WW2 Original Irvin Jacket

As a collector of vintage flying clothing , I highly recommend ACES HIGH as you best place to have this repaired properly
I don’t think that Eastman Leather Co. do a lot of custom work / repairs unless it one of their jackets
Aviation Leather Craft , though owning the Irvin name , do not produce a very accurate product.

http://wwiijackets.co.uk/repairs-restoration/

Ta-da!

Anne

Good move ! The other company I couldn’t remember the name of is Aces High Jackets, check out their work.

Firebird, I don’t think Sefton are still around anymore. You do see their jackets doing the rounds and still looking good.

Thanks for the advice chaps.

I think I will approach Gary Eastman after Christmas first.

Regards

Jules

I would be tempted to use another maker rather than ALC. While they do have the licence to use the Irvin name, their skins are very different to the ones your jacket was made of.

There is a lot of information over on The Fedora Lounge regarding both original and repro jackets. If you post a photo in the original Irvin thread then chances are that Andy can identify both the original Maufacturer and date of your jacket.
For restoration, I would have a chat with Aero Leather, probably Denny or Ken are your best points of contact. They make a very accurate reproduction and have restored quite a few originals. With any luck they can also source any missing or damaged zips. I saw a jacket they restored that had been used as a dog bed liner. I would have binned it but honestly, they had it in top order by the time they were through. You might also consider Eastman Leather or facing that, I know a guy in France that makes hyper accurate repros. He made a late war pattern Irvin jacket from a couple of pairs of Irvin trousers, just the way it was in the late war. Looked superb, but he is at the top end of the price curve, probably worth it though.

Sorry if I have come across a bit pompous for a first post !

Anything but…..and I agree that ALC would be last place to take a real, period RAF Sheepskin for some TLC.
As you say, Aero or Eastman in the UK would be my choice.
Is Steve ?(can’t remember his surname now) of Sefton Clothing still about as he might be another option, although again I can’t remember if he can do anything with sheepskin stuff?

I would be tempted to use another maker rather than ALC. While they do have the licence to use the Irvin name, their skins are very different to the ones your jacket was made of.

There is a lot of information over on The Fedora Lounge regarding both original and repro jackets. If you post a photo in the original Irvin thread then chances are that Andy can identify both the original Maufacturer and date of your jacket.
For restoration, I would have a chat with Aero Leather, probably Denny or Ken are your best points of contact. They make a very accurate reproduction and have restored quite a few originals. With any luck they can also source any missing or damaged zips. I saw a jacket they restored that had been used as a dog bed liner. I would have binned it but honestly, they had it in top order by the time they were through. You might also consider Eastman Leather or facing that, I know a guy in France that makes hyper accurate repros. He made a late war pattern Irvin jacket from a couple of pairs of Irvin trousers, just the way it was in the late war. Looked superb, but he is at the top end of the price curve, probably worth it though.

Sorry if I have come across a bit pompous for a first post !

Hi

Can anyone recommend anyone who can repair an original jacket ? Any specialists out there ?

Regards

Jules

Aviation leathercraft. Bought my sheepskin lined B of B flying jacket from then in 83, age has improved it, no end same can’t be said for me!!

Jules

There is a firm who specialise in the manufacture and sale of flying clothing including a variety of flight jackets, and who are located at Thruxton airfield on a small industrial estate.

I can’t recall their name but they do advertise in a number of Key publications. If nothing else, try Googling.