Anyone have the Buzz Rickson Pattern Recognition MA-1?

[outline]

To me N-3 CDG is much better choice. Barneys have one more left in dark blue.

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[denimdestroyedmylife]

hey welcome to the future!

yeah the N-3 is nice---------and expensive! i've wanted one for a good 10+ years, ever since i saw quadrophenia. i've bought maybe four similarly-styled parkas that didn't work out; i should have spent that money on a buzz rickson!

there's a good description of it on the his/pres site.

[truestorytravis]

i usually don't post just to tell someone i like their fit, but this is too good to ignore. the jacket looks great ddml.

[Jay-]

Hey, thanks for the welcome!

To me this jacket looks awesome (I think the N-3B in black looks the best). I'm looking for a good stylish winter jacket, and I was originally looking at both a grey wool Prada coat and a D&G coat, but a) they are both more expensive than the N-3, and anything as trendy as a Prada or Dolce will no doubt go out of style within a year or two. Not only that, but they are undoubtably less functional than any of the Buzz Ricksons (at least they look to be quality and exrtremely functional - maybe someone can back that up?). The N-3 looks as functional as it gets, as sturdy and durable as it gets, and the style is a complete classic. Especially great for me since I live in Canada, and constantly go back and forth between Toronto, Calgary, and Halifax.

I guess the one thing that sortta bothers me about this jacket is that it looks TOO warm. Is there such a thing?

-J

[Brienneoftarth]

yeah the n-3 looks way too intense for me. i was considering buying but its just too heavy duty.

[Jay-]

yeah the n-3 looks way too intense for me. i was considering buying but its just too heavy duty.

Does anyone own this jacket? Or have you seen it in real life and tried it on?

I'd love to hear some opinions on this jacket, whether it's heavy or SUPER heavy, warm, or HOT, etc.

BTW are these jackets made to last?

[cheapmuthafukr]

i had a ral air force one, and it was very hevy duty, and very hot. id assume the buzz is higher quality, and should last as long as it fits you.

[xcoldricex]

BTW are these jackets made to last?

yes.

i kinda want the taxi driver coat now.

[capsul]

lots of great information on the MA-1 jacket -- tx to all that have posted.

i am up for the jacket myself, but have not found a reseller.. i live in tokyo, and am a big mofo (gonna need a 42/44). any advice for me regarding where i can find this?

tx in advance.

[Chicken]

hinoya will have them, but other store will too:

http://esearch.rakuten.co.jp/rms/sd/esearch/vc?sv=2&sitem=buzz+rickson%27s+ma-1

[Chicken]

by the way, i've been wondering if i should or should not post this, but something terrible has happened to me. last time i was in japan, i also bought a black ma-1 ricksons. was really excited to be wearing it this winter. but, about a month ago (after only about three weeks of mild usage), i picked up my jacket casually one morning and i heard this clinking sound on my apartment floor. upon closer inspection, i figured out that my conmar zip in the front just came apart!

the copper piece you see in the photo just popped out, causing the whole zip with the spring system to fall apart. i was able to put them back together for the time being, but it looks like it could come apart again at any moment.

i contacted hinoya, where i purchased my jacket, and they will send my jacket to buzz to get them fixed for free. but only if i was in japan. they wouldn't pay the shipping from and to the u.s. so i'm screwed for this winter, ma-1-wise.

how could this happen to me? i even bought and read the book, "pattern recognition."

[trinket]

Chicken,

I'd be tempted to hit that middle pin with a nail-punch and a hammer, but I didn't see how it was constructed when it fell apart... so I'm not certain if that pin holds it together like a rivet.

Your zipper (in the photo) looks exactly like mine. The middle ridge pivots forward (the crown word tipping up) unlocking the slider when you pull on the string. So if you are crazy enough to hit it with a hammer... don't smack it until it cannot pivot anymore, or the zip will be locked.

[Chicken]

thanks for the tip, trinket. yes, the mechanism works exactly like you said.

but for now, i think i'd rather have them replace the thing rather than me trying to fix what's already faulty-made then being stuck with it.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

yikes, that's crazy/scary.

ugh.

sorry, chicken-san.

[capsul]

chicken-san, tx for the rakuten link -- really helpful. looks like i'm going to ueno!

i'll be sure to give the zipper a long look beforehand..

[Chicken]

yikes, that's crazy/scary.

ugh.

sorry, chicken-san.

chicken-san, tx for the rakuten link -- really helpful. looks like i'm going to ueno!

i'll be sure to give the zipper a long look beforehand..

hope it was a freak thing that only happened to me. the guys at hinoya in ueno are very helpful. plus, there are a bunch of other stores around there that are worth looking at, especially if you're into leather, denim and/or sneakers.

[Naoto]

It's been a while since I came here last time.....In the meantime, I finally bought a new B-15C and it's amazing. Now I'm planning to go back to Japan in November - December-ish later this year. I'll indulge my shopping spree there:p - probably I'll buy a N-3B.

I'm sorry to hear that your zip was ripped. According to Buzz Rickson's, the zips they use are so delicate and fragile because they have to use the same zips, in order to reproduce flight jackets with exactly the same specifications of old vintage USAF jackets. In my point of view, it's still worth sending it to Japan for repairing even at your cost. Regards.

[Chicken]

man, this oxymoron of well-made flight jackets/fragile zip is killing me. but i think you're right. i've come this far i have to get it fixed. thanks for the tip, naoto.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

chicken, have you thought of a way of reinforcing the zip at the point of breakage so that we can avoid this? solder? duct tape? bubble gum?

[Chicken]

^ nooooo~! not ykk!

ddml, i did think about soldering it. but since i'm not a specialist at it, i thought of trying toyo enterprise, first. if it comes back and does the same thing, then i have to take it to a welder or something. because the rest of the jacket is awesome.

[xcoldricex]

good luck chicken, let us know how toyo's customer service is!

[xcoldricex]

if anyone wants to save ~$100 and is a 40L. i can get a used one - pm if interested.

[poly800rock]

hope it was a freak thing that only happened to me. the guys at hinoya in ueno are very helpful. plus, there are a bunch of other stores around there that are worth looking at, especially if you're into leather, denim and/or sneakers.

the long haired older/mid 30's guy at hinoya is the man, so helpful and friendly. one of the only dudes that speaks english there.

[ddohnggo]

hey guys, blackbird in seattle has the ndg buzz rickson ma-1 (was $726, now $581). i think it's severely underpriced. act quick!

[denimdestroyedmylife]

considering its $395 shipped from milwaukee, i'm not sure that's a great deal

i don't get the NDG collab, all they did was specify a navy blue color and screened the interior, right?

[ddohnggo]

ahh, i was under the impression that it was over 1k. does the one from milwaukee have real fur on it like the ndg one? at least i think it is real.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

hey i checked the blackbird site and confirmed the price on the MA-1s (i thought you may have meant the N3-B parkas), but there wasn't any fur on the NDG ma-1s that i saw; nor any fur (faux or otherwise) on any mil any MA-1s for that matter.

did you see a buzz rickson parka there?

[ddohnggo]

you're right i was thinking of the parka. not sure if they have parkas or not.

[xcoldricex]

yeah i've never seen an ma-1 with fur. must've been a n3b?

[ghostdeini]

or n2-b? n3-b is the long version