How to date a plash palatka

[doomtown]

Hi, I was looking to get some info on how to date a plash palatka as WW2 era, are metal grommets WW2, or post war?

[Marcel Banziger]

These are quite hard to date. Some unworn or very little used ones still show stamps. Mine has wooden pegs and no metal grommets, only thin rope/fabric grommets. I haven't seen a wartime one with metal grommets but of course I haven't seen them all haha so I don't know if wartime ones existed with metal grommets.

Here's mine:

[doomtown]

Very nice piece, thanks for sharing! I've been fascinated with these cloaks since I bought a WW2 German jacket made out of this fabric. Here's some pics of the Zelt I was looking at. I'm surprised that there's not more info on the internet on how to date these.

[Marcel Banziger]

Here's a few for sale, all the same fabric 'grommets' like mine:

http://frontovik.com/product-categor...sonal-effects/

Here's another nice original, also no metal grommets:

http://www.aboutww2militaria.com/m38...944-dated.html

[Marcel Banziger]

So I am not certain about the one you've shown. Can you make a close-up of the grommet? Could be very well replacements - does this show on the material?

[doomtown]

You know, it’s an item I found online, so I don’t have it in hand, I was wondering if they might be replacements too. It’s still cheap, might be worth a gamble.

[doomtown]

Funny thing is the grommets look like German Zelt grommets, apparently post war the Soviets used brass grommets, but these don’t look brass to me. Gosh, I might just gamble on it for fun.

[Marcel Banziger]

If there's doubts I would never buy it myself. Too many good and original ones for sale out there.
But perhaps it is worth the gamble yes when very, very cheap

[Marcel Banziger]

Another thing I just notice; the one you've shown has two slits; one for each arm. As far as I know wartime plash-palatkas have only one slit, for one arm only.

[doomtown]

Ah, good eye! Thanks for the help, I've learned a ton about these from this thread!