Good Wear Leather Coat Company — Sale Original Switlik B-1 Flight Jacket

This item has been sold.
Original Switlik B-1 Flight Jacket
Price: $1,800.00 (used condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this pattern is comfortable in the correct size
Leather shell: horsehide, russet finish
Interior: 1/4" pile sheepskin
Mouton: replaced by us with vintage mouton
Buckles: all original in great shape
Main zipper: replaced by us, solid vintage No.7 riveted Talon
Thread: mid-brown cotton
Size: 44

We've had this original for about six years. This jacket was made in 1931, so it's 91 years old. Made by one of the most prolific companies in the aviation industry, Switlik Parachute and Equipment Co. is known for their parachutes, flight clothing, and in the 1930s, leather jackets and trousers for airmen. They are still in operation. These jackets are exceedingly rare and hard to find, so a serious collector can count on their hand how many they've seen, either in person, or on the internet. We've had another of this exact same contract in size 38 years ago.

This jacket had the main No.7 riveted zipper replaced with a cheap YKK No.10 before we got it, so we removed that zipper and installed a vintage No.7 riveted Talon that works great. The mouton had developed a number of cracks, and had fur missing along the joint with the body, so we removed that and installed beautiful vintage mouton that's in very good condition (a single piece). This jacket is now back to a very solid representation of what it was like when new.

Though this jacket has been worn in working conditions (imagine the stories it could tell!), and possibly after military use, the leather is in wonderful condition. It's very flexible and strong. The sheepskin interior is also in wonderful condition, with no breaks or problems. Only some slight discoloration of the fur. This jacket can easily be worn, though we would always suggest in a limited capacity.

Note that the pocket on the chest was removed. On May 24, 1934, Technical Order 13-1-4 was issued that all B-1 jackets, B-2 jackets, and A-4 flight suits will have their left breast pockets removed. They were a hinderance to parachute harnesses. This jacket was treated as such, which is why the pocket is gone. Also, the jacket had a small name applied above the pocket, which has been removed, too.

The belts and buckles are all original, as are the two zippers in the sleeve ends. All work great.

This is a chance for the serious collector to purchase an item that only comes up once or twice in a decade. They were made in small numbers. The two contractors that made the B-1 and subsequent B-2 jackets were Switlik and Werber Leather Coat Co. We've seen more Switliks than Werbers, but examples of both can be seen in Google searches and in the book Full Gear. The original in Full Gear has a Prentice main zipper, but the original we handled a decade ago had a Talon like the one we installed.

The jacket fits as a typical size 44 in vintage flight wear, and would ideally fit someone in the range of 180-200 pounds, with a 41.5" to 43" chest, and in a height range of 5'10" to 6'1".