Review of Nobles Houses M-444 (445?)

[fishmeok]

I won this on e-bay a while back on a whim, thought i'd put up a quick review. I thought this might be a nice alternative to my normal sheep wear and move me a little more out of the USAAF shearling style I'm accustomeed to.

Material- decent enough hide with very short fleece, about 1/8 inch. The color is good and it seems tough enough, but time will tell.

Cut and fit: once again, decent for what it is. The shoulders are a little too wide and the arms a bit short, the cut is definately "modern" not vintage with a wide body.

Construction: fair to good. The sewing is ok, but a lot of corners were cut which makes this a fashion jacket, not anything approaching a repro. The cowhide trim around the bootom and cuffs does not wrap around to the fleece side, no leather backing on the collar, buttons falling off, loose threads inside, butted seams on the fleece (not edge-sewn) etc. Oversize tube arms (I narrowed them down 10 minutes after I got it) Oversize Noble House leather label on the inside which is glued (!!!!) to the fleece and makes a big mess when removed. Nice color though.

Conclusion: It's hard for me to denigrate anyone's efforts, since I make jackets myself and know how difficult it is, but for the advertised price this thing needs work. It looks like it came from the same factory in Pakistan that makes the WPG B-3 and Irvin, but those are much better jackets. If you find a deal on the 'bay I would snap it up, but paying full price you will be disappointed. Having said that, for the price I paid it meets my needs- thin enough to be worn 3 seasons, and a little more versitile wardrobe-wise then my AAF gear.
Cheers
Mark

VELCRO!!!

 

[Phantomfixer]

Any feedback on WPG B-3? I saw you mention it. I have not seen one in person. Anygood?

 

[johnnyjohnny]

It's hard for me to denigrate anyone's efforts---fishmeok

well then, fishmeok, let me denigrate them for you.

noble house (ignoble house in my PERSONAL opinion) does what you so diplomatically say. they make a mediocre at best jacket.

long time ago i got their 'luftwaffe' jacket, thinking germans should at least know how to replicate their own war jackets. like the old song...it ain't necessarily so.

they aren't disasters, but certainly not accurate replicas of anything. i wrote at the time mine was equal to a $100 chinese or pakistani sold under the wilson's brand name...totally generic. not to denigrate chinese or pakistani work, but when it's made at a cost saving level, it only has so much quality.

which you pointed out.

i don't think it 'denigrates' anyone's work to point this out. i am denigrating the preposterousness i've found with noble house in selling medium grade, non-authentic jackets at high enough prices in germany, but outrageous prices on ebay when the exchange rates kick in. close to $400 for a $100-value jacket that has salient authenticity issues even in their ad photos (as i've seen with some u.s. ww2 'replicas' of theirs)

this litto icon expresses my point of view on that:

 

[Paden]

I talked this week with an owner of a tannery.
He said to me:

"Good hides come only from countrys, were people live good".

 

[Fletch]

Does he mean the best jackets are made of people?!

lol

 

[The Saint]

Does he mean the best jackets are made of people?!

lol

Certainly there are attendant circumstances which are normal in Pakistan and India, etc., but unthinkable in Europe, or the States. I visit a tannery in Pakistan and I note that there are young woman are in directly contact to the toxic material. After the process the tannery liquids are cleaned to the next small beck. I can´t believe what I saw. There is no thinking about the results for health and impact of the environment.

The people accept the circumstances, because they are very, very poor.

I think this, is one aspect of paden´s statement.

 

[Paden]

Certainly there are attendant circumstances which are normal in Pakistan and India, etc., but unthinkable in Europe, or the States. I visit a tannery in Pakistan and I note that there are young woman are in directly contact to the toxic material. After the process the tannery liquids are cleaned to the next small beck. I can´t believe what I saw. There is no thinking about the results for health and impact of the environment.

The people accept the circumstances, because they are very, very poor.

I think this, is one aspect of paden´s statement.

Yes, and if the conditions are good for the animals, too, the endproduct leather is also better.
For me, it is not only the price, it is the total product you pay for.
From the beginning in the tannrey, to the end in the leather company.
That you will find at the end also in the price of the product.
That does it means.
My grandma told me, "Cheap you pay always twice"
Hope you understand my bad english.

 

[kampkatz]

Paden, your grandmother was a wise woman.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

good points and a wise women

quality of leather definitely something to consider, but my review wasn't so much about the leather (tho it probably should have been as well) but the construction and design of their coats

their stuff seemed more like an economy hyundai sedan that they were advertising as if it were a bmw...whatever the leather might or might not have been, the cut/pattern/amount of time spent in construction/design was all on an economy level, or a mall jacket standard...to do any more they would have to increase costs...but ironically, their costs are already increased to the mid to high $300 level, but they keep the profit and don't put it back into the value of the coats to rise beyond a mid-level mall jacket

as fishmeok pointed out, knowing what it takes to create something, i wouldn't knock anything unless i thought it was consciously not done to the standards it should be for the price and advertising...the case with noble house i strongly feel

 

[boyorastroboy]

My grandma told me, "Cheap you pay always twice"

Great quote, Paden. Assuming your grandmother was german, how did she say it auf Deutsch? Is it a common saying?


And I have to register my shock and horror at the use of velcro on this jacket. I can't believe anyone would knowingly buy a vintage repro at any cost that used velcro.