I recently bought a near-pristine black gabardine SAS smock that has the wired hood and knit cuffs, plus a green tag. The tag doesn't have any military code number or a contract number on it, but there is the usual size info etc., including "To maintain water repellency reproof with a suitable reproofing agent". Has all the usual pockets, including poachers pocket at the rear. Buttons are black and threaded, not Canadian style. Seems like a really good one and the cotton gabardine is clearly thicker than the fabric on a another black SAS smock that I also have (this one has the contract code on the tag). Any ideas as to the age and user group who it was intended for?
Black SAS smock
- Thread starter Rorschach
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Does it have epaulets/evidence that it did? If it is a genuine issue black smock, then i suspect it is a MOD police (MOD Plod) one. e.g. https://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/black-ripstop-jacket-mod-police-639192.html
I have never seen/heard of a genuine issue black smock that isn't the above - especially one with knitted cuffs (the only knitted cuffs on genuine issue smocks are those on para smocks, and the slightly modified para smock that is the Sniper Smock). so this is starting to look like it is either a private purchase smock or one of the above MODplod smocks that someone has added the cuffs to. However the addition of the poachers pocket at the rear indicates that it is a copy of the original SAS smock design (albeit more correctly, the wired hood would indicate that it is a copy of the previous issue arctic smock).
I have a SASS (private purchase from SASS Lancaster when they existed) black version of the SAS smock, in a slightly heavier black cotton non ripstop fabric (from memory i think Paul at SAAS told me that the fabric was sourced from the supplier to the Irish Army at the time). Everything about it matches your description above, except that mine has no wire in the hood, and no velcro cuffs, but i believe these were options you could have added for extra money. SAAS used green woven labels as well.
I have never seen/heard of a genuine issue black smock that isn't the above - especially one with knitted cuffs (the only knitted cuffs on genuine issue smocks are those on para smocks, and the slightly modified para smock that is the Sniper Smock). so this is starting to look like it is either a private purchase smock or one of the above MODplod smocks that someone has added the cuffs to. However the addition of the poachers pocket at the rear indicates that it is a copy of the original SAS smock design (albeit more correctly, the wired hood would indicate that it is a copy of the previous issue arctic smock).
I have a SASS (private purchase from SASS Lancaster when they existed) black version of the SAS smock, in a slightly heavier black cotton non ripstop fabric (from memory i think Paul at SAAS told me that the fabric was sourced from the supplier to the Irish Army at the time). Everything about it matches your description above, except that mine has no wire in the hood, and no velcro cuffs, but i believe these were options you could have added for extra money. SAAS used green woven labels as well.
It doesn't have epaulets or any evidence of them. And it's not ripstop, it's cotton gabardine, like the other one I mentioned. I do have also a black ripstop MODplod one that i use as a chores jackets - I don't like the feel nearly as much as the plain cotton ones, so it was demoted to merciless chore duties 
I'll try to get a few photos of the smock later today and attach them here for view. The label isn't knit like on SASS smocks, it's green plastic. By the way, I do have two SASS smocks in olive green ventile (their version of it) as well! One is very faded but still going strong, the other is in excellent condition.
...yeah, I'm a SAS smock fan and also maybe a nutcase I just find them supremely comfortable (the cotton gabardine and ventile ones!) and highly practical in all but the heaviest torrential rains. Use them literally every day.
I'll try to get a few photos of the smock later today and attach them here for view. The label isn't knit like on SASS smocks, it's green plastic. By the way, I do have two SASS smocks in olive green ventile (their version of it) as well! One is very faded but still going strong, the other is in excellent condition.
...yeah, I'm a SAS smock fan and also maybe a nutcase
I just find them supremely comfortable (the cotton gabardine and ventile ones!) and highly practical in all but the heaviest torrential rains. Use them literally every day.
Hmm, that's an interesting one. Looks to be a (very close) replica of the Arctic windproof, rather than the standard windproof - with the addition of the cuffs, which are not standard, and are not simply a black version of the more shaped woolen issue cuffs found on the para smocks, but rather a more commercially available cuff made out of synthetic material. The label doesn't look genuine to me - the font is a little strange, as is the absence of an NSN etc. But there have been a large number of different labels within the issue ones. My stores issued MTP windproof (the gaberdine version, not the standard PCS smock) even had a spelling mistake on it - from memory it says something like 'mulit terrain pattern'!
I perhaps think the most likely answer is that this is a commercially made smock rather than a genuine issue one, but possibly one made by a supplier who supplies/supplied the issue smocks to the MOD. For example, the following black smocks commissioned by Silvermans from the original supplier (albeit these are the windproof pattern, not the arctic pattern): https://www.silvermans.co.uk/products/sas-windproof-smock?variant=32472560435254 But who knows - possibly genuine, and commissioned in small numbers by a sneaky beaky unit!
I perhaps think the most likely answer is that this is a commercially made smock rather than a genuine issue one, but possibly one made by a supplier who supplies/supplied the issue smocks to the MOD. For example, the following black smocks commissioned by Silvermans from the original supplier (albeit these are the windproof pattern, not the arctic pattern): https://www.silvermans.co.uk/products/sas-windproof-smock?variant=32472560435254 But who knows - possibly genuine, and commissioned in small numbers by a sneaky beaky unit!
" possibly one made by a supplier who supplies/supplied the issue smocks to the MOD "
Yeah, I am inclined to think this might be the case. Judging by the seams and details which resemble the issue smocks so very closely.
Silverman's prices aren't very friendly Despite that, I did buy a set of black cotton gabardine pants from them. They are excellent.
Edit: the price for a black SAS smock of gabardine cotton seems to be £250 That's the other one that I have and mentioned. Fortunately I found mine at a lot more friendly price. But I have noticed that especially the MTP patterned, genuine gabardine ones seem to go for pretty high prices on eevilbay also.
Yeah, I am inclined to think this might be the case. Judging by the seams and details which resemble the issue smocks so very closely.
Silverman's prices aren't very friendly
Despite that, I did buy a set of black cotton gabardine pants from them. They are excellent.Edit: the price for a black SAS smock of gabardine cotton seems to be £250
That's the other one that I have and mentioned. Fortunately I found mine at a lot more friendly price. But I have noticed that especially the MTP patterned, genuine gabardine ones seem to go for pretty high prices on eevilbay also.
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I guess this is one possibility. But would they have ordered an arctic smock type, with the wire hood?
I believe they both types it depended on the force and how much they were willing to spend. I know West Mercia police had a different version from West Mids police it all came down to budgets and what they wanted for their officers. But sometimes they switched types, I know from a friend when it comes to kit the police have a weird way of working out what officers can have what kit.
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