This is classic USAAF high-altitude bomber crew jacket of WWII – the type B-3 Flight Jacket! Inspired by the RAF Aircrew Jacket designed by Leslie Irvin, the B-3 Flight Jacket was standardized in 1934 and originally produced from unfinished raw-white sheepskin (which has sometimes been erroneously and foolishly referenced as being produced for use in Alaska – dream on!). The B-3 Flight Jacket underwent a series of spec. changes over the years, culminating in the simplified pattern of late 1943. This Eastman Leather B-3 Flight Jacket example typifies the most commonly encountered wartime version made from 1942-43. Using the original North American breed of sheep to ensure authenticity, it’s constructed from the correct differing wool depths, not one depth of too-puffy wool as found on inferior knock-offs. Hides are vegetable tanned, then hand dyed with dark brown polyacrylate pigment and lacquered. The wool color is one of several that are correct, being an off-white, butter-like shade. All trim leather and arm reinforcements are made of horsehide, as per original spec. (some original jackets had goatskin or steerhide sleeve reinforcements and trim), and available in either Russet or Seal Brown color options, both of which are equally authentic.

This beautiful garment is the perfect natural insulator for cold weather. The soft sheep wool encases your body, ensuring maximum body warmth retention. Features include: two hefty collar and waist adjustment belts with ink authentic AAF inspector stamps, snaps on collar and jacket chest, one tool pocket (no hand-warmer pockets ever appeared on the original B-3 Flight Jackets), three-piece back, reproduction 1942 nickel-plated Talon zipper, and woven spec. label in neck with leather hanger. Original B-3 Flight Jackets are true collector items, with choice examples demanding premium prices.  Today, more than 75 years from conception, this classic look is still in high demand.

Please note:  The sleeve reinforcements, seam taping and pockets of this B-3 Jacket in the seal brown color are now crafted from Eastman's Vintage Warhorse horsehide, which is the same leather type and color employed in production of Eastman's standard A-2 Jacket in seal brown horsehide.  Due to the nature of the very thin, translucent aniline dyes used on this horsehide, this leather may vary in color by a greater margin than what may be depicted in these website photos.  You may rest assured that if you order seal brown as the color option, you will receive seal brown trim on your B-3 Jacket, but the color will not be a perfect color match to the jacket body color because the dyes employed for the sheepskin and horsehide are as different as the two leather types are themselves, which is EXACTLY how the vintage jackets from WWII were also produced.

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

This B-3 Flight Jacket will appeal to those who are looking for that rugged-grain, tough, vintage look in a jacket, that is not so out-of-the-box new in appearance. The secret to this B-3 Flight Jacket’s rugged, less-than-new look is the hide type employed and the special .50-CAL treatment. The .50 CAL B-3 Flight Jacket is manufactured from specially selected, old-fashioned, veg-tanned, broken-grain sheepskin in dark brown. Plus, they have had the .50-CAL treatment!

The .50-CAL process is another of our specially developed treatments to give a new jacket a patina of initial wear that combines breaking-in with light, subtle scuffing, creating a well-aged, well-worn look. Please click the link for larger, detailed images on this web site to see just how good this leather looks after the .50-CAL treatment. This process is performed entirely by hand and no two jackets will ever be exactly alike; as you can imagine, the .50-CAL treatment takes hours of labor and a keen master’s eye to achieve. Once the hide is broken-in using our special treatment, the jacket is placed on a body form where it rests to take its shape; after several hours drying time, it is then worked on to subtly burnish the high spots to a beautiful glazed glow.

Please keep in mind - the jacket is still brand new and not in any way worn or damaged, but you get a new B-3 Flight Jacket that has a vintage, mildly lived-in patina that will continue to look better the more you personalize the jacket through use. This B-3 Flight Jacket just looks very cool the first time you step out your door, without the just-out-of-the-box look. It’s truly a unique B-3 Flight Jacket that’s quite different from our other sheepskin flight jacket offerings.

The .50 CAL B-3 Flight Jacket still has all of the little important details that help make it a masterpiece of authenticity – details synonymous with the pedigree of historical accuracy found in the goods we offer: Our special broken-grain, vegetable-tanned, North American sheepskin that is hand dyed, and it is fitted with our famous reproduction of the 1941 model Crown zipper, which perfectly completes the circle of authenticity in this product. And the .50 CAL B-3 Flight Jacket represents a spec. that saw the transition from the earlier 'Redskin' jackets to the later dark brown types: The back-panel configuration is that of the pre-war design (similar to our Rough Wear Clo. Co. 17756 model), while the outer color and finish is a hand-dyed dark brown. The color of the fleece is also typical of a transitional model, in that it has a distinct brownish tinge compared to the much brighter buttermilk shade of the later models.

