Luftwaffe style leather jackets vs "rocker" leather jackets?

[Jackanapes]

Metatron - That's a great old pic and a cool jacket too. It appears to have He 162 jet fighters ("Salamanders") lined up in the background. This means it was close to the end of the war indeed. Plus the exuberant and triumphant smiles so common in earlier Luftwaffe pics are long gone. The young guy in the middle was probably one of the poorly trained aeronautical cannon fodder they were sending up in desperation towards the end. On top of poor training, the 162's themselves were structurally deficient and often fell apart in flight (made of wood with poorly synthesized glue). Any luck and the guys in this pic were grounded due to surrender before they forfeited their lives in vain so close to the end of the war.

Mihai - I think the shoulder boards and the insignia on the jackets make it look really sharp. But as an American civilian, I would be a little concerned about appearing to salute a branch of the Nazi war machine by wearing a jacket fully equipped with military insignia. People might get the wrong idea if you know what I mean. I'm not sure what the environment is like in most of Europe in this regard. My last visit about two years ago throughout most of central/western Europe (London, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France etc) led me to believe there is still an undercurrent of resentment against the Germans. I recall talking to an older Dutch couple on a ferry across the channel (Dover to Calais) and after having an engaging conversation I told them I was going through Brussels and then onto Germany. They said they really enjoyed vacationing in London, but would not visit Germany under any circumstances. They were very polite and reserved, but they flatly said they still did not like the Germans for what they had done during the war. I wasn't really surprised I guess and I suspected this feeling probably existed elsewhere throughout Europe, especially amongst older people. I mean how could it not, at least on some level? On the other hand it's been 70 years. My own grandfather was a Sherman tank commander who was severely wounded in '44 in Italy fighting the Germans. He has no ill feelings towards them today at all (yes he's still alive). But then he killed a bunch of them in return, and they never invaded his homeland, so maybe that makes it easier to forgive?

Anyway, not sure where in Europe you are or what the sensibilities are concerning German WWII clothing, memorabilia etc. But wearing a full up Luftwaffe jacket including military insignias might even ruffle some feathers here in the states, depending on who you ran into. Not that I'm advising against it or that I personally have any problem with it. I hate political correctness with a passion, in fact. But sometimes it's better to leave certain stones un-turned if you know what I mean?

 

[Edward]

Regarding the filling material in the lining: They said it's true, their jackets are warm. The lining filler is a synthetic material that is very thin though. It will not change the fit of the jacket if it is removed (20 euros to have it removed and the liner sewed back in). He said the reason they use it is that the thick leather they use is rather coarse and it imposes a sort of sandpaper effect on the liner, which may cause it to wear out sooner. He did not know why anyone would say the jacket's fit would be any different than without the filling because they use a very thin layer that does not add any real bulk.

Do they buy the jackets in from elsewhere, then? I'd have thought if they produced in-house, it would be simpler to run one up without the underlay, rather than to charge extra to remove it, but I might not be fully understanding their production model. Certainly sounds like they've been helpful. A lot of companies I imagine would just say no to such a request.

Mihai - I think the shoulder boards and the insignia on the jackets make it look really sharp. But as an American civilian, I would be a little concerned about appearing to salute a branch of the Nazi war machine by wearing a jacket fully equipped with military insignia. People might get the wrong idea if you know what I mean. I'm not sure what the environment is like in most of Europe in this regard. My last visit about two years ago throughout most of central/western Europe (London, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France etc) led me to believe there is still an undercurrent of resentment against the Germans. I recall talking to an older Dutch couple on a ferry across the channel (Dover to Calais) and after having an engaging conversation I told them I was going through Brussels and then onto Germany. They said they really enjoyed vacationing in London, but would not visit Germany under any circumstances. They were very polite and reserved, but they flatly said they still did not like the Germans for what they had done during the war. I wasn't really surprised I guess and I suspected this feeling probably existed elsewhere throughout Europe, especially amongst older people. I mean how could it not, at least on some level? On the other hand it's been 70 years. My own grandfather was a Sherman tank commander who was severely wounded in '44 in Italy fighting the Germans. He has no ill feelings towards them today at all (yes he's still alive). But then he killed a bunch of them in return, and they never invaded his homeland, so maybe that makes it easier to forgive?

