Eastman Leather Clothing Ostmann Luftwaffe Jacket Brown

[HPA Rep]

Are you listening Gary?
Maybe the grey colour comes from an original jacket as I have seen similar of other WWII German equipment and clothing.

The photo at the bottom left of the waist adjuster appears to have the heavy pleats of the original design jacket.

Right on, rocketeer! Those original Luftwaffe jackets had dull-toned zippers. Some zips were the same sort of grey alloy Gary uses and some were the typical nickel or brass many of us are familiar with, but none were bright and shiny.

 

[HPA Rep]

Ok you lot, as we are discussing the Eastman Luftwaffe style,how about this custom jacket Gary made for me. It must have been mid 1990s and ordered at a show, came with a discount too , I still have the receipt also but can't find it at the moment.
Basically I had it slightly altered to an old bike jacket style with zips on all pockets and the rear pleats removed. The cut still worked but these was Gary's 'Off the shoulder' look as I like to describe it and was indeed rather baggy at the shoulders as can be seen in the last photo taken around 1998(check the shoulder seam)
An advantage of the bigger shoulders is I can fit an armoured vest underneath and it hardly shows. I have worn this riding my old BSA A65 and also it gets a regular outing when I pop out on my 2012 Bonneville. The only things I have added or taken away are the star shaped BSA enamel pin badge and the zipper pull tabs replaced with 'string' leather around 3ins long, the originals would stick out like a strippers nipple tassels once the wind flow had twirled the pulls around.
Oh yes, its a 44, steerhide and had those nice shiny RiRi chrome zips(the grey ones look Yuk in my opinion) Hardly any wear and a million years worth of riding before it will look scrappy.
Despite it not being a truly authentic style of any historical item( i believe) it stands up to anything Lewis produce at the moment and the buckle does not scratch the tank of any bike I own.
Seeya's, JTee

Great custom jacket, rocketeer! And the BSA, too!!! The original jacket Gary used as the basis for his first Luftwaffe design indeed had the zippered lower pockets, but I cannot recall the back design from when he showed it to me back in '94.

The leather fobs on the zips are designed so as to be tucked into the slot left between the upper and lower beaded edges, though few may choose to do this. This design was an evolution from the first design that was in production for only months at ELC, where the fobs were that typical German tear-drop shape we see on the Luftwaffe flieger kombi and fallschirmjager smocks. When I got my first jacket in this style only about 3-4 months after it had been introduced, I was disappointed that the fob design had changed; I preferred the "Luftwaffe" look.

 

[rocketeer]

Great custom jacket, rocketeer! And the BSA, too!!! The original jacket Gary used as the basis for his first Luftwaffe design indeed had the zippered lower pockets, but I cannot recall the back design from when he showed it to me back in '94.

The leather fobs on the zips are designed so as to be tucked into the slot left between the upper and lower beaded edges, though few may choose to do this. This design was an evolution from the first design that was in production for only months at ELC, where the fobs were that typical German tear-drop shape we see on the Luftwaffe flieger kombi and fallschirmjager smocks. When I got my first jacket in this style only about 3-4 months after it had been introduced, I was disappointed that the fob design had changed; I preferred the "Luftwaffe" look.

Thanks I had wanted a 1960s straight zip bike jacket at the time, a few turned up second hand but not that many and nothing suitable in my size, also I really wanted a new item and Lewis were out of production so to speak, Aero I had lost touch with.
The moleskin lining is not that easy to get over bear arms if sweaty and more suited to a long sleeve shirt, though not that many people I knew on the A2 wearing 40s look really did the full on Luftwaffe pilot re-enactment style and to be honest that sort of thing was nowhere near as popular as it it now. It probably still isn't as I have never seen anyone toting a WWII Luftwaffe eagle with swastika or other decorations and insignia on one of these jackets, not to say there isn't anyone though.
I did try with the zip fobs but were definitely a pain to tuck in as I thought that maybe there application as you describe was the way to go. Still Nazi Burlesque queen I did not really like the look of. I still have them somewhere though two adorn the cuffs of my Poweranger Dianese leathers.
As for the zips, nice and shiny definitly for the black one and also the brown. I can understand Gary's reluctance to change them but as I wrote earlier, not that many even these days really go for the genuine WWII Luftwaffe pilot look especially on a not necessarily historical item. I did consider a black Hartman at one time though the brown taped zips just put me off, also I personally don't think the look suits my fuller figure now, (blame 20 years of bacon or sausage sandwiches).
As it is, selling jackets is really about making money within reason. I would not expect a company such as Eastman to go to the lengths of pleasing everybody by producing non authentic WWII styles such as Irvin jackets with pockets etc but should a customer really want something as simple as a zip colour, why not as the patten does not have to be altered. A simple walk to box containing black or grey zips could mean the sale of a jacket of not. Which is why I would not order a B6, simply because I hate the zip side waist adjusters when straps could just have easily been fitted instead.
Cheers J.

