bought new jacket! unknow maker, old and german...uboat?

[loosebolts]

hello every one.
ok so bought this jacket because I liked the look. its horse hide and charcoal in color. seller thought it was like a u boat jacket but I did not buy it for that reason. I know u boat jackets were usually private purchases and most kreigsmarine issued jacket were grey leather.I got this at a decent price because it has been relined and the buttons changed (in the 1960's I think. buttons look english) so no tags or identifiable marks. the seller said they believed it was military like and the person they bought it from said it was German. he said, she said and so on. so what to you guys and gals think about it? any general or rough ideas welcome.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Looks civilian to me. There were so many variations made of this basic pattern right until the 1970's . Used to find them even here ex German police jackets in grey and green. I think there were also Swedish versions.

 

[Xenophon]

Don't quote me on it but I believe WW2 German police jackets were double breasted; the same design was later indeed used in Sweden. In the Kriegsmarine / U-Boot Dienst I think it was only introduced as part of the uniform during the war and only for officers, the others received a simpler version. According to a vendor of replicas (site in German), finding a period original is nowadays rare and those that are still in circulation are generally in very bad shape and command premium prices at auction. Just relaying this, I don't know. But many leather coats with a same or similar design were circulating in Europe at some point after the war so I guess you'll never know for sure. But it sure looks vintage and if you like it and didn't pay through the nose you did great.

 

[Seb Lucas]

You're right Xenon - the ones I've seen we're double breasted. But the design is a similar long wide bodied 3/4 coat.

 

[loosebolts]

thanks, I like the look of it more so than the story. I googled u boat jacket and there are double breasted and single breasted and many variations on both but did not see one exactly like this.