How to tell if a 1915 Imperial Blouse is Fake?

[checkit]

Button flap is lined with a brownish-gray dull sateen. You can see where the buttons have worn against the lining.

Buttonholes were examined very carefully with a strong UV mineral light - no signs of modern thread or interfacing.

[checkit]

Nice details with hand stitching.

The wool looks a little dirty and stiff in some of the photos, but it is very clean, with none of the dirty stiffness often found in a uniform this old.

[checkit]

Sleeves have been shortened a bit. The white stitching is polyester thread.

In the second pic is some of the only dirt to be found on this uniform, and it is just some linty stuff that got inside the cuff.

[checkit]

This button looks old, but the others are very shiny.

The belt hook is RZM marked on the back and is nickel plated.

[checkit]

Rear "belt ramp" buttons were torn out, and regular buttons added later. You can see where a rip in the wool was repaired.

That's it. Hoping to see a or

[LA MITRAILLE]

Hello,

this jacket is a old copy, but a copy!

There are a lot of things wrong, the lining is not correct, the stamps inside, the pockets also.....ect.

Best regards
david

[checkit]

Thanks, David. That is the kind of expert opinion I was hoping to hear.

Everyone, please feel free to chime in.

[PlaceOfBayonets]

When were the first copies made? Were they a result of the re enactor market or were one off's made by people who just wanted a copy?

W

[phild]

When were the first copies made? Were they a result of the re enactor market or were one off's made by people who just wanted a copy?

W

I agree with David. As to the date that it was made, my best stab would be the 1980s or early 1990s. I base this on the fact that the pattern of hbt used in this one was also being used in other repros of that period and the work, materials and markings are sort of correct, but not expertly executed...another hallmark of uniform fakes 20 to 30 years ago.

[Hoss]

I agree with phild
It looks like a reenactor tunic from the early eighties, but I would,nt call it a fake my old play M15 is issue stamped and size marked also. Sorry for the bad news, thank you for posting the pictures.

Eric