for some soon to post photos in a new thread and it occurred to me that the zip puller was missing a leather puller. After doing some quick checks, I realized that none of my original A2’s had leather pullers. Huh!! Time to go to the ELC Bible of A2’s and check some photos there. Well unless the photographer carefully tucked them in behind the wind flap … nope … none there either. Well now my interest is peaking, so I start to pull out flight jacket book after flight jacket book and after a review 50 or 60 photos of A2’s on mannequins and actual photos of them being worn, I counted about three jackets that had the little leather puller attacked the the zipper puller. Huh! … never knew that . So I started to look thru my repros and sure enough about 85% of the my repros have the leather pull tab …. So … why is this significant? It’s really not …… but I think it’s the first time that I realized that the leather tabs were never part of an issued A2 jacket and were quick fixes put on by pilots and crewman to make pulling the zip up easier with their gloves . Nothing new .. we all knew what they’re
for, just never knew it wasn’t part of an original factory issued jacket . So for those who demand and require accuracy in their repros …… just one more little thing to think about.
Yeah ….. I do stuff like this when I’m bored sorry

 

[Pa12]

View attachment 137219 So ….I’m sitting around grooming an original A2 for some soon to post photos in a new thread and it occurred to me that the zip puller was missing a leather puller. After doing some quick checks, I realized that none of my original A2’s had leather pullers. Huh!! Time to go to the ELC Bible of A2’s and check some photos there. Well unless the photographer carefully tucked them in behind the wind flap … nope … none there either. Well now my interest is peaking, so I start to pull out flight jacket book after flight jacket book and after a review 50 or 60 photos of A2’s on mannequins and actual photos of them being worn, I counted about three jackets that had the little leather puller attacked the the zipper puller. Huh! … never knew that . So I started to look thru my repros and sure enough about 85% of the my repros have the leather pull tab …. So … why is this significant? It’s really not …… but I think it’s the first time that I realized that the leather tabs were never part of an issued A2 jacket and were quick fixes put on by pilots and crewman to make pulling the zip up easier with their gloves . Nothing new .. we all knew what they’re
for, just never knew it wasn’t part of an original factory issued jacket . So for those who demand and require accuracy in their repros …… just one more little thing to think about.
Yeah ….. I do stuff like this when I’m bored sorry

Was wondering that myself. The only one I’ve owned that didn’t come with one was my Platon.

 

[mulceber]

The thought has occasionally occurred to me as well. My assumption was that any zipper pullers the A-2s had were added by the pilot - that's why when we get the B-15, suddenly all the zipper pulls are the same. I could very well be wrong though!

 

[leper-colony]

Doesn't Jorge have an A2 in the box?

 

[mulceber]

Doesn't Jorge have an A2 in the box?

 

[B-Man2]

The thought has occasionally occurred to me as well. My assumption was that any zipper pullers the A-2s had were added by the pilot - that's why when we get the B-15, suddenly all the zipper pulls are the same. I could very well be wrong though!

I noticed that as well Jan.. The B-15s seem to definitely have them . Haven’t checked on B-10s

 

[Pa12]

It’s an upgrade I’m going to keep. Those pulls are dinky little things. Must be tough if you have sausage fingers.

 

[B-Man2]

It’s an upgrade I’m going to keep. Those pulls are dinky little things. Must be tough if you have sausage fingers.

Oh for sure … wasn’t suggesting we should all toss them out the window. Just asking the question and making small talk

 

[Pa12]

Good to know though. I was surprised when my Platon didn’t have one as I assumed the originals came with them.

 

[mulceber]

This strikes me as the sort of thing that wouldn't have been covered by the specifications, so while I tend to think most didn't have the pull, I wouldn't be shocked if there were some manufacturers who added them by default.

 

[Dumpster D]

Don't want to change the subject. However, this reminded me now, of a program on TV years ago, of American POW life in the Stalags. A collector had a cabinet with some rare items. He brought out a baseball mitt/baseballs that someone had recycled, using his A-2 flight jacket during his time spent in a prison camp. Has anyone else seen that?

That was interesting, I'd like to watch that again.

 

[Skyhawk]

The USN Jackets came with leather pullers but I don't think the A-2's did. You don't see them in period photos or on existing originals. There could be a MFG or two that did it at some point but where is the evidence?
I think more likely it was a Repro maker that put them on, and some other repro makers followed.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Rare, but I have had a few originals that had leather pullers that were made of the same hide (color, grain) as the jacket. They appeared to be original to the jacket. Factory installed? Can’t say conclusively one way or another. Jay is correct in that they were factory installed on usn m, g, and a jackets. Navy spec vs army spec?

 

[warguy]

Yes, I agree with Jay. In fact Burt, I bet this is a topic a lot of folks have spent some time thinking about. I agree with Jan as well, by the time the cloth jackets came about, I think the pulls were standard. In fact I have a mint B-15A missing one, and would bet it might have one time had one that fell off, was removed, etc. I had done a search myself when I obtained it to see if they were on others, and the super majority of B-15 and B-15A originals I looked at at that time had them. I bought a repro Buzz Rickson blue N-1 Navy jacket a couple years ago, and had a very lengthy discussion with Charles at HPA about the pull. The ad’s all showed the pull as the same cord material as the jacket, but when my jacket arrived, it had a black leather pull. Lo and behold Charles provided me with extensive research revealing the original N-1’s had both and BR decided to revert to the leather ones because they were a bit earlier in the production runs. By the time the OD N-1’s arrived, they were all made of the cotton material.

But back to A2’s, my bet is they were added by the pilots or wearers themselves.

it is the little things in life.

 

[Dumpster D]

The A-9 Trousers in my collection have Leather pulls on all the zipper tabs, they're brittle and generally dry out and break so that's probably why they're seldom seen on a well used vintage flight jacket like the B-15 or B-10 etc. The leather zipper pulls on my trousers didn't break off because they were NOS condition. Presumably these Leather pulls were installed on *some* garments during the war.

Fragile little things.