G-1 Opinions!

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 21, 2021

Hello TFL! Just wanted to run a jacket by all of you experts out there that I am considering purchasing.

It is a DSCP G1. It appears this brand is an actual US Navy supplier, Is that correct? Any comments on the quality of these jackets? Is this a good deal so to speak? I know about the other brands out there but have seen little about this one specifically. Any info or comments appreciated!

Here it is on flea bay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-DSCP-E...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

El Marro · Jul 21, 2021

No, that is not a particularly good price for that jacket. I would not touch it for much more than $200 myself.

Fanch · Jul 22, 2021

El Marro said:
No, that is not a particularly good price for that jacket. I would not touch it for much more than $200 myself.

I agree, and I'm a sucker for G-1's since many, many years ago I wore a G-1 while I was in the US Navy.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 22, 2021

Heres another possibility:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Imperial-S...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

Seller claims it was issued in 1966, but Id like to hear from the experts here

El Marro · Jul 22, 2021

That jacket was made in 1976. Imperial jackets were made from cowhide with a very thick “plastcky” top coat. They are known for squeaking when you move your arms.
My advice to you would be to look for a G-1 that was made in 1972 or before. Star Sportswear made many jackets in the late 60s and early 70s and they would be my choice for a good basic vintage G-1. The older the jacket, the nicer the goatskin and up until 1970 they used real mouton fur for the collars.

Peacoat · Jul 22, 2021

Here is some general information about the G-1:

Mouton collars were discontinued about half way through the D-series jackets in 1969. So later D-series G-1s have Dynal collars. Beginning with the E-series jackets, The shells could be made from embossed cowhide. Evidently, not every contractor immediately made the switch and some makers seem to have used goat and cow interchangeably for several years.

So, to get a jacket in goat, and that is what you should strive for, go for a D series jacket. For the desirable mouton collars, go for an early D series. While those of us familiar with goat can identify it by its hand, and often visually, that is almost impossible if buying online. That's why I give the above advice. Probably won't go wrong if you can find a G-1 within those parameters.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 22, 2021

Peacoat said:
Here is some general information about the G-1:

Mouton collars were discontinued about half way through the D-series jackets in 1969. So later D-series G-1s have Dynal collars. Beginning with the E-series jackets, The shells could be made from embossed cowhide. Evidently, not every contractor immediately made the switch and some makers seem to have used goat and cow interchangeably for several years.

So, to get a jacket in goat, and that is what you should strive for, go for a D series jacket. For the desirable mouton collars, go for an early D series. While those of us familiar with goat can identify it by its hand, and often visually, that is almost impossible if buying online. That's why I give the above advice. Probably won't go wrong if you can find a G-1 within those parameters.

Outstanding information. I really do appreciate it. After several hours of reading on here, I had yet to come up with such specific info. THANKS!

draš katalenić · Jul 22, 2021

First jacket is Excelled, from 1999. contract. You can find that in SPO number. Number 99 means fiscal year 1999. Nice jacket, price too high.
Second one is from 1976.

Peacoat · Jul 22, 2021

To answer another of your questions in your first post of this thread, DSCP stands for Defense Supply Center Philadelphia. It replaced the SPO contract number. The first, in about 1953 was DA followed by DSA (1978), DLA (1978) and SPO (1994).

It is not a manufacturer, but the first part of the contract number.

Hope this helps.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 22, 2021

Peacoat said:
To answer another of your questions in your first post of this thread, DSCP stands for Defense Supply Center Philadelphia. It replaced the SPO contract number. The first, in about 1953 was DA followed by DSA (1978), DLA (1978) and SPO (1994).

It is not a manufacturer, but the first part of the contract number.

Hope this helps.

So how about this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USMC-Vietn...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

Tag says DSA, made by Brill Brothers, but Seller claims it was made in 1971. DSA=1978?

Does this jacket appear to be goatskin and a fair deal? Thanks!

Kubatu · Jul 23, 2021

ASpilot said:
So how about this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USMC-Vietn...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

Tag says DSA, made by Brill Brothers, but Seller claims it was made in 1971. DSA=1978?

Does this jacket appear to be goatskin and a fair deal? Thanks!

Just my $0.02, but I think the best bet to finding a quality G-1 is one that has a mouton collar. The D series had many jackets with mouton, and many without. You could also just go even earlier than that, thereby guaranteeing that you will have goatskin and mouton. For instance:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313610355615

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133824742106

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402978284378

In particular, the last one there might be worth looking into. I see you're looking for a size 38, but I wouldn't be surprised if a vintage AER contract jacket fit smaller, even if a size 40. These were issued in the 1950s, and they tended to have a snug fit.

Peacoat · Jul 23, 2021

ASpilot said:
So how about this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USMC-Vietn...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

Tag says DSA, made by Brill Brothers, but Seller claims it was made in 1971. DSA=1978?

Does this jacket appear to be goatskin and a fair deal? Thanks!

DSA-100 started in 1966. This is a 1971 jacket. I was in a hurry, and left out a few things. There are several variations on the DSA tag.

This jacket should have the goat shell, but a Dynal collar.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 23, 2021

Kubatu said:
Just my $0.02, but I think the best bet to finding a quality G-1 is one that has a mouton collar. The D series had many jackets with mouton, and many without. You could also just go even earlier than that, thereby guaranteeing that you will have goatskin and mouton. For instance:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313610355615

https://www.ebay.com/itm/133824742106

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402978284378

In particular, the last one there might be worth looking into. I see you're looking for a size 38, but I wouldn't be surprised if a vintage AER contract jacket fit smaller, even if a size 40. These were issued in the 1950s, and they tended to have a snug fit.