This is a tough-looking jacket with a tough name … the .50 CAL B-3 Flight Jacket is ready for action!  

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from England  

The Army Air Corps standardized the B-6 Flight Jacket in 1939, specifically intending it to fill the gap between the lighter A-2 and the heavy B-3 Flight Jackets. Originally produced in very small numbers from the very costly hand-dyed, vegetable-tanned “redskin” hides of the 1939-41 years, by late 1941 the B-6 Flight Jacket was being made from the same less costly, spray-dyed dark brown sheepskin with that buttery wool color found on the revised, post-1941 B-3 Flight Jacket, only in 1/4-inch depth wool, half that of the B-3 Flight Jacket. The B-6 Flight Jacket was favored by bomber crewmen operating in the less-exposed positions of their aircraft, as well as fighter pilots, who preferred a less bulky jacket in their cramped cockpits, such as in the poorly heated P-38 Lightning. The B-6 fFlight Jacket is a uniquely styled jacket, made all the more unique due to the very low production of this item from 1939-43; extant original examples in nice condition are extremely scarce and valuable today.

Our reproduction is a standard edition, typifying original dark brown B-6 Flight Jackets of the post-1941 production. As with the original flight jackets it copies, you’ll find it practical, comfortable and versatile due to its light weight and double-pleated, bi-swing back. Our B-6 Flight Jackets may be the only B-6 Flight Jackets in the world today being manufactured with the correct depth of wool (nothing other than 1/4” sheepskin was ever specified for the B-6 Flight Jacket). Additional features include: two slash, internally hung pockets made of heavy, all-cotton off-white twill, heavy leather hangar in neck, zippered hip adjusters on both sides for cinching the fit, single leather collar strap, two press stud adjustment positions on each sleeve cuff, snap-down epaulets, russet brown horsehide trim, and reproduction 1942 nickel-plated Crown zips. This is a perfect jacket for most climates, and it can be made all the more versatile by adding or subtracting layers of undergarments.

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

This B-6 Flight Jacket will appeal to those who are looking for that rugged-grain, tough, vintage look in a jacket, that is not so out-of-the-box new in appearance. The secret to this B-6 Flight Jacket’s rugged, less-than-new look is the hide type employed and the special .50-CAL treatment.

The .50 CAL B-6 Flight Jacket is manufactured from specially selected, old-fashioned, veg-tanned, broken-grain sheepskin in dark brown. Plus, they have had the .50-CAL treatment! The .50-CAL process is another of our specially developed treatments to give a new jacket a patina of initial wear that combines breaking-in with light, subtle scuffing, creating a well-aged, well-worn look. Please click the link for larger, detailed images on this web site to see just how good this leather looks after the .50-CAL treatment. This process is performed entirely by hand and no two jackets will ever be exactly alike; as you can imagine, the .50-CAL treatment takes hours of labor and a keen master’s eye to achieve. Once the hide is broken-in using our special treatment, the jacket is placed on a body form where it rests to take its shape; after several hours drying time, it is then worked on to subtly burnish the high spots to a beautiful glazed glow.

Please keep in mind - the jacket is still brand new and not in any way worn or damaged, but you get a new B-6 Flight Jacket that has a vintage, mildly lived-in patina that will continue to look better the more you personalize the jacket through use. This B-6 Flight Jacket just looks very cool the first time you step out your door, without the just-out-of-the-box look. It’s truly a unique B-6 Jacket that’s quite different from our other sheepskin flight jacket offerings. The .50 CAL B-6 Flight Jacket still has all of the little important details that help make it a masterpiece of authenticity – details synonymous with the pedigree of historical accuracy found in the goods we offer: Our special broken-grain, vegetable-tanned, North American sheepskin that is hand dyed, and it is fitted with our famous reproduction of the 1941 model Crown zipper, which perfectly completes the circle of authenticity in this product. And the .50 CAL B-6 Flight Jacket represents a spec. that saw the transition from the earlier 'Redskin' jackets to the later dark brown types: the outer color and finish is a hand-dyed dark brown. The color of the fleece is also typical of a transitional model, in that it has a distinct brownish tinge compared to the much brighter buttermilk shade of the later models.  

