My New Luftwaffe jacket

[dmcburn75]

I just received my custom made jacket from US Authentic in New York. I always wanted a Luftwaffe Jacket but was not happy with the Eastman sizing and weight. So, I gave Mr Dover a call, sent some images and sizing details. He dealt with me in a very prompt way and about 10 days later I got my Jacket for about 400 bucks cheaper than Eastman!! I did pick out the liner myself and bought the material from a mill. It is very tough to find moleskin in the US. I had it made in a 3.5oz horsehide. Its heavy but I have a lost worlds that is SUPER heavy.... This one is just right. Anyways... whata think??

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Ausgeseichnet! Zehr schon!

-dixon von cannon

 

[johnnyjohnny]

U.S. authentic?

loox more like german authentic...very nice...i certainly wouldn't have thought to contact a company that doesn't offer a jacket type and persuade them to make it...

i'd like to know how authentic is it compared to the criteria you became aware of in your research, and did you see any variances from that authenticity?

and, of course, what was the price, and would they make more of these if some of us enVious types wanted one?

i was pseudo-enterprising compared to you, taking the aero highwayman and taking every option aero made, including putting two top pockets across the chest, to recreate the iconographic version (yours) of the luftwaffe jacket of ww2...my aero will still be a motorcycle jacket in that it has no throat and waist buckle, and it does have a side panel on each side between the front and back that says post 40s...actually more like the sixteeeeez

good work...any back and side pix?

 

[dmcburn75]

Johnny,

I sent US authentic about 10 different shots of the Luftwaffe jacket gathered during my research. I heard that Eastman's fit like a shirt. Very tight. I wanted to keep the look but with a little bit more room. Also at 6'4" the length of the Eastman would be crazy short. I contacted Eastman and I would have thought that for over a grand I could have some custom options. I instead found many restrictions such as no longer than 1" in length, this coupled with a long wait made me move on.

I had little reservation about contacting US authentic as I always wanted to get a custom jacket made. Less then two weeks later I received what is a better made Luftwaffe jacket out there in nice aroma rich heavy horse. I was pretty fastidious with sizing details but trusted they would follow the pictures in detail, and subsequently had more leeway with that aspect... They met my expectations and them some, right down to the inside luger pistol pocket.

If I HAD to find a problem with the jacket it would be with the hardware. It is fine in fit and quality but I would rather smaller pulls on the sliders. I believe they are identical to the zips on my lost world suburban... But I'm sure you can get anything you want if you just ask.

It cost $700, but that was with a long sizing, extra heavy horse and the time to make patterns etc... I don't know if it will be cheaper for you but it cant hurt to ask... I'll try and get back pics up.. it is a one piece back like the original tho.

Danny

 

[johnnyjohnny]

der JacKetmeisTer!

great ingenuity...just curious if you think the input you gave from your pix was enough to match or exceed eastman's reputed, and apparent from their photos, authenticity...and any sense authentic will keep the patterns/research around for future customer orders?

definitely would love to see photos front, back and side to compare them to eastman (knowing that even eastman admits theirs is based on the best of that style of jacket)...and would love to see any photos you might wish to share that you researched

thanks

 

[dmcburn75]

hey there,

Well in my opinion they beat my expectations. I sent him 8x10 images from this site. http://www.original-fliegerjacken.de/ its under fleigerjacken and the jacket is called the messerschmidt. It is the Eastman coat with close ups.

I told him to hold onto the patterns as I may want to order another so, I'm sure he can make up another if you want.

Here are some more photos of my jacket...

Hope this helps

 

[johnnyjohnny]

YaH!

totally fantastic! i hope they hold onto that research as i will be coming to them to make one...hope their prices stay nicely below eastman...which brings up the question as to why...in your opinion...do they just opt not to charge those eLite prices...or is there a difference in the exactitude?

their stuff certainly looks very good, and they do seem on the reasonable side pricewise

again, thanks for thei pix, the jacket looks superB

 

[dmcburn75]

I would imagine the extreme exchange rate would factor in with Eastman... On a side note I received one of US AUTHENTIC A-2's as a size trail...I was very happy with the quality of the A-2 and it was what subsequently made me have a custom luftwaffe jacket made.

As far as accuracy I would say its tough to say what is accurate with a Luftwaffe jacket. The "biggest" factor I would say is how the real luftwaffe jackets fit like a flying shirt. I have no doubt US AUTHENTIC would make a trim jacket but I wanted a little bit more room along with a tougher heavier horsehide...

I also ordered an Eastman A-2.. Quality was nice and I'm sure it was dead on accurate.. but it was thin and flimsy. Just didnt feel like a 900 dollar jacket. The fit and finish on my luftwaffe jacket is great, as I said earlier I might have gone a different route with the hardware... maybe brass. But it works fine nonetheless. To me its accurate for the shear fact it takes all the characteristics of real luftwaffe jackets and replicates them in an affordable quality fashion. And pretty much all real luftwaffe jackets where store bought or custom made. Cant get much more period accurate than that ;-)

 

[johnnyjohnny]

gooD review

thanks for all the info, and the pics, and extensive and specific review of both usauthentic and their making of this (not a stock offering) jacket...thanks for taking the time to do that

i definitely will go to usauthentic when i'm ready for one of these

as for eastman, i understand, and subscribe to the logic, that the 'flimsiness' of their jackets are very likely their accurate rendition of the thickness, or lack thereof, of the original a-2s

thanks for taking the time to go into such detail