Blouson USAAF Type ANJ4

Standardised on May 17th 1943 the ANJ-4 was the last model flight jacket to be made from shearling sheepskin. As a replacement to the long-standing B-3 design, it did not enjoy such a long period of service; in less than a year it would itself be superceeded by a new generation of pile-lined, fabric flight jackets.

However, being the last in the evolutionary line of jackets made from animal skin it benefited in its design from all that had been learned from many years of experience. They combined durability with comfort and the result was a flight jacket of outstanding quality.

Our reproduction:
We have been reproducing this famous style for more than 25 years, and we feel sure our model is the most authentic available. However, we are always striving to make improvements or release alternative models if possible. In this regard we are pleased to announce the introduction of our new and amazing 'broken grain, hand dyed' sheepkin, on our Eastman ANJ-4.

A characteristic of the wartime jackets is that the skins often had a rugged, broken grain character to their leather. To match this type of character these days is very difficult due to the fact the most of the leather industry has been striving to produce more slick and uniform skins over the decades as this is generally what the market demands. Going back to more traditional methods to produce these authentic finishes is always a struggle.

However, as we have done with our 'War Horse'® Horsehide, we have now been able to do with our sheepskin. The outcome has been amazing! Using traditional hand dye and treatment methods of the skins, we have recreated that true matte, rugged, broken grain appearance and handle that is so typical of the original USAAF shearling garments.

Although spray dying was utilised during the war, it is evident after inspecting many original examples that hand dying was still being used on most of the USAAF sheepskin even after they went to the darker Seal Brown shade. This method of dye application, along with the other necessary pre-treatments of the skin is what gives this finish that amazing authentic WWII look.

The sheepskin material itself is of North American origin. There are many breeds of sheep throughout the world, each having their own wool characteristic, so it is essential that we use a fleece derived from the same breed that was used originally, so as to ensure complete authenticity. This soft sheepskin encases the body, ensuring maximum body warmth retention.

The Eastman ANJ-4 is of course finished out with every other authentic detail that is necessary to make this garment 100% authentic: