EAC
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 142
Earliest example of Sears MC jacket I found, from the 1948 Christmas catalog:
It has both the half-belt on the back and the attached belt on the front, it is wool lined and has only the D map pocket and cigarette pocket, like the early Beck MC models. It looks like the side zip pocket was added a year later.
After receiving my jacket from tmitchell59, exchanging a few mails with him and seeing a few others of these jackets (https://www.secondtimeglory.com/items/19206024, https://www.secondtimeglory.com/items/10149823 and another at page 138 of the Leather Jacket Lightning Archives book, second edition), my best guess is that these are all steerhide, Appalachian made Oakbrooks dating to the (late?) 50s. Since catalogs tell only a part of the story, I find it plausible that the Oakbrook label was introduced before the 60s.
They could be an older 50s batch re-labelled as Oakbrooks and sold in the 60s, as I think tmitchell59 guessed (this would explain the earlier D pocket design and the through belt), but I'm doubtful, since there's really too many of them still around. If it had been only 1-2 jackets, I would have found the claim to be believable.
It has both the half-belt on the back and the attached belt on the front, it is wool lined and has only the D map pocket and cigarette pocket, like the early Beck MC models. It looks like the side zip pocket was added a year later.
These Oakbrooks have the Appalachian Square patch pocket and the sewn epaulets. The same as this unlabeled jacket. The Oaks are labeled as Steerhide.
View attachment 361139
After receiving my jacket from tmitchell59, exchanging a few mails with him and seeing a few others of these jackets (https://www.secondtimeglory.com/items/19206024, https://www.secondtimeglory.com/items/10149823 and another at page 138 of the Leather Jacket Lightning Archives book, second edition), my best guess is that these are all steerhide, Appalachian made Oakbrooks dating to the (late?) 50s. Since catalogs tell only a part of the story, I find it plausible that the Oakbrook label was introduced before the 60s.
They could be an older 50s batch re-labelled as Oakbrooks and sold in the 60s, as I think tmitchell59 guessed (this would explain the earlier D pocket design and the through belt), but I'm doubtful, since there's really too many of them still around. If it had been only 1-2 jackets, I would have found the claim to be believable.
