Leather Police Jackets

[bobmarco]

pretty cool jackets!

i'm thinking of buying a leather coat. I've never had one so i have a question. how do leather coat's fare during winter time?

 

[Brosinle]

Andy Richards -- That is a beautiful jacket, and is one of the best photography jobs on a black leather jacket I have ever seen! I love the badges and insignia.

 

[andy richards]

Thanks Brosinle for your kind words and welcome on this forum.
For your information: these are the old-type badge and insignia, not a current issue anymore unfortunately. Also, the Dutch police does not issue any black leather jackets anymore. Officers who still have their old ones, are allowed to wear them though... Only motorcyclist officers get still leather clothing (and gore-tex :rage: :rage: ) issued.
Andy

 

[gyrobroyeur]

I wish more companies would feature that as an option. As a teenager I had a black US Army raincoat that had pass-through pockets. In the winter it was great not to have to open up one's coat to get to one's wallet or keys; just reach through the pass through and you're set.

I have this configuration on 2 of mine: the dutch and the german.
On the Dutch one, when you put up the pocket flap, the high part of the pocket is just a hole that permit to pass the hand inside like you describe it. Juste under this hole, you have acces to the area between the leather, and the liner. You can use it like a pocket (but little things you put inside risks to go all aroud the waist...)
The german one is in the same idea, but under the hole, it's a real pocket. You can acces to this pocket by the outside under the flap, or by the inside. More over, there is a band of fabric and leather with two D rings that hold on under the flap. If you put stuffs on this (like holster, or else), you can
hang down it outside or inside the jacket. It's very thougtful...

Thanks everybody for your jacket pics. I appreciate

 

[gyrobroyeur]

Thanks Brosinle for your kind words and welcome on this forum.
For your information: these are the old-type badge and insignia, not a current issue anymore unfortunately. Also, the Dutch police does not issue any black leather jackets anymore. Officers who still have their old ones, are allowed to wear them though... Only motorcyclist officers get still leather clothing (and gore-tex :rage: :rage: ) issued.
Andy

Hi andy
Is there a "vigilat ut quiescant" on your badge? Do you know how old is your jacket? Is it the last leather issued ? I just try to know how old is mine, and you seem to know a lot about Dutch jackets...

 

[Navin323i]

pretty cool jackets!

i'm thinking of buying a leather coat. I've never had one so i have a question. how do leather coat's fare during winter time?

In terms of warmth I would say that the answer to your question depends on what type of interior lining the jacket has. If it's a wool lining or Alpaca lining that Aero uses then it'll be warmer than a jacket that has a thinner lining like a satin or drill cloth lining. Also if your jacket has a thinner lining then you could always wear multiple layered clothing including sweater underneath the jacket and still stay warm.

In terms of wet, snowy weather I would recommend going with a horsehide jacket since it's naturally more water resistant compared to a regular cowhide type of jacket.

 

[andy richards]

Hi andy
Is there a "vigilat ut quiescant" on your badge? Do you know how old is your jacket? Is it the last leather issued ? I just try to know how old is mine, and you seem to know a lot about Dutch jackets...

Hi Gyrobroyeur,
Yes, there is "vigilat ut quiescant" on the badge (meaning "he guards whilst they rest"). My jacket is from 1993 and was made to measure new. This type of jacket was issued to some police regions. Most of the police regions issued their officers leather jackets from a slightly different pattern. These jackets came from the national police warehouse. First (and only) short type leather police jackets were from about 1984 until about 2001 when they were no longer issued... The first jackets came with the old "star-type patch" on both sleeves and the "vigilant ut quiescant" badge - with the name of the city for Community Police officers. Gouvernment police officers did not have any badges on their jackets, only a star-type patch on both sleeves with grenade logo. After 1992 badges and patches disapeared due to a reorganisation of the Dutch Police. From then leather jackets came with new patches and (cheap) looking badge with Region name on it. Old leather jackets were modified with new patches, new issued jackets came standard with new patches. If you mail some pictures I might have more information about your jacket.
Hope this is helpful.
Andy

 

[bobmarco]

In terms of warmth I would say that the answer to your question depends on what type of interior lining the jacket has. If it's a wool lining or Alpaca lining that Aero uses then it'll be warmer than a jacket that has a thinner lining like a satin or drill cloth lining. Also if your jacket has a thinner lining then you could always wear multiple layered clothing including sweater underneath the jacket and still stay warm.

