Wool on Ebay

[Paul B]

This has been a really instructive thread, and as well as the points about the tunic in question it's also thrown up some interesting observations about collecting in general....

Some advanced WWII collectors (for example Glenn on this website) have vast collections and have personally seen and handled many different tunics from a varity of makers and clothing depots....this has allowed them to make strong and valid judgements about what's the norm and what isn't.

The sheer scarcity of WWI Feldgrau makes that that kind of exercise virtually impossible. Even big collections like the now dispersed Marshall Daut collection of over 200 feldgrau tunics only had a handfull of issue M07/10 pieces for example. As Phil says, what we study today is what remains, not necessarily a comprehensive sample of what was made.

The other key point, which has already been made, is this -these forums are great, and the enchange of knowledge and the chance to learn from experienced collectors is never to be passed up, but sometimes you have to have the hands on inspection. In my case, from the first set of photos I was sold on this, the second set cast some doubts, and now I'm 99% certain it's totally good again...you can't beat seeing most items in the flesh to make the best call.

As Cousette says, it's only a matter of time before the repros get much better -even using retailored original greatcoats (maybe this has already happened?) given the financial return on these pieces.

What we really need is a WWI version of the Feldbluse book published by Histoire et Collections -Militaria Magazine have recently done a fine study of WWI German tunics with many colour detail shots, and it would be great to see these presented in book form.

....believe it or not Eric, this week's been a scorcher in the UK, and I enjoyed a bottle or of Newcy Brown just the other night...

All the best

Paul

[Hoss]

If you want to make a magnificent copy for 450 $ work from one great-coat M1915.

The copy will be magnificent but will have defect to indicate by Paul.

Cousette
Interesting info. A member of our reeanacting unit use to wear an original Tunic made from a greatcoat!
It had been well inspected by everyone and passed as period done. We gave him hell for continuing to wear it. Eventually he bought a reproduction to play in!
Iam not sure if he still has it. I,ll check.

Regards
Eric

[phild]

Oh Phild
Man come on! A cottage industry in issue Field Tunics etc. That sounds like opening a can of worms to me.

Maybe the way that I stated this was confusing. I am not talking about a cottage industry in faking these tunics today or even that they were all contracted to mom and pop tailors in 1907-1918.....but rather that a lot of uniform items and every other type of smaller item ( not ships or artillery!) were supplied by very small operations and therefore there was a LOT or small variations in materials and details.

[Hoss]

Hello Phild
I take your point. Like my last post, I think there was rare exceptions trying to supply all the troops. I cant believe there was much variation in stitching methods back then though apart from a grunt or depot (ugh!) repair job. I guess all we can do is judge each piece as it comes along.

Eric

[cousette]

...but rather that a lot of uniform items and every other type of smaller item ( not ships or artillery!) were supplied by very small operations and therefore there was a LOT or small variations in materials and details.

With the declaration of war needs in uniforms increase hightly, and the number of needlewomen with way has to explode. Thus it is certain that during first time of the war, the quality fell. But to make a uniform is a gesture very repetitive and the perfection arrives fast...
Thus for bluses on 1915, he does not have to have too much difference on the quality.

For the pleasure of the demonstration, I go bought a greatcoat to transformed it to a bluse 1915 or to a feldrock 07/10.

And it training me, because I have to launch the stupid bet to make a success in the examination of needle"women's" at a French fashion dressmaker (one of the most famous luxury brand to the world). In the life, it is necessary to challenge every day.

[phild]

Hello Phild
I take your point. Like my last post, I think there was rare exceptions trying to supply all the troops. I cant believe there was much variation in stitching methods back then though apart from a grunt or depot (ugh!) repair job. I guess all we can do is judge each piece as it comes along.

Eric

Yes, I agree. I know that the standard contract procedure was to deliver the specs and to receive a sample ..approve it (or not) and go from there. I think that there would or could have been a lot variables to consider...such as the size and capabilities of the sewing machines used by smaller makers, the materials (fabric, lining material, thread....) that they were allocated and skill level or sewing traits of their employees. I can say that these things and many others are VERY difficult to standardize even today in sophisticated companies!

For example, I own a simplified 1914/15 bluse ....fully contract/issue with all of the depot stamps and unit stamps. It is made from a fairly high grade heavy tricot worsted wool....like used on many private purchase officer's tunics. Now this is a 100% issue field combat intended tunic...but made from this type of material.....we know that this did happen in late 1914/15 when all suitable stocks of feldgrau fabric were accepted (some say even requisitioned) to fill the emergency uniform demands for contract EM tunics) I also belive that surviving examples of this are extremely rare to find today...although I think a few other examples of these exist.

I am saying that a lot of substitution was done and none of us have seen more than a tiny fraction of 1% of the 10 or 15 Million tunics that the Germans must have made between 1907 and 1919......so our base of reference on the exceptions is somewhere between very limited and non-existant!

[PlaceOfBayonets]

Cousette
Interesting info. A member of our reeanacting unit use to wear an original Tunic made from a greatcoat!
It had been well inspected by everyone and passed as period done. We gave him hell for continuing to wear it. Eventually he bought a reproduction to play in!
Iam not sure if he still has it. I,ll check.

Regards
Eric

Was the guys name Dan? Ask him if he wants to sell :P

[PlaceOfBayonets]

Well anyone we know win the Tunic? I had to restrain myself from bidding. I have almost that amount in checking but if I spent it I'd have nothing to live on.

W.

[phild]

IMO who ever won the bid got a good buy or at the least a very fair buy. Take the value of the other items out of the total paid and the tunic was bought at under 3k....for that condition on an issue bluse I think it very fair.


For what it is worth, my personal observation at this year's SOS was that WWI German fledgrau (tunics, trousers and overcoats) was probably the hottest selling category at the show. Just about every piece there sold and about half of those sold in the first few hours on Thursday....many for over 4k each on the tunics. I realize that values can really vary depending on the model, regiment, condition and other factors, but prices on these seem to be really holding and have an international interest.

There was not that much there, but considering that I have been to MAX and SOS shows many times in the past and found more than 2 or 3 WWI FG tunics....I guess the selction was pretty good with 8 to 10 examples as I recall.

It will be interesting to see what happens to prices on WWI items in general when we hit the 100 year mark on WWI in 4 years.