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This is a well loved jacket of the
WWII Luftwaffe pilots, and known mostly to be worn by the highly regarded Luftwaffe
pilot Eric Hartmann.
Eric Hartmann, known as the "Blonde
Knight of Germany", was accredited with 352 aerial victories during his
service with the Luftwaffe in WWII (which made him the highest scoring ace of
all time).
Hartmann received many awards and decorations, and was eventually
bestowed with the highest decoration for combat in the German armed forces,
"The Knights Cross", with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds.
In most archive images of Eric Hartmann,
he can be seen wearing this leather jacket. These jackets were purchased comercially
by many Luftwaffe pilots (they were not military issued, and often referred
to as cyclist jackets).
What made them so popular with the pilots? The jackets
were lightweight, close-cut, and could be comfortably worn in the tighter confines
of the closed cockpits in fighter planes such as the Me109 and FW190
Since
this jacket style was so suitable for many of the pilots purposes, it soon became
adopted by a wide range of military personell such as day fighters, dog fight
flyers, night flyers, observers, and stuka pilots.
In the 1930's and early 1940's, the
jacket was produced in black and brown. It is hard to tell which color was preferred
since the archive pictures are in black and white.
To put a unique touch on
this great jacket, this version of our reproduction of the "Hartmann"
jacket is in a nice black colour.
The jacket is still as accurate to the original
as is feasible to be, including the one detail that stands out- the special
shaped buckle which closes at the bottom front.
In short, this is as close to
the original jacket of Eric Hartmann as one can get.
Details:
- hand picket argentinian horse
hide
- black color
- plaid wool inner lining
- 4 outside pockets… two zippered breast pockets and two flapped lower
waist pockets
- 2 inside pockets, of which one can be closed by a zipper
- original "Ritsch" zippers
- true detailed reproduction of the front buckle
- sizes: S - 4XL (other sizes on request)
We will inform you if the price of this product will be changed according to your wished price.
The quality of both the leather and workmanship is as good as it gets.
The craftsmanship and the quality of leather (front quarter full-grain horsehide) used in this jacket are truly exceptional, matching the quality you’d find in jackets from other companies at three times the price.
I’m extremely satisfied with my purchase and would highly recommend this jacket to anyone looking for top-tier quality.
OK .. now about the jacket. It is everything I had hoped for. The fit is not as fitted as the authentic 40’s issue but close enough. The quality of the horsehide, lining, rippers, buttons and stitching are all perfect. The hide is a nice heavy top quality grade and really durable but they comfortable. The lining is warm flannel material (rather than cheap fake silk). The rippers are ages brass which is much more subtle that shiny steel zippers. I have many leather jackets but this Hartmann jacket is #1 and probably the best I have ever had. Many thanks to the Nobel House team and artisans who make them !!
Delivery from Noble House was fast as usual, no surprise here. The parcel was very well packed and a new product catalogue was included. What astonished me from the very first glance was outstanding (really unparalleled) quality of the leather used for production. It is very smooth, lightly stiff so as to keep shape and has a glossy finish. High quality marks each and every element of the jacket – inner lining, stitching, buckles, zippers, pockets… Inside there are two badges with the emblem of Jagdgeschwader 52, Hartmann’s wartime unit, which only adds to the already extremely positive impression.
Initially I had a slight concern related with the shape of flaps covering lower outside pockets. The Noble House jacket has them slightly rounded while similar historical jackets preserved in museums and private collections tend to have them more rectangular in shape. My doubts were dispelled, however, when I came across a photo of Erich Hartmann on an air strip somewhere on Eastern Front – after I had enlarged it and examined a fragment of the flap visible I discovered that it was of a rounded type, just like the Noble House flap. Hats-off and full respect, that’s all I can say.
Attention to historical detail is what I value above all in this type of product. The Hartmann jacket (in fact currently I own two of these) gives no reason to complain whatsoever. It quickly became my all-round piece of garment, the only time when I am not wearing it are hot summer days. Most of the time I wear it interchangeably with the Bf-109 jacket. Both turn heads of most people, while using them I am frequently asked where I bought them. My usual reply is: “well, there is only one place on mother Earth where you can get these and it happens to be in Ulm, Germany”...
At this point I need to give all future buyers a piece of advice – when placing your order don’t be lazy and don’t just follow standard sizes (M, L, XL, etc.). Take careful measurements suggested at the Noble House website and ask their team to pick an item as close to your actual size as possible. A little effort will pay off and will guarantee your satisfaction, remember that these jackets are not machine produced on a factory line. They are hand-crafted and, just like in case of any handmade product, there might occur slight variations in size as compared to standard dimensions. In return you will receive a timeless item of exceptional quality, daily wear will only add character to your jacket over years.
The communication and delivery time was perfect and i will definately be ordering more from the Noble House Company..
Thanks