German Uniform Production Update
As of 1 May, 2011 production has resumed. However, we are proceeding with individual orders first as they come in, rather than large cuts- this is to better gauge what people want before we go make a pile of the wrong uniform. Thus, altering course from our original plan, we are, essentially, starting with custom orders rather than mass- production. Yes, this is a first for us.
As previoulsy, we are only making Heer and SS M42's and M43's in sizes 36R-48R at the present time. I know, the phrase "custom" sends many people into a frenzy and they can't understand why we won't make them an SS M37 tunic in 44 dot with a green collar.
There are three reasons: Only the M42/43 patterns have been dialed in to where we want them, and at present only the regulars. Longs, shorts, extra longs and Holy-cow-he ate-the-whole-barnyard sizes are a few weeks off. The latter will be extra cost to be determined on just how big the barnyard was the customer ate...
Second, the girls are getting used to one style before we throw other ones into the mix and start daring Mr. Fubar to waltz in and do his thing. Lastly, the shades of wool we have look good for later War uniforms- we don't have any of the early bluish-green shade of field gray.
So, if you are one of those characters who likes to parse my words to insinuate I'm lying, here ya go- we will custom make a couple of models and sizes at this time. How's that?
Turn around time: Realistically, 2-4 weeks until we ship it. Getting it to you may take another one so 3-5 weeks from the time you pay for the uniform it should be in your hands. If this is too long, please feel free to patronize the other 762 companies that will custom make you a nazi uniform faster.
Payment: We will not start on your uniform until it is paid in full. We will not accept deposits, layway and we do not offer payment plans.
Returns: Standard sizes (36R-48R), with no special alterations* are fully returnable like all of our other stuff- so long as you haven't used, washed, altered, etc, etc.. Custom sizes will be non-refundable. Custom sizes? Longs, shorts, anything smaller or larger than 36R-48R.
*Special alterations: Officer converstions, green collars, shortened skirts, etc, etc..
Measurements: BE SURE THEY ARE CORRECT! We cannot measure you over the phone or internet. If you are confused, go to a tailor or men's suit store and they can do it for you. Some of you characters seem to choose sizes by drawing straws or on a roulette wheel. If you send us the wrong measurements, and the tunic doesn't fit, you're probably going to be stuck with it and out several hundred dollars.
For more answers to more questions, email Virginia: customorders@atthefrontshop.com
Heer M43 Tunic, made with wool from Germany We will start production of these in late May or June. Price will be $495 without insignia. We'll put this up against any other uniforms and wager you've never seen anything quite like this. |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
Wool from Germany, lining from Italy. |
The shade of Feldgrau leans toward the gray side of the spectrum. |
All markings and tags are period correct. |
Same price as the ones from Germany- but without the shortcuts. |
| Made with wool from Germany, rayon lining from Italy, original thread and dished buttons (we don't have enough original tunic buttons to do them.) The pattern is dead-on, no short cuts, no suit-coat shoulders, no hyper-fuzzy polyestor wool, and the belt hooks aren't on your ribs. Sorry! There is NOTHING ever made this close to originals. Promise. |
|||
SS M42 Tunic, made with wool from Germany New vs. Aged We will start production of these in late May or June. Price will be $495 without insignia. How will they look? Judge for yourself. |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
New, as issued. (SS-Uscha. insignia was added later.) |
Same tunic after a little Sonderbehandlung. |
Everything is reproduction. |
Same price as the ones from Germany- but without the shortcuts. |
We DO NOT offer an "aging service". We will absolutely not "age" anything for anybody. I occasionally do this to one of our items to demonstrate just how realistic these things will look. Yes, I know people want to look like a veteran out of the box, but it takes most of a day to do one garment, and it can easily go wrong and end up with holes or torn seams. Plus, they tend to stink for a few weeks afterwards. It's not worth the risk, the hassles, the whining and the returns. So no. |
|||
Want to talk Tunics??? Please don't.
We've had daily emails from various German uniform fans, experts and addicts, usually comprising their doctoral theses of no less than 20,000 words, explaining their observations, opinions and fantasies concerning Nazi clothing. Virginia and I do not have time to shoot the breeze with you guys whose world revolves around the most desirable shade of taupe for the lining, the twist of real feldgrau thread or the proper width for the field dressing pocket. We have plenty of originals, as well as most of the actual specifications and know what we are looking at. Just to make you squirm, it's rare to find two tunics that are made alike, and after 1 September, 1939, the "specs" were obviously open to liberal interpretation by each factory. If you are ordering a uniform, legitimate questions are fine. But if you want to start a debate, please take it to one of the forums. Not here. Thanks.
Short List: With the above paragraph in mind, here is the short answer list for the stitch nazis:
-Our Tunics wiill....
-Be accurate to size.
-Belt hook holes will be large enough for the hooks and set at the waist, not the shoulderblade.
-Not have puckering Hugo Boss style suit jacket shoulders.
