Early black piped KVP hat 1958, help please

[tony james]

I think Freide has a artillerie schiffchen that is overpiped.

[Jan Klaassen]

Thanks Rev and Tony! Never knew this, though it was just meant to happen on Schirmmützen. Sorry for hi-jacking the topic though - but it raises the question: why? 1961-1963 Skimützen out of the factory were not piped at all - so why would white be allowed?

[Rev462]

Jan,

Apparently there was some "wiggle room" in the new regulations. For example, I have a white piped officer Schiffchen dated 1963. The cover of the October, 1962 edition of Armee Rundschau shows an officer candidate wearing the double breasted tunic and Panzer piped visor hat - with Staatswappen cockade. I also have Pioneer & Rear Services piped Schiffchen with Staatswappen cockades. I think I also recall seeing a photo of an officer somewhere circa 1963 wearing a white piped Skimuetze.

The elimination of piping on the Skimuetze (and other headgear) happened over an extended period of time, with both white & non-white piping allowed for a while. Exactly why some hats got overpiped in white is not quite clear to me - perhaps white was permitted for more highly visible functions in front of The Brass like parade and colored piping was permitted for service & walking out??