Five Star 'Luftwaffe' Jacket

[Emchisti]

Morning all,

I'm looking at the Five Star Luftwaffe jacket and wondered if anyone had any experience with it? What are the proportions like? Sizing? Has anyone got recommendations for which leather would suit it best? What are the fittings like?

Five Start Luftwaffe Jacket

 

[Kermit3D]

Hi Emchisti,
I don't have any experience with the Fivestar "luftwaffe" jacket, but I do have a little experience with cyclist Jackets (that's what we call this type of jacket).

I'd say the fit is starting to approach ( quite distantly though) that of a real cyclist jacket.
The jacket is short, which is a good thing. However, it seems to me that the size chart is very strange. I usually wear a size 40-42, and according to the chart, the Fivestar "luftwaffe" jacket that would fit me is a size 36...
Let's just say it's far from a top-of-the-range cyclist jacket, but it's not a disaster either. A lot of the details are wrong, but the overall fit is just about right.
By the way, cyclist jackets have never been black. Always more or less brown leather.

Let me make a comparison with my original cyclist jacket :

 

[Kermit3D]

As for leather, most of the originals were made from cowhide.
But personally, I'd go for Fivestar "Mid Brown" horsehide. It seems to be a quality leather, and it's hard to tell the difference between cowhide and horsehide anyway.

 

[dinomartino1]

I don't have a five star one so I can't tell you but, do you just like the look or do you want to get as close as you can to a French cyclists jacket on a budget.
This would would be more authentic if that's what you want .
Brown
Not the ball chain type zips, these YKK? zips are closer looking to the french eclair zips.

Fighter Pilot Bomber Air Force REPRO Luftwaffe WW2 Real Leather Flying Aviation Jacket

FiveStar Leather Premium Quality Leather Jacket made from Real and high quality Goatskin Leather Front Zipper Fastening, High quality Quilted lining, Authentic Military Standards, Fine and outclass stitching, This bomber jacket is crafted from 100% authentic goatskin leather and has a front...

www.fivestarleather.us

These jackets were very high waisted.
I have seen some with buckle adjusters on the waist but the vast majority I have seen have O-rings, they could do them for you.
Five star will make to your measurements.

Read these threads before you do anything

French cyclist jacket (Hartmann jacket) by Pilot

That's it, I got my "Hartmann" jacket ! :) It is absolutely sublime ! I was hoping for something very beautiful, and I must admit that it is even better... I will give you my impressions in detail later. For the moment here are the first pictures (sorry for the quality, at night with a...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

French cyclist jacket (or Hartmann) the 2nd.

After "Kermit3D" showed his awesome cyclist jacket he bought from "pilot" I decide to show you mine. I'm currently on the restoration of a original cyclist and needed some parts for it, so I came in contact with pilot and after a few messages between us he attracted me to buy one of his...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

Another Erich Hartmann flight jacket

Just got this one... An issued version ( this one not to Erich ...) and also called Reich’s Defence jacket...Reichsverteidigungsjacke. They were issued in grey, russet and seal...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

 

[dinomartino1]

Just in case all the names are confusing these were not "luftwaffe jackets", just everyday french leather jackets from the 1930s-50's.
German pilots in occupied france liked the style and started wearing them.
They are known as french cyclist or Hartmann after the german ace erich hartmann who wore one.
The internet is full of fakes supposedly worn by luftwaffe pilots due to the high value that will put on them.

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Thanks @dinomartino1 and @Kermit3D for the detailed analysis and hints!

 

[Emchisti]

Hi both, yes, I'm a vintage clothing collector (for want of a better phrase) so already have knowledge around the history of the jackets, but I genuinely do appreciate the detailed responses. The Luftwaffe one looked better to me than the other as it looked to be more in proportion. I'm not exactly a tall man and wear high-waisted trousers so need a jacket that's short enough in the body to compliment the trousers I wear, daily. I'm more into the French 1930s fashion bit than the luftwaffe bit so I just want a jacket that would satisfy that requirement. I don't really care for the fakes as that's not what I want it for, and seems, as you rightly state,incidental to the original design ethos of these jackets.

I do appreciate the comments about the zips and assume that Five Star can sort these for me. Leather wise, I was looking at Steerhide to better match the originals. I have a few goatskin jackets but I'm not a major fan of the look or feel of goatskin. And of course, it'll be brown, not black!

 

[dinomartino1]

There's also a huge thread on the fedora lounge for five star jackets.
It maybe better to use a leather jacket already you have for the measurements and get them to make it for you, I don't think they charge extra for that but I think you can't return?
The shorter the better.

 

[Emchisti]

Agree on the last statement!

 

[mulceber]

...but I do have a little experience with cyclist Jackets...

Nice use of understatement, @Kermit3D.

 

[Kermit3D]

Nice use of understatement, @Kermit3D.

Let's just say I have some theoretical knowledge, but I've only handled one original (mine) so you can't really say I'm experienced. Brice is much more legitimate than I am on this point.

 

[Kermit3D]

Just in case all the names are confusing these were not "luftwaffe jackets", just everyday french leather jackets from the 1930s-50's.
German pilots in occupied france liked the style and started wearing them.
They are known as french cyclist or Hartmann after the german ace erich hartmann who wore one.
The internet is full of fakes supposedly worn by luftwaffe pilots due to the high value that will put on them.

I partly agree.
I think (but this is just my opinion) that this jacket, the new version, is much better than the old one.
The new jacket is much shorter, and the overall cut is more in keeping with what a cyclist jacket should be. The old jacket seems bigger and longer. A bit like what ELC offers with the "Hartmann" jacket.
You're right that the zipper pulls on the old version look better.

The side buckles (at the waist) are still D-shaped. But sometimes the straps are reversed (tightened forwards or backwards).

 

[dinomartino1]

I partly agree.
I think (but this is just my opinion) that this jacket, the new version, is much better than the old one.
The new jacket is much shorter, and the overall cut is more in keeping with what a cyclist jacket should be. The old jacket seems bigger and longer. A bit like what ELC offers with the "Hartmann" jacket.
You're right that the zipper pulls on the old version look better.

The side buckles (at the waist) are still D-shaped. But sometimes the straps are reversed (tightened forwards or backwards).

Just showed that one to show the better zip, I know nothing about their jackets or that they even had an old and new.

 

[Kermit3D]

Just showed that one to show the better zip, I know nothing about their jackets or that they even had an old and new.

Ok my bad, I didn't understand, sorry.

 

[Kermit3D]

Anyway, @Emchisti , if you decide to order a cyclist jacket from Fivestar, I'm very interested in your opinion and I'm curious to see what it looks like. Keep us posted

 

[Enigma1938]

Well when it comes to german ww2 jacket repros 5* has a lot of catching up to do, their jackets are 70% there but could be even better with the same love shawn put into american jackets for example. On the other hand for some reason the german jackets are not as popular as their counterparts...

 

[leper-colony]

Well when it comes to german ww2 jacket repros 5* has lot of catching up to do, their jackets are 70% there but could be even better with the same love shawn put into american jackets for example. On the other hand for some reason the german jackets are not as popular as their counterparts...

Things seem to go better if he has a loaner.

 

[Enigma1938]

Things seem to go better if has a loaner.

True