Fiver64
Practically Family
- Messages
- 670
- Location
- Fountain City, WI
Please excuse the following speach, but in an effort to help fellow FL'ers in having positive buying experiences, I just have to comment on the hype surrounding WW2 (especially German) garments being offered and sought online.
Although no self-proclaimed expert, in the 80 and 90's I handled (bought and sold) tons (literally) of WW2 German militaria, mostly uniforms and field equipment, etc. Had a picker working for me in Germany who would hunt the flea markets and garage sales for original stuff. What I learned (often the hard and expensive way) was unless you actually knew the provenance of any item, it can ALL be altered or outright faked.
During the war, MOST leather garments were custom orders only, although there are a few exceptions (like some "channel coats"). This created a myriad of variations and "non-official" designs, yet no less authentic to the era. Flight jackets are a great example. There were officially approved designs, but rarely left unmodified by the owner. The general design was produced before and after the war, often using the same materials like zippers, buttons, snaps, etc.
After the war, financially strapped manufacturers continued to use whatever supplies they had left. I have personally handled pickle-pails filled with original pebble-grain buttons, bakelite parts, Ri-Ri zippers, thread, hobnails, etc. Many are still readily available! It's easy to take a beat up old leather jacket from the 30s or 50s, replace a few buttons and pass it off (to the uneducated eye) as "original WW2."
In the for-what-it's-worth catagory........ if you are set on paying big bucks for an "original" WW2 leather jacket, you need to understand that enterprising individuals (many in former Eastern-block countries, where the lion's share of the spoils ended up) are more than happy to counterfeit a dead-on "original" for you.
The degree to which items can be faked is directly proportionate to the potential profit to be made. I've seen items artificially aged through various chemical processes, or by using time-tested methods such as hanging wool and leather garments in old barns to gain the musty smell and even a few moth-nips! Original RZM tags are easily restitched into non-period jackets.
A very simple test, not perfect, but usually a good bet, is the blacklight test. Hand-held blacklights are very inexpensive (like less than $15) and are ideal for taking to shows and sales. Simply find a dark spot (like covering the area under your coat) and turn on the light. Cloth of the WW2 era was not generally treated with artificial brighteners like phosphorus, so it won't glow under UV light. Treated will pop out (glow) very vividly. Synthetic thread often does this as well. If something doesn't look right, you can bet the item has been altered to appear correct. If an item has simply been washed (post-war) with modern detergents with phosphorus, they will usually glow with a lesser, mottled look. You will see the difference.
Another simple test, is the thread-burn test. But this does require a tiny amount of material and dealers might get pissy if you try to burn their stuff! Very few (but some stuff for the LW, like parachutes and riser lines, etc)materials of the time were made with synthetic material. Organic stuff (like cotton and wool) burn to ash when lit....... synthetic melts into a gooey ball. Easy enough.
The market for flight jackets is booming, as is the market for "Gestapo"-style coats and Wehrmacht officer's coats. Yes, they are cool, but they are all based on civilian designs used prior to and after the war.
Buy from reputable dealers who know their craft, or buy because you like the item, but (unless well-documented) DON'T pay for bogus provenance! "This coat was found in a barn in Normandy." "This jacket was obtained from the butler of Adolf Galland." It's usually crap. It's a HUGE minefield for original militaria out there....... please be careful!
BEFORE you spend hundreds on a jacket, take a few pics and put them on the FL. Many of us have some experience with originals. We all hate to see folks get burned and we all seem to share in thrill of a very cool acquisition of fellow members. We will help, if possible. If a seller is unwilling to allow this request for photos, just walk away. It's probably fake, and they know it.
Good luck! Don't forget RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!
Although no self-proclaimed expert, in the 80 and 90's I handled (bought and sold) tons (literally) of WW2 German militaria, mostly uniforms and field equipment, etc. Had a picker working for me in Germany who would hunt the flea markets and garage sales for original stuff. What I learned (often the hard and expensive way) was unless you actually knew the provenance of any item, it can ALL be altered or outright faked.
During the war, MOST leather garments were custom orders only, although there are a few exceptions (like some "channel coats"). This created a myriad of variations and "non-official" designs, yet no less authentic to the era. Flight jackets are a great example. There were officially approved designs, but rarely left unmodified by the owner. The general design was produced before and after the war, often using the same materials like zippers, buttons, snaps, etc.
After the war, financially strapped manufacturers continued to use whatever supplies they had left. I have personally handled pickle-pails filled with original pebble-grain buttons, bakelite parts, Ri-Ri zippers, thread, hobnails, etc. Many are still readily available! It's easy to take a beat up old leather jacket from the 30s or 50s, replace a few buttons and pass it off (to the uneducated eye) as "original WW2."
In the for-what-it's-worth catagory........ if you are set on paying big bucks for an "original" WW2 leather jacket, you need to understand that enterprising individuals (many in former Eastern-block countries, where the lion's share of the spoils ended up) are more than happy to counterfeit a dead-on "original" for you.
The degree to which items can be faked is directly proportionate to the potential profit to be made. I've seen items artificially aged through various chemical processes, or by using time-tested methods such as hanging wool and leather garments in old barns to gain the musty smell and even a few moth-nips! Original RZM tags are easily restitched into non-period jackets.
A very simple test, not perfect, but usually a good bet, is the blacklight test. Hand-held blacklights are very inexpensive (like less than $15) and are ideal for taking to shows and sales. Simply find a dark spot (like covering the area under your coat) and turn on the light. Cloth of the WW2 era was not generally treated with artificial brighteners like phosphorus, so it won't glow under UV light. Treated will pop out (glow) very vividly. Synthetic thread often does this as well. If something doesn't look right, you can bet the item has been altered to appear correct. If an item has simply been washed (post-war) with modern detergents with phosphorus, they will usually glow with a lesser, mottled look. You will see the difference.
Another simple test, is the thread-burn test. But this does require a tiny amount of material and dealers might get pissy if you try to burn their stuff! Very few (but some stuff for the LW, like parachutes and riser lines, etc)materials of the time were made with synthetic material. Organic stuff (like cotton and wool) burn to ash when lit....... synthetic melts into a gooey ball. Easy enough.
The market for flight jackets is booming, as is the market for "Gestapo"-style coats and Wehrmacht officer's coats. Yes, they are cool, but they are all based on civilian designs used prior to and after the war.
Buy from reputable dealers who know their craft, or buy because you like the item, but (unless well-documented) DON'T pay for bogus provenance! "This coat was found in a barn in Normandy." "This jacket was obtained from the butler of Adolf Galland." It's usually crap. It's a HUGE minefield for original militaria out there....... please be careful!
BEFORE you spend hundreds on a jacket, take a few pics and put them on the FL. Many of us have some experience with originals. We all hate to see folks get burned and we all seem to share in thrill of a very cool acquisition of fellow members. We will help, if possible. If a seller is unwilling to allow this request for photos, just walk away. It's probably fake, and they know it.
Good luck! Don't forget RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!
