Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Original B-G, Inc. G-1 55J14 Flight Jacket

This item has been sold.
Original B.-G. Inc. G-1 55J14 Flight Jacket
Price: $975.00 (used condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this pattern is slightly snug in the correct size
Leather: seal brown goatskin, some edge-wear, but great and very solid
Lining: brown rayon, excellent condition
Mouton:: still very fluffy and new-ish, but with some missing bits
Knits:: seal brown rib-rack knits and cuffs, wonderful condition
Zipper: original brass No.5 Talon
Size: 44

This is a wonderful, and extremely rare, U.S. Navy G-1 55J14 flight jacket. We've seen about seven vintage originals made by B.-G. Inc., a company we've not found any information on as of yet. We think this is a smaller contract, most likely in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 jackets, and they have a number of fun, unique details. They also appear to have made sheepskin flight helmets during WWII.

First off, though this is a size 44, it fits more like a size 41 even in vintage sizing. It was made this way, and hasn't shrunk. Among originals, there are some fascinating ideas of what a size number meant, and this company seems to have ended up on the smaller scale of the spectrum. If you know our typical size 44 jackets, this one won't fit well, but the body dimensions listed below will do just fine.

The B.-G. Inc. jackets are known for having the pockets spread far from the zipper, slender sleeves, and also for having a hand-painted U.S.N. on the back of the collar, where all other vintage jacket companies had a stencil or stamp of some kind. That alone is so very different. Every example from this company that we've seen has the hand-painted lettering, always done cleanly but with an obvious human touch.

The condition of this jacket is surprisingly robust. Though the jacket was worn, there is little sign of it. Some edge wear would have happened quickly to the leather surface when new, but no harsh wear can be seen. The mouton has a few missing spots, which we colored dark brown to match (this hides the spots quite well), but we think that happened earlier in its age, too, not recently. The lining and knits are in immaculate condition, and the zipper works as new. All parts like buttons and snaps are original and rock-solid.

The leather is a little bit stiff, so a bit of conditioner and wear would allow for some softening. It's only in some areas, where other areas of the jacket are quite soft.

The jacket would ideally fit someone in the range of 5'9" to 5'11", with a chest of 39" to 41", and a weight of about 170-185 pounds.