I think the very different attitude to it all you often find in the US (or, often, to military issues in general) does have a lot to do with the difference in proximity to the front, as it were, for the civilian population. Still, I'd be very surprised if one was to find a significant level of hostility in generations who were born and grew up long after the war. Of course, there will always be bigots, but...

Anyway, not sure where in Europe you are or what the sensibilities are concerning German WWII clothing, memorabilia etc. But wearing a full up Luftwaffe jacket including military insignias might even ruffle some feathers here in the states, depending on who you ran into. Not that I'm advising against it or that I personally have any problem with it. I hate political correctness with a passion, in fact. But sometimes it's better to leave certain stones un-turned if you know what I mean?

Across much of Europe it could get you a good kicking - nothing to do with it being in any way, or associated with being, German, but more a perceived support of the Nazi regime and what it did. Perhaps more significantly, however, across much of Europe (certainly in France, Germany and Austria) it could get you arrested under stringent, post-war anti-Nazi laws if you were to wear it out in the public street, absent any historical re-enactment context or the like.

 

[Jackanapes]

Do they buy the jackets in from elsewhere, then? I'd have thought if they produced in-house, it would be simpler to run one up without the underlay, rather than to charge extra to remove it, but I might not be fully understanding their production model. Certainly sounds like they've been helpful. A lot of companies I imagine would just say no to such a request.

Yes they've provided excellent customer support so far. They have an English speaking support person (Nathan) who has cheerfully answered all of my questions without hesitation. They have also offered to make alterations at a reasonable rate if I desire as well. To my knowledge they make the jackets in Germany. They have pictures on their website of their workshop in Germany with what appear to be German craftsman making the jackets. I'm pretty sure they get their raw materials from Argentina, and the materials may receive some pre-processing there as well. Not that that bothers me, the quality still appears very good in the pictures and from what I've heard from firsthand accounts here. I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on at least one jacket and perhaps two. Will keep everyone posted based on my experiences once I receive them.

I think the very different attitude to it all you often find in the US (or, often, to military issues in general) does have a lot to do with the difference in proximity to the front, as it were, for the civilian population. Still, I'd be very surprised if one was to find a significant level of hostility in generations who were born and grew up long after the war. Of course, there will always be bigots, but...

Yes, I think you're right of course. A country that was actually invaded and experienced a brutal occupation? Memories, and perhaps resentments, run long - understandably. On the other hand, nearly all young people I encountered in Europe think little or nothing about it. And this is how it should be. All of the perpetrators of the war are long dead. And nearly all of the combatants are gone now. The only ones left were the youngest during the war and hence had no responsibility in its design or construction. One thing was interesting though. Londoners appeared to be pretty good sports about the whole thing. Even though they absorbed some serious damage during the blitz, they don't seem particularly resentful about the Germans today at all. And I actually asked about it when I was there, too. But then "getting on with it" is what the Brits have always done.

Across much of Europe it could get you a good kicking - nothing to do with it being in any way, or associated with being, German, but more a perceived support of the Nazi regime and what it did. Perhaps more significantly, however, across much of Europe (certainly in France, Germany and Austria) it could get you arrested under stringent, post-war anti-Nazi laws if you were to wear it out in the public street, absent any historical re-enactment context or the like.

Actually, after re-reading Mihai's post I don't think he was necessarily thinking about wearing a fully outfitted Luftwaffe jacket in public. Probably just for the sake of collecting and possibly for historical re-enactments. When I was a kid, my neighbor had captured war booty German helmets and an actual MP40 machine gun brought home from the war. One of the helmets he had was child sized, probably used at the end of the war by boy soldiers. I used to wear it when us kids played "army" out in the yard (with my Luger cap pistol). Because I had blonde hair and blue eyes I always had to be "the German." And always lost against the Americans, of course. lol

 

[Metatron]

Metatron - That's a great old pic and a cool jacket too. It appears to have He 162 jet fighters ("Salamanders") lined up in the background. This means it was close to the end of the war indeed. Plus the exuberant and triumphant smiles so common in earlier Luftwaffe pics are long gone. The young guy in the middle was probably one of the poorly trained aeronautical cannon fodder they were sending up in desperation towards the end. On top of poor training, the 162's themselves were structurally deficient and often fell apart in flight (made of wood with poorly synthesized glue). Any luck and the guys in this pic were grounded due to surrender before they forfeited their lives in vain so close to the end of the war.

