LUFTWAFFE FLiES: LEWiS LEATHERS 'DOMiNATOR' Review

[johnnyjohnny]

the SoLOiST

OOPS mistaken post...real one below

 

[johnnyjohnny]

and yeT moRe...

thanks SoLo, i appreciate your unfettered appreciation for this jacket...also i wanted to thank StOrM (not the wrestler, the FedLounge member) for his warm post, and Smithy, as well as others...

as for this aero Luftwaffe on fliegerjacke, JanSoLo is right on...i checked with aero and they admit it is theirs, but at the time when i asked if they could make one for me (through them, since the pound is less than the euro vs. the dollar) aero said the design was done for flieger and hence is their property, and the jackets are sold only through flieger...i certainly respect their point of view, as i've heard aero has customers who frown very much on the idea of a Luftwaffe jacket being sold by anyone...and i've known people personally, some from concentration camps, who would never buy a mercedes...before daimler bought them, and won't patronize german products)

i must and do respect this viewpoint...however, my personal viewpoint is not that...but rather to be fascinated with history, and i love things german, collect and sell ww2 german issue watches, as well as those of britain and the u.s....but that is neither here nor there...the point being that, understandably so, aero is taking advantage of the interest in the Luftwaffe jacket (and they should, we need good jacket makers to do historical jackets)...but keeping a distance as well...

personally, that jacket, with it's (kindly put by mr. SoL0) odd pocket formation, is not what i'd like...i think the Luftwaffe pilots had it right, er, stylewise that is, when the majority of them chose the style epitomized by the Lewis Leathers Dominator jacket as their own in ww2...and the Dominator being the best example made to date, in my opinion, mainly because it's a legit style/jacket...admittedly, eastman's is a recreation that 'takes the best elements' (to quote eastman) of all the private purchased Luftwaffe jackets of ww2...a truly superb job, but again, i prefer a jacket authentic unto itself than a copy, if i can have one

in that vain, i had submitted Lewis Leathers to be on filmjacket.com for having made the jacket for the Luftwaffe in the '69 film 'battle of britain'...probably a controversial film at the time, being only 25 years after the war, and filmed in britain...

however, filmjacket.com has put up some remarkable screen shots from the film of the actors in their jacket, which as they say in the post is a combination of the Lewis Corsair and Dominator...actually, the coarsair iS the dominator, except without the top chest pockets...probably too busy for the camera, too much glitter off the steel zips for the director of photography (not kidding, they are shiny)...but you'll notice the only thing different from the Dominator (as seen in my pix above, and on the Lewis website) is they've added a biG beLt vs. the tab waist enclosure the dominator has...and in fact, most of these original jackets had the smaller tab waist fastener (the dominator, and some of the Luftwaffe jackets from the period had snaps, most had buckles on the waist)...again, my guess from being in the film industry (in an arcane way) is that the huGe belt was as much a sign of the styles of 1969 and the wardrobe designer's stamp on the film, as well as trying to make the jacket read for the camera, but removing elements such as the chest zips, that didn't work huge on the screen...though the biG beLT on Luftwaffe jackets did obviously exist...here's the post with pix from the film>>>
http://filmjackets.com/forum/viewto...&start=0&sid=8f476d4e30cc8bba433a261f6b22a6b4

as for the allegedly 'other' Luftwaffe jacket that was reich issued, not including the heretofore mentioned irvin-style and kanal canvas jackes, my guess is that if it did exist, it was something akin to the u.s. army airforce's g-2 in ww2...these were made, a prototype, and it can even be argued that they were issued as some were issued to personnel to try...but they certainly don't stand iconically with the a-2, or g-1...

happy Thanksgiving

 

[icecold]

thanks for some of the questions which i do have answers for>>>


1. the hide is unbelievable (like i never felt anything like this except on an ex-girlfriend, but that's another story)...as i wrote last night, sitting sheltered from the rain here in LaLaLand, the longer i wore it, the more supple and literally warm with my body temperature the jacket became, morphing to my structure as if liquid mercury...soft, thick but not overly so, it was not too much heavier than your standard goat a-2, but with an incredible uniform and beautiful texture...to answer your question specifically, it is cowhide, though, given my lead-in to answering this question, it is not to be assumed i date cows literally or figuratively, though nothing wrong with the latter...in fact i may start

2.600 pounds expensive? well, i thought so until the world's econs crashed...the price has dropped by about 25 percent in u.s. dollar terms...however, i'll say this about that, to quote a former u.s. president, this is the last jacket you will ever need to get...except to satisfy the oc disorder we all have with jackets...yet, this may even solve that...this will last probably longer than the legit Luftwaffe ww2 jackets you see on ebay, and like that patek watch ad campaign, you do not own this jacket, you are taking care of it for the next generation...and believe me, this would look great on male or female...so that price is pittance when you do the 'consumer reports' stats on it, and see that it will last several lifetimes...given reincarnation you may have a chance to enjoy it a number of times, if you can know who you'll be coming back as