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from England    

Standardized in 1937, the D-1 Mechanic's Winter Jacket was a rather lavish item considering it was intended for use by aircraft mechanics. But the D-1, like all clothing and equipment issued to U. S. servicemen, was typical of the motto "only the best will do," and at that time sheepskin was in relatively plentiful supply (the USA was not at war) and there was no other material with a better insulating value. The first D-1's produced were of a natural, unfinished raw-white exterior, just like the early B-3 Flight Jackets (which have sometimes been erroneously and foolishly referenced as being produced for use in Alaska). In 1939 the D-1 exterior hide was finished in the very costly hand-dyed russet brown “redskin” and given a top coating of lacquer to help repel water and grease. By the end of 1941 the D-1 was being produced in the less costly, dark brown spray-dyed hides, just as were the B-6 and B-3 Flight Jackets, and pockets were also added with zipper-top closures. As the war progressed, the D-1 continued to decline in quality, and more and more spliced panels of sheepskin were permitted into its fabrication. Due to the hard use given the D-1 during its issue life and the inferior grades of sheepskin allowed into its later production as the war dragged on (it was for mechanics, after all), original D-1 Jackets in nice condition are extremely rare in the collector market today.

A ground crewman’s life was often a bitterly cold experience: Working on aircraft on a windswept airfield in the middle of winter certainly required a warm jacket, but it also could not be overly confining, thus the D-1 was made in the same lighter weight sheepskin found on the B-6 Jacket, which was only and always the 1/4”-depth wool. The D-1, however, seemed to find its way into aircrew hands. Maybe this was because there were no B-6s available on a particular base, or just that the airman preferred the D-1 design with its higher-set zippered pockets. In fact, the D-1 and B-6 are very similar in appearance, as well as warmth. Being a jacket intended for mechanics, the D-1 is an unfussy, simple design, lacking cuff and hip adjustments, as well as the bi-swing back of the B-6. Interestingly, the D-1 will forever be associated with airmen and not mechanics in the mind of many, due to the fact that it was an original post-1941 D-1 Jacket worn on the 1960s - 1970s comedy show, “Hogan’s Heroes,” by the bumbling POW character named Carter.

The D-1 Jacket we produce is typical of the post-1941 USAAF shearling jackets that reflect the very earliest production standards before the quality declined. Crafted from the correct 1/4”-depth of premium North American sheepskin stock, vegetable-tanned and spray-dyed dark brown, with a buttery-hued wool, our D-1 is the epitome of this jacket type currently available. As per the original examples, all external seams are covered with matching dark brown horsehide, and pockets are fabricated from heavy, all-cotton, off-white twill, accessible via our reproduction nickel-plated Talon zippers. Why not stay toasty in a D-1 Jacket while toasting the unsung heroes of the USAAF ground crews for whom no aircraft would ever have flown into combat had they not vigilantly and expertly performed their dirty, unglamorous jobs!

Available in sizes: XS – XL Regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

Some AAF units and bases had their own baseball teams and their athletic apparel was often military-spec. and government issue.  Our baseball shirt is the type typically worn on cooler days under the short-sleeve, button-front baseball shirt and has the classic three-quarter sleeves in the team color, in this case red.  These "undershirts" have been forever popular worn on their own as just an outer shirt, and the detailing found on this copy is one you'll want to be seen wearing and not have mostly hidden under a baseball outer shirt.

The vintage baseball undershirts were manufactured to a standard back in their era that was very much the norm, utilizing circular tube-knitting machines that produced shirts with a perfect tube body and no side seams.  Tube-knitting machines can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments. Even the most expensive designer sweatshirts will usually have a side seam - sometimes two seams!  Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a sweatshirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.  It's cheap and easy to make shirts from a flat piece of cloth, and most customers would never notice the difference, though they may wonder why their not-so-cheap sweatshirt seemed to lose its shape after only a few washes - but now you know.

A year of meticulous research and development has gone into this baseball shirt that was copied from a vintage example.  Japan is home to the masters of tube-knitting and we enlisted the great John Lofgren, master of vintage American clothing, to help bring this shirt to its insane levels of vintage perfection.

Please note the following vintage features found only on a shirt of this pedigree:

• Heavy-weight, all-cotton fabric for years of enjoyment under hard use

• All-cotton thread used throughout construction

• TUBE-Body construction utilizing vintage, wartime circular-knitting machines - there are no side seams

• Set-in sleeves

• #18 Toppushi yarn perfectly matched to the original vintage fabric

• The fabric is produced using a combination of two dying methods - sakizome (pre-dyed before weaving) and atozome (woven then dyed)

• Dying is performed in one location and sewing in another - very costly

• Exact copy of the original-style, printed-on-cotton labels

• True vintage fit for flattering appearance, not a sloppy, relaxed fit with droopy shoulder seams

Take a bite of old-time machismo and see how true baseball undershirts used to look and feel.  Limited quantities available.

