Questions About the United States Navy Peacoat

[Gunk]

would this hat go with a peacoat?

 

[Peacoat]

Gunk, of course everyone has his own sense of style, but I would think something else might be better fit, especially in Manhatten. Brooklyn, maybe, but maybe not.

Edit Note: Of course if it is 20 degrees and snowing, anything would work that would keep the head warm and the snow off. My comments above referred to general wear.

 

[Peacoat]

19 inches.

The coat came today and the blue is actually lighter than my 1966 kersey coat.

Also, the 1973 melton wool is not as thick as the vintage kersey coats.

Most of the size 34 are measuring 19". Good information to know about the vintage Melton peacoats as I have never seen one. My guess was they would have the same weight and color as the vintage Kersey. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[apsks0706]

Most of the size 34 are measuring 19". Good information to know about the vintage Melton peacoats as I have never seen one. My guess was they would have the same weight and color as the vintage Kersey. Thanks for letting me know.

The 1966 measure 18.5 and fits a little slimmer than the 1973 melton. I'm about to purchase a 1980 Vi-Mil in 32R that measures 19 in the chest.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

I just bought this yesterday at a thrift store. I can't find any tags just spots where the tags have been removed. Going by the peacoat dating sticky, I think it is WW2 era.

 

[Peacoat]

From the placement of the buttons, I would say you are probably right. Was one of the tags at the top of the inside breast pocket? Are there any stencils inside with a name and some numbers? Does the wool shell have a soft, smooth feel to it, or is it more nappy? These are some of the clues you can look for to see if it is the real thing. If you bought it there on the plateau, I would say there is a 96% probability of it being a WWII issue. If you bought it in a thrift store in Nashville, the odds would drop to 92%. At a thrift store in Knoxville, about 94%.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

I did get it here in Crossville. It looks like a large tag was in the middle below the collar. It has C. C. Simonton stenciled on each side in the bottom. 1 breast pocket inside and a lower pocket on the opposite. The outside pockets are lined with tan khaki corduroy. It is very warm and very heavy.

 

[Peacoat]

I would have expected a tag on the inside breast pocket as well as the collar. Otherwise it sounds like the real deal.

 

[stiffdrink]

I was lucky enough to get a great USN peacoat in London just in time for the cold weather, but I have a few questions. Hopefully I am not repeating what has already been asked.

It has the standard post WWII 6 button (showing) front with two under the collar and with double stitching on the sleeves, about 3" up from the end of the cuff, and a single row of stitching right at the cuff. Tan corduroy pocket lining. All the black plastic external buttons are in place, right way up, but there was a extra button in one pocket. Is this a spare or should it be sewn inside? If so where should it be sewn - back to back with the middle button? The coat can be buttoned either way but must have been buttoned left over right as slight wear on the left hand middle button hole whilst others are still tight to button.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8480/8241460811_d170984727_m.jpg

The tag on the right inside pocket is very similar to the 1958 one shown in Peacoat's sticky; QM (CTM) 1838 OI-885-C-58. If a tag is dated 1958 was it issued then or did one contract number do for several years as there seem to be quite a few 1958 coats on ebay. From what I can work out the 500 series service number looks about right for this date?

Some coats that I have seen on ebay have rating patches on the left sleeve. If they were worn by enlisted sailors why do they not all have patches? This one has no
stitching marks to suggest that patches have been removed.

Do not seem to be able to upload the image so I hope the link works. Time for a stiffdrink!

 

[stiffdrink]

Hi all
penny finally dropped about posting images

The same shop has several 1980s peacoats, lighter fluffier wool with tag inside the vertical inside pocket

 

[trapp]

I thrifted a couple of great kersey wool naval peacoats this month, including a size 38, 1962 coat that is a perfect fit.

This coat came with the shoulder patch with the eagle, lightning, and red arc. Curious what the accepted protocol would be with respect to the patch. I'm inclined to remove it, since I want to wear the coat, but feel a little bad removing the history from this 50 year old garment. Thoughts?

 

[trapp]

The other one I grabbed is a '68 size 40R. This one I've been wearing a ton, as it's a roomier fit and has some moth tracks, which makes it perfect for cool-weather outings with my 2.5 year old. (The coat has already been hit with oatmeal, peanut butter, tomato sauce, etc. Most of this brushes right off the shell but I feel better wearing a vintage coat that's a bit mothy when I'm with her. The shell of the '62 is in excellent condition.)

@Peacoat, your peacoat dating thread is awesome. I used it to date these two coats, and also a very nicely preserved '66 coat I found at a yard sale a few years ago. That coat is a 34R and I wore it and loved it until I outgrew it.

 

[Peacoat]

I was lucky enough to get a great USN peacoat in London just in time for the cold weather, but I have a few questions. Hopefully I am not repeating what has already been asked.

It has the standard post WWII 6 button (showing) front with two under the collar and with double stitching on the sleeves, about 3" up from the end of the cuff, and a single row of stitching right at the cuff. Tan corduroy pocket lining. All the black plastic external buttons are in place, right way up, but there was a extra button in one pocket. Is this a spare or should it be sewn inside? If so where should it be sewn - back to back with the middle button? The coat can be buttoned either way but must have been buttoned left over right as slight wear on the left hand middle button hole whilst others are still tight to button.


http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8480/8241460811_d170984727_m.jpg

The tag on the right inside pocket is very similar to the 1958 one shown in Peacoat's sticky; QM (CTM) 1838 OI-885-C-58. If a tag is dated 1958 was it issued then or did one contract number do for several years as there seem to be quite a few 1958 coats on ebay. From what I can work out the 500 series service number looks about right for this date?

