Leather U Boat Jackets

[karhu21]

Having seen the movie Das Boot, Just wondering can you buy a leather jacket as worn by U boat crews during WW2. The double breasted type or the biker style one worn by Johan the engineroom ghost.

 

[ando.thun]

If you google "submariner leather jacket" you will find a lot of different jackets

Noble Hous offers a nice Replica.
http://www.noble-house.eu/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/30

I own a Noble House A-2 and the quality is really good. Not the same level as my Aero Highwayman, but hey that one costs more than twice as much.

 

[JanSolo]

Aero Mariner, for sure! Excellent jacket and probably much better than all other contenders...

http://aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=28

 

[Troglodyte]

My favorite remains John Doyle's brilliant reproduction of the Ninth Doctor Who's jacket, which was a WWII U-Boat design:

http://www.thebadwolf.com/

John is an amateur, and this is the only jacket he offers (brown or black). He can customize some items (heavier lining, anachronistic cell phone pocket, etc.) if desired.

Trog

 

[karhu21]

That Aero Leather Mariner looks like the jacket in question, no doubt about it.
Aero know how its done!

 

[Doctor Strange]

Wested claims to have made the film jackets:

http://www.wested.com/dr-who-jacket-20-p.asp

 

[Tony B]

Noble house is the only one of those mentioned that is a copy of a ww2 uboat jacket.

I have just got a post war grey uboat jacket, the double breasted officers type and must admit compared to the german police jacket I used to have it really isn't as good in terms of detailing. The only difference between my post war one and the wartime one is the scalloped yoke rather than the wartime strait one ...I prepare the scalloped one.

So if you are looking for a black one and you can live with the scalloped yoke and are the right size you should get one on german ebay easily enough search for kutscherjacke, polizei lederjacke, feuerwehr lederjack / mantel and you should turn something up...if you want a grey one and can live without the hand warmer pockets try looking for a feldjager lederjacke.

Regards Tony

 

[Jack Burton]

Having seen the movie Das Boot, Just wondering can you buy a leather jacket as worn by U boat crews during WW2. The double breasted type or the biker style one worn by Johan the engineroom ghost.

Such an awesome underrated movie. Few of the reproduction jackets seem to get the button layout exactly right.

Here are some older threads:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?10798-Das-Boot-Jacket
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?37947-magnoli-u-boat-Dr-Who-Jacket

 

[Tony B]

One thing, if you have seen the film of Das boot you have only seem about 1/3 of it, it is a mini series about 5 hours long and was slashed to ribbons to make the film, try to get the whole thing if you liked the film.

 

[karhu21]

True. The series was shown in the mid 80s.
The DVD does not have the whole thing but still a highly accurate portrayal of life aboard a submarine during WW2.
You can almost smell the fear during the depth charge attacks.
Aside of that, will check out the links.

Cheers!

 

[Jeff M]

Long story short...I do not recommend John Doyles "Bad Wolf" jacket.
I purchased one a year or so ago...sent it back and told them to keep it.
Very poor fit. Was not at all impressed with the leather quality. Was charged (or would have been if I accepted it)for the corrections it needed (likely needed to be completely re-made.)
Had serious doubts as to it's country of origin.

If I were to do it again, I'd contact Aero.
High quality leather to choose from, they can do the design ( I asked Amanda back when the "Bad Wolf" fiasco was going on.)
If it isn't made correctly they will make the necessary corrections without charging you for them.

 

[karhu21]

The Aero Mariner is quite similar to the submariner jacket and Aero have a reputation for very high quality.
The Bad Wolf company seems more about Dr. Who than Das Boot.

