Mid-Western Sport Togs

February 5, 2014, 6:44 am

≫ Next: Gransfors Garments - Superior, WI

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This leather jacket was made by Mid-Western Sportogs in the 1950s or 1960s.  It is their "model 30" made in cream deerhide.  Like many of the Wisconsin makers, you could send your deer, elk, antelope or moose hides to Mid-Western, who would tan them and custom make a jacket.

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Gransfors Garments - Superior, WI

February 6, 2014, 7:02 am

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I can't seem to find anything on Gransfors Garments of Superior, WI. This one has some of the softest deer of any of the deerskin jackets I've owned.  Not only are the pockets and yokes fringed on this one, so are the shoulders and the collar. Someone cut the sleeves off this one at some point to make it into a vest.

Uber Buckskin fringed leather jacket

February 7, 2014, 7:07 am

≫ Next: Mid 1930s buckskin half-belt leather jacket

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Uber was one of the big makers. Based out of Owatonna, Minnesota instead of Wisconsin like most of the deer tanneries, this was one of their higher production models. While many jackets of this type are butter soft, this one was heavy, thick and somewhat stiff. Someone wore this one particularly hard, and stored it badly, as evidenced by the field of stretch marks on the shoulders. Main zip is a Coats Clark. 

Mid 1930s buckskin half-belt leather jacket

February 8, 2014, 8:35 am

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When you think of deerskin jackets, you probably think of products from the 1950s - 1970s.  You think of western yokes and fringe.  You think of the hippies and cowboys.  But deerskin lends itself just as well to other styles.  Just look at the 1930s A.T. Hendrick buckskin I posted a few months ago.

This jacket is a nice example of a 1930s leather jacket.  It's from the first wave of half-belt cossack jackets.  Generally, leather jackets from the early 1930s had a full leather waistband, like the ones seen on Dave's "Heron" jackets. By the mid 1930, the pleated half-belt started to become more popular, but still retained the leather waistband on the front of the jacket.  This was quickly simplified into a plain front, like the one seen on the Hendrick above.  This one's currently up on eBay for a low starting bid: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271391483127 

Mid-1930s sunburst Talon. The "grommet zipper" was introduced in 1930. The sunburst stop box came in around 1935. The two designs were produced side-by-side for several years. The early ads for this style show the wide array of colors you could buy it in. This one was originally gold.

Although it's still in progress, I've been doing a lot of research to more accurately use snaps as a tool to date vintage jackets.  This is an early United Carr design, with the spring portion of the snap on the male end, rather than the female. More to come on this once I'm able to narrow dates down a bit more.

Two-Tone Fringe Jacket

February 10, 2014, 8:48 am

≫ Next: Genuine Native Deerskin

≪ Previous: Mid 1930s buckskin half-belt leather jacket

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One last parting shot in the deerskin jacket spotlight.  This is my favorite of the fringed models. The two tone really sets it off. Main zip is a Conmar.  Unfortunately, no tags have survived, but it would be a safe bet to think it came from the Wisconsin area. 

Genuine Native Deerskin

February 11, 2014, 1:09 pm

≫ Next: Half-Belt Buckles

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Here's a button front version of the same basic pattern as the "New Jersey Frozen Foods" labeled jacket I posted a few days back.  Same manufacturer?

Half-Belt Buckles

February 27, 2014, 3:35 pm

≫ Next: United Carr snaps

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A sampling of buckles from side adjuster belts on leather jackets, mainly 1930s-1940s.

United Carr snaps

March 12, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: 1949 Sears Motorcycle Jacket

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A chronology of United Carr ring snaps which can be used as one more tool for dating vintage jackets.

  Top is from a jacket dating from the early 1930s.  Second, mid 1930s, third, 1940s, fourth, 1960s. 

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1949 Sears Motorcycle Jacket

March 19, 2014, 11:21 am

≫ Next: 1949 Aviator / Motorcycle jacket

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1949 Aviator / Motorcycle jacket

March 20, 2014, 11:58 am

≫ Next: 1931 Balkan Model Coat

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This Hercules labeled jacket from 1949 is a transitional model.  It has the chest pocket, handwarmers and belted back of pre-war and wartime "Aviator" or "Aviation" leather jackets, with the addition of modified zipper cuffs.  As seen yesterday, the motorcycle jacket in its recognizable form was already being sold by this point, but it's interesting to see the convergence of the two related styles.

1931 Balkan Model Coat

March 26, 2014, 7:25 pm

≫ Next: Warm As Toast - 1930

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30 oz mackinaw cloth body and imitation leather sleeves and trim. Snap front and paneled styling.

Warm As Toast - 1930

March 27, 2014, 11:10 am

≫ Next: 1930- Commander of the Highways and Airways

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1930- Commander of the Highways and Airways

March 28, 2014, 8:45 am

≫ Next: 1932 Suede Leather Blouse

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Just a few years later, the "aviator" jacket would come to mean something much more streamlined. This suit consists of a double breasted, belted horsehide coat with a heavy mackinaw lining and matching horsehide breeches.  Add to that a horsehide eight panel cap and tall boots and you've got a serious rig. 

1932 Suede Leather Blouse

March 29, 2014, 8:05 am

≫ Next: Mid 1930s suede halfbelt

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I still don't understand why so many people in the leather community associate ridiculous weight with quality. So many leather jackets of the 1920s and 1930s were made of lightweight suede or capeskin. Many were unlined. They were the nylon windbreakers of their day.

Mid 1930s suede halfbelt

March 30, 2014, 8:45 am

≫ Next: 1927 Horsehide Blouse

≪ Previous: 1932 Suede Leather Blouse

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As I was saying yesterday, many leather jackets of the 1930s were lightweight windbreakers.  This one is unlined capeskin suede. Mid '30s Talon grommet zipper, with a sunburst slider and oval slider/puller attachment.  Fancy buckles on the adjusters.  Someone wore this jacket hard, and there are numerous leather patches on the inside. 

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1927 Horsehide Blouse

April 1, 2014, 11:53 am

≫ Next: Childrens Grizzly

≪ Previous: Mid 1930s suede halfbelt

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Button front with knit collar, cuffs and waistband. 

Childrens Grizzly

April 11, 2014, 11:18 pm

≫ Next: 1950 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

≪ Previous: 1927 Horsehide Blouse

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Here's a vintage photo from my collection. I like the angled bottom panel on this laskinlamb jacket.

1950 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

April 24, 2014, 4:34 pm

≫ Next: 1952 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

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1952 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

April 25, 2014, 8:07 am

≫ Next: 1953 Sears D-Pocket Motorcycle jackets

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Horsehide and plaid lined. Worn with the inevitable necktie and pleated slacks.

1953 Sears D-Pocket Motorcycle jackets

April 25, 2014, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: 1958 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

≪ Previous: 1952 Sears D-Pocket motorcycle jacket

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By this point, the horsehide version had been slightly simplified, losing the zipper breast pocket. The cigarette pocket had round corners and a scalloped pocket flap. The plaid lining of earlier models changed to quilted red nylon. A less expensive steerhide model joined the horsehide one this year. Details were simplified throughout.