Strichtarn seems to be the Rodney Dangerfield of obsolete camo patterns (for the non-US forumites, Rodney Dangerfield was a US comic whose catch phrase was "I got no respect..."). It is barely acknowledged as a camo pattern at all, but more like a textured monochrome. A cursory search through the old threads didn't turn up any discussion on it. Perhaps I didn't look hard enough?
I have a pair Strichtarn pants made in 1965, which I understand was the first year the pattern appeared in the DDR. The construction details are very similar to that of a pair of '64 dated Blumentarn pants I have, with the flapped hip pockets and lozenge-shaped knee reinforcements. Here it is next to a pair of '66 dated pants I pulled from the same surplus store pile that it came out of. Both pairs are made the same way.
What I find curious is that if you compare these to the later Strichtarn garments, not only do the construction details differ, but the actual camo patterns are different as well. Below, from left to right, are pants dated '65, '66. '76. '78.
It requires a certain degree of masochism to look for differences in raindrop patterns, as it is highly conducive to headache induction. So I limited myself to looking for the distance between repeats. Clearly, the '65 - '66 pattern has a repeat distance at least twice as long as that of the '70s pattern (a larger drum was used for printing the pattern perhaps?). Also, the '65 raindrops are obviously narrower than the '66 and later ones. So even the lowly Strichtarn appears to have gone through a brief period of evolution! Has anyone else noticed this? Or bothered to?
cheers,
Gene T
I have a pair Strichtarn pants made in 1965, which I understand was the first year the pattern appeared in the DDR. The construction details are very similar to that of a pair of '64 dated Blumentarn pants I have, with the flapped hip pockets and lozenge-shaped knee reinforcements. Here it is next to a pair of '66 dated pants I pulled from the same surplus store pile that it came out of. Both pairs are made the same way.
What I find curious is that if you compare these to the later Strichtarn garments, not only do the construction details differ, but the actual camo patterns are different as well. Below, from left to right, are pants dated '65, '66. '76. '78.
It requires a certain degree of masochism to look for differences in raindrop patterns, as it is highly conducive to headache induction. So I limited myself to looking for the distance between repeats. Clearly, the '65 - '66 pattern has a repeat distance at least twice as long as that of the '70s pattern (a larger drum was used for printing the pattern perhaps?). Also, the '65 raindrops are obviously narrower than the '66 and later ones. So even the lowly Strichtarn appears to have gone through a brief period of evolution! Has anyone else noticed this? Or bothered to?
cheers,
Gene T
When I was a grad student, I once counted axons in optic nerve sections for a research project, so my tolerance for cranial pain and blurred vision may be somewhat higher than normal. In my heart, I always knew that all those years of taxpayer-supported high education and training would be put to practical use one day, such as the examination of the shape and size of dark brown streaks on pre-owned pants!
Comment