Cheers

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

Sorry, I thought you could now buy the full version. I admit it has been over 25 years since I watched it on TV, so if a scene has been cut I do not remember. I have this version and it seemed to be full to me but hey I'm learning someting new all the time.

quote
DVD Description
Digitally remastered and on DVD the original Das Boot 6-part mini series presented as on complete feature length uncut version. Wolfgang Peterson's Das Boot is regarded as one of the most outstanding and accurate representations of Germany's elite U-Boat crewmen during World War II. Told from the German perspective the crew aboard U-96 are portrayed in a hopeless life-and-death struggle coping with endless hours of loneliness and desperation, giving way to terror when confronted by the enemy.
"This DVD presentation of the fully restored, mini series will be even more shocking and affecting for audiences ... enjoy this work as it was originally intended to be seen" - Wolfgang Peterson.
Unquote

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001NIYUO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004CXLA&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=00KAKH9N43A0H38Y861W

 

[Troglodyte]

Long story short...I do not recommend John Doyles "Bad Wolf" jacket.
I purchased one a year or so ago...sent it back and told them to keep it.
Very poor fit. Was not at all impressed with the leather quality. Was charged (or would have been if I accepted it)for the corrections it needed (likely needed to be completely re-made.)
Had serious doubts as to it's country of origin.

If I were to do it again, I'd contact Aero.
High quality leather to choose from, they can do the design ( I asked Amanda back when the "Bad Wolf" fiasco was going on.)
If it isn't made correctly they will make the necessary corrections without charging you for them.

Jeff, that's disappointing! My only complaint was the slow delivery, which I also had from Goodwear and Aero when I bought their products. I had super customer service and I still love the jacket, it started great and has kept getting better over the three years I've worn it. Perhaps the Bad Wolf team has changed some players since my experience, if so, that is a real pity. Little businesses like that survive or fall based on word of mouth like the kind we are both offering here. I had equally superior customer service from Aero and Goodwear, so I certainly can't disagree with somebody who buys the Aero Mariner instead (which can be had in either horse or cow hide, while BW only offers cowhide). I can also confirm that Aero is extremely customer-friendly with returns for any reason, to include size issues.

And BW is 100% a Doctor Who jacket, but since that jacket is a WWII U-Boat jacket without Nazi rank or buttons, it is a great repro of that style. (Or at least, the one I bought in 2008 was).

Trog

 

[Tony B]

The doctor who jacket is NOT a uboat jacket it is a type of civilian jacket common in europe in those days and known in germany as a Kutscherjacke (coachmans jacket) you may see the odd picture of submariners wearing one but it is not an issue item it's private purchase.

Issue ones were were either black for below decks crew or grey for deck crew NOT brown, single breasted for other ranks , double breasted for officers and all the double breasted issue ones had a strait yoke front and back.

People selling scalloped yoke jackets as original WW2 issue jackets are either conman or idiots who did their research on wikipedia...most fall into the former catagory ,trying to sell 50s-70s german police jackets worth maybe 100 euros at most to little nazi fanboys for many time their real worth, you will see sellers on ebay selling them as SS tank comanders jackets and allsorts saying they were issued to 1 ss panzer division and backing this up with pics of 12 SS in normandy wearing private purchase jackets because nazi fans lap that sort of thing up, shame that as from experience the police jackets are better made.

Another thing is that the uboat officers jackets are a bit longer than other types, mine (post war but same dimensions as WW2 ones) is 33 inches from bottom of collar stand to bottom of hem so really more of a coat length than some of the copies.

I am in the prcocess (when I get time) of measuring up my jacket and taking a set of patterns from it and modding them to fit me better..arm holes are tight and it's too narrow across the shoulders ..a size 56 euro 46 uk with a 18.5 inch width across the yoke! and adding some mods to take it back to WW1 flying jacket specs and once I get it nailed to my satisfaction I will be sending a set of patterns of to aero if they want them.

Don't hold your breath though I am working the rounds of the clock these days but it will be nice to see what they could do with that type of jacket which is one of my favourites.

About Das Boot..I used to work with an old royal navy submariner who joined up at 14 just after WW2 started and served for the duration and he said it was the only film about submarines that he found watchabe as every other one was such total rubbish they were just insulting.