-Have the correct size collars, pockets, and flaps.
-Use a range of lining and undercollar fabrics, just like the real ones.
-Be accurate to the same tolerances of originals.
-Have all of the proper interfacings, reinforcements and bias tapes. (Things you can't see.)
-Use slightly angled breast pockets.
-SS tunics will have 10-15 differences from the Heer tunics. (Yes, we have real ones to work from.)
-Have chest darts on Heer tunics and SS M36s and M40s.
(Yes, the SS M36 and SS M40's are different from Heer. But they did have 3 holes per belt hook. Jankes are wrong. Bet ya any amount you wish to lose...)
New Uniforms: This is the first of our new stuff resulting from the merger of ATF and OTM. These uniforms are Made in USA, hence the dramatic price difference. So, before you start squalling at us, stick a sock in it and find a better way to occupy your time.
Later I'll do a page explaining all the in and outs of this, but for now, I'll stick it here.
For the near future, we are making only "stock" sizes and we are taking one style uniform at a time. Meaning, for the next several months, probably until mid-summer, we will only be making M42 and M43 tunics. Then we'll move on to other styles. It will take most of 2011 to build up- so we will NOT give estimates on delivery dates on anything which we are not actually working on.
Much of this info and more on cutting, etc is also on the Factory Page
 |
 |
 |
| At the moment we have about 20 original tunics. I know this pales in comparison to the 100's used by other guys...but it's all we got. | That is a real M40 being dissected. Picture proof that our stuff is cut like the originals. End of discussion. | One size of a garment does not give a good idea of the grade rules. Having a range of sizes does. |
Pattern: Our patterns have been developed by Virginia Bergman. They are being re-adjusted now that she has more originals to examine, compare to and, in some cases, dissect. These do not have the billowing bellies, pointed shoulders and bizarre proportions common to most of the Chinese uniforms. But they do cost three or fours times as much...
Wools
German Wool: The other fabric is 100% wool, Made in Germany, by a mill that made it during the War. It looks and feels like the real thing. It's absolutely the best thing out there. Same thing used for Jankes. It costs twice as much as US made wool, but it's worth it.
"Italian" Wool: For M42 and M43 tunics (Heer and SS) we will have an "Italian" wool option available. This is US Made, and is 80/20 wool/Polyester. We can do M42's with it, and they did exist, but they are quite rare. Most tunics made from Italian wool were M43's.
Lining: This run uses a taupe colored acetate, very similar to the original.
Why do these cost more than Arrowhead, Heinz Spitzberg, Steinadler and Hong Kong Harry? Simple. Overhead in a Chinese factory is about $3 per hour. Here it's about $20. Tunics take 8-10 hours to assemble. If the math is too complex, get a calculator.
There are reasons why most of the uniform makers in the US don't survive. And before you guys start crying that we've "ruined" OTM, you need to know this: Virginia was very close to throwing in the towel. After adding in her hours, she was barely making minimum wage. The biggest problem, besides cheap Chinese uniforms, is price. German tunics made in the US have retailed for about $300 since the 1980's- while the price of wool has more than doubled. So keeping them even at that isn't manageable. For comparison, custom men's suits, made in the USA, start around $750. $1,000-1,200 is more typical. After we get these dialed in, we'll see what the labor time is- the price may very well increase. It certainly will not decrease.
As for those who think anything over $75 for a toonik is a rip off, you should offer prayers of thanks for the poor Asian workers who so willingly sew for $1 per day so you can have cheap Nazi duds. I strongly suspect that these same reasons explain why the Chinese makers seem to be curtailing their custom orders as well. Our shop cost is roughly $20 per hour- a custom German tunic often takes up to 20 hours. Mass produced, it's 8-10 hours. So that's $160-$400 for labor to make them in the USA. Plus materials. And that's our cost. That's before any profit. And no profit = can't last long. For comparison, the Chinese vendors wholesale tunics to the US and European dealers for $35-40 each. And they are making money at that. Ever wonder why we're getting our asses kicked by the commies?
Why all this blather? To try and explain why these things are so damned expensive and what it takes to go from 75% to 100% correct uniforms. The more we've worked on this, the more obvious it is why this usually fails or barely survives. However, at least in my scheme, we have thousands of other products that will help subsidize our ability to manufacture these things. That's the plan anyway.
Lastly, just to show you what a great salesman I am, here's the answer to the obvious question. Even with killer, German made wool, original thread, perfect patterns, details down the the centimeter, etc, etc...is one of these tunics really worth $300+ more than a Sturm, AZM or Gavin one? Probably not. It's not like the public knows the difference between a Pirschen tunic, an East German VOPO bluse, or BDU jacket. You can't really tell them apart when you're running around in the woods busting caps. It might keep you a bit warmer when you're passed out in the mud at Rockford after a 2nd Panzer party, but you're pasted out so it's a moot point...
All arguments aside, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything else. That's my honest answer.