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Modern German Flieger Jacke

Pilot

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Here the WWII version… the only real LW Kanaljacke ( Channel jacket ) together with its summer light white version…Many others are called Kanaljacke by sellers… but are actually not…. Even if legit WWII LW flight jackets.
We repro this one ( mine ) 1/1 with all all NOS material..
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Erwin

Well-Known Member
Very cool Mr. Pilot, like always, just why to cover the Adler ;) I doubt that anyone would be offended by this great historical piece. Was it made from a pure cotton or some ersatz blend?
 
Pilot

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Erwin said:
Very cool Mr. Pilot, like always, just why to cover the Adler ;) I doubt that anyone would be offended by this great historical piece. Was it made from a pure cotton or some ersatz blend?
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Thankyou.
Nope never pure cotton since Germany never grew cotton.. its a ( very fragile thin ) special linen blend very difficult to replicate.
 
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Erwin

Well-Known Member
If I remember correctly these genuine LW fabrics is very unique, I was able to check few LW pieces long time ago. Just not sure if these were a full natural or ersatz, on mid war pieces I assume mostly blends, but it is very interesting what exact fibers were used?
 
Pilot

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Erwin said:
If I remember correctly these genuine LW fabrics is very unique, I was able to check few LW pieces long time ago. Just not sure if these were a full natural or ersatz, on mid war pieces I assume mostly blends, but it is very interesting what exact fibers were used?
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It was never cotton…( where to get it from or grow it? ) always a linen blend… the more the wartime progressed the lousier the quality…
During WWII the word „ Ersatz „ was only used for Coffee, Honey, sugar hence food…..never for „Kriegswichtiges Material“…this would have been demoralizing for the troops..
Even if for leather “ Ersatz “ read waxed hard paper was used and it was real junk..
The terminology “Ersatz “ ( for Material ) was only used by the winners and post war…
 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Pilot said:
It was never cotton…( where to get it from or grow it? ) always a linen blend… the more the wartime progressed the lousier the quality…
During WWII the word „ Ersatz „ was only used for Coffee, Honey, sugar hence food…..never for „Kriegswichtiges Material“…this would have been demoralizing for the troops..
Even if for leather “ Ersatz “ read waxed hard paper was used and it was real junk..
The terminology “Ersatz “ ( for Material ) was only used by the winners and post war…
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Interestingly I have a couple of WWII Luftwaffe holsters for a Fabrique National FN 1922 and a Femaru pistols that are late war made of Ersatz material.
 
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Erwin

Well-Known Member
Pilot said:
The terminology “Ersatz “ ( for Material ) was only used by the winners and post war…
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Well not agree about this statement, like I remember from my childhood some old family members used this word for a low quality leather or genetally to describe any low quality items. Also, during the war it was used in relation to stuff like sugar, coffee, Marmelade, etc.).
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Sorry for off topic BTW, let's continue about these ugly grey flight jackets ;)
 
Pilot

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Erwin said:
Well not agree about this statement, like I remember from my childhood some old family members used this word for a low quality leather or genetally to describe any low quality items. Also, during the war it was used in relation to stuff like sugar, coffee, Marmelade, etc.).
View attachment 157565
Sorry for off topic BTW, let's continue about these ugly grey flight jackets ;)
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“Ersatz” for food and hence coffee was OK…
But “ Ersatz for leather or other “Kriegswichtiges Material” was never used… it was demoralizing the troops… as mentioned in my last post.
 
Pilot

Pilot

Well-Known Member
B-Man2 said:
Interestingly I have a couple of WWII Luftwaffe holsters for a Fabrique National FN 1922 and a Femaru pistols that are late war made of Ersatz material.
Click to expand...
Yes correct… but nobody in the Luftwaffe called it “ Ersatz”… it was called “Beutewaffen” ( arms taken from the enemy )… and the FN or GP’s were very sought after by the flying and Panzer crews.
 
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Erwin

Well-Known Member
Wholenineyards said:
Halt! Stop! Gefahr! Before you bid on this jacket, check the weird zipper! If you're ok with it, go ahead!
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Well spotted, sorry Folks these are really ugly jackets in comparison to USN/USMC ones ;) - interesting from the historical point of view, well designed and done but grey u-boot color is ugly [in my opinion].
 
Wholenineyards

Wholenineyards

Well-Known Member
Beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder. Granted. Keep in mind, though, that those kind of jackets were and are worn by people who have passed the grade, getting in aircraft to conduct assigned missions in all types of weather, times of day and night and opposition forces with the risk of ending up in a place of the Hanoi Hilton charme. A lot of Navy/ Marine pilots don't even care for their low quality ugly leather and faux fur collar, except: They signed the ledger of the quartermaster when they were given the RIGHT to draw an issued jacked from supply. They had made the grade. The same is true for the German air crew I know. No matter the subjective ugliness of a garment one has the RIGHT to receive it. In my youth it was listed in the Bekleidungsnachweis C (Sonderbekleidung), parallel to the Mk 10 immersion suit, the famous Frankenstein suit of very dubios beauty. The gray leather jacket was too hot in the high summer, too cold in the winter, but everybody wanted it because when the ill mooded supply civilian in the warehouse of Sonderbekleidung gave you yours you knew you were at least in the doorframe of the club. To stay alive on the job and advance in seniority in the club is another matter altogether. By the way, way back when, quite a number of US CWU-36/P owners wanted to trade their plastic into German leather. In the end the German procurement got rid of the gray leather and told everybody to hand in their garment to be sold in bulk to military and pawn shops. Almost immediately all of the Luftwaffe started a riot because they wanted to keep their well worn and beloved knightly armour. So, bowing to the pressure of all of the flying folk across the Bundeswehr, they folded. Everybody who had a gray leather flight jacket listet on his or her Bekleidungsnachweis C was given the chance to buy one's own jacket for 50 Euro. So, ugly or not, that's part of the history of the German air crew leather flight jacket. Airbus Germany now supplies an enormous amount of ex military gray to their employees. It's part of their identity and uniform. Attached is the picture of Grazia Vittadini, ex Airbus Chief Technology Officer. Leading in gray.
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Cheers, W
 
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Erwin

Well-Known Member
Well maybe girls look better in these jackets, not long time ago there was a German movie where main character (girl) wore this grey flight jacket if I remember correctly. I haven't change my mind ... still find these not cool [ugly] but it is just my opinion and I understand that some people find these jackets cool.

Great information about these jackets BTW ;)
 
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