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Whoa, Whoh, woes

sixties.nut

New Member
I gotta tell ya boys this flight jacket gitten into bidness, is a tough nut to crack.

While I was hunting down a good/decent G-1 jacket which was all I was shooting for in the furst place! I ran across a inexpensive A-2 that I was able to pick up for 60 shipped. I got it in and when I opened the box it reeked like an old library book. No mildew or stains and in pretty good shape by looking at it. Except for the zipper pull had broken and the previous owner fashioned a decent pull back on it just not original.

In the mean time someone gave me a MIL- AIRWEAR, Colorado G-1 that I promptly put in the leather makers shop for a lining to be installed.

Since I had the one jacket in the shop this week I took the A-2 in the shop to have them professionally clean the jacket to get the smell out, and that's all they do is leather work jackets/handbag's etc.

So I go to pick up the G-1 today but it's not ready??? But the A-2 jacket is. They bring it out and sure enough the smell is gone. It's now been replaced with another rancid medicinal smell I can't hardly describe. Just imagine a smell that can clear out a rather large room in five seconds flat! It's now hanging in the garage as I type this message with the doors open. I paid 60 to get the jacket then another 65 to get it cleaned. They ran it though an Ozone machine the guy said, (I also now know what it means when leather is described as cardboard or plastic (y). It went in with a rough tone natural looking leather surface and it came back all nice and shiney AND Stinky.

Just a different stinky is all. This A-2 is a Cooper Orange label with the numbers GAC-201-01-8101M and CSN 8719-01-8243400 and I can't find the topic which dates these jackets for the life of me today. I'm thinking to try the Cedar Oil treatment discussed in the 'Irvin Odors' topic.

Can anyone tell me if it's worth throwing more effort into this cause or would I be better off just binning this one?

Thanks for any suggestions,
sixties

On the bright side it's been a low cost learning experience in buying old garments I'd say.
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
sixties.nut said:
This A-2 is a Cooper Orange label with the numbers GAC-201-01-8101M and CSN 8719-01-8243400 and I can't find the topic which dates these jackets for the life of me today.

From another eBay description ...

... Neck tag and inside front bottom has GATES Stanp .GAC 201-01-8101M COOPER SPORTWEAR MFG. CO.,INC. CSN 8719-01-8243400. This jacket has a CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY PAPER inside the pocket but i'm not sure if it's for this jacket. The certificate says the original contract date is January 1988, DLA No 10088C0420. MADE IN USA.
 

sixties.nut

New Member
Thanks David, I had researched ebay before and noticed several auctions with the same nomenclature, while ebay itself isn't much help in determining anything substantial in defining the circa. As all of the descriptions where simply cut and paste details from a previous sellers auction that is carefully devoid of anything detailing to avoid any misrepresentation claims after the sell.

Did you happen to notice one seller listed his jacket for the whopping price of 1,300? Perhaps to intice some margin of credibility or just shear stupidity? Can't rightly tell from afar.

What I was able to determine with the Cooper line was that they did infact have a contract at one time (circa unknown) however those jackets made, held true to the black label with yellow weave lettering. Typical of all Gov't Contract issued jackets.

The Orange and Blue labled Coopers came after their contract expired. I am not sure which came first though, Orange or Blue lables. Perhaps these jackets were produced from production materials on-hand at the completion of the contract.

In searching for more information on the A-2, it was apparent that Wiki was a cut and paste almost verbatim from Marc's acmedepot site. The most troubling thoughts about both these sites were the absence of any dates to which the contracts ran. Along with the fact that the contracts after the first three awards were sequential numbering. I can't say for certain why this is, maybe it is a snapshot of a single award/year divvied up amoungst several manufacturers.

Sequential numbering would never had taken place on any one single mil-spec item. There would have been the case that the same contract number whould have been used prior to a dash number to indicate subsequent purchases or change of manufacturer.

As closely as I can tell though the orange labled jacket was produced (I'm guessing) mid-1980's. Since I've not seen directly a blue labled jacket I cannot tell but looks to be produced earlier 1970's maybe? Both of which were civilian made garments that were made to the same style of the military jackets i.e. without hand warmers.

As to the odor elimination problem with this particular jacket, leaving it outside to air out has not solved the problem over-nite but I already know the process will take several days with the mild musky smell that it originally came with. Followed by some exposure to direct sunlight and airing.

