Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Gordon & Chapman M-422A Flight Jacket

This item has been sold.
Gordon & Chapman M-422A Flight Jacket
Price: $900.00 (lightly used condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this pattern is a snug, long fit in the correct size
Leather: chrome tanned seal brown goatskin
Mouton: vintage period brown mouton
Knits: seal brown rib-rack wool
Zipper: reproduction M-41 blackened brass Talon, with vintage Talon slider
Size: 42

With the acquisition of some amazing goatskin we found that was tanned in Mexico, this jacket shows that goatskin in detail. Gordon & Ferguson's first M-422A contract is the least well-known, as it was smaller than their later huge contract, but it has a few fun details. We've copied those details, based on an original in our collection, along with photos of many others. This test jacket is available now.

Unlike later M-422As Gordon & Ferguson made, this first contract had the back body panels sewn rolled over the front body panels along the shoulder and underarm seams. Later, they would sew an easier method of the front rolled over the back panels, as the pleats make that sewing operation much easier. Next, about half of the earlier 88860 contract was made with brown rayon for the lining, and half of a strong red color. And finally, the zippers were about half/half blackened M-41 Talons, and nickel M-41 Talons. The later contracts had nickel M-42 Talons.

A size 42 was chosen, as it has a slender profile, but a somewhat long torso. The chest is typical for a size 42, but some would find the body length rather extreme, but this is absolutely true of Gordon & Ferguson M-422A jackets.

This goatskin is wonderful, with good density, and very accurate thickness. The grain is so similar to many, many originals we've handled and seen photos of. This seal brown color has a translucent effect to it, not a paint-like opacity, which original G&F jackets had. The rayon lining's shade of red is best shown in the label photograph, and is accurate to originals of this contract.

We're in the initial stages of getting a large amount of this goatskin from the tannery.

Gordon & Ferguson were the only Navy contractor that made the pocket with a pencil compartment wider than the pocket on the other side, which had typical Navy jacket dimensions. A sewn line delineats the slot in which a pencil or pen could be stored.

The jacket fits typical of a size 42 in U.S. Navy M-422A jackets. It would ideally fit someone in the range of 5'10" to 6'1" with a chest of 39.5"—41.5", and a weight of about 170-180 pounds. The wearer is 6' and 178 pounds, with a 41.5" chest.