4. the lining has a quilted look because the threading has a crisscross pattern, but it is fluffy, light, and about as warm as what you'd get in a g-1...only slightly warmer than the cotton drill (or twill?) in an a-2...but very soft and comfie...and the sleeves are another fabric that is lighter yet, and smooth so the sleeves glide on...again, to design, this jacket is classic yet superiour...with the suppleness and fit after several hours of having it mold to my body of, well, my ex-girlfriend...i can see easily using it in a cockpit to navigate instruments

what happened to '3.' you say, saved for last as i wouldn't have bought the jacket had that 'Lewis' patch not been optional...though it is optional to have it NoT added...so you should specify you don't want it, and it won't be there...

hope that answers all about this...it's been fun getting it, and being surpised on how it has been everything one would hope...and enjoyed sharing it with people on this forum who are interested, and have made the getting of it more enjoyable!

happy Thanksgiving

thanks a lot for the info; also, the narrative style cracks me up, as usual :eusa_clap

'appy turkey day!

 

[johnnyjohnny]

baCk atYa...

narratiVe tHiS IceMan...


...i appreciate the comment on my narrative (fooLed ya, huh?)

let us all know if you get one of these before oBaMa rescues the world's econs and the pound brings the price up on LewisLeathers too high for any more Americans to afford!

 

[Edward]

JJ, I really hope he does: six months ago, I didn't have the scratch for a Goodwear A2 - now I do have what they cost six months ago, the stronger dollar has put them out of reach for me. I'll have to wait until the pound recovers...

Jan, that Arado jacket looks interesting.... Interesting, too, if the cowhide is accurate to the originals. I wonder whether this was significantly cheaper laterf in the war when Germany was finding resources hard pushed? An interesting look, though my own stylistic preferences lean, as others, more towards the Hartmann style.

 

[Paden]

Please send me a mail, if somebody wants to buy a Arado Jacket from Aero directly.

Best regards,

Ingo

 

[icecold]

here's the post with pix from the film>>>
http://filmjackets.com/forum/viewto...&start=0&sid=8f476d4e30cc8bba433a261f6b22a6b4

happy Thanksgiving

Yeah.. I LOVE tha A-2, but, can't help and admit that the Luftvaffe jacket looks sharp, badazz, and why yes - uber-stylish, and clearly more sinister perfectly appropriate "bad guy" clothing - hinsight or no hinsight.
In fact, these pics make me contemplate even using the word "elegant" - which of course is not easy to pair with the concept of leather clothing...

 

[jamespibworth@n]

What a great Lewis Leathers Jacket you have JJ.

I hope will be as happy with it as I am with mine, which is wearing in nicely.


It’s more than a jacket you have, it’s a piece of on going heritage

James

 

[Daniel Hunter]

Fantastic jacket Sir, you've got me tempted to order one myself!

ps: What was the turn around time from order placed to delivery....I'm curious.

*just found the answer in your exchange rate thread....10/26

 

[johnnyjohnny]

LeWiS recommended!

well DanHunter, i'd get one of them thar Lewis jackets if you are considering one...turnaround time is quick these days, was not much more than a month if i recall correctly, and the exchange rate still is very cooL...

and mr.Pib (sorry, couldn't resist, used to drink the stuff...great soda!)...Jamespibworth, thank you for the compliment on the jacket, and yours looks FaB (to quote a brit expression)...seems to be wearing in great...Derek from Lewis sent a nice post sale email and pointed out that the jacket will get better over time as it develops character...(kind of like people, some of them i guess)

want to post a pic i found of what purports to be a legit ww2 Luftwaffe jacket, and i would trust that since this is from the LWcollectibles website (i'll post the website after the pic):

the blog has a section for luftwaffe stuff...aside from jackets i don't know if anyone's interested, but i'm sure they have some great us and brit ww2 jacks as well:

http://lwcollectibles.blogspot.com/2007/12/luftwaffe-flight-gear-and-equipment-17.html

the luftwaffe jacket, except for the added spaghetti boards on the shoulders and flying swastika bird on the chest, looks totally like the Lewis Dominator...including no throat latch and a snap waist latch...though it does have cuffs, and the lining is blue felt or cloth of some sort...

and i recall this jacket Aswatland (from the fedLounge here) posted awhilst back...again, total Dominator (including no collar latch, and a snap waist latch) except in brown, with cuffs, and the tips of the collar slightly rounded...and it does have zips on the bottom pockets...owned by a ME 109 pilot in ww2 according to the Aswatter

 

[H.Johnson]

Edward,

Leather flight gear was common in the Luftwaffe in WW2. Leather jackets were used by fighter pilots defending the Reich as a more flexible alternative to the leather Winter Kombi one-piece suit ('for flight over water') that was favoured by bomber crews.

