Is this Japanese hat original?

[helmetbuyers]

Hello forum

I won this on EBay a few days ago with a buy it now.

I received it today. here are the seller's photos.

does it look original? I never had one of these before.

I will post my photos shortly. Thanks for the help Robert

[helmetbuyers]

2

[helmetbuyers]

no ink stamping to the inside??

[Paul G]

Does that one have a name stitched onto the side of it?

PG

[helmetbuyers]

Does that one have a name stitched onto the side of it?

PG

thanks for the help.

no name.

It was an EBay buy it now for $99 with free shipping. the ad says it's original... but.. I never had one before...


Robert

[Papa Nambu]

I don't see any "red flags" of an obvious fake in the few pictures you've posted so far, but I wouldn't feel comfortable buying that cap based on those pictures alone either. It looks kind of artificially dirty, like someone wanted it to look dirty rather than being dirty from actual use. So I'd really want to see more detailed pictures before making a judgment.

Any markings inside? An inspection stamp on the havelock (flaps)? Does it look like it was actually worn or just rubbed on someone's garage floor? Some close up pictures of any markings, the stitching, the inside part of the chinstrap buttons, the vent holes and star might help.

[helmetbuyers]

Thanks guys for the help...

sorry for the delay... here are my photos. Robert

[helmetbuyers]

94

[helmetbuyers]

96

[helmetbuyers]

99

[Papa Nambu]

I feel a little better about it after looking at those photos. The materials and construction look right, and I don't see any signs of an obvious fake. Don't see any markings or signs of them, but private purchase caps usually don't have any, or they may have not been stamped heavily and faded away.

There are a lot of variations of these caps, and I've never owned an original havelock before so I'm no expert on those, so hopefully some other collectors will look at it.

[blinky]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...velocks&page=3

This is a great thread on the issue

[xXx]

The neck flap is a repro and I think the cap is also. Looks like the vent holes are machine sewn and no depot stamp and lack of threads for the neck flap. The thread on the cap has been added and is much smaller than it should be.

[helmetbuyers]

thanks guys...

I don't like that it has two air vents to either side. it seems that most caps have three?

the wool feels "soft" on the cap.... and I feel it should be coarse. The hooks to attach the flap to the cap have no rust at all. I also feel it should have some stampings somewhere.

the chinstrap looks correct to me, and I like the burlap type of lining...

I also don't like the star.

I contacted the seller with regard to returning it. Robert

[Walter Schmidt]

The problem with these things is that it wasn't standard issue until Showa 13 (1938) even though it was in use much longer, meaning that it was sort of a free-for-all until then and still a free-for-all for the officer types until the end of the war because their stuff was private purchase. That, coupled with the normal variation in IJA gear coming from a myriad of contractors and change over time, makes the Ryakubou an extremely varied item.
What makes it even more confusing is the fact that by wartime this type of cap was being used in civilian uniforms (Kokuminfuku, school uniforms, I've even seen a few with mom-and-pop tofu company logos painted on the front) which made it even more variable.

Here's a picture showing what I'm talking about from some guy's blog:
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ak277301/GA...=25021144&no=0