Finally - At The Front Luftwaffe Kanal Jackets

[Enigma1938]

As I mentioned somewhere before. It would be a damn nice repro if they would use real sheepskin for the liner and the collar or at least better looking artifical fur. But that looks ridiculous and the collar is also too small.
I would love to give a hundred dollars more for a jacket with that features improved.

 

[Tanker Mike]

As I mentioned somewhere before. It would be a damn nice repro if they would use real sheepskin for the liner and the collar or at least better looking artifical fur. But that looks ridiculous and the collar is also too small.
I would love to give a hundred dollars more for a jacket with that features improved.I would love to give a hundred dollars more for a jacket with that features improved.

Except using real sheepskin would triple the cost thus pushing away most of the ATF customers. Look at their price points.

 

[CBI]

at one point ATF was going to make some versions with a real fur collar. not sure if that happened.

 

[Enigma1938]

Except using real sheepskin would triple the cost thus pushing away most of the ATF customers. Look at their price points.

Well you speak about 900$, that's plain utopian, other repro companies are able to do that for roundabout 500 bucks. Sheepskin isn't that expensive and you don't have to do a complex search for the 100% period correct fleece etc because germans used what was available, different colors, qualities, even different animal furs. So it wouldn't be that difficult and you really could keep the price reasonable. I'm sure there would be a big interest in that "corrected" jackets just because there are no competitors on the market doing that stuff no matter if they would cost 600 / 700 bucks.

 

[Chandler]

Because I know Rollin does his research for both accuracy, his business plan and his customer base (as was mentioned previously)...

"The lining and collar are faux fur- that looks realistic and is extremely warm. Yes, we inquired about using real fur but opted not to as it would make the price nearly triple. Plus it might upset a Twitter mob."

 

[Chandler]

at one point ATF was going to make some versions with a real fur collar. not sure if that happened.

Based on the struggles he's had with this vendor, I highly doubt it.

"After 2 years of BS, false promises and outright lies, the manufacturer finally delivered 1/4 of our Luftwaffe Channel Jacket order ... I don't know if we'll ever get the entire order but this is better than nothing."

 

[Pilot]

Please allow me to chime in.
Not only the “ plastic “ liner is incorrect but the whole cut and pattern is not as per a WWII Luftwaffe “Winter über Land Jacke für fliegendes Personal “ … looks more like a Czech postwar production repro.
The Oxy Mask tab is wrong and on the wrong place.The collar is way too small and has the incorrect backing . The waist adjusters are also not as they should be.. etc.
The post war designation of “Kanaljacke” is wrong as well since, it was never used during BoB ( it was issued much later ) nor over water.
My 1ct input.

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

Please allow me to chime in.
Not only the “ plastic “ liner is incorrect but the whole cut and pattern is not as per a WWII Luftwaffe “Winter über Land Jacke für fliegendes Personal “ … looks more like a Czech postwar production repro.
The Oxy Mask tab is wrong and on the wrong place.The collar is way too small and has the incorrect backing . The waist adjusters are also not as they should be.. etc.
The post war designation of “Kanaljacke” is wrong as well since, it was never used during BoB ( it was issued much later ) nor over water.
My 1ct input.

Second , a gentleman have posted one Czech Me262 jacket just week ago.

Czech Copy of German Winter Kanaljacke

First time wearing my new find today. It's (what I think is) a Czech pilot's jacket, made post 1945 (?). However, it is a good copy of a cloth type German Winter Kanaljacke. What attracted me is it's actually my size, so I jumped at the opportunity. It is still in very wearable condition...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

 

[Pilot]

Second , a gentleman have posted one Czech Me262 jacket just week ago.

Czech Copy of German Winter Kanaljacke

First time wearing my new find today. It's (what I think is) a Czech pilot's jacket, made post 1945 (?). However, it is a good copy of a cloth type German Winter Kanaljacke. What attracted me is it's actually my size, so I jumped at the opportunity. It is still in very wearable condition...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

Yes… that’s the one ATF copies.( tries to… )

 

[Saint-ex]

I think ATF's customer base is primarily reenactors, and they often have multiple different uniforms from various countries, etc.

Of course, I'm generalizing—there are certainly some wealthy and meticulous reenactors, but also a lot of younger ones who are more interested in having a complete outfit and the experience rather than worrying about whether the gas mask holder is in the exact right spot or if the collar is an inch too short.

So naturally, that creates some frustration here, but I just think we're not the target audience.

 

[Pilot]

I think ATF's customer base is primarily reenactors, and they often have multiple different uniforms from various countries, etc.

Of course, I'm generalizing—there are certainly some wealthy and meticulous reenactors, but also a lot of younger ones who are more interested in having a complete outfit and the experience rather than worrying about whether the gas mask holder is in the exact right spot or if the collar is an inch too short.

So naturally, that creates some frustration here, but I just think we're not the target audience.

Thanks S.E.
Well put.
Hope nobody gets cheated when he believes a) what the maker writes in his description, b) when he believes he has a “ repro “ Luftwaffe jacket…
Both are way off the real thing…

Again it comes to cheap and cheaper.

“ there are two sorts of oats… both sell…
The one sells very well to …feed horses…
The otherone also sells to gardeners for their crops and it come out of the horses… its called sh.t.
But yes, both are oats and sell”
… OK … I leave..

