WW2 US NAVY SAILOR'S PANTS

Kinda tired of over used and abused "magic words" on ebay that are supposed to attract a potential buyer.It seems that over the last year or so ,everything is either : rare, ww2 or from the 30's ....Lately i've seen scores of USN uniforms misrepresented or posted as rare, regulation sailor's blue wool pants being one of them.Sailor's pants from ww2 are far from rare and a ww2 USN uniform,is probably the easiest uniform to complete if you're a new comer to the militaria hobby .Only the size is an issue and finding a size above 32 ,such as the one presented today ,can be tricky indeed but not impossible.So today i've decided to show all the details one should look for when looking for a ww2 regulation pair of blue wool pants.Nothing more ,nothing less....

HONORING THE FALLEN .....

Collecting militaria has always been more than a hobby for me and certainly not a fashion statement .It's been a great way to learn about history,but most of all keep the memory alive and pay tribute to the fallen ones......   

REMEMBERING ROBERT CAPA ...part2

For some strange reasons ,the little post i made last memorial day week,about one of my personal heroes Capa ,became in a year the most watched ever on RIVETED.Nothing special there,just an homage, a little blab about the great Capa.But there's not a day without someone checking it .Over 3,500 hits to date. so i've decided to do a follow up and plug my new favorite book about Mr Capa,it covers his Paris years .this book is packed with rare pictures and i strongly recommend it for any fan of the great photographer....

 As the 2 French authors:Bernard Lebrun and Michel Lefebvre acknowledge,  Richard Whelan published so far, the best biography of Capa that will surely be difficult to improve.That's why, they have decided to focus on the lesser known part of Capa's life his formative years in Paris. From 1933 to 1954, Capa used Paris as a global platform for his photography. The French capital was in a state of artistic and political ferment.It was here that artistically ,some say ,"Capa was born.”

Among the most known photographs of the Second World War taken by Capa is one an American soldier in the surf during the Allied invasion on the Normandy coast in June 1944. Five years ago, the soldier was finally identified: Private First Class Huston Riley. When he was asked about the picture, the veteran replied that he still wonders what that “crazy photographer” was doing in that hell of a place.That crazy photographer was Robert Capa, who earned is reputation as the greatest war photographer.

“If your picture isn’t good enough, you’re not close enough,” Robert Capa. ....

WW2 USN CPO SHIRT ...2 POCKETS MODEL

Nice and clean example of an early 2 pockets CPO shirt .It bares the late war tag,as seen up until the Korean war and has that distinctive look and shape that made this shirt famous and often copied over the following decades ..... 

LATEST PROJECT :HI-LO CLUB SF .....JOB DONE

Can't wait for the HI_LO club opening .BTW i've started with clean plain white walls 2 weeks ago and just finished all the faux finishes and distressing on the walls,skylight ,windows and the fake iron beam,made of wood by my friend Olyver Nisch craftsman extraordinair ....

THE WW2 M-41 aka PARSON JACKET

Straight from the vault ,this decorated 8th AAF M-41 jacket .It's in rough condition with multiple stains and field repairs but i must admit that's why i love it ....

What's known nowadays as the "M-41 jacket" by collectors and enthusiast alike, was actually labeled and called :"Jacket, Field, OD " by the QMC back in ww2.

The M-1943 parka,that replaced this model,was in fact the first to be named by its year of adoption.The" M-1941" Field jacket, is also called Parson's jacket ,named after its designer Major General J.K. Parsons who designed it in 1936.

Made of khaki cotton/poplin with an olive flannel/wool lining,its construction is an overall a take on a civilian belted back windbreaker . It had a Talon zipper, covered by a buttoned fly up the front. The collar and wrists had button tabs as did the waist. A large pleated back [action back] make it an easy and comfy fit. The first 1936 pattern had buttoned pocket flaps, a plain back and lacked the shoulder epaulettes ,both standard on the second pattern" M41" which became the standard ww2 production model.

The "M-1941 was widely worn during the war,but was found to be too light for severe cold conditions, too hot for summer and too fragile .Most of all,it didn't have good cargo capacity,these factors eventually led to the M-1943 design.The M-41 was issued to the end of the stocks and is even seen on the back of marines in the pacific.The M-1943 Field Jacket became the standard issue up to its replacement in 1951....

ORIGINAL MOON WATCH

After all these years it's still my favorite chrono .when it was serviced5 years ago, i was able to read the serial number [inside] it dates this beauty to 1967.its original bracelet is much better looking than the one they have now.I wonder why they've changed it ..... 

1930'S HUNTING VEST ....part3 THE HOLY GRAIL

Would like to end this"half moon pocket"hunting vest trilogy,with the holy grail ....the LL BEAN black label .a very hard one to get in such a great condition. more to come  .....enjoy