 

[Rich22]

Such a fantastic looking jacket. Stunning! Unless I'm mistaken the price seems to have shot up in the last couple of years? Thought about getting one before after seeing Eastman jackets at Duxford on a trip to England. Very good shape for my frame.

Price aside, the issue is those zips. Gosh they're spectacularly ugly! Are they painted/coated rather than solid metal? Disastrous looking things...

 

[HPA Rep]

Such a fantastic looking jacket. Stunning! Unless I'm mistaken the price seems to have shot up in the last couple of years? Thought about getting one before after seeing Eastman jackets at Duxford on a trip to England. Very good shape for my frame.

Price aside, the issue is those zips. Gosh they're spectacularly ugly! Are they painted/coated rather than solid metal? Disastrous looking things...

The zippers are gunmetal-gray metal and extremely close to many found in use by the Luftwaffe. Personally, I like them very much, and far more than the polished nickel used on the 1st-generation Luftwaffe jackets Eastman made, but to each their now.

 

[Peter Mackin]

I absolutely adore this jacket.i owned a black one some years ago and I’m sure I sold it on to regius here on the forum,it was sold to me as a 44 but was way too big,,had it been a true 44 it was definitely a keeper,,beautiful material & construction

 

[Rich22]

The zippers are gunmetal-gray metal and extremely close to many found in use by the Luftwaffe. Personally, I like them very much, and far more than the polished nickel used on the 1st-generation Luftwaffe jackets Eastman made, but to each their now.

Are the zippers solid metal or coated/painted/plated? An option to customise the zip, as suggested by someone else, would be very handy for plenty of people it seems. Feedback in this thread seems to mirror mine...

Zips aside, wonderful jacket. Lovely shape and super little features.

 

[Rich22]

Ooh, I did have one question.. are the underarms built with the American football shape under them, for ease of movement? I think that’s a good feature

 

[deswaaf]

Absolutely love this jacket, great information in this thread! Might have one made in a 42L black one day. Found out about this jacket because ELC posted one on their instagram page that was patina'd beautifully:

 

[bn1966]

Have both ELC Luftwaffe jackets, the Hartmann is great too and much lighter than the Ostmann. The Ostmann really comes into its own in the colder weather, mines cowhide with the heavy lining.

 

[B-Man22]

I just recently picked up a used Hartmann at a decent price, but its about a size to big. I'm hoping to wear it in a couple of rainy downpours and let it shrink down a bit. Has anyone had this problem and tried to remedy it by letting the jacket get wet and then letting it slowly dry out?

 

[Downunder G Man]

These photos have been posted on the lounge before now already , but are relevant to this thread.
This jacket will be 30 years old now. Bought new by me what seems like a lifetime ago.
My first "quality" leather jacket used for all occasions , dress shirt and tie to work AND weekend motorcycling.
Even a trip by Mustang convertible around Arizona and California in 1993.

This photo less than 6 months ago

 

[deswaaf]

These photos have been posted on the lounge before now already , but are relevant to this thread.
This jacket will be 30 years old now. Bought new by me what seems like a lifetime ago.
My first "quality" leather jacket used for all occasions , dress shirt and tie to work AND weekend motorcycling.
Even a trip by Mustang convertible around Arizona and California in 1993.

View attachment 270059

This photo less than 6 months ago

View attachment 270060

That's BEAUTIFUL man, so this has been your one and only jacket then? is it horsehide or cow? It's looking SHARP as hell man, so do you!

 

[bn1966]

I just recently picked up a used Hartmann at a decent price, but its about a size to big. I'm hoping to wear it in a couple of rainy downpours and let it shrink down a bit. Has anyone had this problem and tried to remedy it by letting the jacket get wet and then letting it slowly dry out?

Use the ‘rain’ method as part of break-in and have found the leather has moulded to me more (allowed to dry on me) but size hasn’t changed that I could ever discern. My Ostmann fits perfectly but I’ve arranged to take the Hartmann in to a leather tailor to try and get the body taken in a bit.

 

[Downunder G Man]

That's BEAUTIFUL man, so this has been your one and only jacket then? is it horsehide or cow? It's looking SHARP as hell man, so do you!

One and only ? Well for years indeed it was. 30 years on and I now have a fair collection. This old Eastman "only comes out for high days and holidays". Been relined in black here in Australia after it's many many adventures over the years.