Gratz vintage German [emoji629] motorcycle jacket

[Guppy]

I picked this up from ebay after listing it in the Finds and Deals thread. Only one other person bid on it, and I got it for 1 increment above the opening price; a steal.

I'm so happy with the condition, quality, and fit of this jacket. It's really breathtaking how nice shape it is for a 60+ year old jacket.

The leather is stiff and heavy, and feels like horsehide to me.

The only label is on the inside above the left inside pocket, and says:

Von Meisterhand
Grätz
Leder-u
Herrenbekleidung
Wien XII. u. VI.

No size indicated, but it's a snug 42, maybe a 40, I'd say. I think it fits well.

Here's the promised fit pics, for those who've been waiting patiently:

 

[Guppy]

Some close up detail pics.

The only flaw with the jacket is that the right cuff zipper is off its track. I can't seem to get it back on, but if I weren't so cautious, I might be able to.

The lining is a blue-green moleskin. The lapels and collar lack snaps. The collar has zigzag stitching on the underside.

The cuffs have snaps at the ends, plus a gusseted zipper. The main zipper has the pull on the right side, in the European tradition. The zippers are brass, and of robust construction, with ball and chain puls, made by Ritsch.

 

[Monitor]

It's a pretty perfect jacket, yep. Leather is something else, right?

 

[jacketjunkie]

Yeah, I kind of forgot to bid on this and sort of regret it. Cool piece. The design is very modern by European standards for what probably is a 50s jacket, I love the indestructible leather on these things, plus the color is nice.

Jacket is Austrian, not German, by the way. Or well.. don't know what year it was made but most likely Vienna wasnt part of Germany then.. And the label indicates it is no factory piece but handmade by a master of his craft.

 

[Guppy]

Thanks for the information, @jacketjunkie! That's really good to know!

And thanks for forgetting to bid!

 

[Captain Sensible]

Hmm, not workable with that zip. Time to offload it imo

 

[Guppy]

Hmm, not workable with that zip. Time to offload it imo

[emoji23].

 

[ton312]

That is super cool.

 

[sweetfights]

Handsome leather- Brilliant!

 

[patrick_b]

@Guppy

What a cool piece of history. Any idea how it stored all these years? The leather doesn’t look all that different than a 10 year old jacket.

 

[Guppy]

@Guppy

What a cool piece of history. Any idea how it stored all these years? The leather doesn’t look all that different than a 10 year old jacket.

No idea. The seller was located in Germany; I presume they were probably a relative of the original owner. Must have hung in a closet most of its life, it hardly shows any wear. Maybe the zipper issue caused the original owner to retire it as a riding jacket, who knows.