WWII Perry B-3 (Nice and ratty!!)

[Dumpster D]

Just came across this one that's currently up for grabs...Now *THIS* is my kind of jacket!!!!

Looks like it's had thousands and thousands of hours of wear time.

Please could anyone fill in some details?

What type of zipper has been used to replace the original? What jacket or garment was this zipper recycled from?

Also note the '800' that has been painted as well, what is the significance of this marking?

Thirdly, how do you even thrash a jacket this hard?!?! Look at the patina on those sleeves though, that's heaven! I mean, now there's a piece of flight gear...

When the chrome tanning flakes off like this to show the bare sheepskin colour, it really adds some unique 'pop' effect against the dark panels. A look that only originals bring out the best in IMHO.

 

[Silver Surfer]

it is already falling apart. the zipper is a modern replacement. pick it up, and it will come apart in your hands.

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Cool jacket there is no doubt about it ...

is it still wearable? Maybe not ...

 

[Micawber]

Probably used postwar for chores, biking or generally jobbing about. Didn’t take long for these to show wear and tear.

 

[flyincowboy]

Very nice jacket look like the zipper could be Crown . Might come from M65 JACKET. Had nearly the same zipper on a wrecked B3 definitely a post war replacement.

 

[Pilot]

Very nice jacket look like the zipper could be Crown . Might come from M65 JACKET. Had nearly the same zipper on a wrecked B3 definitely a post war replacement.

Salty jacket.
Zipper ( replaced ) is not sewn in, in the correct position..

 

[flyincowboy]

Salty jacket.
Zipper ( replaced ) is not sewn in, in the correct position..

Most of the time it's sewn that way .1st the leather is too fragile... and it is hard to have the same threads when you don't get a the right sewing machine . You need to count the stiches and adjust the machine .
Second most of the time the zipper tape is a different size is not wide enough. Dont ask me how i know.

 

[Dumpster D]

Yeah, I get that it's a little crispy...It's not for wearin' It's just fer lookin' at.

I got a WAY more fried original Perry in my stash, It's like a Nacho. I don't know, if this one is *That* fragile then it's not worth the Asking price by a LOT.

Perfect for a shadow box display piece.

I *LIKE* that the zipper is Kiddywampus, I like that it's been treated like a beater utility Jacket...looks like it was passed around like a bad case of something something. It was probably a Surplus Jacket at some point, Imagining heaps of these, dog piled up to the rafters.

 

[Hurlyburly]

Gorgeous jacket ! Looks like something Lee Marvin’s gang wore in the Wild Ones !

 

[Enigma1938]

VIETNAMESE Lucky dices B3 zipper puller
View attachment 130845

Wrong thread?

 

[flyincowboy]

yes my bad

 

[Erwin]

Very nice jacket look like the zipper could be Crown . Might come from M65 JACKET.

A very interesting zipper indeed, based on the picture, the zipper's box, and the slider look like a WW2/early 50's Crown. But these heavy-duty zippers used on USAF stuff usually had non-chevroned teeth. There were no M65 jackets with that kind of zipper [Crowns used on DSA1-8664 and DSA100-817 are different]. One Natick prototype that I've seen had a heavy-duty Crown with a WW2 heavy-duty slider, but the slider was mounted on a late 50s teeth. The zipper is more interesting than the furry jacket to me.

 

[B-Man2]

Consider this … you’ll never be able to wear this jacket without it tearing or further falling apart . That means investing a couple of hundred dollars to put it on a mannequin and setting in the back room or your man cave.
You might be better served by looking for a well used ELC Perry mixed batch B-3 and putting your money there. At least you’ll get to wear it .

 

[Dumpster D]

Consider this … you’ll never be able to wear this jacket without it tearing or further falling apart . That means investing a couple of hundred dollars to put it on a mannequin and setting in the back room or your man cave.
You might be better served by looking for a well used ELC Perry mixed batch B-3 and putting your money there. At least you’ll get to wear it .

Considered.

Spoiler alert: I sold all my vintage clothing collection to a picker, and got myself an ELC perry repro awhile ago. I love it very much. My grail jacket...I didn't post it here because I think the collar might be a little big? But I'm not sure.

I'm just browsing to see what's out there in the wild in terms of documenting and researching originals, this caught my attention as I admire a well worn jacket with some 'Character'

My place is like a retirement home for old flight jackets basically. I'm not interested in this jacket for wearing, it's a good piece of history worth preserving, studying and reporting on.

The zipper looks like it might have come off something like one of those Big Green flight cases for your dress uniforms and flight suits and whatnot except it has the stopper/ insert pin.

 

[Dumpster D]

The zipper is more interesting than the furry jacket to me.

You're right! That was the first thing I noticed.

 

[caddyd]

As with some old timers there are still a few remaining original B-3's and Irvin's still able to make the rounds as this Werber.

 

[Erwin]

The zipper looks like it might have come off something like one of those Big Green flight cases for your dress uniforms and flight suits and whatnot except it has the stopper/ insert pin.

As far as I know, Crown had a lot of contracts regarding zippers for USAAF [see flight trousers, boots, bags like this from your post, plenty of covers with zippers, etc]. This one looks like someone replaced the slider, or if the zipper has genuine teeth stoppers, it could be a factory hybrid - a newer slider on older teeth. These zippers with stoppers in shorter [jacket length] lengths are relatively hard to find. A heavy-duty Crown with chevron teeth is a rare find, but not on the jacket in this condition with a 1K price tag

 

[Dumpster D]

Another wild guess was maybe the Zip was recycled from something like a pair of A-11 Trousers. However the pull tabs on those trousers were Leather, and the teeth were different type than these Chevron teeth, as you have pointed out. Much curiousness.

 

[OperationCoffee]

If only someone could artfully reproduce this jacket I’d buy it, with that same zipper. On a completely different point check out Warhats.com for uboat cap reproductions. He basically does what I wish jacket makers could do to the same level. Perfectly aged

 

[Dumpster D]

If only someone could artfully reproduce this jacket I’d buy it.

Seconded.

Tell you what...

Gimme $20 bucks, I'll tie your ELC B-3 to a deuce and a half, and take it for a spin in the gravel pit.


...Then again.