 

[Philalethes]

Aero Mariner, for sure! Excellent jacket and probably much better than all other contenders...

http://aeroleatherclothing.com/product-detail.php?id=28

The Mariner is a nice jacket. It is basically the same pattern as the Barnstormer, but with different lapels and pockets, and a half-belt instead of a belt. I would strongly recommend talking to Aero about ordering a size down, since it is a bulky coat, and unlike the Barnstormer, it doesn't have the belt to tighten it in. I own a Barnstormer, and I am very glad I sized down.

By the way, for those interested in submarines, I highly recommend To the Last Salute: Memoirs of an Austrian U-Boat Commander by Georg Van Trapp (yes, that Van Trapp!). There are many stories I would like to relate here from the book, but it is really so good that it should read it in its entirety.

 

[karhu21]

Fascinating posts all round regarding the U Boat jacket, Das Boot and Submarines in general.

Cheers

 

[Jeff M]

Jeff, that's disappointing! My only complaint was the slow delivery, which I also had from Goodwear and Aero when I bought their products. ..

Trog

Initially, communication with Bad Wolf was good.
As it came close to time for jacket delivery it was very spotty.

As per the Bad Wolf web site;

"This Jacket is hand made right bang in the middle of London, England by truly expert leather craftsmen. They've been in the industry for decades, and create leatherwear to the best possible standards for independent designers to top name labels. .. "

I happened to be in London when I received an email that they had just finished the jacket. I emailed John that I was in town, and would like to pick it up while there.
No reply.
Didn't receive a reply until I had returned back to the states.

When I received the jacket, the sleeves were 2" too short, the back was too narrow/arm holes too tight, and the back of the jacket draped so poorly it looked like I was wearing a tent, felt like I had my shoulders tied back. I'm not an unusual size...I take a 44 R. men's coat.
The leather quality reminded me of a "mall jacket".

When my wife first saw it, she asked where it was made. I told her it was supposedly made in London...to which she replied why didn't they let you pick it up there, where they could see how it fit and make corrections at that time, and we both began to wonder if the jacket was imported from another country.

I notified John of the problems..with pictures. He told me to send it back and he would see about getting it corrected.
I shipped it (I believe shiipping was about $80).
Didn't hear from him for awhile..then received an email saying it was ready to ship back...the cost of the corrections came to something $150-$200 (can't recall exactly).
By that point in time I had lost all faith in Bad Wolf.
I didn't want to get stuck with the "correction" cost, shipping back to me, and, if it still had problems, shipping back to the UK again with another "correction" fee...shipping...etc. etc. etc.
I just bit the bullet and told them to keep the jacket. Didn't ask for a refund.
Expensive lesson learned.
As the jacket cost about the same as an Aero to begin with...in retrospect, should have gone with the Aero.
As I understand it, "Bad Wolf" is a side business for John.
From now on, I deal only with the professionals...those who actually make the jackets, can make the necessary corrections, and whose livelyhood depends on the quality of their product.



I have never had delivery problems with Aero (have 5).
I order directly from Amanda. Whatever delivery estimate they give me I just mentally add one month. Every order has arrived between that initial estimate and my one month lee-way.
With my goodwear orders, I just anticipate receiving them sometime that year. That's ok.
I know the product is top notch, and John stands behind his work.

 

[Peacoat]

By the way, for those interested in submarines, I highly recommend To the Last Salute: Memoirs of an Austrian U-Boat Commander by Georg Van Trapp (yes, that Van Trapp!). There are many stories I would like to relate here from the book, but it is really so good that it should read it in its entirety.

Just ordered it. Hope it is in English as my German is weak. Jan was teaching me for a while, but I may have been too slow for him.

I would like to see the entire five hour Das Boot film. Does anyone know where a copy may be obtained?

 

[ando.thun]

Amazon has the 282 minutes version.

http://www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Orig...AOLQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1327183967&sr=8-3

The original movie set of the submarine is part of the guided tour at the Bavaria Filmstadt in Munich.
You can really feel the claustrophobic atmosphere. But I missed the smell of the real ones, making it even worse to be inside.