 

[Saint-ex]

Just to be clear, Brice, I agree with you. And yes, it’s borderline fraud when a product is sold as a replica. But once again, that’s just classic business.
Nobody says, "I sell mediocre products, they do the job from a distance, but honestly, they’re nothing special. But hey, I’m not stupid, at this price, I need to make a profit."

 

[Pilot]

Just to be clear, Brice, I agree with you. And yes, it’s borderline fraud when a product is sold as a replica. But once again, that’s just classic business.
Nobody says, "I sell mediocre products, they do the job from a distance, but honestly, they’re nothing special. But hey, I’m not stupid, at this price, I need to make a profit."

Thanks SE.
Agree, but still a lie and one can immediately see… this maker has no clue about what’s the definition of a ( legit) Kanaljacke ( used during BOB )… sure never a fleece jacket since only issued after BOB… and mostly for the Eastern front.
At best the maker just used a Czech postwar knockoff of a real WWII issued Winter Fliegerjacke…and here again no clue nor any knowledge on those topics like what is what..
BTW. the legit Winter Fliegerjacke price ranges from 2000-3000 Euro , size and condition depending.
Its doubtful, that the maker ever had one in his hands and even more put one appart to produce a faithful repro.
So another fairytale in the description.
Finally, if the repros are made in China or Pakistan its very easy to source very good and legit looking fleece there… for acceptable exta costs… but one must have the will and the knowledge for such an improvement..

 

[Saint-ex]

Yes. But profit !

 

[Pilot]

Yes. But profit !

Agree… we all work for free… Argh… not me

 

[Kermit3D]

The problem is that, generally speaking, Luftwaffe flight gear is very poorly understood.

Try typing "kanaljacke" into Google Images, and you'll find all sorts of jackets, many loosely inspired by Luftwaffe designs. Maybe less than 1% of the results actually show a genuine Kanaljacke.
Here's a link to Enigma's jacket, which I think is a fine reproduction of a Kanaljacke :

Luftwaffe summer flight jacket or "Kanaljacke"

I'm all alone at home this Sunday morning so I thought I could da a little review about some jackets. This here is a few years old reproduction of a german Luftwaffe summer flight jacket made by SM Wholesale in the USA. There were a few different variants of official issued summer flight jackets...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

American gear is well-documented and easily identifiable. British equipment is also fairly well known, though to a lesser extent. But German flight gear is a niche subject. Outside of a handful of dedicated enthusiasts, most people have little knowledge of it and simply trust what they’re presented with. And that’s understandable, reliable information isn't easy to come by.

When I was trying to get an authentic pair of "Splitterschutzbrille" goggles, I can’t even begin to describe the amount of research I had to do to ensure I was getting a genuine piece. There are pages and pages of "expert" debates on specialized forums—Is this tiny screw correct? Is it a Czechoslovakian copy ? and even among collectors, there's no consensus on the most reliable identification methods.

Companies that make reproductions often lack the necessary expertise and aren't willing to invest large sums in sourcing original German gear, which is rare and expensive—especially for such a niche market.

All this to say that most reproductions of German flight gear are far from the original. They’re not even on the level of "Cockpit USA" for an A-2 jacket.

Of course, this mainly applies to enthusiasts who prioritize authenticity above all else. I completely understand why some people enjoy these "not-so-accurate" reproductions for what they are .
EDIT : Please don't find anything condescending in what I've just written. At one point, I was tempted myself by the “At the Front” jacket...

 

[Pilot]

Well said G’. thanks for it.
The Enigma Kanaljacke is nicely upgraded.. but is still not comparable with a WWII original ( especially the liner plus other details).. but a great accomplishment by Enigma with the Rapid upgrade.. congrats to him.
All others you mention is 101% true and legit…
BTW.. you are right… with the Splinter googles 99,99% fakes… made in Czech Republic.. even the tins are 99.99% fakes and with obvious orthography failures on it..

 

[Enigma1938]

I wonder why the japs don't have jumped on the ww2 german flight jacket train meanwhile. Seems all the Asian repro companies are pretty satisfied with American stuff.

 

[Pilot]

I wonder why the japs don't have jumped on the ww2 german flight jacket train meanwhile. Seems all the Asian repro companies are pretty satisfied with American stuff.

There is a lot of know-how try and error needed.
Plus if one wants to be accurate ( the Japanese makers want this ) one need to recreate the fabrics, the fleece , zips, studs, buttons, buckles, etc…Luftwaffe jackets are far more sophisticated if compared to allied jackets.
The Japanese makers could do it…sure… but maybe its too much time and investment for them.. they tried already with an Irvin jacket…( not a big success IMHO ).
They prefer buying it from confirmed sources

 

[Adama36]

I wonder why the japs don't have jumped on the ww2 german flight jacket train meanwhile. Seems all the Asian repro companies are pretty satisfied with American stuff.

In my mind, the hype surrounding German stuff is clearly not high enough to get Japanese makers' interest (especially when compared to American stuff). Not sure there would be a market, except for reenactors. Personally, even if I recognize the quality and the design of German WWII jackets and uniforms, I would not feel comfortable wearing Nazi clothing (No offense to our German friends on the forum)