It seems that most antique models gain value exponentially for each rip and tear present, while no one wants to makes replica great coats for the US or UK forces.
Short of setting the bleach and/or dye on some East German gear, are there any suitable stand ins?
French greatcoats make a great substitution for American coats.
French greatcoats make a great substitution for American coats.
Thanks. The post war examples are suspiciously US in appearance.
Yer for yank, French with button change and they are just about bang on, if not bang on 
and they are toasty warm in wet or cold weather, found them quite comfy to wear as long as get the right size, took me 3 coats to get it right lol
For British you could get a postwar coat. I've got a 54 dated coat with general service buttons.
Regards,
Ralph
I have to say its great playing in them , and think both look good pretty sure its the main reason we run a Jan game each year so we can wear the cold weather stuff we dont get to use much lol
Now the quest to find some size #16's for not so period correct beefcakes :/
WPG did a repro British greatcoat, it's out of stock at the moment but you never know.
http://onlinemilitaria.net/products/101 ... reatcoats/
Sounds expensive but even 1950s Fench made US lookalikes are pushing £100.00 in large sizes (if they ever come up) and this is a brand new wool greatcoat. Military tailors charge a grand for those.
Yer for yank, French with button change and they are just about bang on, if not bang on
If you wanted to be really picky / spot on you would need to alter the back strap from squared to pointed. I am quite picky as I reenact US and I've never bothered. 
Buttons are getting pricier these days too, not long ago (6 years) you gould get a full set of 10 for about 20 dollars. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-Army-Gr ... 489416e87a
Buttons are getting pricier these days too, not long ago (6 years) you gould get a full set of 10 for about 20 dollars.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-Army-Gr ... 489416e87a
Yeah, I've never bothered to replace mine either. I wouldn't have minded picking up a set of repro buttons but there's never been an affordable set and I didn't fancy buying one or two at a time from the states as postage would have made it costly. Mine are just french pebbled and no one has ever noticed.
Got a Dutch one, it's copied off the post war great coat, but with a change of buttons, works pretty well as look a like British one.
Why do you always carry that umbrella?
-Bad memory. Never could remember the password. Knew no Jerry would carry one. Had to prove I was an Englishman, you see.
A bridge too far
South African Great Coats, kept the same cut as the British ones till the 1970s or possibly later, except the later ones which were a bit more greener than WW2 era Brit ones.