Great! One of those has already been bid to $435! Are these D series jackets really worth THAT much!?

Seriously looking at this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324668346797?hash=item4b97bdd1ad:g:-5gAAOSwBMxgwMiV

Any thoughts? The price seems suspiciously low considering what others that appear to be in equal condition... maybe i shouldnt post here, someone on this forum is probably shopping too haha

Kubatu · Jul 24, 2021

ASpilot said:
Great! One of those has already been bid to $435! Are these D series jackets really worth THAT much!?

Seriously looking at this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324668346797?hash=item4b97bdd1ad:g:-5gAAOSwBMxgwMiV

Any thoughts? The price seems suspiciously low considering what others that appear to be in equal condition... maybe i shouldnt post here, someone on this forum is probably shopping too haha

I'm not a G-1 expert, but that seems very high in comparison to what you can get a similar jacket for. Those bidders are definitely overpaying compared to the average selling price. Maybe a situation where people get caught in the moment bidding against each other and forget about the cost.

As far as I can tell, that jacket is pretty much the same as the other you linked, except for a price difference and a bit more use. Goatskin with a dynal collar. I think you could probably get a similar jacket for cheaper still, if you aren't against waiting (not sure what is out there currently). Although best offer is enabled on that listing, so you could possibly offer a different price as well. It all depends on what you might be looking for in a jacket. Having bought and sold some more recent contract G-1s, I would personally prefer to purchase an older contract with a mouton collar if I was going to buy one again. But that doesn't mean relatively "newer" jackets aren't perfectly serviceable.

HoosierDaddy · Jul 24, 2021

I don't care for the fake mouton collar. Looks cheap.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 24, 2021

HoosierDaddy said:
I don't care for the fake mouton collar. Looks cheap.

I hear that, i want a real mouton collar too but for the price, it almost doesnt seem worth it. Im really more concerned with the leather being in good shape, and then possibly replacing the collar later on... the D series and earlier with mouton collars that are in acceptable shape go for 2-3x the cost of a nice later D model with the fake fur collar. i just dont see that price difference being worth it. Or am I missing something? I know Im late to the game here, seems all the good deals were had several years ago and these jackets are only getting more expensive. Still better than the repros though!

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 24, 2021

Kubatu said:
I'm not a G-1 expert, but that seems very high in comparison to what you can get a similar jacket for. Those bidders are definitely overpaying compared to the average selling price. Maybe a situation where people get caught in the moment bidding against each other and forget about the cost.

As far as I can tell, that jacket is pretty much the same as the other you linked, except for a price difference and a bit more use. Goatskin with a dynal collar. I think you could probably get a similar jacket for cheaper still, if you aren't against waiting (not sure what is out there currently). Although best offer is enabled on that listing, so you could possibly offer a different price as well. It all depends on what you might be looking for in a jacket. Having bought and sold some more recent contract G-1s, I would personally prefer to purchase an older contract with a mouton collar if I was going to buy one again. But that doesn't mean relatively "newer" jackets aren't perfectly serviceable.

Is there another source besides Ebay? I know we have classifieds here, but there are NEVER any G1's of any sort in my size (very few in ANY size for that matter!). Where else can I look for a good deal? Seems Ebay is the only place to pick one of these up

Kubatu · Jul 24, 2021

ASpilot said:
Is there another source besides Ebay? I know we have classifieds here, but there are NEVER any G1's of any sort in my size (very few in ANY size for that matter!). Where else can I look for a good deal? Seems Ebay is the only place to pick one of these up

Ebay is probably the most reliable bet. This forum used to be really into A-2, G-1s, and military style leather jackets, but that interest has changed pretty notably and so nowadays its not often that people are selling G-1s here on the classified. There are other selling sites, such as Grailed, Mercari, and Poshmark, but I'm not sure how common military jackets are there. I know there is also another forum called vintageleatherjackets - maybe they have a classified section.

Replacing a dynal collar with mouton is possible, but its pricey. Great Leather in Illinois, which is a company many people here like, quotes $200 for the replacement, and that doesn't include shipping the jacket back and forth.

Don't get me wrong, you can wear a dynal collar and be happy with it. I doubled down and wore the jacket El Marro mentioned, the Imperial Sportswear contract, which was (and continues to be) incredibly squeaky in addition to having the fake collar. Most people in public are not going to care or know the difference. This is a site where people really care about their jackets, though, so the responses you get are naturally going to push for the most premium option.

Good deals are out there, you just have to look and stay updated. I personally have a number of Ebay saved searches that alert me whenever something matching the keywords is listed. For example, this jacket was $150 + shipping. Knits look great, collar looks great, goatskin, what else is there to want? I was on my way to link it in this thread when it sold. It didn't last too long because it was a good deal. But such deals are not terribly uncommon as long as you are persistently looking.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 25, 2021

For anyone else looking, I just discovered etsy.com of all places is another source for leather jackets (and vintage clothing in general)... Like ebay though, some prices are outrageous and many sellers dont seem to know much about the jackets they are selling.

AlyeskaPilot · Jul 30, 2021

Pulled the trigger on a Ralph Edwards in size 40. Can I get some comments on my fit? I honestly feel its a little too big for me... length seems right, but theres a lot of room in the shoulders and sleeves.. Any comments? Should I go for a size 38 instead?

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