Särmä Windproof Fishtail Parka

There are many Fishtail Parkas but this one is ours. Standing on the shoulders of the US M51 Parka, we developed our own version and made some improvements. Fits quite nicely and comes with a warm liner. It's a highly requested model, so it had to be done.

The manufacturing of this product is moving out of China as part of our Project MEGA. We will not replenish it. A redesigned, made-in-Europe product will replace this one. If you want this product in its current form, it is time to hit that add-to-cart button.

• Roomy shell parka with button-on liner
• Windproof 65/35% polycotton fabric
• Three length sizes: Short, Regular and Long

One of the most fashionable military jackets and the quintessential Mod jacket is the American M-1951 Parka, known to many as the Fishtail for obvious reasons. It's actually a good war jacket as well, so you could say form and function have blended together nicely.

The originals from half a century ago are scarcely available and you'll often see some kind of "inspired by"-jacket or reproduction items for sale. We've sold a pretty good repro for years, but many customers have turned away from it as the sizing and fit are extremely loose. We have fixed this issue with ours, along with some other improvements. We believe you'll be happy with it.

Features

Many features are based directly on the original or improved to meet modern-day use.

• Durable poly-cotton fabric with a windproof PU coating on the inside
• Long hem that can be wrapped around the legs, worn loose or snapped up
• Large pockets with a flap you can stow or close with a button
• Hidden pocket accessible under the storm flap
• Removable liner with padding included (100 g / 3.5 oz.)
• Generous hood with multi-adjustments
• Adjustable cuff tabs with hidden elastic
• Draw cord adjustments at the waist and hem.

The removable liner also fits the Särmä Windproof Smock and can also be bought separately.

Size info

The fit is significantly closer compared to the originals, which were designed to be worn over thick winter clothing. These have a regular outdoor jacket fit: no need to buy a smaller size to get a fitting one. On the contrary, if you want a very baggy fit you can choose a larger size.

To account for people of different heights, size Medium is available in three lengths. Smaller sizes have a Short option and larger ones come in Long as well.

Below are the actual circumference and sleeve length from the shoulder seam. The waist is 2 cm (7/8") smaller than the chest and tapers towards the hem. Please note that a parka has about 20 cm (8") clearance on top of your measured chest for the intended fit.

Metric size chart

Imperial size chart

Material and care

Shell: 65/35% polycotton. Some color may transfer from the product before the first wash. Wash at 40° C / 104° F. PU coated on the inside for windproofing.

Removable liner: PES padding between PES fabric, 100%

The Särmä Windproof fabric responds well to treatment with Särmä Fabric Wax or Woly Protector spray. A thorough impregnation with wax makes the garment waterproof. Apply as necessary!

Short history of the M-1951 parka

After the rough lessons in cold weather during World War 2, the US Army developed the M-1951 parka, which saw extended use in the Korean War. Practice proved it to be successful, which is often the case when development stems from actual use.

As the M-1965 system became the new standard, the parka got some minor updates and was reborn as the M65 Parka. Most prominently it got a removable hood instead of a fixed one. The M65 system became obsolete when the new ECWCS stuff was made in sufficient numbers to replace all the old stocks.

Made in China

We are moving our production out of China as part of our Project MEGA. A redesigned, made-in-Europe product will replace this one.