Aaah, but how do you tell a genuine sas windproof? I have been thinking about getting something like this but its too easy for someone on tinterweb to describe any smock as sas....
if it's new and they have more than one its a good bet its not pukka, a lot of the sellers on ebay pump out the repros in batches. genuine as follows..
they do not have zippered chest pockets, the velcro on the wrists is a small tab of material not a long strap of velcro as on the standard issue windproof.
if it say's 'wire removed' its an arctic smock, which, is no different apart from the hood shape, which is actually quite good, huge, but good.
the buttons are standard sewn on not canadian slots. the material is 100% cotton but is never stated on the item as such, so if the mix is given as anything else in description its not genuine, no mix is given on labels inside anyway. the label should be olive green either a plasticated version or a cloth type. nato stock number should be the right one, they can vary though by a couple of digits, i have a early 90's type, which has late eighties type camo, and chest pockets are stitched on level, and a mid nineties model which is a bit thicker, 95 patt camo print, and angled pockets, the numbers differ my the last digit only which i assume relates to the print or the pockets.
look for recognized military manufacturers if possible, one of mine is 'cookson and clegg' very good quality.
sizing has to be either 'size 1, size 2, size 3 etc etc' which is old money, generally the bigger the number the larger they are, or nato sizes which are either a long 10 or so digits with a a dash in between the first and second half, or a comb of old nato sizes and new, 170/96 or 190/120 or similar. sizeing saying s,m,l etc often indicates private purchase, eg, arktis, survival aids, white labels anyweher on the product mean non-genuine unless its the card label attached from stores.
elastic in the hem is not old windproof style, but current standard type.
pen/combi pouch on left arm since mid eighties, ffd pocket on back of right arm since early 90's. no ffd pocket means first generation current type smock from around the falklands era. mid 70's and before they were still using the ww2 style albeit in the modern dpm and full zip, mid 70's to late 80's using new style with bulgy pockets, cammo print shows green and yellow to have overlapping printing pattern which looks like an extra colour or border around the 2 colours when touching each other.
biggest give away though, the shoulders have no seam along them, the standard windproof is based on a combat jacket and has a seam along the shoulders. the SAS/Royal Marine windproof has a smooth shoulder and the arms have larger underarm cut, the lack of a seam on the shoulder has been in place since ww2 as the criteria of sf is to carry very heavy loads on their backs, the seem and epps are not present on the smock to reduce wear and chafing to the shoulders.
but generally they are very common on ebay once you know what you're looking for. here are acouple of links, i have no connection just show a range... oh and, the windproofs were not specifically issued to sf, the stocks were available if you could get them on issue, eg. marines being deployed to norway got the arctic windproof, or similar, the more dry cold windy stuff u did the more they were issued. so its a bit of a mis-info to consider it sf only.
original early RMarine arctic smocks have a rank tab front and back, the rear one phased out as they caught and rubbed on everything eg camo nets. SAS smocks 95% don't have any rank tabs, silvermans models do, as did survival aids, arktis and all the other private models, but MOD issued them without.
original, in average worn condition.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ORIGINAL-SAS-...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item415b66ff1e
silvermans smock, rank tab on front.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-NEW-SAS-DPM...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item2a0e035bac
below SAS smock listed as para smock. note large underarm gussets. SAS smocks available in 2000 camo also, so modern 'old style' are available.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/british-army-...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item2a125eff1d
below genuine RM arctic smock. bulgy pockets, ffd on right arm, wire in hood unless removed. Rank tab on front.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/military-wind...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item1c1d4eddf5
below is modern standard windproof, actually very good, and used by sf but is not old style sas smock, quick ID is the zip on the chest pocket, and pockets are envelope style not bulgy.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAS-Smock-/170666998811?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item27bc8bbc1b
below is same type as above but properly described
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WOODLAND-DPM-...Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item4cf87cb3bc
