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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on December 28, 2009 at 12:22am

My orginal Leather forever tshirt is about 28 years old, Leather Forever was a battle cry back when Cairns decided it was much of costly and less cost effective for them to continue Making leathers, it was the late 70's we wore cotton duck coats, we also wore bunker pants as the name implies Only when you were leaving the bunk room at night :)... MSA (Mine SAfety Appliance Company) could stamp out 300 of they're Top Guards in the same time Cairns could complete a handful of 5a New Yorkers MSA's top guard was the fiberglass then shiney polycarbinate that Johnny Gage and Roy Desoto wore on EMERGENCY! we refered to them as "batting helmets" because they were about the same as a batting helmet with no ear protection, unless of course you used a winter liner the same kind as they used in construction hardhats ( made BY of course MSA)
anyway The NFPA was challenged to provide "Standards" for clothing such as fire resistive materials for turn out gear... and whom better to write the standards then those who know the most.... cairns wanted to opt out and opt for something cheeper and easier to make money on....something that you have to hand manufacture at least Parts of the manufacture Or a 2 step machine stamp operation for say the cairns 660 ( wheel chock)....so they annouced The leather was dead,, and guys from departments like FDNY, Boston Jersey City, Newark, Philly, etc banded together and pitched a bitch.. BY this point, the "nfpa" had derived a puncture test the only way they could reasonably fail remember the Cairns senetor ( stamped aluminum DCFD) conducted Electricity, Fiberlgass and polycarbinate melted and reacted to chemicals etc.. so by the late 70's they figured out a way to insert the impact cap and up the price from 80 to about 230 dollars ( to teach us a lesson I suppose) anyway.... my 1st generation t shirt is literally thread bare there is a 2nd generation shirt out there,I have no clue who makes em, I would suggest 1 look for Roberts catalogue on line and if not ROberts try the other cataloge that sells firematic crap..lol I am sure one of the two carries a leather forever shirt

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on December 28, 2009 at 10:36am

I remember everything you mentioned here, Smoke. The duck coats, day boots, "night hitches". Bullard made the same kind of Johnny & Roy helmets we used in Knoxville....made of fiberglass I believe. Had that one ridge at the top of the helmet. Fond memories. LOL. I started as an Explorer in 1973 with Knoxville and we used all the hand me downs from the firemen so I froze me ars off many a night wearing that stuff. I've checked Cairnes online for a tee but nothing. I will look at Roberts. What is the other catalog you were talking about?

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Permalink Reply by Todd M. Beery on December 28, 2009 at 11:05am

Well They are just like dino's, extinct. lol i have also looked for these on line, not to be found, but, there is a store here in ohio and i will check there. Should be going there soon..

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Permalink Reply by George Pineo on January 3, 2010 at 11:20pm

http://rockymountainphoenix.com/downloads/products/6200001.pdf



this might be what you are looking for good luck, george

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on January 11, 2010 at 5:00am

I appreciate the responses. Every search took me back to MSA. Someone at MSA finally told me that is a promotional item that has since been discontinued. I'll just have to see if I can get enough interest locally to make it worth while for a t-shirt man to make up a few. Again, thanks for the responses.

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Permalink Reply by John Sees on March 10, 2010 at 12:00am

Jeff if you do how about dropping me a line. My leather forever shirt is about 30 years old and very thin with a few holes. My wife keeps telling me to trash it. I have not seen any in years. When it started to show wear I replaced it with my own design. I sent a picture of one of my leathers to a photo shop and had them put on the front of a shirt, then I painted "I DON'T WEAR (above the picture)TUPPERWARE (below the picture)". I wore the shirt to the Harrisburg, Pa. and Baltimore, Md. expos. I have gotten alot of comments about it. Since it was not easy to make I only wear when I go them.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on March 13, 2010 at 5:42am

If you know the guy's name or how to contact him, let me know. If he can remember the vendor's name from fdic, we're in business. I've been on a fun merry-go-round that always ends up at MSA. MSA doesn't have them any more.

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