Maker: Eastman Leather Clothing
Model: B-10 by Rough Wear Clothing Company
Size: 42
Date of manufacture: Unknown
Date of evaluation: 9 February - 2 March 2001
Introductory Notes
Because I do not have an original B-10 on hand for comparison, this evaluation will primarily be a descriptive one and not a rigorous examination of authenticity. Some comparisons to originals will be made with the help of photo references.This Eastman B-10 is one of a limited production run. At the time of this writing there are very few, if any, unsold jackets available. Eastman may again make these B-10 jackets sometime in the future, but this is not certain.
Fit/cut/proportion
For fit reference, I am 5'10", 180 lbs, wear a size 42 suit jacket off the rack, and take a 34" shirt sleeve. This size 42 fits me very well and feels comfortable when wearing a normal shirt. There is room for some layering, but not much. The shoulders square up nicely but might be the only place where I feel some restriction in this size, and the torso and waist are comfortably snug on me.The sleeve length is fine for me, with the ends of the knit extending to about two inches beyond the break in my wrist. This might feel long in a leather jacket but, because of the softness of the cloth sleeves, this length is comfortable and not at all obstructive. The sleeves also behave well with full arm extension and pretty much stay put.
The jacket is constructed in much the same way as an A-2, but has an internal wind flap under the zipper and incorporates gussets under the arms to facilitate movement. Otherwise, the body is of three panels (left front, right front, back) and the sleeves are also of two longitudinal panels. The outside pockets are external patch pockets with buttoned flaps, and there is an internal pocket as well.
The look of the jacket as worn appears very authentic in cut and proportion to original B-10 jackets. Only the pockets perhaps look to be slightly large for the jacket compared to originals.
As would be expected for a cloth jacket, this one is very comfortable to wear. The alpaca lining, which is long and dense, should provide a good amount of warmth.
Shell
The shell is cotton in a fine, tight twill weave which is very soft and has somewhat of a brushed finish. The color is a medium O.D. green, representative of originals. Shades of green on original B-10's varied over a range of light to dark O.D. depending upon the maker or contract. The weight and feel of the material seems consistent with originals but, again, on the softer side.
Lining
The lining, as per original spec, is alpaca. The length of the pile varies a bit but seems to average about 1/2 inch. The color of the lining is essentially gray, but it has a slight purple cast to it. Overall, the appearance of the lining is consistent with photos of originals.Underarm gussets are sewn into the lining to mirror those of the shell, but the internal gussets are made of a single piece of material, while the external gussets are constructed from two pieces. The material on these internal gussets is a darker green than the shell and it seems to be made of satin rayon.
Knits
The wool knits for the waist and cuffs appear typical in form and size compared to originals, and are a sage green color.
Zipper
The zipper is a brass Talon reproduction of the style with unmarked bar on the puller and the unmarked stopper box. The stopper box is of white metal, which contrasts with the brass puller and teeth, but photos of original B-10 jackets bear this out as common. The zipper tape is a light O.D. herringbone twill, and the bottom of the tape is folded over and glued.
Buttons
Light green plastic buttons are used for the outside pockets and on the collar for the throat clasp. The buttons measure 3/4 inch in diameter.
Throat clasp
A throat clasp is attached for closing the collar around the neck. The shape of this clasp appears similar to that on original Rough Wear B-10's.
Stitching
The thread used is an olive drab, appearing to be cotton, and is sewn at 8 stitches per inch in most places, but reaching 11 along the waist and a few other places.
Top stitching placement from seam
Seams are top stitched 1/4 inches from most seam joints, but the side seams are at 1/2 inch.
Collar
The collar facing is a thick, soft mouton of a light brown color with a slight orange cast. The pile runs about 1/2 inch high. The width of the collar is 3-1/2 inches at the center and extends to the long points at 3-3/4 inches. These relatively long and pointed collars for a B-10 are common for this Rough Wear model.
Epaulets
Epaulets are not found on all B-10 jackets, but are provided with this model. These epaulets measure 6-1/2 inches from the pointed tip to the shoulder attachment. The shape of the epaulets is asymmetrical in that the front facing edge is straight while the rear facing edge is curved.
Wind flap
The wind flap measures 15 inches long, with a width of 2-1/2 inches.
Sleeves
The sleeves on this jacket are cut with plenty of room without appearing overly full, and taper well to the wrist. Underarm gussets are used to facilitate motion.
Pockets
The two patch style pockets are unlined. Each pocket measures 7-1/2 inches wide by 8-1/2 inches high, including the flap. Compared to photos of originals, these pockets appear a little large, and it seems to be mostly in the height dimension. The slight, nearly flat curve on the pocket flaps is indicative of original Rough Wear B-10's.In the medial side of the wearer's left pocket is a pencil slot, beginning with an opening along the top edge of the pocket flap. The pencil slot itself is a long, narrow patch sewn to the jacket under the patch pocket. This configuration is authentic to the Rough Wear model. Under the flap of the wearer's right pocket is a white label, standard for Rough Wear jackets, marked with serial number, size, and the initials RW.
The double row of stitches around the the pockets runs about 1/4 to 5/16 inches in spacing. This, along with the beveled corners of the pockets, are representative of B-10's in general.
An inside map pocket with a snap closure is found on the wearer's left side of the jacket. This pocket is lined with a heavy, off-white cotton twill. The snap is a large size stud snap as often seen on A-2 pocket flaps.
Hanger loop
The hanger loop is sewn, unusually, into the seam between the collar and the body of the jacket, but this seems to be the way Rough Wear did it.
Spec label
The label is an excellent copy of the original Rough Wear, and is of light tan threads woven into a black panel. Unfortunately, an oversight resulted in the Stock No. 470700 being placed on all labels regardless of jacket size marking. The Stock number should be specific to the jacket size, with 470700 for size 36, while size 42 should be 470715 (see the Class 13 Catalog).
Insignia stamp/transfer
The AAF shoulder insignia transfer is reasonably authentic and is just a shade small compared to specification by 1/16 inches in the diameter of the roundel and the size of the AAF text. A photo comparison with an original is shown below.
Summary and overall impression
The Eastman Rough Wear B-10 is overall an excellent reproduction and a very comfortable jacket for wearing. There are many features of this jacket which are authentic to the Rough Wear style and which make it stand apart from the typical B-10. It's a great jacket if you can find one, and hopefully Eastman will find a way to produce more of them.
For more information
See the Eastman Leather Clothing Web site at www.eastmanleather.com. For U.S. and Canadian sales and information, see the History Preservation Associates Web site at www.historypreservation.com.| Click on a photo for an enlarged view. Click on the links for related images. |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 Front Back Windflap |
 Label |
 Neck Neck Back Left Right |
 Epaulet down/up |
 Left Pocket |
 Left Pocket |
 Zip |
 AAF transfer |
 As worn |
