DDR NVA Drillich jacke

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I came across this rather interesting drillich jacke being sold by an antique shop on eBay de. At first glance it looks like a 1967 type tunic, but there are some differences from those shown on German DDR websites. The tunic which came out in 1967 had a seam running down the back, this does not. This example also has a drawstring for bring in in the waist, and the collar seems slightly different in shape to the 1967 pattern. All the stitching is in an off-white colour, and all buttons - except cuffs - are held on by split rings. The tunic came with the badge and shoulder boards attached, but there is no way of knowing if they are original to the tunic - although according to the seller the tunic was found as it is during a house clearance. The story adds absolutely nothing to the value, so it is probably true. Despite my wife's best efforts the ink stain refuses to budge. The style of the tunic is very similar to the WW2 TR examples, and it displays well on a mannequin.

Apologies for a couple of the photographs, they are admittedly pretty crap. The ink stain is ONLY on the left breast pocket, the other blue marks are not actually present on the tunic. I think the light was reflecting off something blue in the room.
Click on images to enlarge.

Cheers,
Steve.

[MAP]

Nice looking Drillich. even with the stain!

I'm always tempted to actually use something like this. I wear my US M43 field jacket all the time!

[RMD]

HARRY THE MOLE... Nice find! Displays nicely

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Nice looking Drillich. even with the stain!

After trying a few different stain removers, I have now started to lift the ink out with nail polish remover (acetone). it will take a while, but I reckon that I can get it all out.

Cheers,
Steve

[Blitzvogel]

Very nice pick up Harry, I remember seeing this on sale a while back. I like the WW2-style zig-zag stitching on the backside of the collar.

[MAP]

After trying a few different stain removers, I have now started to lift the ink out with nail polish remover (acetone). it will take a while, but I reckon that I can get it all out.

Cheers,
Steve

I have heard that that works pretty well. Just be careful not to discolor the unstained material. Good Luck!

P.S. I use something called Goof Off. Probably the same as nail polish remover.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

I have heard that that works pretty well. Just be careful not to discolor the unstained material. Good Luck!

P.S. I use something called Goof Off. Probably the same as nail polish remover.

The trick is to put some absorbent material on the other side of the cloth being worked on, then dab the acetone on with cotton wool and allow it to soak through to the backing material. Eventually the stain will be lifted out, but this is not recommended for man-made fibres.

[MAP]

The trick is to put some absorbent material on the other side of the cloth being worked on, then dab the acetone on with cotton wool and allow it to soak through to the backing material. Eventually the stain will be lifted out, but this is not recommended for man-made fibres.

Agree, non wool/cotton fibers can melt or become brittle.

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Agree, non wool/cotton fibers can melt or become brittle.

I used to work with this stuff when I was a chemical engineer many moons ago. As for the stain, I have reached the point where I have to accept that there is always going to be a bit of a stain there. The hardest part of cleaning up/restoring anything is to know when to stop before you start causing unnecessary damage, and I have reached that point. The fumes are giving me a 'high' too!

Cheers,
Steve