This smell induced by the cleaning process applied to it I fear is going to take much longer than it would have to begin with. At this point a Baking Soda treatment might not have much effect either. I'll fiddle with it in the next week and see if it's going to be worth the effort. Clearly the zipper replacement is out of the question going by the obscene prices charged for zippers of this nature.

One thing we've learned by this is that just because a leather shop specializes in leathers. It's a good possibility that their just regular leather tailors and not leather specialists.

Regards,
Mike
 

CBI

Well-Known Member
when bididng on a jacket, if there is time, I always ask the seller about odors. You can try a product like "Kids and Pets" of some other animal odor eliminator. Works frequently with chemical odors as well. Good luck - I HATE smelly jackets :evil:
 

flightmac

Member
sixties.nut said:
...
I ran across a inexpensive A-2 that I was able to pick up for 60 shipped. I got it in and when I opened the box it reeked like an old library book. No mildew or stains and in pretty good shape by looking at it. Except for the zipper pull had broken and the previous owner fashioned a decent pull back on it just not original.

...

This A-2 is a Cooper Orange label with the numbers GAC-201-01-8101M and CSN 8719-01-8243400 and I can't find the topic which dates these jackets for the life of me today. I'm thinking to try the Cedar Oil treatment discussed in the 'Irvin Odors' topic.

I just received one exactly like that with the musky odor except the CSN starts out 8718 and I got it for just over $50 with shipping. I'm going to try airing it out.
 

sixties.nut

New Member
I hope you see this in time.

flightmac: Since you just received the jacket and haven't done anything detrimental just yet.

In retrospect:

I would turn the jacket inside out and place it in direct sunlight in the backyard. (Not in a window under glass) as I believe the sucess people have described online from 'airing out' is not from exposure to fresh air but exposure to ultra-violet from the sun. Ultra-violet is the key to breaking down the microbacterials in the fabric liner which can't be seen visually like molds would.

Then, if you wanted to freshen it up you could place the jacket in a cleaners bag along with some baking soda like arm-hammer tie the bag up and leave it for a week. That way you would be able to address both the liner and the leather.

I don't know how adversely 'dry-cleaning' effects leather, I do know what cleaning by ozone does to leather. It leaves leather smelling like a (food) grease recycling plant. If anyone is familiar with that smell. Not a good one to say the very least!

CBI: Yes sir, That musky smell I despise in anything vintage, books, jackets whatever. It sure has kept me at a distance from second hand shops. I sneeze just thinking about it. :eek:)
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
sixties.nut said:
Thanks David, I had researched ebay before and noticed several auctions with the same nomenclature, while ebay itself isn't much help in determining anything substantial in defining the circa. As all of the descriptions where simply cut and paste details from a previous sellers auction that is carefully devoid of anything detailing to avoid any misrepresentation claims after the sell ...

Mike, I posted the excerpt from the eBay description, as the info there also applies to your jacket. The Cooper labelled jacket is based on the 1988 contact number ... DLA 100-88-C-0420, which will be a Saddlery brand contract. So it's a mil-spec civilian market jacket, and made post 1988.

Cooper Sportswear Mfg Co. had a small A-2 contract circa 1942 ... the more recent, Cooper/Saddlery company, is Neil Cooper USA.
 

sixties.nut

New Member
Thanks Dave,

Hmm, Cooper Sportswear and Cooper Sadlery... Makes sense now.

Well either way it was a good jacket until I got my hands on it!

I've learned more today than I have in the last three weeks on this and another informative forum.

Sadly the big BOSS say's it has to go. She can't take it no more, even out in the garage.

Since I'm in a bind, and it's on it's way out the door. No harm No Foul, so to speak..

I promptly tossed it in the wash with an extra heavy duty amount of fabric softener.

No doubt it will come out smelling like the old elevator joke 'smells like somebody pooped a christmas tree in here'

But as a last ditch effor, it's worth the shot.

Several have mentioned 'John's CD' where can this CD be ordered from or is it no longer available?


I ask because not being able to find a source in the USA for a G-1 with side pockets I'm going to order one from AERO

and since it won't be ready anytime this winter I'd like to learn more about things you can't find out on the internet,

like the two Cooper's etc.

I will have the Colorado Airwear to get me through this winter, but for next winter I'd sure like to have one with

hand warmer pockets to spec or not.

If you know where to get this CD or any books that are worth their salt, please advise.


Drew: These jackets look very good, it's a shame I ruined this one. It sure was priced right. Wear it in good health, until it

falls off of you in threads! Thanks for the feedback guy's.

Regards,
Mike
 
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