Sizes:  36 - 46.   Please note that the individual modeling the shirt in the photos has a 38" chest circumference and he is wearing a shirt in size 40.  Please our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

.50 CAL is a small range of specialized flight jackets and related garments that are offered only in the Time-Worn finish. They are unique in spec. to any of the other similar models we offer, so they are not simply Time-Worn versions of our regular range. The colors, materials and finishes are purposely selected to create a subdued and rugged-looking vintage garment that will appeal to those who appreciate the nostalgic charm of a true vintage flight jacket.

The Time-Worn process is entirely hand done, which takes hours to achieve; the result is a jacket that is still brand new, but you get something that has a vintage, lived-in, patina that you can continue to add to from the first time you put it on.

Vintage A-1 Flight Jackets extant today are few and far between, but those that have survived are, generally, very well worn. Being made from Capeskin (sheep), the leather is softer than other hides, such as steer and horse, thus A-1 Flight Jackets sustain scuffing and grazing more easily than flight jackets made from tougher leathers. The .50 CAL A-1 Flight Jacket captures perfectly this vintage appeal.

Standardized on November 27, 1927 as a Summer flying jacket, the A-1 Flight Jacket was the very first U. S. flight jacket design with knitted waist and cuffs; this was a style that was to set the basic outline for flight jacket designs for decades to come. Synonymous with early aviation heroes such as Jimmy Doolittle, the A-1, although superseded by the A-2 in 1931, was still in limited use during WWII and was not declared obsolete until September 29, 1944.

Our .50 CAL A-1 Flight Jacket is made from a vegetable-tanned, broken-grain Capeskin, which is then put through our Time-Worn® process to develop the full character of a vintage original. Remember, there's no waiting for this one to wear-in before you get it looking like a vintage original – the .50 CAL A-1 Flight Jacket is ready for action!

Sizes available: 36-48 regular.  Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on custom order only.

Imported from England

The M422A flight jacket spec. of WWII evolved into the 55-J-14 G-1 flight jacket in 1947 (no G-1 flight jackets existed before 1947). We chose this G-1 flight jacket version as the one to copy (spec. 55-J-14), not only because it's the oldest, thus having more “vintage” appeal, but it also had a true combat application, seeing service in the Korean War. The G-1 flight jacket went through several more spec. changes before arriving at the current G-1 flight jacket spec. of today (7823E), but the basic design hasn't changed all that much, just the fine details. The 55-J-14, however, was certainly the best quality; the caliber of materials seems to decline with the passage of time.

Our G-1 flight jacket is made of the same unparalleled goatskin as our M422A, but in the correct very dark brown color associated with the G-1 flight jacket. Other authentic features include: bi-swing pleated back, armpit gussets, side seams vs. wraparound kidney seams of the M-422A flight jacket, one interior and two exterior pockets lined in 100% cotton twill, pure mouton fur collar more blunted in shape than M-422A, “USN” stencil painted in off-white behind collar, rayon satin lining in purple-brown color, 100% wool cuffs and bi-directional waistband, pen slot in left pocket, authentic woven label and reproduction, nickel-plated, 1940's Talon zip. This G-1 flight jacket is a true classic, born from a time when propeller-driven Corsairs and turbine-powered Banshees roared off the same flight decks!

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

This flight jacket was standardized as the M-422 spec. by the US Navy in March of 1940, after which the design went through several spec. revisions, culminating as the AN-J-3A flight jacket in October of 1943. The M-422A spec. was the most widely produced of all the USN intermediate leather flight jackets of the 1940's, seeing action in every battle that USN/USMC aviators took part in: from U-Boat hunting in the Atlantic and invasion patrols on D-Day, to the decisive Pacific engagements at Midway, Guadalcanal and the “Marianas Turkey Shoot.” A testament to the good looks and great function of this flight jacket design is that, with only subtle changes, it continues to be issued to USN airmen right up to the present day - now known as the G-1.

We have chosen to reproduce the M-422A flight jacket introduced in October 1940, specifically copying those jackets once produced by an original manufacturer, Gordon & Ferguson, in a 1941 contract. This flight jacket matches every nuance of detail found on the finest original examples: absolutely unsurpassed, heavy, sumptuous vegetable-tanned, medium-brown goatskin in 3-ounce weight, with a character-rich, course pebbled grain found only on old originals and ours; 100% worsted-wool cuffs and waistband, the latter in the correct bi-directional weave; pure mouton fur collar and leather throat latch; one interior and both outer pockets lined in all-cotton twill; rayon satin lining in the correct burgundy color; stenciled “USN” marking behind collar in silver paint; authentic woven label; bi-swing pleated back for ease of movement; armpit gussets; asymmetrical left pocket with pen holder and a reproduction 1942 nickel-plated Talon zip. Let our M-422A flight jacket catapult you into U. S. Navy history!

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England