rukkas really are the best raincoats...

[mason]

Yet another beautiful rainy day Down Under ... I wore my new yellow Rukka - with my matching shiny yellow rainboots from Target (USA) for the first time today and I must say that I just love the look and feel of the smooth PVC ... it's a real raincoat in the truest sense of the word; they just don't make them like this anymore!!

I received a few looks, although the majority of people appeared to be quite uninterested ... although a couple of people smiled when they saw me.

Wearing my yellow Rukka and rainboots really took me back to the days of my childhood: I just think its sad that so few people appear to enjoy a rainy day in the same way.

[Plastic Max]

Lucky you! I agree with you and would love to have one of the shiny ones. I am not so keen on the dull finish ones at all, they just don't do it the same way for me. I've seen quite a few on ebay but either never my size or not the right colour. I remember loads of them in the late 1960s early 1970s when it was fashionable for the young women to wear one in any kind of weather. The closest I have from that era are two red ones, one is a Bormax and I think the other is an Ocean, but they don't have the high gloss shine of the Rukka ones. For now, my Rimo mac is closest to the Rukka in shine.

[mason]

Lucky you! I agree with you and would love to have one of the shiny ones. I am not so keen on the dull finish ones at all, they just don't do it the same way for me. I've seen quite a few on ebay but either never my size or not the right colour. I remember loads of them in the late 1960s early 1970s when it was fashionable for the young women to wear one in any kind of weather. The closest I have from that era are two red ones, one is a Bormax and I think the other is an Ocean, but they don't have the high gloss shine of the Rukka ones. For now, my Rimo mac is closest to the Rukka in shine.

Usually only the shiny ones command really high prices unless it's a large one or in great nick. Shiny PVC Rukkas are the only ones anyone are really interested in, or want. After wearing mine in the rain, it's not hard to see why. They just look wonderful in a way that I can't describe. You've got to see the way shines on the PVC to understand.

I can only imagine what a great sight those Rukkas must have been back then; do you ever see anyone wearing one now? Did guys ever wear them or just women only?

Bormax raincoats are nice, but they're very scarce. I hardly (if ever) see them appear on e-bay. I actually just managed to buy a vintage shiny yellow zip-up Guy Cotten hip-length jacket/raincoat on e-bay and it goes very, very close to the Rukka for look and feel (save for length) - it's a bit thicker and somewhat "softer" (smoother?) to the touch. I love wearing it!!

Another raincoat I really like is my (also yellow) vintage fabric-backed Pac-a-mac (without hood) and it's a real raincoat in the truest sense of the word...

I can only wonder why they do not make them like that any more?!?

[Rainwearlover]

Greetings from the land of rukka!
I´m sad to say that the classic rukka raincoats aren´t seen on the streets anymore... mostly because people are wearing modern shower proof jackets.... :/ However, if you do see somebody out and about in a rukka it is sure to be a girl/woman... never seen a dude wear one... Rukka raincoats sometimes turn up at secondhand stores here but they are rare... and often "worn to destruction"...
Don´t know who said it or where I picked it up but raincoats made by former aprilrain, now mayrain, are supposed to be very close to "the real deal"... not cotton backed fabric like the real ones but the model and style are supposed to be the same(-ish)... (perhaps a useful tip to anybody looking for a rukka...)
Rainwearlover

[WealdenMac]

Absolutely agree with Mason. In the early 80's I had, and wore regularly, a blue matt finish Rukka mac which, apart from being rather short (wet trouser thighs when it rained) was perfectly serviceable but hardly exciting. I would have loved a man's version of the women's shiny black PVC macks Rukka sold at the time, complete with press stud fastenings and hood. The shop at a marina on the Thames near where I lived acted as an agent for Rukka and the lady proprietor once told me that they sold quite a few such macks to men, but I never saw a man wearing one outdoors.

[pvcmac]

i agree with everyone about shiny rukka macs they are just goregous and i love them, i have five shiny rukkas two red two green and a blue one. i would love to get a black one but it seems they sre very hard to get hold of now, as for size and condition i don't care i just love them.

[wellyboy]

I had a green Rukka in the early 80s and my friends wore them too. They were unisex.
Mine was a bright green and came down past my bum, it has a deep kind of square hood and deep front pockets. It had popper fasteners.
My friend had a blue one which he always wore, and a female friend wore a red one.
I also had a 3/4 length Rukke in navy which came down past my wellies. It was lovely to wear. And it made a nice noise slapping against the backs of my wellies as I walked in the rain.
I also got plenty of admiring stares and glances from passers-by.
Yes, bring back the Rukka.

[neil]

I had a girlfriend in 1981 who wore a knee length,dark blue matt finished Rukka with a quilted lining.As this was warm as well as waterproof,she often had it on;in fact I don't recall her having any other coat. I always wanted to put my arm around her when we were walking.

[Juppe]

It's not a technical problem to make same kind of PVC fabric like the old Rukkas, it's a question of courage to reintroduce the 'good old design'. At the 70's there were at least 3 manufacturers in Finland to produce PVC coated fabrics, nowadays only one. Rukka has been using a Norwegian manufacturer for their Elastoplast fabric. I have been told by Kiiltoplast that any shade, colour, shine can be made but the minimum amount should be around 1000 meters. Dull surfaces are preferred today "so that the fabric looks like any outdoor garment". Oh dear, do we agree with them, oh no - sigh.
Mrs Tiala, the founder of April Rain was earlier working at Rukka. The old designs are not protected, copies can be made, but April/Mayrain is far too small to launch such a product globally. Mrs Tiala's daughter runs Mayrain and she is quite cautious and not very cooperative in receiving signs from the market.
The Finnish secondhand web sites and local flee markets do have sometimes old Rukka coats, the price level is reasonable (under 100 euros). Looking through one of the most popular site, I found only 1 object, a Marimekko style raincoat size 36, 69 euros. With 'rukka' as searchword you'll find that 95% are children's rainwear, the rest is other outwear.

[Juppe]

I forgot to mention that in Sweden - some of you might already know - a private person has started cooperation with Grundens and sells some of their designs plus 'special designs' on a newly launched website
http://www.farmerrain.com/
The products are made in Portugal. The fabric is nice, pretty sturdy and shiny. And even though the website is in Swedish language you can communicate with Jonas also in English.