panzer SS camo wrapper

[Peter v L]

I've spent a lot of time at my friend Willi Schumacher's house examining and playing with his camouflaged panzer jacket and this doesn't come close to matching. Plus there are many other minor things that bother me about this piece. I agree with Fritz. I believe this is reproduction.

Bob

there are some very good fakes of these now and this comes no where near to what an original looks like

Peter v L

[Ray]

The major give away that this jacket is fake is the serge down the back seam. German camo fabric was approximately 38" across and the two back pieces were always cut on the selvage edge. This was the standard practice in order not to waist material and get the highest yield out of the fabric at hand (the selvage was usually hidden in tailor/private made garments but was still not serged). Serging machines did exist but was way too expensive to operate and maintain in mormal clothing shops (or even clothing factories!). The US did have them during the war because the US made them . Serging was usually saved for very, very specialized clothing. It was not used for the everyday military garment, especially a "low on the totem pole" garment like HBT or cotton. Look at ANY original SS dot, reed-green HBT, the white HBT uniform, HBT panzer uniforms and tropical cotton uniforms and you willl see what I am talking about. Reproductions are usually made on 60"-72" goods. And all repro manufacterers with the exception of Lost Battalions serge the back seams to prevent fraying of twill fabric. LB is the only faker that will cut their cotton/HBT jackets on the selvage edge. Beware! This is a major detail that collectors need to look for and fast way to spot a fake!

[Scott A. Hess]

Ray ..good point with the sergers..also..the neck collar closure configuration is wrong..wrong shape and style..also..a quick point.I was under the impression that the modern serger as we know it today did not come into existence till the late 50's or early 60's for commercial use (made by the White sewing machine company)..that is.the serger which not only uses the interlocking multi thread stitch..BUT also incorporated into the machine the finish cut blade..which I believed was the hallmark of modern sergers..is it your belief/opinion that the serger in todays configuration (multi interlocking thread AND finish cut/trim blade) was in use in the 40's in GErmany? I have seen what I know are multi thread interlocking stitch machines in period photos..but NOT withthe finish cut blade to trim off the excess material..what is your thought on this? thanks!

[Ray]

Joseph M. Merrow was the inventor of the Overlock Sewing Machine (overedge stitching). It was motorless of course. A serger is a type of overlock sewing machine except that it uses 5 cones instead of the normal 3 or 4. The very first commercial serger was invented in the late 1920's but they were way too expensive for anyone to use. Commercial sergers (5 cone variety) as we know them today did enter the textile industry around the 1950s due to their mass production (the first home serger didn't hit stores till 1967).