Good Wear Leather Coat Company: Sale Fried-Ostermann M-422A Flight Jacket

This item has been sold.
Vintage Fried-Ostermann M-422A U.S. Navy Flight Jacket
Price: $800.00 (used condition) — note shipping costs below
Fit: this jacket has comfortable fit in the correct size
Goatskin: chrome-tanned seal brown goatskin
Lining: burgundy rayon in solid condition
Knits: dark seal brown two-ply wool replacements
Mouton: replaced with vintage mouton
Thread: dark brown cotton
Zipper: original M-41 nickel Talon, excellent working condition
Size: 42

Fried-Ostermann was one of the larger WWII flying jacket contractors, situated close to Monarch Mfg. Co. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They were known around the country for their high quality leather gloves, but they also had a division making leather jackets under the 'Albert Richard' brand. Their reputation for quality and reliable delivery were most likely why they did so well with military contracts. They had this M-422A contract, but also had many sheepskin jacket and trouser contracts, along with the unnamed W535-AC-23383 Type A-2 contract.

Fried-Ostermann garments are known for having unique details, compared with some other Navy jacket makers. Their M-422A has quite oddly designed gussets as they're assembled to the sleeves. Note that the leather protrudes outward. We have no idea why such a design would be imagined, but their patterning department thought this would be best. Also, they are one of three Naval flight jacket contractors who chose to use two-ply folded waistbands, along with Arnoff and Bogen & Tenenbaum. Folded waistbands have greater ease of construction compared with single-ply waistbands, and we think this is why they were used. It's also possible that the Navy provided the knits in this format, and the contractor did as they were told in applying them.

Their collars are quite pointed and somewhat large (as are M-422A collars by other makers), and one detail we love is that the pocket flaps have beveled corners. Note also that the back's half belt has a double row of stitching on the top and bottom, similar to what Monarch did with their M-422. The wind flap is yet another unique method of construction, which was to build a separate unit and sandwich it between the leather shell and the lining facing. Bogen and Monarch also did this.

The knits are replacements, and just a little darker than the original brown color. This mouton was also replaced, as it had missing bits of fur in a number of places. The lining is quite solid, with only a few small holes, but the burgundy color is mottled, and we believe this is from oils in the leather. The oils haven't had any negative effect on the structure of the fabric, but you can see how there's subtle discoloration. The zipper is fantastic, and original to the jacket. The jacket has no odors, not even the tanning method.

The shoulders are relatively narrow, but not uncomfortable. Note the dimensions below.

While it's hard to see, the white size tag under the main tag does indeed note size 42. Our camera didn't seem to portray that well.

The goatskin is just superb. It's dense and flexible, as if near new, and has a wonderful brown stained shade of brown with a gloss finish that is the epitome of excellent goatskin from the 1940s. It's weighty, too. There are missing stitches in a few small places, but nothing detremental to the condition of the jacket. It's a used original from WWII, so the surface has subtle sueded edges that have received the most friction.

The jacket has a classic WWII size 42 fit, and would ideally fit someone in the range of 5'10" to 6', with a chest of 40.5" to 42", and a weight of about 170-185 pounds. The jacket is shown with a wearer who is 6 feet tall with a 41.5" chest. The jacket is comfortable, but just a little on the short side with the sleeeves. The torso is plenty long, and that's typical of M-422A jackets.