Hessen's NEW M1907/10 Tunic Review

[hwolf]

Today I received the new generation on Hessen's "improved" M1907/10 tunic. Unfortunately Hessen's Tunics still don't come to our standards of authenticity.
The issue here is the cut and pattern of the tunic. The new generation improved apon the old ones by raising the tunic hooks to the actual waist and lengthening the skirt. All good improvements BUT
The New generation fails on 2 big issues:
1) They did not lengthen the rear skirt scalloping.
2) They enlongated the front button spacing
(which they should of left alone.)
Visually from the front, 2 buttons extend below the belt buckle when a belt is worn. On originals and GWM repros the button line should terminate at the buckle. To me this is the really big problem.

Please see attached pictures. The first two show Hessen's tunic on the left and my accurate GWM tunic on the right. The other photos are obviously original ones for comparison to Hessen's. Sorry to be the barer of bad news. I had high hopes.
Cheers
Dan
IR 23 Authenticity Officer.

[oskar2ndchev]

OK, I have to ask:

Just HOW hard is it to make a decent reproduction? This can't be rocket science...

[hwolf]

Its evidently REALLY hard. If we Germans REALLY want to get it 100% right GWM is the closest game in town. Even Schipperfabrik is shortening the length on their tunics lately trying to save on the cost of wool (which keeps going up). It essentially comes down to this:

Hessen's are made in China by guys that are use to making stuff for Walmart

Schippers are made in Pakistan or India (which is also why their leather gear smells like pee when it gets wet but we are SOL on that one).

GWM are US made and the quality control is in shop.

Need I say more??? ;D
Dan

[oskar2ndchev]

So true...actually, the US officer's uniforms that are done for Schipper display a higher degree of tailoring than I would have expected and for me at least, the fit is as good as tailored.

Sometimes it can work but you really have to stand over them and bear down hard.