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Sportsmans Guide Original WWII Wool Shirts

Fri Dec 05, 2008 8:48 pm

Sportsmans Guide sent me a catalog the last week of November and they advertised NOS WWII Wool sugar. I ordered two, and I received the shirts this evening; I am half pleased. SG advertised these as brand new, not ever issued. The first one opened fit that bill well. It was a 1945 dated Cluett Peabody and Co, with gas flap, in just mint condition, sized a 15 1/2 by 34. It fit my SZ 44-46 chest well, and had no defects that I could detect. The second one was a different story. The collar was folded inside the chest, and when I opened it up, there were moth holes all over the collar and at various spots on the shirt. The manufacturer tag was washed out from re-cycling of the item- even the neck size tag was faded- it was a 15 X 33. It had shrunk far down from a 15 X 33- it was tight on my right forearm and impossible to get my left arm back far enough to insert it into the left sleeve. So my review of this product from Sportsman Guide is that the item's are not what they are represented to be and I would use caution ordering these shirts. I'll be contacting them to see what they are willing to do about the second shirt- I want to keep the first one and get credit for the second one. SG has had a good reputation- This is the first time I bought from them, and from what I have heard from other's who have purchased from them SG is a decent company. What I am saying is that I don't think you should base your opinion of the company on this one transaction I had with them.

Some more on WWII shirts. Last year, At The Front made new shirts which were touted by them as really good shirts. I've been collecting since I was twelve (29 years), and have looked at a lot of original and reproduction items. To my collecting, critical eyes, the shirts ATF had at the Gap last year were absolutely, hands-down, one of the best reproductions of a piece of WWII clothing that I have ever seen. My plan was to acquire one at the Gap this year if they were still making them the same way. When the SG opportunity came up, their price for an original item beat ATF's price for reproduction shirts. That's why I took a chance and purchased. If ATF has the same quality and price ($75.00) at the Gap this year as they did last year, I would probably buy one.
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