WWII Leather Jacket.

[Bass74]

Hi all. New too this forum.

Just wondering if someone can help.

I picked up a leather jacket of which the seller told me it was WW2 German probably civilian or possibly Kreigsmarine.

Having trouble attaching a picture of the logo so I'll try and describe it.

It's brown with a light chocolate cotton inner lining (maybe even suede) with a half belt with inner two button pull adjuster with the ring it feeds though on the right.
Has an inside pocket with two front flap and two zip pockets. both zip pockets are under each flap pocket.
Also has another zip pocket on the left breast. It's also double breasted.

It fastens on the right hand side and the main zipper is ruhr but the other 3 are unbranded and look like tear drops if that makes sense. Brass in colour.

Now for the label found on back of the collar.

The label has a stitched in "S" which is blue. Under the neck of the letter "S" in the bottom semi circle if you want is a stitched picture of a swan ( I'm guessing) also in blue.

There is also some stitched in writing again in blue which looks like "S SLIDE" and "VERARBEITUNG UND QUALITAT" also in blue.


If I can think of a way of getting some picture up I will.

Any help would be greatly received.

 

[Fastuni]

By your description it is a German 1950's civilian motorcylist jacket.

 

[Bass74]

Thanks for the reply.

I've emailed the seller and they assure me it is the correct description but I feel you are probably right. Still a nice jacket tho.

 

[Edward]

Going purely on the description above - though photos would be helpful (best way is to upload to a free account on Photobucket.com, then there's a link you can copy and paste to insert them here. See helpful article on this here: http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/tutorial-step-by-step-guide-how-to-use-photobucket)....

I'd say it's most likely that your jacket is indeed civilian wear. Could possibly be 40s or 50s. It may - subject to details such as zips and so on that could identify when it was likely to have been manufactured - have been produced during the war, and might even have been worn by someone in a branch of the German military that permitted privately purchased leather jackets to be worn - most typically, the Luftwaffe. Unfortunately, it's very common on eBay for any mid-century German (or evne French) leather jacket to be passed off as a "Genuine! German! WW2!" jacket. Usually sellers push them as Luftwaffe. I'm sure some sellers are genuine in their belief, if mistaken, while others will tell you black is white and vice versa if they smell a buck in it. Yay capitalism! Either way, as long as you didn't overpay for the WW2 connection (it usually does seem to be attached to an attempt to get an inflated price for the item), it's likely to be a very nice, solid jacket and wear well.

 

[Bass74]

This is the original listing I payed slightly less for it though. Needed dry cleaning as had mold and stank too high heaven of muste.

http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Vtg-1940s-WW...ench-Dispatch-Coat-Kriegsmarine-/351452741833

 

[Fastuni]

Yes... 1950's civilian motorcyclist jacket.
The price is good. The description is hype... it has no military connection. The zippers are also not 1940's.

 

[Bass74]

Just as I thought nice once it was cleaned though. Not happy with the seller and wouldn't buy from them again as the description and over all condition was wrong. I ended up getting for £69 and they payed half the cost for the dry cleaning bill.

Thanks for your help

 

[Edward]

Nice jacket. If it's in as good confition as it looks, I'd say you didn't overpay.... Certainly nothing like what some folks do for "Luftwaffe" jackets of dubious heritage. Very German in style. I'd agree with the 1950s dating.... though that main zip is obviously a replacement, I'd say sixties or later, maybe even 70s. That said, while you could always have a more original looking zip fitted, I don't think it especially detracts from the look of the jacket. It's as justifiable to leave it in there as part of the jacket's own, unique history imo...

 

[Bass74]

It's in great condition for age and looks even better after being dry cleaned. It's nice and supple now instead of feeling like a piece of cardboard.

Needs a couple of bit's fixing hear and there but nothing major. Not sure what too do about the zip...could be like looking for needle in a hay stack and don't know what the original would look like. It has a Talon zip pull on at the moment. I really like it.......get's some looks too

 

[Jayessgee]

Nice jacket but definitely not any WWII German use. The seller cluttered up his description with terms meaningless to the jacket. "Kriegsmarine" was the WWII German Navy and no naval use coat is that. Trench coat? Hardly. Think the long leather coats typically associated with the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) or a London Fog rain coat. Those are "trench coats" which yours certainly isn't.
I know this is long over so the time for action has passed. I just hope you reported him for his listing practices. Whenever I see somebody using the WWII pitch falsely I report them. In truth, I haven't seen any case in which it ever did any good. Never seen a listing pulled. A s It happens I know a good bit about Yugoslav military equippage from pre-WW II through the Cold War. As it happens, Yugoslav POST-WWII bayonets have a number 44 in an arch of Serbian Cyrillic stamped on the ricasso. It was just the factory code but I don't know how many times I have seen those passed off as WWII on that account. Even WW II German- which is totally ridiculous allowing for the Cyrillic. I wrote an Ebay guide on it but, who ever reads those things anyway.
In all things, Caveat Emptor- Let the buyer beware. Buy the item, NOT the story.

 

[Bass74]

Hi,
I still have this jacket but unfortunately it's a little tight around the chest so I'm offering it for sale if anyone is interested.

Regards

 

[Capesofwrath]

Hi,
I still have this jacket but unfortunately it's a little tight around the chest so I'm offering it for sale if anyone is interested.

Regards

Best put it in the classified section with some good pictures and all the measurements. Plus the price you want of course.

I don’t know if you’ve worked out how to put up pics yet but it’s very simple. Just click on the Upload a File button find it on your computer.

 

[Jayessgee]

Bass74, while pretty awesomne, I do not think your avatar is appropriate. I have family, including children, who sometimes look at this computer with me and frequently at items in this forum. They do not yet need this kind of imagery in their young minds.
I, for one anyway, would appreciate you giving her some minimal at least, attire. You might be surprised, some artful wrapping can render the female form more alluring even than as God made her.

 

[Jayessgee]

Unfortunately, it's very common on eBay for any mid-century German (or even French) leather jacket to be passed off as a "Genuine! German! WW2!" jacket. Usually sellers push them as Luftwaffe. I'm sure some sellers are genuine in their belief, if mistaken, while others will tell you black is white and vice versa if they smell a buck in it. Yay capitalism! Either way, as long as you didn't overpay for the WW2 connection (it usually does seem to be attached to an attempt to get an inflated price for the item), it's likely to be a very nice, solid jacket and wear well.

"Genuine! German! WW2!" jacket". Heck! They will try to pass "Genuine! German! WW2!" ANYTHING including Cold War or more modern items even.
Caveat-emptor. Let the buyer beware. Buy the item, not the story and without documented provenance, it's only a story.

That said, it is one very nice jacket and worth a very pretty penny even w/out the story.

 

[Edward]

Bass74, while pretty awesomne, I do not think your avatar is appropriate. I have family, including children, who sometimes look at this computer with me and frequently at items in this forum. They do not yet need this kind of imagery in their young minds.
I, for one anyway, would appreciate you giving her some minimal at least, attire. You might be surprised, some artful wrapping can render the female form more alluring even than as God made her.

Indeed. We're a little bit less 'anything goes' in these parts than some corners of the web, and I'm sure all the staff would appreciate something more appropriate to this venue.