If you are an aviation buff, you should read Eric Brown's book 'Wings of the Luftwaffe' he tested the He-162 after the war, and found it a very capable plane...
Just not for inexperienced pilots, which is what the plane was intended to be flown by!
It was a case of a design with much potential being rushed into service.

 

[Jackanapes]

Thanks Meta for the heads up on Eric Brown's book. I had read about it on an earlier post elsewhere on the site. It really does sound good, so I went ahead and ordered a copy on amazon. Should have it soon. Getting back to your Noble House Nachtjager jacket: how does it fit you? If you don't mind me asking, what are your dimensions and what size jacket did you get? A bit of a personal question, just curious of the sizing and fit and how it worked out for you overall. I'm deciding now what size I'm going to get. Right now it's looking like a medium, but I'm waiting for measurements from Noble House to see if the sleeve length on a medium is to my liking.

 

[Metatron]

Sorry for the late response.
I am 1.87 meters tall with a 41 inch chest. My jacket is an XL. It fits well.

 

[mihai]

Noble House Barkhorn Jacke



I picked size S for a more accurate vintage fitting. In the picture I was wearing it with just a shirt. It is all right for me to wear it in the aprox range 5-15 deg Celsius. Medium thickness steer hide, nice quality(I can't find any flaw), nice smell. The fit is great, tapered on the waist, there are also the 2 straps on the back. Looks better in reality than in pictures. A one of a kind pattern/design. Not a bad jacket for the price.

 

[Edward]

Actually, after re-reading Mihai's post I don't think he was necessarily thinking about wearing a fully outfitted Luftwaffe jacket in public. Probably just for the sake of collecting and possibly for historical re-enactments. When I was a kid, my neighbor had captured war booty German helmets and an actual MP40 machine gun brought home from the war. One of the helmets he had was child sized, probably used at the end of the war by boy soldiers. I used to wear it when us kids played "army" out in the yard (with my Luger cap pistol). Because I had blonde hair and blue eyes I always had to be "the German." And always lost against the Americans, of course. lol

Ha, yeah... Yes, he could have been, I may have misread. Not to re-hash all the old threads on this, it can be a touchy subject in re-enactment circles here in the UK (moreso people prancing about in SS gear, though), but for the most part in those contexts it's grand. A lot of the boys in the Wehrmacht stuff will decline to be photographed, but that's more out of concern of it being taken out of context than anything.

Noble House Barkhorn Jacke

View attachment 4892

I picked size S for a more accurate vintage fitting. In the picture I was wearing it with just a shirt. It is all right for me to wear it in the aprox range 5-15 deg Celsius. Medium thickness steer hide, nice quality(I can't find any flaw), nice smell. The fit is great, tapered on the waist, there are also the 2 straps on the back. Looks better in reality than in pictures. A one of a kind pattern/design. Not a bad jacket for the price.

That's the design I thought looked nice. I'd try one of them on if I saw it in a shop.

 

[rocketeer]

Some years back I had an Eastman Luftwaffe jacket made with a few alterations. I ordered the jacket without the rear pleats, and zips in the slash pockets.
I had this made around 15 years ago simply because I could not find a decent old 'Rocker' style jacket from the 1960s. Still have it but not worn at the moment as I now ride a Jap crotch rocket.
I shall post some pics if I get the chance.

 

[xmr]

Have you considered a jacket made by Pegasus? The quality is amazing and They are great to deal with. I'm 6'1" and their sz 42 fit great (but I gained too much weight again). If you're interested, I just listed it here for sale.

 

[garzo]

Eastman, Lewis, Schott, all great choices. Another economical choice would be Vanson -- a great American-made jacket. Here are a couple that might fit the bill.

http://www.vansonleathers.com/prod-ENFIELD-350.aspx?

http://www.vansonleathers.com/prod-Model_F-600.aspx?

But this one takes the cake, especially if you own a bi-plane!

http://www.vansonleathers.com/prod-LUFTWAFFE_GREAT_COAT-385.aspx

For Vanson, you might have better luck going through a company like Insurrection rather than through Vanson directly as they seem better at making jackets than actually selling them.

 

[Fastuni]

Luftwaffe Great Coat Re-creation of the World War II officer’s jacket. [...] The official coat of the Rhode Island State Police.

Allllright.