Salty & Super-faded P68 Smock

Picked this up today for a good price. I saw the fading and couldn't walk out the store without it!

It was actually on a display mannequin in the store, so I had to go ask the shopkeeper if he minded stripping it off to sell... money is money, right? He agreed, and I walked out 1 smock richer.

It's interesting that the bottom of the jacket has the piping sewn around the edges, I'm thinking that it was done due to heavy fraying at the bottom of the jacket.






Close-up of rank badge on right sleeve. Not sure if the picture shows it very well, but there is also a ghost of Para wings near the shoulder.

Hiya Ben.

I like the look of this Jacket mate..nice one.

Did you get it from your local surplus store, I'm amazed such a thing would be in your location.

I have have one with similiar levels of fading as yours,so I can see what attracted you to it.. very nice Mate

Easy Gee wrote:Hiya Ben.

I like the look of this Jacket mate..nice one.

Did you get it from your local surplus store, I'm amazed such a thing would be in your location.

I have have one with similiar levels of fading as yours,so I can see what attracted you to it.. very nice Mate

Thanks for looking Gary!

This one actually came from a shop about an hour up the road from me, I went up to attend their inventory reduction sale, only to find it had been canceled due to rain... but it ended up not raining... go figure!

The sale got moved up, but I might venture back -- the owner said he's got 25 years worth of accumulated kit in a large garage to get rid of... who knows what might turn up?

Camo_fiend wrote:

Easy Gee wrote:Hiya Ben.

I like the look of this Jacket mate..nice one.

Did you get it from your local surplus store, I'm amazed such a thing would be in your location.

I have have one with similiar levels of fading as yours,so I can see what attracted you to it.. very nice Mate

Thanks for looking Gary!

This one actually came from a shop about an hour up the road from me, I went up to attend their inventory reduction sale, only to find it had been canceled due to rain... but it ended up not raining... go figure!

The sale got moved up, but I might venture back -- the owner said he's got 25 years worth of accumulated kit in a large garage to get rid of... who knows what might turn up?

Cool story Mate, I love these kind of purchases, and all it's unexpectedness!!!

I bought a pair of 68 trousers from a carboot sale recently, the woman wanted £1.50, naturally there was no haggling on my part, layed the cash down, and left a very happy man

Easy Gee wrote:I bought a pair of 68 trousers from a carboot sale recently, the woman wanted £1.50, naturally there was no haggling on my part, layed the cash down, and left a very happy man

£1.50? Sure you didn't steal them mate? Good score indeed!

I think I'm going to have to check out one of these sales when I make my trek across the pond; they sound quite interesting!

Camo_fiend wrote:

Easy Gee wrote:I bought a pair of 68 trousers from a carboot sale recently, the woman wanted £1.50, naturally there was no haggling on my part, layed the cash down, and left a very happy man

£1.50? Sure you didn't steal them mate? Good score indeed!

I think I'm going to have to check out one of these sales when I make my trek across the pond; they sound quite interesting!

Nah Mate, but I suppose it was the best bargain I got recently!!!

Ben,you never know you might see me there selling off all my crap, but don't worry mate I won't con ya , and will give you discount for multiple purchases...e.g. how do you fancy a kettle with no plug, and no hope of it ever working with one ...carboot sales...absolute waste of time..apart from all the miliataria goodies of course:lol:

Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

koalorka wrote:Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

Im not as anal as some collectors regarding small details so cannot give you the exact reasons why your smock isnt labelled as 68 pattern but it is a 68 pattern,2nd issue that had a few modifications/differences from the original(sorry dont know what these differences are im afraid).

koalorka wrote:Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

More than likely a 75 model same features they just have'nt got the 68 stamped on the care label....oops I hope that was'nt too Anal

Easy Gee wrote:

koalorka wrote:Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

More than likely a 75 model same features they just have'nt got the 68 stamped on the care label....oops I hope that was'nt too Anal

75 model,thats a new one on me-didnt get that info from the Forces 80 site i hope

Anal is when you are buying smocks just because they have a different zip maker or slightly different coloured buttons to ones you have already

Sure someone mentioned on a different forum regarding the 68 labelled and later smocks that the material was slightly different-not 100% sure but maybe poly cotton or something where as the original was cotton and also possibly something to do with the lining or was that just the trs ???

Gulf91 wrote:

Easy Gee wrote:

koalorka wrote:Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

More than likely a 75 model same features they just have'nt got the 68 stamped on the care label....oops I hope that was'nt too Anal

75 model,thats a new one on me-didnt get that info from the Forces 80 site i hope

Anal is when you are buying smocks just because they have a different zip maker or slightly different coloured buttons to ones you have already

Sure someone mentioned on a different forum regarding the 68 labelled and later smocks that the material was slightly different-not 100% sure but maybe poly cotton or something where as the original was cotton and also possibly something to do with the lining or was that just the trs ???

Rich, you are such a cynic mate

This info came from a work colleague who was a RMC in the Falklands, and knows his s***!!!

That's where I learned to catagarise my "68" kit, I've got 3 x 75 Models Jkts, and 3 x Trs all 75's.

But I know what you mean, as I have seen similiar info on Forces 80!!!!

The debate about patterns continues........

Easy Gee wrote:

Gulf91 wrote:

Easy Gee wrote:

koalorka wrote:Nice find, I recently got my first 1968 pattern jacket, and boy, I now understand why they were so desirable compared to the P85 and more recent Chinese stuff. Mine however is the updated variant with the newer NSN, so it isn't marked Pattern 1968. Does that mean it's not really a P68?

And if you guys accidentally dig up a Pattern 1963 DPM in one of those shops, I have some delicious currency I'd trade you for it..

More than likely a 75 model same features they just have'nt got the 68 stamped on the care label....oops I hope that was'nt too Anal

75 model,thats a new one on me-didnt get that info from the Forces 80 site i hope

Anal is when you are buying smocks just because they have a different zip maker or slightly different coloured buttons to ones you have already

Sure someone mentioned on a different forum regarding the 68 labelled and later smocks that the material was slightly different-not 100% sure but maybe poly cotton or something where as the original was cotton and also possibly something to do with the lining or was that just the trs ???

Rich, you are such a cynic mate:lol:

This info came from a work colleague who was a RMC in the Falklands, and knows his s***!!!

That's where I learned to catagarise my "68" kit, I've got 3 x 75 Models Jkts, and 3 x Trs all 75's.

But I know what you mean, as I have seen similiar info on Forces 80!!!!

The debate about patterns continues........

A cynic and pround of it

Im far from a perfectionist and like to get things right but i just dont get the collectors who for example say with 68 patt smocks want 1 of every size made,every different maker then of every slight variation in as said zips,button colour,thread colour,dots etc it just amazes me

Again regarding 75 model,probably came out in 1975 the type without the 1968 pattern designation/label but again not an official term

A cynic and pround of it

Im far from a perfectionist and like to get things right but i just dont get the collectors who for example say with 68 patt smocks want 1 of every size made,every different maker then of every slight variation in as said zips,button colour,thread colour,dots etc it just amazes me

Again regarding 75 model,probably came out in 1975 the type without the 1968 pattern designation/label but again not an official term [/quote

Rich, I relate.

I definately do not not relate to wanting one in every size etc..I think people like this need help

I understand that 75 was another one of those re-issue dates..like I said I have a few with no 68 pattern labels...and as far as I know these were issued in 70's