Some coats that I have seen on ebay have rating patches on the left sleeve. If they were worn by enlisted sailors why do they not all have patches? This one has no
stitching marks to suggest that patches have been removed.

Do not seem to be able to upload the image so I hope the link works. Time for a stiffdrink!

Some coats had a single button on the inside to be buttoned before the outer buttons were buttoned. One reason given was to add to the stability of the coat when buttoned. I never found this to be a particularly useful feature as the coat has plenty of stability without this button. Or it could be that is an extra button. Without being able to see the coat, I can't really tell if the button is an extra or not. You might sew it on the inside of the coat in an out of way area so it will be available if needed. If left in the pocket it might get pulled out when gloves or other objects or removed.

As to the rating patches, I believe E-1 through E-3 do not wear their ratings on the sleeve. Officers wear their rank on the shoulder. Over the past 30 or 40 years, officers and chiefs have pretty much quit wearing peacoats in favor of the bridge coat. When an officer wears a peacoat, it is called a reefer, according to Navy regulations.

Peacoats are usually issued fairly close to the date on the tag. I believe the contracts were let about once a year, so the year or the contract number on the tag would normally be changed on a yearly basis. I once saw a peacoat with an early 1950s tag that wasn't issued until the 1960s. It may have been lost someplace and stayed that way for 10 or 15 years.

 

[Peacoat]

The other one I grabbed is a '68 size 40R. This one I've been wearing a ton, as it's a roomier fit and has some moth tracks, which makes it perfect for cool-weather outings with my 2.5 year old. (The coat has already been hit with oatmeal, peanut butter, tomato sauce, etc. Most of this brushes right off the shell but I feel better wearing a vintage coat that's a bit mothy when I'm with her. The shell of the '62 is in excellent condition.)

@Peacoat, your peacoat dating thread is awesome. I used it to date these two coats, and also a very nicely preserved '66 coat I found at a yard sale a few years ago. That coat is a 34R and I wore it and loved it until I outgrew it.

I would remove the rating if it were my coat, but you are the one wearing it, so the option is yours.

All of the food items getting on the peacoat will be a magnet for moths if the coat stays in the closet for more than a few days without being worn. At the end of the season, take it to the cleaners. That will get rid of the tasty stuff moth larvae like to eat.

And thank you for your kind comments.

 

[DescuernaCabras]

Hi! I'm a spanish peacoat fan and I've just discovered this fantastic thread and want to thank all of you, specially peacoat for his nice sticky, for such a an useful information. I've found this coat in vintagetrends.com: http://www.vintagetrends.com/military/itemdetails.asp?YZ=A49EA49D8D8C92&RN=39&TR=86&SS=&MC=Military+Vintage&CA=Men&SC=Jackets%2FCoats&ST=Navy+Pea+Coat and they sell it as USN issue but I never saw that tag. What do you think, folks, is it a real USN issue peacoat? Do you know anything about that manufacturer?
Thanks in advance for your attention.

 

[FAFOO68]

Hola,
It's a peacoat made by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), so it's an issue peacoat (probably a Sterlingwear one).
It's made in 100 % Melton wool.
For further information, please read MR PEACOAT 's tread on the subject ("peacoat dating").
Cheers,
F68

 

[Peacoat]

FAFOO68 is correct.

I probably should have included a picture of the DSCP tag, but my focus was on the vintage coats, and I didn't much think about the current issue pea coats.

 

[DescuernaCabras]

Hola,
It's a peacoat made by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), so it's an issue peacoat (probably a Sterlingwear one).
It's made in 100 % Melton wool.
For further information, please read MR PEACOAT 's tread on the subject ("peacoat dating").
Cheers,
F68

Thanks fafoo68 and peacoat (mr. Peacoat!) for your answers. It is not manufactured by Sterlingwear, it's a Bremen Bowden peacoat. Is it as good as Sterlingwear?
Kind regards.

 

[Peacoat]

All of these pea coats were manufactured to the Navy specifications, so I would say it is a quality garment.

I wonder how VT gets the year 2000 out of that tag? You might ask VT and see what they say. There might be another tag they didn't exhibit.

Make sure you need a short size.

The p2p on this coat should be about 21.5" which should give a snug fit for you if you have a 42" chest. If you have a 40" chest, you should have enough room for a sweater. If you have a 38" chest, it is likely to be too large for you. A 44" chest and it would be too small for you.

This will be the new Melton wool and not the vintage Kersey wool, but it will still be a warm coat.

Good luck in your hunt, Mr. Peacoat.

 

[DescuernaCabras]

Thanks again Mr. Peacoat for your useful information and sorry for my poor English. We haven't the coldest winter here in Spain, but I am the proud owner of a WWII peacoat in mint condition and love to wear a stylish piece of History. I prefer the Kersey wool, but I'm looking for a Melton one for my cousin, who wants a black one.
Kind regards.