LUFTWAFFE jackets - Eagles who Dare to Wear..!

[aswatland]

Striped sleeve linings were typical on 40s German leather jackets?

The BCWFN (not "rN"?) is mentioned on the ZIPP website as first appearing in 1944. The ZIPP on my trench coat, FWIW, is stamped "DRP N?ºrnberg". But it's clearly a 50s jacket. So a stock control issue, i think.

bk

Thanks for the reference to the website which I've checked out. You are quite correct about the BCWrN. I misread the "r" for an "F"! It is stamped on the back of my jacket's Zipp breast zips. They date the jacket to no earlier than 1944. I would like to know more about Prym snaps. How long were Prym 6 snaps used for? BTW there is a very similar jacket to mine on Ebay. The seller says it was used by a Luffwaffe pilot, but the insignia could be recent additions. Here is the item no. 170181953383.

 

[PADDY]

LW Jacket... has become like 'splinters of the cross..'

If all the splinters of the original 'cross' were authentic, they'd make a 100 crosses.

Same psychology for this generic "Luftwaffe Jacket" term that's branded about so flippantly. It must equal ten leather jackets for every serving Luftwaffe personnel between 36-45!!

So hows about we call them private purchase vintage leather cycle jackets (and that covers all modes of cycles, including the motorised ones).

If one is authenticated to have been worn by a serving WWII Luftwaffe pilot, then we can surely say it is a private purchase leather cycle jacket as worn by a LW pilot..etc.

I dare say this will continue when I am long in the ground![huh]

 

[aswatland]

If all the splinters of the original 'cross' were authentic, they'd make a 100 crosses.

Same psychology for this generic "Luftwaffe Jacket" term that's branded about so flippantly. It must equal ten leather jackets for every serving Luftwaffe personnel between 36-45!!

So hows about we call them private purchase vintage leather cycle jackets (and that covers all modes of cycles, including the motorised ones).

If one is authenticated to have been worn by a serving WWII Luftwaffe pilot, then we can surely say it is a private purchase leather cycle jacket as worn by a LW pilot..etc.

I dare say this will continue when I am long in the ground![huh]

Very sensible suggestion Paddy. Perhaps those people selling "original" Luftwaffe jackets on ebay should listen to what you say!

 

[John Lever]

Some of these jackets are from the 1950's [ which I prefer]. Here are two I bought recently-

Both are brown.

Here's a 30's one -

 

[jamespibworth@n]

Great jackets John,

The second one with its elbow and shoulder padding would not look out of place on a vintage motorcycle.

 

[BellyTank]

Well, this German is offended and is outa here. Now looking to find a way to attach the Edelweiss pin I have to my A-2.

Shouldn't be too difficult.

I have a lot of Edelweiss pins.

Sorry to see the back of you.

B
T

 

[Aviakid]

N Zips & (faux) Luftwaffe jackets

Some late war Irvin zip pullers have a marking that is usually taken to be an 'N' - is there a possibility it may be an 'Z' on it's side? Just a thought.

Could the 'N' on the zips refer to Newey?

And for the Luftwaffe jacket thread, I spotted on the Vintage Leather Jackets forum (and elsewhere) that the Luftwaffe jackets used in the Battle of Britain film were sourced from Lewis Leathers, as a fan I did a bit of digging and spotted a graphic on the LL Myspace page. Of course the jackets don't look too much like the lovely vintage pieces on this thread but looked good in the movie, they are basically the Dominator without its two horizontal chest zips, or the Corsair with a slight vertical pocket modification and red quilted linings, pretty typical biker fair in those days as can be seen in Johnny Stuarts' book "Rockers", the jackets feature nice 1960s Lightning main zippers by the way.

 

[Alan Eardley]

Never thought of that! They pretty much had a monopoly of the war-time press stud market. I don't see why they couldn't make zips. Further research needed!

A friend has his fathers 1960s Mascot jacket (brown) that is very like the Lewis BoB example. Wasn't the film 1969?

Alan

Some late war Irvin zip pullers have a marking that is usually taken to be an 'N' - is there a possibility it may be an 'Z' on it's side? Just a thought.

Could the 'N' on the zips refer to Newey?

 

[Aviakid]

Battle of Britain move/Newey

Yes, the Battle of Britain movie was released in 1969 but probably took a couple of years to make & edit.
Re: Newey;
I think it quite possible that a trimmings company like Newey could well have sold their own zips, even if sourced at a manufacturer other than themselves, a trimmings company would have its own customers and distribution chain so could have had their own pullers made and placed on say, Lightning zips, as an added item in their trimmings catalogue.
Suskins made some nice jackets under the Mascot label my favourite was the Black Knight. I don't recall seeing a brown Mascot before, it'd be nice if you could post a picture one day.

 

[Alan Eardley]

They certaibly look like Lightnings and Newey were just down the road from Witton. I think you're on to something here.

Alan

Re: Newey;
I think it quite possible that a trimmings company like Newey could well have sold their own zips, even if sourced at a manufacturer other than themselves, a trimmings company would have its own customers and distribution chain so could have had their own pullers made and placed on say, Lightning zips, as an added item in their trimmings catalogue.

 

[aswatland]

Here's an original jacket as a comparison. There is no evidence it was worn by a Luftwaffe pilot but it is exactly the type of private purchase bike jacket worn by them from 1940-45. The zips are made by Zipp and are all original to the jacket, apart from the main zip slider and pull, which I replaced.

I am currently selling this jacket on Ebay as its a tad tight for me. It's listed under WW11 uniforms if anyone is interested.

 

[BigHairyFinn]

Hrm.. should make my first post somewhere. Hello everyone.