Leather versions of the Kanaljacke (actually part of a suit, but more often seen worn with Kanal trousers or even breeches) were 'on issue' from 1943 until the end of the war. It is common to see photographs of ME262 pilots wearing them, ans for this reason I have heard them called 'Schwalbe jackets'. I have no idea why people make statements to the effect that there was no such garment.

You can see some good examples (with history) in 'Luftwaffe vs. RAF' by M.J. Prodger (Schiffer Books) on pages 114-119. They are to be seen in two versions - electrically heated and unheated. Within the general design, there were a number of patterns, varying between manufacturers (Karl Heisler made many), some of which had main zips and others had Prym fasteners. Some had fustian collars (not mouton as some people believe) and some collars plain leather. There were also variations in the number of panels etc. Oh, and they were available in black (or blue/grey according to some people), brown (most commonly found today) and even green (so I'm told).

The basic design was a plain body with an outside windflap and vertical outide map pocket and buckled waist cinches, a wide round collar and zipped sleeves with a wrist tab. Think B-2 without the belt and pocket.

Now, having explained all that, will someone explain something to me. Why do people insist on describing ordinary civilian leather jackets, even from the sixties, as 'Luftwaffe' jackets?

Ah, I must check that out. The only Luftwaffe jackts I was aware of were the Irvin-like one and the canvas Kanal jacket - I've never seen an issue leather. Which theatre were those issued for?

 

[BellyTank]

European motorcycle jackets.

I believe these were used by the Luftwaffe, too.


B
T

 

[H.Johnson]

Yes, so why don't people call them 'European motorcycle jackets'?

Unless such a jacket has actually been used by a member of the Luftwaffe, what is the connection?

 

[BellyTank]

Er... someone here decided that the archetypal LW leather jacket is not a LW jacket but one similar to one of many commercial styles used by German pilots.

I don't get it either.


B
T

 

[H.Johnson]

Hang on - you don't think it was the reproduction manufacturers, who can charge more for a 'reproduction Luftwaffe jacket' than they could if they advertised it as a 'reproduction of a perfectly ordinary civilian jacket'?

 

[BellyTank]

Hmmm...

That may well have also been a contributing factor.


B
T

 

[BellyTank]

That's a nice jacket, by the way.
It has a very contemporary look.


B
T

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Hang on - you don't think it was the reproduction manufacturers, who can charge more for a 'reproduction Luftwaffe jacket' than they could if they advertised it as a 'reproduction of a perfectly ordinary civilian jacket'?

I agree … but:

But they wouldn't have been able to play on it so successfully if the meme did not exist before they promoted their jacket as such. I would venture that the archetypal Luftwaffe fighter pilot was clad in short black (y brown) leather jackets long before people actively started marketing such jackets as "Luftwaffe" jackets.

bk

 

[H.Johnson]

Well, yes, but there were many more civilians wearing them. To me a civilian jacket is a civilian jacket, even if it was worn by some military personnel.

Look at it the other way around. I remember that many early morning milk (delivery) men wore 'Irvin' jackets that were sold off as government surplus after WW2. That wouldn't make them 'milkmen jackets' in most peoples' minds - they would retain their original assocation. So why does a style of civilian jacket become a 'Luftwaffe jacket' because they worn by a relatively few airmen?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Well, yes, but there were many more civilians wearing them. To me a civilian jacket is a civilian jacket, even if it was worn by some military personnel.

Yes. This ("Luftwaffe") is a particularly flagrant example of skewed popular perceptions. Though it is significantly less problematic than the usurpation of the names of certain peoples/regiments i won't name. "They used leather items, therefore we can apply their name to all our leather products."

Look at it the other way around. I remember that many early morning milk (delivery) men wore 'Irvin' jackets that were sold off as government surplus after WW2. That wouldn't make them 'milkmen jackets' in most peoples' minds - they would retain their original assocation.

Yes they would: Biggles jackets. Seriously, though, the 1950s milkman has had just a very slightly smaller cultural impact than images of Luftwaffe flyers, an image which almost seamlessly (without basis) morphs into the slinky, black clad, strutting SS officer.

So why does a style of civilian jacket become a 'Luftwaffe jacket' because they worn by a relatively few airmen?

Because that's the meme; it doesn't have to be accurate, they often are not accurate. The major way in which this type of [sometimes]uniquely central European [probably]motorcycle jacket has entered the public consciousness is through its association with those pilots. Hence the [wrong] idea takes hold that they were the ones who popularised the jackets, and that they were somehow "issue".

The obvious correlates are the Brando jacket, or even the Waterfront jacket. Why call it a Brando jacket? Or a Waterfront jacket? I think it's just as valid, using this logic, to call something a "Luftwaffe" jacket as it is to call something a "Brando" or a "Waterfront" - both of which were worn by many people before Marlon. I'm eternally glad that the trench coat has not become the "Bogart" jacket!


bk