In terms of wet, snowy weather I would recommend going with a horsehide jacket since it's naturally more water resistant compared to a regular cowhide type of jacket.

thanks a lot Navin323! i will definitely keep this in mind before purchasing anything!

 

[Navin323i]

thanks a lot Navin323! i will definitely keep this in mind before purchasing anything!

You're most welcome, bro. I'm happy to help!

 

[gyrobroyeur]

Hi andy
Thanks for your answer. I'm talking about this jacket: (you can click, to see bigger pics)
The buttons are in shiny plastic (looks like silver), with the "vigilat ut quiescant" and sword logo. Can you tell me more about it? Thanks again...

 

[andy richards]

Hi Gyrobroyeur,
These jackets were issued to the former "Korps Rijkspolitie" or Gouvernment Police (they operated in the villages and small counties), the former "Gemeentepolitie" or Community Police (City police) and the "Koninklijke Marechaussee" or Royal Military Gendarmerie. All jackets were more or less the same and there were various makers.

Your jacket is from the former "Gemeentepolitie" as can be seen by the buttons with "viligat ut quiescant"logo. On the inside of your jacket there is a small label with both "Rijkspolitie" and "Gemeentepolitie" 8-point star badges sewn into the lining with the words "intendance". This indicates that this jacket came from the police warehouse in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. Then (and now) the Intendance supplied clothing, weapons, etc to all police authorities in The Netherlands, except for the "Koninklijke Marechaussee" which is a military unit. But we're getting off-topic right now...

So your jacket:
Original "gemeentepolitie" , dating is difficult but as a guess around 1980.
I am almost sure the buttons are not plastic but metal. There were two types: shiny steel and matte aluminium.

I hope this is of help to you. If you need more informations, just ask .

Leather jackets also came in white...

And just after WWII...

Here in the 70's...

 

[gyrobroyeur]

Thank's a lot Andy...
I didn't suposed to have so much information in so few time...:eusa_clap

You seems to be an expert. Do you have informations about my german jacket on page 1?

Thank's again

 

[andy richards]

Thanks Gyrobroyeur, hope it is helpful to you.
The German jacket looks indeed dating from around the 80's hence the place where the patch was sewn on the sleeve. In the 60's - 70's lot of police forces in Germany had different shape of patches and in different sizes. I have had several similar jackets (with patches) and all the jackets were almost identical. The jackets I've had were from NordRhein-Westfalen, Bayern, Niedersachsen and Berlin.
So, frankly it is very difficult were your jacket came from.
In the 90's various German Bündesländern gave up your type of jacket and started to issue the short leather type jackets. However...when I am in Germany I sometimes see (older) Polizisten still wearing the old jacket, especially in winter .
Andy

 

[Papa M]

I need to let this Aussie Police jacket go.

Anyone interested? It is approx size 38" chest.Slightly too small for me.

 

[andy richards]

Won't fit me either....
This one has to go as well: size 44:

 

[Papa M]

Won't fit me either....
This one has to go as well: size 44:

Someone needs to buy these and put them in a Police Jacket museum.

I believe that your jacket is much more desireable than mine.

 

[Navin323i]

Won't fit me either....
This one has to go as well: size 44:

Nice police jacket, Andy.

I can't see the badges too well in the pics but from which country's police department is this jacket from?

 

[andy richards]

Hi Navin,
Thanks for your nice words.
This is a Dutch police jacket. Issued to a few police regions in Holland.
Most police regions and former Gouvernment Police and City Police issued their officers different type of short leather jackets.
No longer issued anymore.
Cheers,
Andy

 

[Dinerman]

 

[andy richards]

Nice leather jacket, Dinerman. Not sure, but it could be from the former German Border police (Bundesgrenzschuts), dating 70's - 80's.
Andy