Here's a 30's one -

I almost went ahead and bought a repro jacket looking *almost* like that. Or what do you guys say of the "Marseille". However the sizing is my problem. Long monkey arms and it is a bit on the tight side. They got a few good looking ones of the Luftwaffe repros, this 'Marseille' is by far the spiffiest, theres another one called 'Barkhorn' there which looks a bit like a double-breasted "Chicago-police" (that one they sell is the pits though). BTW their website is awful, better looking at ebay, have sizing measurements . And note the 4XL is then more like size "48" US/UK. (and two different shops for the high and low end it seems).

I have a 3/4 of that style hanging at the cottage of the 30's vintage, should get it and post some pictures.

 

[John Lever]

Beware Noblehouse the quality is Pants.

 

[BigHairyFinn]

Agreed, [huh] I don't think you can mention "quality" in the same phrase with some of their motorcycle jackets.

 

[johnnyjohnny]

need HeLP on WW2 Luftwaffe Jacket back: 1 piece?

seeking help from the esteemed members of this lounge...is the back of the most classic ww2 luftwaffe jacket a 1 piece (like the u.s. a-2 jackets) or two or more piece back?

i know the ww2 luftwaffe jackets were private purchase jackets of the day, but i'm curious about the the black style with the slit pockets, etc that have become the main style replica manufacturers make...do the backs of this style ww2 luftwaffe jacket need to have 1 piece to be accurate?...the ones on eastman's website are one piece, but other replicators make 2 piece backs on it...and i have seen some other actual ww2 luftwaffe jackets that had several piece backs, though they are slightly different than the more popular style i'm referencing (http://www.eastmanleather.com/WWIILuft.htm)

any help is appreciated

johnnyjohnny

 

[Edward]

Given that they were, as you say, private purchase items, you should find the answer in what were common civilian styles at the time. I should have thought that civilian jackets manufacturered in Germany later in the war would have been affected by the same shortage of materials issues as hit the Allied uniform jackets around the same time, so more panels would have been equally likely in a jacket manufacturered in, say, 1944 than in 1939?

Sorry, not an overly informed response - a bump ,at least, though!

 

[johnnyjohnny]

c'Est la vie?

thanks for the reply...what i understand from all the info out there is that the private purchases occurred primarily in france, french motorcycle jackets of the day...probably early in the war after the occupation of france is when many of these were purchased, especially given that the luftwaffe was a prime part of the german war success starting in '39...and that these jackets, a number of which are on ebay and other places, not only lasted until 2008, but likely lasted to the end of the war, obviating the need to replace them later in the war...

unfortunately many of the luftwaffe jackets on the net are only shown from the front view, especially the ones seen in pictures of the luftwaffe officers...i have seen ones with 1-piece backs, one with a 2-piece back where the division was laterally along the shoulders (like many jackets today), and only one with vertical split, and this jacket had about 4 back panels going vertically as it was part of the design of the construction

from what i've seen, the classic style seems to have been 1-piece...unless anyone can bring up some other info...which leads to the question of where to get one that is a proper 1-piece back construction jacket...i know of eastman, which is pricey at about $1000...there is a very good replicator on ebay charging just under $400, great quality, from germany, but they have the one foible of not having a 1-piece back, they are 'noble-house-shop' and use proper snaps, etc., and they do not have the vertical seamed back, but do have the horizontal seamed 2-piece back along the shoulder...very nice jacket, but still apparently not historically correct:
***PLEASE - NO LINKS to live Ebay auctions that are not your own.***(Bartender Notice)
this point is driven home about this seller as their a-2 jackets seem of exquisite construction, but have non-historical elements such as a button snap instead of a throat collar hook, stuff that you don't want if you are spending $400 for an 'authentic' jacket that, while not being a stitch for stitch copy, still should have basic construction down right...

if anyone knows of anyone aside from eastman, that offers an historically physically correct luftwaffe jacket, for a decent price, would love to hear...

thanks,
johnnyjohnny

 

[rumblefish]

Do you have any interest in the Hartmann jacket from ELC? I had one for a few days when I was being fitted for my A-1. If you'd like my opinion..?

 

[johnnyjohnny]

gotta have HaRT!

hi, thanks rumblefish...actually, this kind of jacket would be perfect for a rumble a la westside story, but i date myself...

anyway, i take ELC to be eastman? i seriously would love one of these, tho i do prefer the black...and i don't think i can afford the one grand price, but i'd love to hear your opinions, especially since i plan to get a jacket of this style...

i have continued to research real luftwaffe jackets and do find a few that have a two piece back, but split laterally, not vertically, and noble-house selling on ebay (as secret.society, or something like that) has a few that are totally accurate re everything, and do have the laterally split back...at $386 it's affordable if not comfortably affordable, whilst eastman is like a jag xke, love to have it but don't have the bread

so noble-house (made in germany) it will be, but would love to hear about the hartmannnnnn

 

[BellyTank]

Here's another eBay vendor's wares- far better than the Noble House offerings but he's in the East, if it matters to you. He seems to have captured the features of the Hartmann/French cycle jacket style and detail, including excellent front buckle and side buckles, horn buttons and the same RiRi zippers used by Eastman but maybe missed some of the nuance that makes it "just so". But then so do Eastman, actually. None of the ones I've seen have a totally accurate fitting...

Don't know if I'm breaking any rules here...

Black or brown goatskin- nice. I'd opt for the brown- black is just too black and not totally typical of those used by LW pilots in the early part of the War.

For example, Ebay items:
360047036803
150157571222


$260+$29 shipping to the US.
Looks like a good deal for you.


B
T